ECHO Virtual Tour

ECHO: Educational Concerns for Hunger Organizations

21 April 2020

Just one word… WOW! I’m equally saddened that we did not get to have our field trip here and at the same time,
i’m disappointed in myself that I never went to go visit it!! Oh now i’m more sad… I just went over to their website
to read their “About Us” section and found out they’re a Christian-based organization!!! That makes my heart SO
happy, I cannot even tell you!!! Funny enough I had that feeling watching Stacey give the video tour :) 

They really live out the calling to help others; the poor and impoverished, those who are less economically
advantaged. I read something the other day that we are fortunate enough to fight against the injustices of the world,
but those who are just trying to provide for their families won’t prioritize sustainable practices or species
conservation. But that’s where ECHO has filled that need of educating farmers around the world how they can use
what they have to make what they need! ECHO is giving them the skills and knowledge to not only be able to grow
crops for their families and sell for profit but to do so in sustainable and innovative ways that will allow them to
continue producing for many years to come! 

A “new normal” has been said quite often given current circumstances, but I think that the same phrase applies to
the future of global farming. We can switch to permaculture focused farming but under a new normal of more
manual labor, slower crop yields, and not having a continuous supply of some crops. But that would take a lot of
reconfiguration and a lot of convincing on part of the larger corporations that are money minded. But who knows
if it may come to a point where we’ll have to be forced in that direction. 

I really admired their approach of providing everything they need within their farm system!! For instance how
they use the waste of the ducks to promote algal blooms in a controlled environment that serves as food for the
tilapia fish below their housing. They then feed the ducks with duckweed they grow right next to their housing,
limiting travel and costs. Additionally, they use goats for zero-grazing of the trimming “waste” and use their feces
to make compost! This limits the interaction with their feces as well as the destruction to the crops that their
walking and sporadic grazing would cause. These are all closed systems that recycle the waste made by returning
it to the system in some form. Also speaking of waste I found the biogas digester SO interesting in how you can
put in manure from livestock or kitchen scraps that would go into a compost bin and the methane released from
the aerobic bacteria breaking them down can be used for cooking! The same idea when you use a gas-powered
stove, but rather than sourcing that from your electric company, you can make your own gas with products that
would normally be considered waste/trash/unusable! *Bonus question answer was the Swallow-Tailed Kite, a
beautiful migratory bird that thrives on so many of the bugs that concentrate in agricultural fields. 

Here are a couple of the plant species that were personally interesting to learn about:

Neem (Azadirachta indica)=
It is a tall and fast-growing tree endemic to India. The seeds of the fruits can be pressed into neem oil that is
known to be a safe and effective insecticide, a much safer alternative. These insecticide properties also mean it is
a great natural insect repellent for people! Also as Stacey mentioned in the video tour the leaves and roots can be
used as an antifungal and antibacterial. All around seems like a very advantageous tree to grow and make use of!! 

Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpuruem)=
A tall and fast-growing grass that makes it a great source of fodder for cattle because it can be harvested multiple
times a year. That would be how its spread can be controlled and it also serves as a border for other crops. As
demonstrated in the video it can be planted on mountain slopes or terraces to increase soil fertility and reduce soil
erosion, but it can also be planted on the border of crops as a wind or firebreak. 

Leucaena= This is the genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is also used as fodder for cattle,
but this is a tree species that do best when paired with a grass species (for example the Napier seen in ECHO’s
mountain growing area). Its growth is primarily controlled by cattle feeding, sometimes directly in certain regions. 

This is Leucaena leucocephala 

Cecropia= This genus includes 61 species of fruit-producing trees found in the neotropics. The fruits are sweet,
edible and bear the resemblance of gummies or figs, giving them the informal name of “natures gummies.” The
leaves and fruits are said to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and high protein content. I would love to be able
to try these one day but would have to get over the mental barrier that they do look like green mushy fingers haha.
They are a pioneer species that set the way for other plants to grow and provides food and protection to many
organisms. They’re very beautiful looking trees with unique leaves that surely provide wonderful shading!