E C H O: A Message Heard Throughout the World

Echo Field Trip

Visiting Echo was one of the most impressive field trips I had ever experienced. Echo is a Christian based organization that strives to end world hunger by educating people all over the world on effective farming and agricultural techniques. The organization sells seeds and helps to instruct citizens of several third world countries on how to better utilize and develop farming, irrigation and agricultural techniques that will supply community members with a surplus of goods to not only feed families with but enough to also generate revenue (sell/trade at local markets).

The property is comprised of several sections that exhibit crops and farming that would be applicable in certain geographical regions throughout the world. Echo has essentially created an international, agricultural blueprint for the world. They display unique farming methods and simple yet successful technology that can be used in order to sustain these farms. Not only does the organization exhibit this technology and production but they also demonstrate how to better utilize household and scrap items for the production of these goods, for example; cinder blocks and old tires can be used as potting resources, not only are you able to recycle items that would be previously considered to be garbage but the material helps to retain water for crops. Other items such as old socks and aluminum cans were also used to improve upon the cultivation of the plants.

The property did an excellent job of applying modern day permaculture practices to classic forms of agriculture. Permaculture is the act of mimicking natural, self sustaining ecosystems as a means of providing crops. The following is a link that leads to an impressive website that documents local and varied types of geographically diverse examples of permaculture.

http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/index/

Echo utilized this technique by raising chickens, rabbits and goats that would produce waste that fertilized the crops. These crops would then produce vegetables, fruits and starches that can feed families and village communities in all sorts of diverse geographical terrains. The organization uses unique trees that produce natural insecticides to prevent crop loss and distinctive plants that not only provide food for the goats and rabbits but also inhibits weed growth that so often competes with crop growth.

These techniques are truly fascinating, so many of these practices can be so easily applied to home gardens, small farms and even urban style agriculture. I hope to be soon purchasing a home of my own and would like to purchase at least two acres, I feel confident that I can employ many of the methods I observed at Echo and hope to also teach friends and family about the simple yet amazingly effective farming systems I observed on our visit to the ECHO grounds.

I encourage any and all individuals to visit the site and gaze in amazement at the art of environmental consciousness and independent sustainability displayed at ECHO!