Making Use of Conferencing and Communication Technology to Accelerate the Organic Revolution

Notwithstanding the tidal wave of recent publicity, the organic movement is by no means a new movement. In 1940, Rodale, a Pennsylvania researcher used the term to describe a healthier practice of farming free of pesticides. And throughout, the organic community has occupied somewhat conflicting ground. The field is beset by overlapping regulatory authorities including the USDA, states and private bodies.nnThere are at least tens of thousands of certified organic growers in the US. Last year alone, US consumer spent billions of dollars on organic produce, poultry and meat. And with this backdrop, is an entire industry of lobbyists, consumer advocates, trade associations and ranchers.nnWhat do all of these seemingly divergent communities have in common? Apart from their shared goal in advancing the organic movement, all will benefit from the use of new technologies.nnIndeed, most if not all organic groups can benefit from the use of new technologies that empower teleconferencing and networking. Ranging from free conference solutions including Rondee.com that allow standardized conferencing to high touch email newsletter systems, there has not been a more ideal time to leverage new technologies to advance the organic vision. The following suggestions are just a handful of recommendations.nnDeploy an automated electronic newsletter systemnnIt wasn't too long in the past that sending out an electronic newsletter was time consuming and tiresome. That has now changed. On-line systems such as Yesmail, Sevista, and Enewsletterpro are making it possible to create scalable newsletters. These services cut the work load by as much as 70% and in so doing allow organic groups to concentrate on content creation rather than content delivery.nnAugment your online networknnThe most advanced organic advocacy groups create networks of supporters who believe in their philosophy and goals. While the term networking often gets an undesirable reputation, the general reality is these networks can provide significant aid to organic advocacy groups. Today in the Bay Area, the expectation is that professional folks will have at least a basic profile on LinkedIn.nnMeanwhile, other networking systems such as Facebook are starting to experience usage by more professional users. Such services also provide a relatively simple way of augmenting your network.nnUse a free teleconference applicationnnIn the last few years, there has been more coordination between geographically diverse organic advocacy groups. One underlying reason for this trend has been lower flight travel costs – a trend that may now be going the opposite direction with leaping oil prices. nnA separate cause is the ubiquity of free conference calling companies. A number of these types of free conference call services, including the product offered by Rondee.com operate on a similar underlying method. They give you a personal access number and a toll number to dial. If all conference call participants dial the same toll number and enter the same PIN code, they are put into the call. nnDesktop sharingnnSome organic advocacy groups have far flung leadership teams, and it is difficult to have in person meetings. Technology is solving this problem by way of desktop sharing. Whether it's sharing a PowerPoint document illustrating the group's development plan or a spreadsheet showing the performance desktop sharing can be quite useful for many organic groups.n