ECHO Blog

Where does salt come from?

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

This week I learned where salt comes from. Or at least where the salt that flavors our bowlful of rice and fish every day comes from. I had never once given the process of salt harvesting thought, but living with a farming family has taught me that an understanding of where our food comes from (beyond the grocery store) is important, and when my host mother gets an idea like “my resident American is coming with me to harvest salt,” there's no changing her mind.

Along the way, everyone we passed asked us “Are you going to the river?” “Yes!” was my host mother's eager reply and I tried to keep up with her quickening pace. I was already thoroughly enjoying the walk through fields and villages I had not yet seen. I watched a camel chew lazily on a desert date and imagined the hundreds of monkeys who had probably sat on a nearby low-lying branch. And what a lovely thought, after 7 months of no rain, to spend a day harvesting salt along the banks of a river. As we passed under the dappled shade of acacias and over the rolling sand dunes of Kalassan, I felt, as Annie Dillard puts it “the fullness of time, its expectancy, and the unbreathing, sham beauty of the world.”

We neared the river, and the first thing I noticed was there was no water. I walked into where the water was 7 months ago and felt the muck squish between my toes. If not for the heat, I might have mistaken the river bed for a snow melt. The footprints of harvesters come before had left pockets of water crusted with white edges. And little salt mountains bordered the riverbank. I wondered how much money people might pay for the mud salt pedicure I was getting as I walked across the drying river.

Halfway across the muck turned rock hard and light pink. A man (who apparently owns the river) was standing on this side and yelling instructions in Wolof too fast for me to understand. My host mother had already grabbed her club and lined up next to the 200 other women who had come that day to harvest salt. She motioned for me to stand next to her in a wide stance, handed me an old wooden pestle, and said everything I pounded between my two footprints would be mine.

Harvesting salt on top of river muck is kind of like trying to crack an egg without breaking the yoke, using an old wooden pestle. If you pound it too hard, the salt turns to powder which is impossible to gather and mud gets stuck to your salt chunks. If you pound too lightly or too slowly, your host mother yells “faster, faster! Pile it up faster!” and accidentally nails you on the knuckles with her club. But pounding salt with bleeding knuckles is easier than carrying a 10-gallon bucket of wet salt on your head through a receding river bed (which has sufficiently reached boiling temperatures by 11 am) that has unpredictable thigh-deep sink pits. It's tough work, and in Senegal, it's women's work.

If you consider that the 200 woman at work only get to keep every other bucket carried so precariously to shore (the men who “own” the river take the other half), and that each of those bucketfuls might be worth $1.00 if the salt market is good this year, you'll swallow that rice and fish a little bit more slowly. There are so many micro and macro levels of socio-economic factors at play in this system, and all of them, it seems, are beyond the control of the women farming in it. As with so many of the delicious and diverse fruits that come from the land, the salt of the earth comes to exist on the dinner table (in Northern Senegal anyway) because of the hard, unpaid work of farmers.

Unique Moringa Marketing in Haiti

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

We sometimes take things for granted! Water coming from the sink, electricity, or easy access to information are all things we take for granted in the United States! Here at ECHO, there are many demonstrations, plants, techniques and resources that we see everyday, and likely take them for granted.

In Haiti, information and resources are not as prevelant. A simple pamphlet about moringa, sharing the benefits of this incredible plant, becomes precious.

Bill Mebane relates his story about the sharing of information:

"I have attached a picture for your Team at ECHO. Here is the story behind the picture....We took about 1 dozen of your ECHO "flyers" (written in Kreole) depicting the benefits of moringa, how to plant it etc. to Haiti during our last trip. Long story short - we were OVERWHELMED with requests for more and people kept grabbing them from our meager stock pile!"

"We were shocked at the response but were frustrated we did not have more to give away so we duck taped our remaining copies to the inside of the toilet stalls at the school where we were working - 450 kids/day visit these latrines and can read your brochure as they use the toilet. Smart marketing eh?"

"We had some of our workers bringing moringa to eat and feed the fish the day after they read the brochure - good job ECHO...keep publishing!"

It is our job to take these resources, gathered from agricultural workers all over the world, and disseminate them to those that need them most. If you are currently supporting the work of ECHO, Thank you! It is because of you that we are able to produce these much needed resource materials. If you are not yet a supporter, we invite you today to join the ECHO effect.

ECHOcommunity.org -- Un lugar nuevo para conectarse dentro de la Red de ECHO

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

El 15 de octubre de 2011, ECHO lanzó un nuevo portal en línea diseñado para expandir la capacidad de ECHO en servir a
trabajadores del desarrollo, alrededor del mundo. ECHOcommunity.org lo hace más fácil para:

Reúnir lecciones aprendidas y técnicas que profesionales han encontrado efectivos – conocimiento que puede beneficiar a otros alrededor del mundo
Compartir soluciones prácticas a desafíos agricultores y tecnología apropiada
Conectar a profesionales con otros que están trabajando en su misma región o que luchan con los mismos desafíos

Aquí están sólo unos pocos puntos culminantes:

La biblioteca digital de ECHO está disponible en su totalidad, completamente investigable y puede ser leída en más de 30 idiomas diferentes.
Los grupos de recurso y compromiso proporcionan maneras listas para que los profesionales puedan aprender el uno del otro, compartir experiencia práctica y solicitar consejos.
Una sección de investigación destaca resultados prácticos de investigación, plantea el conocimiento de investigaciones en proceso , e identifica áreas para las iniciativas beneficiosas de investigación.
Perfiles personales se pueden mantener privados o compartidos con otros usuarios registrados para promover conexiones en el campo e identificar fácilmente recursos técnicos disponibles.

Los miembros de ECHOcommunity.org pueden decidir:

- cuánto quieren compartir con otros miembros de la ECHOcommunity.ORG
- cuánto quieren aprender de, y contribuir para, los grupos tópicos
- a cuales recursos quieren tener acceso (utilizando la "Búsqueda" para apresurar su descubrimiento)
- qué idioma es de más ayuda a su comprensión (más de 30 idiomas disponibles)

En ECHOcommunity.org, los usuarios encuentran una abundancia de información práctica y probada para ayudarlos
a hacer su trabajo mejor. El personal del ECHO y otros profesionales están disponibles ayudar a resolver problemas
desalentadores. Hay oportunidades de compartir los éxitos adquiridos a duras penas. Todo con un objetivo: Para ayudar
a reducir el hambre y mejorar los medios de subsistencia alrededor del mundo.

Para unirse a esta comunidad, ir a www.echocommunity.org e inscríbase. Se le pedirá escoger su tipo de membrecía
cuando se registre. Si usted está activamente involucrado en el trabajo de desarrollo, el tipo de miembro “Trabajador
Activo en Desarrollo” es una membrecía gratuita que le dará todos los privilegios del sitio. Otros tipos do membrecía
están disponibles y si no está seguro de cuál sea la apropiada para usted; se le recomiende que pulse en “contáctenos”
(contact us) en la esquina superior derecha de la pagina y estaríamos encantados en ayudarle.

ECHO's 21st Annual Farm Day Coming Soon

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800

What are your plans for Saturday? Does it include cheering your chicken on to victory in Farm Day Chicken Races? If not, you might want to recheck your priorities!

We are hosting our annual Farm Day on March 17, 2012 from 9am to 3pm. Visitors will enjoy tours, workshops, demonstrations, food and fun as they learn how subsistence farmers live around the world.

Discount admission tickets to the 21st annual ECHO Farm Day are on sale now at the ECHO bookstore and gift shop at 17391 Durrance Rd. in North Fort Myers. The tickets are $5.00 per person, 10 and under are free. You may also purchase tickets the day of the event for $7.00 per person, 10 and under free.

Spend the day at a 50-acre Global Farm and tour a tropical rainforest demonstration, the 300+ variety seed bank, participate in the Chicken Races, take an educational tour of the bamboo courtyard where over 40 varieties are displayed, or learn about “AT Center of the Universe” in the appropriate technology area. Other demonstrations include: Baking in a Barrel, Groovy Goats, Tubers and Trellises, Take Home a Container Garden, Digging Community Gardens and the Game of Rice.

Stan Doerr, ECHO President/CEO states, “One of the workshops, Food Plants in the Landscape, will demonstrate how you can easily substitute nutritious plants into your porch or backyard. Whether you have a large yard or a small patio, growing your own food is easy and affordable.”

There is something for everyone at ECHO’s Farm Day! This community event is made possible by ECHO’s generous sponsors, including LCEC, Travis Reprographics, Sun Harvest Citrus, Fafco Solar. Florida Gulf Coast University and Jensen’s Twin Palm Resort and Marina.

For more information, please contact ECHO at 239.543.3246.

ECHO Trees at CCMI Bear Fruit

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

It is amazing to think of the longevity of ECHO's ministry! More than 30 years ago ECHO started networking with development workers and missionaries overseas. Many of them received free packets of seeds that are now not even rare in the areas where they were working! This makes us smile! Here is another local and more recent example of the impact of a few trees.

Background: Community Cooperative Ministries Incorporated (CCMI) manages a number ofservices helping the poor in our community. Soup kitchens, food pantries, meals-on-wheels and their montessori preschool are only a few of the ways that they impact our community. When the opportunity came to make a lasting impact on their ministry, the answer was an easy "Yes!"

Fast forward three years, and Cindy Venezia, montessori director, has this to say:

"Three years ago you donated and planted 10 fruit trees at our preschool. With the exception of two that were lost to the frost, we are proud to say the rest produced their first big batch of fruit this month! The children have taken such good care of the trees which is surprising seeing how the branches are hanging at their eye level (they are ages 2-5!). Thank you so much for this gift that is going to give and give!

I’m not sure if you heard that shortly after the trees and garden were added to our school we started a “business”. Beelicious Foods. We eat the food, cook with it, let the children take it home, donate it to our choice market (food pantry) or sell it to visitors. Fifty percent of the money that is earned from the sale of the food and crafts is donated to a local charity. We have given to United Way and ACT. Again, we truly appreciate all that you did for us!"

ECHO wants to thank everyone who supports our ministry so that we can be part of incredible programs like this!

To learn more about CCMI visit www.CCMILeeCounty.com

ECHO Asia Agriculture and Community Development Conference

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Welcome! Months of preparation have come together and the ECHO Asia Agriculture and Community Development Conference 2011 has arrived!

The ECHO Asia Regional Impact Center staff have been hard at work, delegates have arrived, and the excitement is building! Monday's registration was a bustling time. Many delegates had not seen one another since the last ECHO Asia conference in 2009 and the sounds of greeting filled the hotel lobby.

Tuesday morning marked the official beginning of the conference. The day started with opening remarks by ECHO Asia Regional Director Rick Burnette, followed by Worship, and Devotion led by ECHO President/CEO Stan Doerr. Plenary sessions were 1) The Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration Domino Effect by Tony Rinaudo, 2) Natural Farming by Local Agricultural Input for Small and Medium-scale Farmers by Arnat Tancho, Ph. D. and 3) Overview of Tropical Aquaculture Species and Systems by Randall Bevis.

Coffee breaks offered time for delegates to meet and connect with one another. Be on the lookout for the next post for pictures of Registraion and Conference Day 1.

Thanks for your support of and interest in ECHO Asia Conference! We can't wait to share more with you as the conference continues...

ECHO Asia Agriculture and Community Development Conference 2

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Resources for the Field - June 2011

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

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).

CRWRC Job Opening in Sudan

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Country Director/Program Manager, Sudan

The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC), an agency of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) has a one year opening, with possibility of extension, for a Country Director/Program Manager in southern Sudan. The position will serve as CRWRC’s chief representative in southern Sudan and provide leadership to and manage the agency’s rehabilitation programs and staff. Please visit our website at www.crcna.org or www.crwrc.org for more information or to apply. Application deadline is July 4, 2011.

Leaving an Inheritance, ECHO Planned Giving Services

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

As parents, our natural inclination is to take care of our children. We are concerned about being fair. But in reality, when it comes to leaving an inheritance, it can be challenging to balance fairness and stewardship.

We are called to be prudent and thoughtful in our decisions to leave an inheritance for the next generation. Many expert sources conclude the average inheritance is spent in 14 to 18 months. This problem is addressed in Proverbs 20:21, “An inheritance gained hastily, in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.”

In anticipation of any future wealth transfer, the first step is to communicate with your spouse. It is critical that you and your spouse answer some tough questions.

1. Do your children possess the same financial security? How do you decide between fiscal responsibility and fairness between beneficiaries?

2. How will your children’s spouses react to an inheritance? What influence will the grandchildren have?

3. If you have a blended family, what is your strategy?

The additional strategies below should be considered as you decide how you will leave your inheritance to your family and if you desire to leave more than money to your children.

Lump-sum inheritance versus ongoing income.
Your children may each have a different skill set in dealing with finances. Good or bad, these habits are already established and evident. If a person is wise in handling finances, he or she will probably be wise in handling a lump sum. If not, receiving a lump sum would likely multiply poor decisions. It may be more practical to consider an income stream that can be a source of retirement income for your children.

Continuing support of ministry.
There are planned giving strategies available that can accomplish sustained giving for years to come. Both a donor Advised Fund (DAF) an Endowment or charitable trust allow you to provide future income for ministries of your choice at levels directed by you or an advisor. These strategies can help teach stewardship to the next generation, allowing your children to participate as advisors. While your estate provides the finances, your children can
determine and allocate funds using stewardship skills. This may be the ultimate inheritance – instilling the generosity of giving to the next generation.

Whatever your decision, it is critical to communicate it to your family. You may want to consult with your children – or choose to simply communicate your wishes after the decision has been made. Remember that above all else, it is your choice and your lasting legacy.

To learn more about planned giving strategies visit our website at www.echonet.org , call our Planned Giving Services at 239-567-3343 or email ologelin@echonet.org.