Spring 2009 / Team Project / Institute of Design
FarmShare is an online tool that helps small, sustainable farmers manage important crop data, track short and long-term goals, and identify opportunities for collective optimization.

The problem
The current agribusiness model is not sustainable: it's dependent on fossil fuels, depletes essential top soil, and reduces genetic diversity. Fortunately, a new generation of tech-savvy urbanites are passionate about sustainable food sources and starting their own small farms. But they're inexperienced, and the resources they need are geographically and virtually decentralized.

Research approach
Given time constraints, our team focused on an extensive secondary research phase, learning about farming, sustainability, agribusiness, local food movements, and organic farming. We supplemented this knowledge with interviews with local farmers, as well as tech-savvy farmers who maintain active blogs and internet presence.

The FarmShare concept
FarmShare is an online suite of tools that combines farming research, management tools, and personal networking to help farmers leapfrog some of the most common barriers to profitability and sustainability.

Personal data management tools help farmers track crop statistics across seasons, and connections to mentors in the field help young farmers make smarter decisions.

Group facilitation tools help members retain their independence as small farmers while enjoying the leverage and mitigated risk of a much larger enterprise. Farmers can connect with others in the area, harnessing the power of the collective to form CSAs, purchase insurance, and setup crop rotation systems.