An Idea for Growing Herbs

Pictured are cement blocks used for steps along a path. Note that the blocks on the sides are being utilized as containers for growing various herbs. One would not need cement blocks to grow herbs, but it illustrates the concept of using whatever space is available to grow food plants....

Agriculture and Nutrition for HIV/AIDS Orphans in Africa

Kathryn Barrera, from the Mothers' Welfare Group, opened the second day of ECHO’s 2007 Agricultural Conference with a presentation on her group’s agriculture and nutrition programs for orphans affected by HIV/AIDS in rural Nigeria.

Some of the children in her program lost one or both parents to the virus and 70% are themselves infected with HIV/AIDS.

Barrera discussed the importance of nutrition in any program targeting individuals with HIV/AIDS. Initially, she said, the group focused on delivering antiretroviral medication to infected children and ensuring that the medicine was taken properly. They soon realized, however, that without proper nutrition, the pills were doing more harm than good.

The group began focusing on agriculture and nutrition, growing soya and peanuts in a community garden run by the children at the orphanage. From their crops, the children roast and process peanut butter, an excellent source of nutrition.

Mothers' Welfare Group also emphasizes reforestation, growing a variety of indigenous trees and plants, many from ECHO seeds. Barrera, originally from Washington State, talks about her love for trees – beyond their practical uses – and tries to instill this feeling in the children at the orphanage. The younger generations, she said, have begun to develop an appreciation for forests and plant fruit trees and shade trees in an effort to halt the desertification rampant in that part of Nigeria.

Barrera concluded her presentation by emphasizing the importance of working on a small scale, using local products and knowledge, and focusing on low input, high yield programs. She finished by highlighting the significance of HIV/AIDS in the third world. “If you’re in the developing world, HIV will affect everything you do.”

Basin Garden Project

ECHO's demonstration gardens showcase crops and techniques representative of various climate zones. In recent months, the monsoon area of the farm has undergone renovations to better show irrigation and gardening methods suited to climates with a pronounced dry season. Basin gardening is one of the techniques being shown. The idea is to establish "basins" on a 1% slope that can be irrigated with some type of a pump, like the treadle pump shown in the bottom photo, to bring water from a stream or river to the gardens. In our case, we are pumping from a shallow well. The borders of each basin were established with a mixture of clay and sand. Water is channeled along the top of the clay walls towards the basins. Outlets to each basin can be blocked (e.g. using small sand bags) to control watering. Watering takes quite a bit of work- one or two people to take turns pumping and someone to guide the water to the basins. However, with flooded basins vs. raised-bed culture, the soil does not dry out quickly. Thus, the gardens do not need very frequent watering.

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.

Composting at ECHO

Heavy use of mulch and compost has always been a feature of ECHO's demonstration farm. In recent months, however, our farm manager (Danny Blank) has been focusing on making higher-quality compost using knowledge he gained from a study on soil biology. The goal is not necessarily to make enough compost to amend entire beds or blocks of land. We've been having success in our gardens using targeted applications of compost or worm castings. Targeted applications involve placing measured amounts of these amendments directly in the planting holes.

The pictured compost heap is turned whenever the temperature approaches 160 degrees F. Temperatures higher than this indicate conditions favorable to anaerobic (able to live without oxygen) instead of the more beneficial aerobic (need oxygen) bacteria. Interestingly, the bamboo poles running through the pile provide a way to estimate the temperature by hand. At 160 degrees F, one should not be able to touch the bamboo pole for more than a few seconds. The pile is watered to keep it at about 50% saturation; firmly squeezing a handful of soil/compost should produce a few drops of water.

ECHO Staffers Join Agriculture Conference in Nicaragua

Last month, four ECHO interns and four staff members traveled to Nicaragua to take part in a Latin American agricultural conference hosted by Rancho Ebenezer.

Patterned after ECHO’s annual conference, held each year at our headquarters in North Fort Myers, the Latin American conference lasted three days and featured lectures each morning and workshops in the afternoon.

‘At Rancho Ebenezer,’ intern Emily Andree tells us, ‘they are very concerned with earth stewardship.’ Citing Genesis 2:15, The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it, the ranch’s philosophy emphasizes zero-graze animal pens, sustainable forage crops integrated with SALT (Sloping Agricultural Land Technology), and water catchment systems for rain run-off.

Rancho Ebenezer focuses on three main principles that resonate with ECHO’s own mission and was an ideal location for interns to experience agricultural development in an international setting. Like ECHO, Rancho Ebenezer wants to help the poor learn to grow food for themselves, care for the environment, and provide people with practical experience.

¡Qué un viaje bueno!