Volume 45 Issue 2 Stories
Feature

Planting Seeds of God’s Love

ECHO’s Asia Impact Center teams up with local schools to provide seeds for students to grow vegetables and learn about Jesus. Patrick Trail, who works at the ECHO Asia Impact Center, recently described what a precious resource seeds are to the small-scale farmers, development workers and missionaries ECHO serves. “What I think is really amazing is that long after we are gone, those seeds are still there,” he said. “Those literal seeds and, as we are diligent to share the gospel, those eternal seeds are there too.”

Soraya Keiser
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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. 

When the world went into lockdown in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ECHO’s Regional Impact Centers adapted their resources and training in order to continue serving with impact under COVID restrictions. During this time, when one missionary in rural northern Thailand reached out asking for seeds to create school gardens, ECHO was up for the task. Thus, the Seeds of Hope project was born.

Because of this project, which provided the seeds and the training needed to successfully grow vegetables, multiple schools in the area now have raised garden beds that students take care of from seed to harvest. While doing so, they continue to learn more about the Gospel. 

PaKang Primary School Garden is now providing fresh foods for the children and their families 

“We want the children to learn from their direct experience of growing plants and relate this experience to their life,” Khruu Lawan, a teacher at one of the participating Thai schools, said.

Each child in the Kid Farmers Club plays an integral role in the growing of the vegetables because they are involved in every step of the process. Students germinate seeds in cups and transplant the sprouts into the raised beds. They also practice healthy watering, harvest their crop and maintain the soil afterwards before starting the process over again.

Every step of our journey and life, God is looking after us. Caring for tiny plants is a really beautiful example of how God cares for us.
— Daniela Riley

“The students really love the connection between the care that God has for us, and the care that you put into growing plants,” ECHO Asia’s Office Manager Daniela Riley said. “Every step of our journey and life, God is looking after us. Caring for tiny plants is a really beautiful example of how God cares for us.” 

ECHO’s Asia Impact Center in Chiang Mai plans to expand this project to involve even more schools and create even more Kid Farmers Clubs. Thailand is more than 93% Buddhist, so these schools and clubs are often children’s first introduction to the Gospel message. 

Just like a small seed can become a large tree, the small act of sharing seeds can make a big impact in these students’ lives.  
Go to: http://www.echonet.org/give 
to learn more!

Next Story

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.
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.