Residencia y Encuentro Regional reGOSH Mendoza

Jenny Molloy

Residencia y Encuentro Regional reGOSH Mendoza

reGOSH

AWARD AMOUNT

9000 USD

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The reGOSH 2022 Residency + Meeting held during the month of September in Mendoza aimed to improve, prepare and integrate existing free technologies in relation to the needs of the user communities in the region to respond to questions and problems related to the agroecological transition and environmental health.

This event is an important milestone in the dialogue and exchange between the communities of peasants, farmers, students, researchers and teachers linked to agroecology and environmental health and the communities that develop open technologies (in particular open scientific instruments) to outline an agenda common regional.

The first part of the event, the Residency, was largely oriented towards the work of the reGOSH network on prototypes and protocols of the local open agroecological laboratory project. This space/idea seeks to integrate low-cost open scientific instruments in a laboratory that facilitates the monitoring, visualization and systematization of the changes produced on farms, particularly in soils, during their agroecological transition. In addition, the members of CoSensores and PreserVamos presented their experience and tools in relation to the monitoring and care of community water and together with Our-Sci LLC they worked on a proof of concept to also integrate part of their community science technological infrastructure to the agroecological laboratory. open.

At the end of the Residency, the Meeting took place where the dialogue was opened to other actors and organizations linked to agroecology and environmental health such as the Union of Landless Rural Workers (UST) and the Puna Network, both belonging to the National Movement Indigenous Peasant – Vía Campesina, the quality management of the Central Market of Buenos Aires, the producer association Crece desde el Pie, the Mendoza Assembly for Pure Water (AMPAP) among others. In this instance, other researchers and activists belonging to the GOSH network, the Research Center for Transformation (CENIT) and other local academic institutions also joined.

During the meeting, the regional problems associated with the extractivist economic model and food production based on monocultures and agrochemicals in general, and especially in relation to the model of science and proprietary techniques on which it is based, were discussed.

The different prototypes and protocols worked on during the residency, as well as their documentation, reached different levels of development. Below is a brief summary of what has been achieved:

  • Conductimeter: The CoSensores model was used to build a local replica of the conductivity meter. Work was carried out on migrating the Assembly and Operation Guide developed by CoSensores to the markdown language in PDF. This document could also be used as a template for this language. Work was also carried out on its calibration and then on the comparison with the results obtained in the laboratory in the saturation paste extracts of the local soil samples.
  • pH meter: The CoSensores model was used as a basis and some improvements were made to build a new pH meter.
  • Particle sensor: A replica of the Sensor. Community particle sensor was built and documented.
  • Reflow DIY: A surface soldering iron (aka reflow) was built and then used to solder CO2 sensors.
  • Colorimeter: Work was done on several improvements to the colorimeter related to the design of the electronics and the housing. A current regulator was added to maintain the intensity of the LED light, a lens was added to collimate the light beam and the housing was completely redesigned.
  • OpenFlexure Microscope: An OpenFlexure microscope was replicated using a webcam and the entire process was documented. A Delta version of the OpenFlexure with matrix lighting was assembled and documented. Comparisons were made between different versions of OpenFlexure
  • Carbon model: together with Our-Sci and the Soil Science Laboratory, a local model was built to predict soil carbon based on laboratory analysis and data obtained by reflectometry. The model built from 60 soil samples did not achieve sufficient precision for use but works as a proof of concept of what could be achieved with a greater amount of data. This is a report detailing the metrics observed.

The event concluded with an exercise to share common values ​​and visions that allow us to outline a joint agenda in which communities that work for open science and free technologies can be an integral part of these urgent regional resistances and transformations.

Reference Number: RF-102

Documentation

Event Media