ECHO Sends Fruit Trees to Ethiopia

ECHO has joined forces with Project Mercy, an interdenominational Christian organization in Ethiopia, to establish a fruit tree nursery for the 70,000-member community of Yetebon.

Funded by the Sanibel Community Church, ECHO is sending over 330 fruit trees - 26 species – including mangoes, avocadoes, blackberries, raspberries, and sapotes.

“The trees are all high quality commercial fruit trees,” says Tim Watkins, ECHO’s Tropical Fruit Nursery manager. Each variety was specially chosen for its quality, marketability, and ability to extend the growing season.

Tim will be accompanying the shipment to Ethiopia on September 9 and staying for two weeks to help launch the project. Sarah Hendershot, an intern at ECHO in 2004, will be joining the team on September 14. She will work with Project Mercy in Yetebon for the next six months to ensure the nursery is a success.

On September 8, ECHO staff and members from Sanibel Community Church joined forces to prepare the trees for shipment. All soil, insects, and contaminants were removed from the plants and the roots were soaked in a packing gel that will preserve them for the long trip to Africa.

It’s jackfruit and avocado season at ECHO!

As the last mangoes fall from the trees and the hot, humid summer fades into a drier fall, a new season of tropical fruit is upon us. Jackfruit and avocado are two of the most notable fall varieties at ECHO.

Jackfruit, the largest tree fruit in the world, can weigh up to 60 pounds. Green and thorny on the outside, the inside is yellow and moist, with a taste like over-ripe bananas.

“It tastes like the first bite into a piece of Juicy Fruit gum,” says Angela Boss, ECHO’s Assistant Nursery Manager. “A burst of flavor.”

An intern at ECHO in 2002, Angela and her husband, Darren, spent two years in the Central African Republic, where jackfruit was the favored fruit of the indigenous pygmies. The couple helped give gave away 20,000 trees during their agricultural missions project, including jackfruit.

Avocadoes, a favorite Florida treat, are also starting to ripen. ECHO grows more than 26 varieties, but not the famous black-skinned California Hass avocado.

“It’s too humid here,” Angela tells us. But, the farm does grow Brogdans, a similarly rich avocado that turns black when ripe.

Avocado trees are relatively low-maintenance, as they don’t require a lot of fertilizer or pruning, and insects and other pests usually stay away. One caution: the trees are very susceptible to root rot, so they need to be planted in an area not prone to flooding.

In terms of ECHO’s mission, jackfruit and avocado are both important sources of nutrition for people faced with malnutrition. Jackfruit is high in vitamin C and avocadoes, that delicious base for guacamole, are high in necessary fats and oils.