| rst glance, web technology and traditional organic | | | | as much as 70% and in so doing allow organic groups |
| food cultivation may seem to represent opposite | | | | to focus on content creation rather than content |
| ends of the spectrum. However, both fields have a | | | | delivery. |
| lot in common and both have something to learn | | | | 2. Develop your online professional networking |
| from the other. | | | | The most advanced organic advocacy groups create |
| Notwithstanding the wave of current publicity, the | | | | networks of supporters who believe in their values |
| organic movement is as old as the early days of the | | | | and goals. While the term networking sometimes |
| modern 20th computer technology movement. In | | | | gets an undesirable reputation, the general reality is |
| 1940, Rodale, a Pennsylvania agriculturalist coined the | | | | that these networks can provide substantial aid to |
| term to describe a superior practice of farming which | | | | organic advocacy organizations. Today in the San |
| was free of pesticides. And organic food innovations | | | | Francisco Bay Area, the expectation is that |
| date back at least to this point. | | | | professional people will have at least a rudimentary |
| There are at least tens of thousands of certified | | | | profile page on one of the many professional |
| organic farmers in the US. Last year alone, US | | | | networking pages. |
| consumer spent billions of dollars on organic fruit, | | | | 3. Leverage a free phone conference service |
| vegetables and meat. And against this backdrop, is an | | | | In the last five years, there has been growing |
| entire industry of professional lobbyists, consumer | | | | collaboration between geographically diverse organic |
| advocates, business trade associations and ranchers. | | | | advocacy groups. One cause of this trend has been |
| While these groups may be diverse, they all share an | | | | lower air travel costs – a trend that may now |
| interest in learning from the successes of the | | | | be reversing with jumping oil costs. |
| technology movement. Indeed, many organic groups | | | | A separate driver is the accessibility of free |
| could benefit from the use of new technologies that | | | | conference calling companies. A lot of these |
| facilitate teleconferencing and collaboration. | | | | conference phone services work on the same |
| Whether it be free conference call solutions that | | | | underlying principle. They give you a PIN and a toll |
| facilitate web arranged conferencing to new | | | | number to call. If all users dial the same number and |
| generation email newsletter systems, there has not | | | | enter the same code, they are put into the call. |
| been a more ideal time to leverage new technologies | | | | 4. Desktop sharing |
| to further the organic mission. The following | | | | Some organic advocacy groups have far flung |
| suggestions are just a handful of tips. | | | | leadership groups, and it is difficult to expect |
| 1. Deploy an automated electronic newsletter system | | | | face-to-face meetings. Technology is addressing this |
| It was not that long ago that sending out an | | | | problem by way of desktop sharing. Whether it's |
| electronic newsletter was time consuming and | | | | viewing a PowerPoint document displaying the group's |
| difficult. This has now changed. A plethora of on-line | | | | fund raising initiatives or a spreadsheet showing the |
| services are making it possible to create scalable | | | | tracking of volunteer participation desktop sharing |
| newsletters. These services slash the work load by | | | | can be quite useful for many organic groups. |