[Geo4All] Africa Agriculture, Cartography /Remote Sensing & Optimal Production

[Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)]

Dear One Africa Alive and Well!

And leading the world in how small can be better, solving our societal management needs from the bottom up. Just as in the game of golf, furthest from the hole goes first, we should be serving those in most need first and foremost. Much of Africa, our original home, before we all became immigrants, certainly qualifies as a focal point for our collective energies. 

Daniel's proposed design, puts the rubber-on-the-road and real feet-on-the-ground, in applying the grandiose mission statements of very well meaning software/engineering enterprises. To make something happen here, we need to focus on one community, understand their real needs and actual capacity. Then rapidly build a prototype solution, test it live and grow it in direct response to the community of families ^working^ it. 

We will gradually increase our understanding of their crops/livestock, and we will build a resource center for them to acquire and share information. If there is a commercial aspect to this, that certainly is another module so they can get their goods to market. And we need to facilitate communication between the farmers/ranchers so they can express and share the issues they are facing.

The first thing we need to do is connect them with the nearest relevant weather station. And we need to understand their soil conditions/ we should also be able to recommend a variety of crops, possibly some for cash and others for a complimentary variety (when considering tilling the soil).
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/africa-physical-geography/

Let's find a way to begin immediately deliver a software solution that Daniel can integrate into a live scenario!

Since so much of this is related to the urban management idea, at the heart of OpenCitySmart. So, to capture these resources they are now located where they can be easily accessed. And there is room for more!
https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Opencitysmart

-Patrick

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Bwanika [mailto:bulemezi at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2017 9:17 PM
To: Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)
Cc: Mueller, Thomas; cschweik at pubpol.umass.edu; Charlie Martial NGOUNOU; GeoForAll
Subject: Re: [Geo4All] Africa Agriculture, Cartography /Remote Sensing & Optimal Production

Pat

Starting small can this be the design?

Design a functional infrastructure (based on villages/ 3-5 farmers) Develop initial User Interface with based on a few farmers Build initial functional infrastructure Test functional infrastructure with User interface Create Data Base for instant documentation Expand from Village (farmers) to Village (farmers) Connect to possible Virtual Market (cattle markets) Expand (upgrade) the Functional Infrastructure to Fab Lab Install Admin Interface and data gathering tools

Best

Daniel

On 11/26/17, Dan Bwanika <bulemezi at gmail.com> wrote:
> Pat
>
> We have access to farmers with critical needs (demand) that is very 
> important.
>
> It is the starting point.
>
> Once one, two or three farmers  can solve their structural problems 
> via provided information - it is then information will spread  as a 
> sure deal to start building the required infrastructure.
>
> This area I am writing about is the cattle corridor extending to more 
> than 600 km  ( Western – East Uganda or Ankole to Teso ) with 
> thousands of farmers.
>
> I am sure we can build an organic structure which is need based and 
> self expanding.
>
>
> Best
>
>
> On 11/26/17, Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX) <patrick.hogan at nasa.gov> wrote:
>> Daniel,
>>
>> It's your lead, given you are defining the design and the requirements.
>>
>> So what does that basic ^herder^ app look like? Though truth be told, 
>> as I mentioned earlier, we can be more help to farmers than herders.
>>
>> Weare simply not ^there^ yet for rounding up cattle via IoT.
>>
>> Meanwhile, we need a good target for what we can do, so that together 
>> we might build a primo app in concert with your crew.
>>
>> -Patrick
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dan Bwanika [mailto:bulemezi at gmail.com]
>> Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2017 8:17 PM
>> To: Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)
>> Cc: Mueller, Thomas; cschweik at pubpol.umass.edu; Charlie Martial 
>> NGOUNOU; BISA-IPEG; ACUMEN; GeoForAll
>> Subject: Re: [Geo4All] Africa Agriculture, Cartography /Remote 
>> Sensing & Optimal Production
>>
>> Pat
>>
>> I am ready to go.
>> We have the whole world for us.
>>
>> Best
>>
>> Dan
>>
>> On 11/26/17, Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX) <patrick.hogan at nasa.gov> wrote:
>>> Daniel,
>>>
>>> WoW!
>>>
>>> That is some rich grass for those goats to graze on!
>>>
>>> I would love to drink their milk!
>>>
>>> It's easy enough for those goats to disappear in the tall grass, 
>>> much more the 100 acres.
>>>
>>> Let's start small, but let's get something 'soft' going!
>>>
>>> -Patrick
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Dan Bwanika [mailto:bulemezi at gmail.com]
>>> Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2017 5:43 PM
>>> To: Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)
>>> Cc: Mueller, Thomas; cschweik at pubpol.umass.edu; Charlie Martial 
>>> NGOUNOU; BISA-IPEG; ACUMEN; GeoForAll; Urban Geography Discussion 
>>> and Announcement Forum
>>> Subject: Re: [Geo4All] Africa Agriculture, Cartography /Remote 
>>> Sensing & Optimal Production
>>>
>>> Patrick
>>>
>>> Sure this will have to be done soon or later. The choice for these 
>>> farmers is to live and to live they have to sustain life with modern 
>>> tools and systems.
>>>
>>> It is indeed this very concept we are trying to bring to the table 
>>> "RANCHER"
>>> since Uganda and indeed East Africa farming practices are so archaic 
>>> to be termed farming at all.
>>>
>>> A farmer has 300 acres and over 100 cows just roaming the entire 
>>> place left to nature’s fate. Miraculously this has been going far 
>>> way too long and is not sustainable!  Climate change and market 
>>> demand (rapid
>>> urbanisation) can wipe out their stocks.
>>>
>>> Dogs, yes no, just to chase away small canines - not really  to  
>>> help corral cattle.
>>>
>>> In fact, remote sensing technology can help in CATTLE FARM 
>>> MANAGEMENT particularly for milk producers. E.G. with a smart phone 
>>> locatin the precise location of each cow.
>>>
>>> It is very costly for Uganda cattle farmers to milk more than 100 
>>> cows in the wild.
>>>
>>> Training is also central to switch perspective.
>>>
>>> Mobile phones are everywhere in this country - we just have to 
>>> change use.
>>>
>>> see photo of a goats farmer
>>>
>>> Best
>>>
>>> Daniel Bwanika
>>>
>>> On 11/26/17, Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX) <patrick.hogan at nasa.gov> wrote:
>>>> Daniel, Beautiful!
>>>>
>>>> First we need to work on connecting with the farmer/rancher. If 
>>>> there is high-tech solution to track, let's put it on the lead cow. 
>>>> Do you use dogs to help corral your cattle, probably not, but worth 
>>>> considering? Though maybe so alien, might scare the hell out of 
>>>> your herd.
>>>>
>>>> We need to establish a regular connect with the farmer/rancher. I 
>>>> am assuming cell-phones are a native part of this equation. Getting 
>>>> them weather data is a start. Finding ways to connect the local 
>>>> community is implicit in this.
>>>>
>>>> Once we know what the current 'e' infrastructure exists there, it 
>>>> will be easier to design the requirements for the app we want to 
>>>> develop, serving their immediate needs, with UTL at the heart of that.
>>>>
>>>> Some thoughts. . .
>>>>
>>>> -Patrick
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Dan Bwanika [mailto:bulemezi at gmail.com]
>>>> Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2017 4:39 PM
>>>> To: Mueller, Thomas; cschweik at pubpol.umass.edu; Hogan, Patrick
>>>> (ARC-PX)
>>>> Cc: Charlie Martial NGOUNOU; BISA-IPEG; ACUMEN; GeoForAll; Urban 
>>>> Geography Discussion and Announcement Forum
>>>> Subject: Re: [Geo4All] Africa Agriculture, Cartography /Remote 
>>>> Sensing & Optimal Production
>>>>
>>>> Prof. Schweik, Anand, Patrick, Mueller and Charlie
>>>>
>>>> In Uganda, there are spaces of trying out these projects with very
>>>> good returns.   For instance organic beef and agroproduce export is
>>>> gaining pace. Companies from Norway, United Kingdom, The 
>>>> Netherlands, Belgium, Middle East and China are all on the ground.
>>>>
>>>> What I do think,  is how to build a one Fab Lab that will do 
>>>> multiple tasks i.e. product development and data gathering (for bot 
>>>> urban and Rural
>>>> planning) to reduce costs for; Students, Researchers and then 
>>>> Business (farmers ) community.
>>>>
>>>> It is essential to involve the business community to bring in 
>>>> requisite funding however small for project sustenance.
>>>>
>>>> Can the Fab Lab also distribute this data to rural farmers?
>>>>
>>>> Now, the crux of the matter is to have rural portable devices 
>>>> developed that can resist high temp, wet conditions (it rains a lot 
>>>> in
>>>> Uganda) that can receive but also SEND DATA TO THE FAB LAB.
>>>>
>>>> There is a possibility of getting Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) and 
>>>> NITA Uganda that have a wider communication infrastructure network 
>>>> to join the project.
>>>>
>>>> Is it possible to have a virtual market for rural farmers and the 
>>>> buyers in urban centres? If yes the portal can bring in a few 
>>>> Uganda shilling to cover running costs?
>>>>
>>>> For research purposes, this is indeed a fertile ground to get to 
>>>> discover quite a number of key issues.
>>>>
>>>> For example; spatial data on good grass, plant (seasons) and animal 
>>>> diseases (early detection), water sources, animal grazing behavior 
>>>> in different season, soil data,  growth pattern in different 
>>>> vegetation environments etc etc.,
>>>>
>>>> Once the data is put into a temperate and categorised – and the 
>>>> Uganda farmer given some basic farming education then you can have 
>>>> research institutions link up to the Fab Lab for remote research 
>>>> since it links up the market, farmers in rural areas and 
>>>> researchers in the field and outside the field.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Best
>>>>
>>>> Daniel Bwanika
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 11/26/17, Dan Bwanika <bulemezi at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Dr. Mueller
>>>>>
>>>>> Have a look at these short I did in 2013
>>>>>
>>>>> Best
>>>>>
>>>>> Daniel Bwanika
>>>>>
>>>>> On 11/25/17, Mueller, Thomas <Mueller at calu.edu> wrote:
>>>>>> Daniel
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This is so cool.  I am going to discuss your project in my World 
>>>>>> Regional Geography class.  Do you have any images, videos, etc.?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks again
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tom
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ________________________________
>>>>>> From: GeoForAll <geoforall-bounces at lists.osgeo.org> on behalf of 
>>>>>> Charlie Martial NGOUNOU <cmngounou at gmail.com>
>>>>>> Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2017 4:00:53 AM
>>>>>> To: Dan Bwanika
>>>>>> Cc: BISA-IPEG; ACUMEN; GeoForAll; Urban Geography Discussion and 
>>>>>> Announcement Forum
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Geo4All] Africa Agriculture, Cartography /Remote 
>>>>>> Sensing & Optimal Production
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Daniel
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I like what you say here.
>>>>>> Problems you observe in Uganda are similar to what we have in 
>>>>>> Central Africa.
>>>>>> We need to leverage Geo tools to cartography everything in our 
>>>>>> countries, because it is very difficult to locate anything here.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank you !
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best Regards
>>>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> Charlie Martial NGOUNOU, Founder
>>>>>> AfroLeadership, Promoting Data Revolution in Africa Tel. 00237
>>>>>> 69999 7093, Yaoundé - Cameroon Click about Charlie M. NGOUNOU 
>>>>>> ?<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2
>>>>>> Fw
>>>>>> w
>>>>>> w
>>>>>> .linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fcharliemartialngounou%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cmuel
>>>>>> le
>>>>>> r
>>>>>> %
>>>>>> 40calu.edu%7C805cb12afeff43342c4a08d533e322dc%7C62727258691648be8
>>>>>> f9
>>>>>> 9
>>>>>> 2
>>>>>> 0635977badd%7C0%7C0%7C636471972993525591&sdata=xwTUPD6CGTzg%2FAq3
>>>>>> Zk s M %2FkuDEsfNcSSlrsVcRoBlIzs%3D&reserved=0>
>>>>>> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.
>>>>>> linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fcharliemartialngounou%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cmuell
>>>>>> er
>>>>>> %
>>>>>> 4
>>>>>> 0calu.edu%7C805cb12afeff43342c4a08d533e322dc%7C62727258691648be8f
>>>>>> 99
>>>>>> 2
>>>>>> 0
>>>>>> 635977badd%7C0%7C0%7C636471972993525591&sdata=xwTUPD6CGTzg%2FAq3Z
>>>>>> ks M % 2FkuDEsfNcSSlrsVcRoBlIzs%3D&reserved=0>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, Nov 25, 2017 at 8:39 AM, Dan Bwanika 
>>>>>> <bulemezi at gmail.com<mailto:bulemezi at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>>>>> Dear Forum
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Recently, I was in the northern central part of Uganda where 
>>>>>> cattle keepers have farms in the region of 300 -600 acres. It 
>>>>>> took me three hours to locate where the cows had grazed that day.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Then I thought to myself, maybe if each cattle had a GPS/GSM tag, 
>>>>>> I would locate the cows in a few minutes instead of walking in an 
>>>>>> endless bush. Even then do these people need such huge land for 
>>>>>> cattle keeping if they had good aerial data on vegetation, water 
>>>>>> etc.,?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Uganda key socioeconomic activity is still agriculture and it 
>>>>>> will remain the same for some time to come. Uganda if you look 
>>>>>> closely at the map is endowed with huge water resources.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For the above reason, this country will need huge cartographical 
>>>>>> data on soil profiles, vegetation, crops, water sources, animal 
>>>>>> husbandry etc.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That is how technology is converging on Africa in a massive way.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Can we work together on this – get in touch.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Daniel Bwanika
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> _____________________________
>>>>>> Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Daniel Bwanika
>>>>>> Box 12413 Kampala
>>>>>> Uganda
>>>>>>
>>>>>> t: +256-752-972-960<tel:%2B256-752-972-960>
>>>>>> f:
>>>>>> facebook.com/uidc.uganda<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.
>>>>>> c
>>>>>> o
>>>>>> m/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffacebook.com%2Fuidc.uganda&data=02%7C01%7Cmue
>>>>>> ll
>>>>>> e
>>>>>> r
>>>>>> %40calu.edu%7C805cb12afeff43342c4a08d533e322dc%7C62727258691648be
>>>>>> 8f
>>>>>> 9
>>>>>> 9
>>>>>> 20635977badd%7C0%7C0%7C636471972993525591&sdata=IXrxu41nqIgpCkxis
>>>>>> Pi
>>>>>> 3 % 2BDF9vMKzoDXShnDklqq7%2Bok%3D&reserved=0>
>>>>>> www.uidc-ea.org<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?ur
>>>>>> l=
>>>>>> h
>>>>>> t
>>>>>> tp%3A%2F%2Fwww.uidc-ea.org&data=02%7C01%7Cmueller%40calu.edu%7C80
>>>>>> 5c
>>>>>> b
>>>>>> 1
>>>>>> 2afeff43342c4a08d533e322dc%7C62727258691648be8f9920635977badd%7C0
>>>>>> %7
>>>>>> C
>>>>>> 0
>>>>>> %7C636471972993525591&sdata=qy0C3oiqwOXQwuN%2Fb5UCNSWVc3Lpns4nAx%
>>>>>> 2B
>>>>>> x
>>>>>> d
>>>>>> m0UeZM%3D&reserved=0>
>>>>>> e: uidcug at gmail.com<mailto:uidcug at gmail.com>
>>>>>> t: @uidc_ug
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> GeoForAll mailing list
>>>>>> GeoForAll at lists.osgeo.org<mailto:GeoForAll at lists.osgeo.org>
>>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/geoforall<https://na01.s
>>>>>> af
>>>>>> e
>>>>>> l
>>>>>> inks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flists.osgeo.org%2F
>>>>>> ma
>>>>>> i
>>>>>> l
>>>>>> man%2Flistinfo%2Fgeoforall&data=02%7C01%7Cmueller%40calu.edu%7C80
>>>>>> 5c
>>>>>> b
>>>>>> 1
>>>>>> 2afeff43342c4a08d533e322dc%7C62727258691648be8f9920635977badd%7C0
>>>>>> %7
>>>>>> C
>>>>>> 0
>>>>>> %7C636471972993525591&sdata=bKtPqnETOpKJgpCQ%2Fe3dO8FIxr1Jpcgj0Dw
>>>>>> 8q
>>>>>> b
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> l9l8%3D&reserved=0>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> _____________________________
>>>>> Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero
>>>>>
>>>>> Daniel Bwanika
>>>>> Box 12413 Kampala
>>>>> Uganda
>>>>>
>>>>> t: +256-752-972-960
>>>>> f: facebook.com/uidc.uganda
>>>>> www.uidc-ea.org
>>>>> e: uidcug at gmail.com
>>>>> t: @uidc_ug
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> _____________________________
>>>> Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero
>>>>
>>>> Daniel Bwanika
>>>> Box 12413 Kampala
>>>> Uganda
>>>>
>>>> t: +256-752-972-960
>>>> f: facebook.com/uidc.uganda
>>>> www.uidc-ea.org
>>>> e: uidcug at gmail.com
>>>> t: @uidc_ug
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> _____________________________
>>> Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero
>>>
>>> Daniel Bwanika
>>> Box 12413 Kampala
>>> Uganda
>>>
>>> t: +256-752-972-960
>>> f: facebook.com/uidc.uganda
>>> www.uidc-ea.org
>>> e: uidcug at gmail.com
>>> t: @uidc_ug
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> _____________________________
>> Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero
>>
>> Daniel Bwanika
>> Box 12413 Kampala
>> Uganda
>>
>> t: +256-752-972-960
>> f: facebook.com/uidc.uganda
>> www.uidc-ea.org
>> e: uidcug at gmail.com
>> t: @uidc_ug
>>
>
>
> --
> _____________________________
> Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero
>
> Daniel Bwanika
> Box 12413 Kampala
> Uganda
>
> t: +256-752-972-960
> f: facebook.com/uidc.uganda
> www.uidc-ea.org
> e: uidcug at gmail.com
> t: @uidc_ug
>


--
_____________________________
Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero

Daniel Bwanika
Box 12413 Kampala
Uganda

t: +256-752-972-960
f: facebook.com/uidc.uganda
www.uidc-ea.org
e: uidcug at gmail.com
t: @uidc_ug