Paris, 23 February 2004
EFITA newsletter / 147 / European Federation for Information
Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment
2nd International Conference on Information Systems & Innovative Technologies
in Agriculture, Food and Environment
18-20 March 2004, Thessaloniki, Greece
The conference’s program will be appeared the first week of March at the conference’s
site.
See: http://www.epegenorth.gr/
Contact: Basil MANOS
mailto:manosb@agro.auth.gr
International Rural Tourism Workshop
June 2-3, 2004 - Riga, Latvia
See: http://www.conferences.traveller.lv/showConfer.do?name=info
mailto:org@celotajs.lv
GIL's event
September 8-10 2004 - Bonn/Germany
See: http://www.inter-it.com/events.asp?id=300
mailto:carlo@erin.lu
ICT in Austrian agriculture
160.000 full-time farmers
ca. 41.600 equipped with PC
ca. 6 240 farmers connected to the Internet
Contact: Karin STROBL
mailto:karin.strobl@progis.com
The Agricultural Document Library (ADLib): The Ultimate Information Resource
For UK Agriculture
In Spring 2004, the UK's agricultural industry will gain access to a valuable
new resource that will allow industry groups to provide their members / subscribers
with the ultimate in custom designed information access.
It will be made available to all sections of the industry, and is likely to
set the standard for information provision for some time to come.
>>>What Is ADLib?
- ADLib (Agricultural Document Library) is a new service being developed jointly
by AERU at the University of Hertfordshire and TLR Ltd, and is designed to provide
growers and advisors with quick and easy access to the information they need
in these days of increasing demands and reduced time.
- It already contains over 200 documents, including Government codes of practice,
industry guidelines, information and topic sheets, legislation summaries, glossaries
and an extensive contacts directory.
Examples include: Defra Codes of Good Agricultural Practice for Water, Soil,
and Air; Green Code for Pesticides; PEPFAA Scottish Code; RB209 Fertiliser Recommendations;
CPA Pesticide Guides; FMA Fertiliser Codes; Animal Welfare Codes; HGCA Topic
Sheets; RSPB Topic Sheets; HSE Information; Assurance Scheme Information; All
the documents are cross-linked, and there are extensive searching and book-marking
facilities; The information is constantly reviewed and updated so that users
can rely on its accuracy.
- The contents of ADLib will appeal across the industry, and will enable people
to have access to the information they need to push forward the sustainability
of the industry, in line with both public desires and legal demands.
>>> Library Access On ADLib
- ADLib's document summaries will be available free to all. However, most people
will wish to gain full access to one or more of the ADLib libraries.
- These allow subscribers to fully access the documents within the libraries
for which they are registered; including full, cross-referenced copies of the
documents that interest them, together with searching and book-marking facilities.
- For individual members a number of options will be available, including:
++ Subscription to the full Library (based on the library included in the award
wining EMA software), or
++Subscription to specific subsections of that Library (e.g. Pesticides, Fertilisers/Manures,
etc.).
- However, the ADLib team also provides access to custom libraries for groups,
organisations or companies that wish to have an information resource tailored
or branded to their specific needs (either on-line or CD based); and these can
be used to support any number of applications (see below).
- Access to these custom libraries will normally be provided to member farmers,
by that libraries sponsor.
>>> Library Creation On ADLib
- The ADLib team develops custom libraries for groups, organisations or companies
that wish to have an information resource tailored or branded to their specific
needs (either on-line or CD based); and these can be used to support any number
of applications.
- Specifically, they can be used to add value and user-friendliness to best
practice audits (already completed for the Environment Agency’s EMSF pilot audit),
spreadsheets and other software, by allowing them to be linked to specific passages
in supporting documents, allowing accurate guidance to be given to users. ADLib's
expertise in authoring and best practice assessment ensures that all links go
to the best advice currently available in the industry, and are continuously
updated.
- Custom libraries draw on the documents held in ADLib, but can also include
specific guidance and literature requested by the library sponsor (not available
through a general subscription), and can be fully branded. Access can be limited
to those people the sponsor has authorised (members, subscribers, customers,
etc.).
See www.adlib.ac.uk
Contact: Dr. Andy Green
mailto:A.Green@herts.ac.uk
The funeral procession
A man was leaving his house one morning when he noticed a most unusual funeral
procession approaching the nearby cemetery.
A funeral coffin was followed by a second coffin some distance behind the first.
Behind the second coffin was a solitary man walking with a large black dog.
Behind the man was a queue of about 100 men walking in single file.
The man simply couldn't contain his curiosity, and he respectfully approached
the man walking the dog:
"I am so sorry for your loss, and I know now is a bad time to disturb you,
but I've never seen a funeral like this with so many of you walking in single
file. Whose funeral is it?"
The man replied, "Well, that first coffin is for my wife."
"What happened to her?"
The man replied, "My dog attacked and killed her."
He inquired further, "Well, who is in the second coffin?"
The man answered, "My mother-in-law. She was trying to help my wife when
the dog attacked and killed her also."!
A poignant and thoughtful moment of silence passed between the two men.
Then the first man asked in a hushed voice, "Can I borrow the dog?"
The man replied: "Join the queue"
Contact: Mick HARKIN
mailto:harkin@iol.ie
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