Table of Contents
ECHO News Magazine - Spring 2022
Feature
Planting Seeds of God’s Love
For many school children in rural Thailand, the Kid Farmers Club at school provides them with an introduction to God’s love, a sense of purpose, and delicious fresh vegetables.
From David Erickson, President/CEO
There’s a LOT going on! As I previewed this issue of<i>ECHO News</i>, I came away with a fresh awareness of the many needs, challenges, and opportunities facing small-scale farming families — all of which give rise to many options and considerations.
First Intern Cohort Earns Graduate Certificate
The first cohort of ECHO Interns in the newly accredited program complete their program this month and receive Graduate Certificates in Tropical Agricultural Development.
In Their Own Words
In Their Own Words: Ruth Charles Kirimbai
In 2018, ECHO was looking for collaborators to test biogas technologies in Tanzanian homes. Ruth Charles Kirimbai was a willing innovator, eager to try a digester on her farm. Four years have passed since her biogas system was installed. In March 2022, the ECHO team visited her and learned about her experience in using the biogas system.
Feature
Seed Saving: Not Just a Tradition
In 1981, Dr. Martin Price saw that there was a lack of access to seeds of underutilized tropical food plants, a need that was already felt all over the world by small-scale farmers. To meet this need, the first ECHO Seed Bank was born.
Equipped to Serve
Past ECHO intern, Mike Fennema, reflects on his year spent working on the ECHO
Florida farm and how that has influenced the past 30 years of his life and his work.
Extraordinary Plants: Tamarind
While bearing large quantities of delicious fruit, the tamarind still remains one of the lesser known tropical fruit trees in Florida.
Feature
Meet the Hard Working Animals of ECHO Florida
If it has been a while since you visited the ECHO Global Farm in Florida,
you may not have met our local residents and “workhorses”. Animals are
integral to small-scale farming systems worldwide and help interns gain
valuable husbandry experience at ECHO Florida.
Intern Spotlight
Intern Spotlight: Grace Brinsfield
My time here at ECHO Florida has been marked by sweet friendship within the intern cohort, challenging conversations with people from different backgrounds, and great growth in how I relate to God and his people.
Pruning for Future Growth
In January, we practiced Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) on three Apple Ring Acacia trees here at our Florida campus.