This is the newest series on the ECHO Blog, "Resources for the Field." We are excited to share with you updates from our agricultural ministry both here in Florida and around the world! Hope you enjoy!

TRU highlights for May 2011

Your first question is probably “What is a TRU?” Good question!

“Technical Requests” is the term we use for questions we get from our "network". They look to ECHO
to help provide answers and information as they work with small-scale farmers and urban gardeners.
Responding to these requests is an important part of our ministry, and our “Technical Request Unit
(TRU)” spends time each week researching answers.

Here is a good example from last month:

Hello Echo folks

On July 20th a team of us will fly from Houston, TX to Nairobi, Kenya. We will be working at orphanage
farm not too far from the Nairobi airport. We will be working with the staff on the farm in the
mornings and then have Kids Farm Club with the orphans in the afternoon and teach them about
gardening and livestock.

The orphanage has a few acres with a drip irrigation system and a good well. They also have chickens
and rabbits. They have a herder for a few dairy cows, sheep and goats. However, Nairobi is growing out
to the orphanage and their grazing range to herd the livestock is diminishing. They will have to "zero-
graze" the livestock soon. The fertilizer slurry from the livestock barn is being used on napier grass.

The orphanage is growing with close to 200 orphans and they are very concerned with increasing food
production. The orphan's mothers all died of AIDs and the children are HIV positive.

We really need some help and advice! We also would like to take seeds over when we go. Could you
please help us figure out what seeds to take and help us get them? …

I’m most anxious for your response and sincerely hope you can help us.

Thank you for your time

We sent them information on where to get good seeds in Kenya and also recommended Amaranth,
Tropical Pumpkins and Moringa. ECHO sent them sample packets of those three crops. We also provided
them with our Technical Note on Amaranth.

In their response to our reply they mentioned they wanted to start a school garden and also needed
more information about feeding dairy animals. Since we have received similar questions over the years
we have been able to identify some good resources available from the web. So links were sent for
excellent material developed by several international organizations. (the World Agroforestry Center,
the International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute and the FAO).

I was also able to modify a farm planning document from Iowa State for their situation to help them
evaluate the costs involved in developing dairy cows or goats.

After several exchanges of e-mails, questions and information we received this note:

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You have given me more than enough materials to make a very
productive visit. Jeri is making great use of the school garden manual you've sent us.

The farm has a new person in charge and I’ve not been able to visit for a couple of years. I’m excited to
be a part of J's Farm Club and the see the adult interaction. Depending on … expertise and J's timing I’ll
highlight the ILRI manual. My ruminant anatomy and balancing rations highlight will be a good spring
board for a quick introduction of the protein fodders. Then depending on response to this introduction I
can review the spreadsheet with adults.”

It is our belief that their Kenyan staff and the children they serve are the greatest resource. But it is fun
to also be able to provide them with some helpful tools for the work there.

Also, 10 days into June and we had questions and seed requests from 10 countries, three continents (N. America -- US, Haiti, Panama; Asia -- Timor Leste, India; Africa -- Five countries). Included are requests from five Peace Corps volunteers, one of which is a former intern (Laura Havenga). Two seed requests were from research institutions in the US (UF and Penn State).