So it seems like there is some interest in developing the framework of Farm Hack in several directions.

Right now, the site was developed with collaborative R&D and networking in mind. It seems that there is perhaps some interest in the following activities:

1) spreading out R&D costs: this could be like Kickstarter, except no need to give them a 5% commission. The reward structure seems like a great thing and it very much like a CSA in a way: you pay before the development process when funds are needed and as a result, you get a discounted product. I think we could very easily have a forum for this based out of the current infrastructure and see if it gets used. If it does, something a little more streamlined like Kickstarter might be justified. Also, if a project doesn't meet its objective within just our community, it might make sense to go to Kickstarter afterwards.

2) a marketplace: a place to buy kits and finished products. Once again, this could be done informally within the existing infrastructure until it proves necessary to tailor the site to this function; just create a section on the tool that offers where to buy said product.

In conclusion, all these things can be accomplished with the site as it stands; we have tool pages, a wiki, and a forum. Web 2.0 is about user contribution - the site is only as good as a community makes it. Nothing is to stop us from creating a wikipedia entry about ourselves and linking what tools we have to offer. Nothing is to stop me from creating the "Hackstarter" forum by creating a tool like I'm about to do. Once the site starts getting pushed in one direction or another, then maybe there will be a need for an infrastructure overhaul but these wikis and forums can be distorted to do almost anything you want - let's hack this site! (by hack this site, I do not mean attempt to take it down :P)

I'm loving the discussion here. I'm all for using the tools we have and using outside tools at the same time. There are two concepts I want to throw out there for funding open source research and development.

Bounty

In open source lingo, a bounty is sum of money offered for completing a development task that will be open sourced. In my experience this often starts as someone saying in a projects issue queue (a project issue queue is equivalent to a Tool's Forum) saying, "Hey! I need this thing done real bad," and then another person saying, "Ya! Me too but I don't know how to get it done," and then maybe some other people echoing the desire. The folks with the need then get together and dedicate some funds to complete it (or services or whatever) for someone to do it. Because they are talking about it in that project's issue queue, someone who knows how to complete that task and also has an interest in doing so eventually comes along and they strike a deal. w00t! The key here being the proximity of those who need something done and those who can complete the task, a network effect of saying, "Hey we need this, here's some funds," and someone close by saying, "I can do that."

Reverse Bounty

Before there was Kickstarter, there was Reverse Bounty. A developer wants to get something done so they say, "Hey world! If you also want to get this thing done then pay me x number of dollars and I'll be able to do that!" The only thing Kickstarter added was a deadline for funding, and boy does that work! I've seen reverse bounties take YEARS.. unfortunately. The deadline creates a sense of urgency, but it also gives folks a sense that they are allocating a certain amount of funds in a specific time period and that matters in the real world where a tool is worth something to you in the next 60 days but might not be worth anything to you a year from now.

My conclusion

So if someone creates a Reverse Bounty (Kickstarter)/Bounty to do a production run of a Tool and they mention it on that Tool's Wiki page or Forum, they get that network effect of people with the same needs being close by jumping in.