Recently, my colloquium class went on a field trip to the
local ECHO farm, formally known as the Educational Concerns for Hunger
Organization in Fort Myers ,
Florida
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| The Class Listening to Vic |
When we
arrived to ECHO, we were greeted by our tour guide, Vic who started the tour by
leading us across the street and into the farm. As we embarked on our tour, I saw a awe-struck
by the variety of different plants, fruits, and vegetables. For example, there were surprised that there
were eleven different types of lettuce! We
learned interesting facts about banana leafs including that they are brittle which
can shred easily and wilt at first, then when exposed to flame they become
strong and can be used to wrap food. One
of my favorite plants grown at the ECHO farm is the miracle fruits. Miracle fruits are a type of fruit that has
the amazing ability to change tastes so that sour foods taste sweet. This was evidenced by one of our classmates
when Vic asked for a volunteer to eat a Calamondin sour citrus and then rub it
with the miracle fruit leaf. My
classmate shared with us that the sour fruit had changed it's sour flavor to
sweet! Later on the tour, our class made
friends with the ECHO farm goat. I even got to feed the goat! Vic explained to
us as our class was gathered around, that the goat was used for a zero graze
unit method of goat production. This allows for easy collection of manure to
use as fertilizer. Similar this method,
the duck tilapia system, takes duck waste to produces algae for tilapia in the
pond. We also learned about Zai Holes
and how they prevent wastes and minimize loss by placing manure and organic
matter directly into planting stations. As we finished the tour, we learned
about sloping agriculture, which caught my eye in particular, because it uses
hedges and slopes for agriculture to prevent soil erosion. Another cool aspect of the ECHO farm is the rower
pump in which you pump water through a rowing motion to draw water from a
larger source of water.
My trip to
ECHO farm was one that I learned about the different techniques and methods
that farmers can use to create a more beneficial and effective farming style. We learned about the different innovations
and information that ECHO provides farmers in third world countries. I would love to come back to ECHO farm for
another visit sometime in the near future.
