The OpenTEAM Fellows Program
Embedding Systems of Support to Connect Land Stewards to the OpenTEAM Technology Ecosystem, Simultaneously Refining Tools
To better meet ground-level needs of producers and refine tech tools using a human-centered design approach, OpenTEAM has launched a year-long Fellows Program.
Fellows are embedded into the local farming and ranching community they serve, working as trained community and technical facilitators alongside local Hub staff as they accomplish their goals and work to implement OpenTEAM tech tools that can provide land stewards with the knowledge needed to enable regenerative agricultural management practices.
Through the program, Fellows...
Engage
and work closely with the Hub’s agricultural network to onboard new producers to the OpenTEAM tech ecosystem.
Facilitate
data entry into producer profiles that can be used by producers to connect, share data, and collaborate with other farmers, ranchers, or networks
Maximize
data-driven value for the land steward by helping track and store data on farm management, practices, soil health measures, and other data points with OpenTEAM tools.
Act
as trusted intermediaries between tool developers and land stewards to strengthen connections and share feedback to ensure tools are meeting producer needs.
The Fellows
Jeff Borum
(he/him/his)
Hubs:
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts and California Farm Demonstration Network
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Welcome, OpenTEAM Fellows!
Introducing the OpenTEAM Fellows! To better meet ground-level needs of producers and refine tech tools using a human-centered design approach, OpenTEAM launched a year-long Fellows
The Ag Data Wallet
Fellows are inputting data to build the beginnings of an “Ag Data Wallet” for each land steward they connect with, onboarding them to the technology ecosystem. This digital wallet functions similarly to a safe deposit box, bank account, and ID card to provide control and data sovereignty to land stewards. Through this, Fellows will lay the groundwork to connect all land stewards to OpenTEAM’s open source ecosystem of digital tools and other agricultural support networks. This creates a streamlined process where land stewards can enter their data once, store it securely, and share their data on management practices, soil health measures, and other key operations to connect to benefits, opportunities, economic incentives, and markets.
Through the Fellows Program, Fellows support pilot Hubs around using this digital wallet, testing OpenTEAM’s shared technology toolkit and maximizing data-driven value for the land steward.
The OpenTEAM Fellows Program operates with significant support from a $730,000 grant by the Walmart Foundation.
