FAQs

What is FARM?

FARM is a place to make connections with other like-minded contributors and gather resources for collaborative projects to enhance Apereo products. FARM can help with brainstorming or gaining community buy-in for project ideas, getting a project off the ground, funding an existing project, and/or providing a venue for communicating project goals, progress, and accomplishments to the wider Apereo community. Think of it as a Farmer's Market for your ideas.

How is FARM different than Apereo Incubation?

The Apereo Foundation Incubation Process is a formal written process, documented on the Apereo website, and involves volunteer Incubation Mentors working through the process with project participants. The mentors role is to develop capability, rather than accomplishing tasks for the project. Incubation is designed, in terms of product and community, to scaffold the development of a standalone project from inception to viability.

FARM is designed as a toolkit for community use. It is a guide to gathering resource around projects that provide enhancements to existing community supported products, and a means of raising the visibility of enhancement proposals, projects and activities. FARM also includes a directory of contacts from other Apereo initiatives.

It is critical that FARM activity integrates with existing communities supporting software and the processes they have developed. Such a project *might* (with the agreement of all parties) use the Apereo incubation process, or a reduced version of it. This is not a necessity, however.

Do I have to go through FARM to launch an Apereo project?

No. FARM is a community resource and communications hub. It is not a requirement or assessment process.

What if I have an idea, but I don't have a fully developed project?

Post your idea in our Seeds area and work with other community members to develop it further. There you will be able to see if there is community interest in your idea, and begin gathering collaborators.

How does a project become a part of FARM?

If you have a project you'd like to launch, we invite you to contact the FARM committee. We meet every other Monday at 10AM EST. We'd love to have you attend one of our meetings and present your project idea to the group. Also, please complete the FARM Project Form and submit to the committee so that we can review it prior to your time on the agenda.

What if I don't want to start a new project, I just want to get involved with an existing initiative?

Feel free to browse! FARM is all about connecting people and resources. You don't have to lead a project to be involved with it. Add your voice to our Seeds boards and help "vote up" ideas that are appealing to you and your institution. If you have resources to contribute, either in money or in kind, email us and pledge your contribution to the projects that matter most to you.