I am a student from Cornell University doing an internship with Indigo
Development, the sustainable development division of RPP International of
Oakland, CA. Indigo Development is working on creating an Eco-Industrial
Park in Puerto Rico and one component of the park will be an organic farm.
We are hoping to use bi-products of other businesses in the park as imputs
into the farm as well as to cycle farm outputs back into the other
businesses (which will include a paper mill and a waste to energy facility,
among others.)
I am working on the sustainable agriculture component of the park, trying to
understand the support cluster associated with an organic farm. I am writing
to ask for your help in my search.
The construct of an organic, sustainable system is so different from the
construct of an industrial agriculture operation. I would like to know about
the specific needs of an organic farmer and the necessary links and
associations with other businesses and organizations. I am interested in any
information about materials brought into the farm as well as bi-products
that leave. It would be interesting to hear not only about the current
construct of an organic farming system but also about the vision for an
improved organization, i.e., what is needed but not availible?
Some members I have thought about:
-sustainable seed companies
-distributors
-research groups
-SA NGOs
-dairys or poultry houses
-networks of farmers
-insect suppliers