Global Food and Farm Festival

event information

March 16th through March 22th 2024
Tours, Experiences, and Workshops for the whole family!
(Food trucks and festival atmosphere on Saturday only.)

Festival Location:
17391 Durrance Road, North Fort Myers, FL 33917

Tickets on Sale Now!

Make time to join us for incredible experiences for all ages on the farm!

Festival Location:
17391 Durrance Road, North Fort Myers, FL 33917

Saturday, March 16th

Saturday Farm Day – 9am – 3pm – Spend the day at our 57-acre Global Farm and tour a tropical rainforest demonstration or learn about alternative energies as they are demonstrated in the appropriate technology area! Kids of all ages can taste, touch, and experience their way around the world as they learn about world hunger and ways they can make an impact!

We invite you to join us for this festival of fun and unique experiences! 

Workshops, Interactive Demonstrations & Live-On-Stage Cooking Shows:

  • Giant Jenga
  • Sugar Cane Crushing
  • Grind-your-own Peanut
  • Butter Sample
  • Innovative Water Pumps
  • Moringa
  • Mushrooms
  • Spinning Wool
  • Urban Garden
  • Tropical Lowlands
  • Monsoon Climate
  • Semi-Arid Garden
  • Rainforest
  • Community Gardening
  • Peri-Urban Spaces

Tuesday, March 19th

(Food trucks and festival atmosphere on Saturday only.)

10:00 am

SOLD OUT: Bunches of Bananas (a walking tour)$25 –  Have you struggled to get full banana bunches at your house? We will be going on-farm to talk about banana management and put it into practice on some of ECHO’s banana clumps! This hands-on practicum will help you better understand banana biology, fertility requirements, and corm management. All ticketed participants will take home a banana pup chosen by the presenter.

12 pm Tropical Tasting Lunch – $25 – Enjoy a farm-fresh lunch in our community garden! Offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!

1:30 pm

SOLD OUT: Up Close with the Goats for Homeschoolers – $10 – You know that learning doesn’t have to happen indoors! Join us for an outdoor adventure as we learn about ECHO’s goats and their diet. Then, we’ll pick some plants to feed them and talk about some math problems geared toward animal husbandry! Tickets are needed for guests ages 2-18 but not their grown-ups. Limit 15.

1:30 pm

SOLD OUT: Bamboo: A Gardener’s Best Friend – $15 – While bamboo can be a valuable resource to the Florida gardener, it is often underutilized. Come learn how to make the most out of your bamboo! This workshop will offer hands-on learning opportunities focused on backyard bamboo building techniques. Limit 15.

Wednesday, March 20th

(Food trucks and festival atmosphere on Saturday only.)

10:00 am

SOLD OUT: Introduction to Edible Landscape Design – $40 – Explore the possibilities of growing an edible landscape on your own land!  Whether you have a quarter acre lot or several acres, design is the first step to implementing a successful edible landscape project.

What you’ll learn:

  • The tools to begin your own design project.
  • Plant selection, site preparation and irrigation systems for Southwest Florida’s unique climate.
  • Design tips for a resilient landscape.

 Limit 20.

10:00 am

Plant Propagation Techniques – $15 – Plant propagation is both a science and an art. Many propagation techniques will be discussed including the various types of rooting media and required tools, as well as the use of common food containers as propagation tools. Limit 50.

12 pm

SOLD OUT: Tropical Tasting Lunch$25 – Enjoy a farm-fresh lunch in our community garden! Offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! 

1:30 pm
Moringa Cultivation and Uses – $15 – Moringa is a fast-growing tree that produces nutritious leaves with many uses and health benefits. You can grow moringa in your own yard or garden. You’ll have a chance to harvest moringa leaves, make your own moringa leaf powder, and use the seeds to purify water! Taught by ECHO staff who have worked with and studied moringa, the workshop will combine factual information with hands-on learning. 

Thursday, March 21st

(Food trucks and festival atmosphere on Saturday only.)

10:00 am
SOLD OUT: Tropical Fruit Walking Tour – $20Learn how to grow and manage tropical fruit trees while touring ECHO’s farm. We’ll taste some of the fruit that is in season as well.

10:00 am
Hands-on Grafting – $20 – Ever wonder how nurseries can guarantee what variety of fruit you will get from your tree? Plant propagators and nurseries around the world use a method called grafting to put desirable and known varieties of a plant onto varieties that are well suited for a particular location. In this workshop you will learn how to select budwood, and basic methods of grafting tropical fruit trees, as well as how to care for your graft. This is a hands-on learning experience where you will get to practice how to graft buds onto rootstock

12 pm
Tropical Tasting Lunch$25 – Enjoy a farm-fresh lunch in our community garden! Offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! 

1:30 pm
Seed Saving for Gardeners – $10 – This workshop will provide an overview of the basic skills required to begin the art and practice of seed saving in your garden. Relevant for home and community gardeners. Topics covered will include information on plant reproduction, planning for the seed garden, seed harvest, drying, processing, and storage, with hands-on activities to tie it all together. Limit 20.

Friday, March 22nd

(Food trucks and festival atmosphere on Saturday only.)

10 am
Food and Healing – $20We all know fresh, healthy food has the potential to boost our immune systems, and decrease heart, blood and mental illnesses. But did you know that food has also been used to increase community resilience, define geopolitical lines, and resolve interpersonal divisions? We’ll explore the power of food in building personal and communal sustainability with simple shared meals and hospitality. This workshop will include a meal prepared with food grown on the ECHO farm. Limit 10.

12 pm
Tropical Tasting Lunch$25 – Enjoy a farm-fresh lunch in our community garden! Offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! 

1:30 pm
The Beekeeping Experience$15Join Expert Steve Eisele on a walking tour of ECHO’s beehives. Want to be more self sufficient? Want to connect with nature? Learn the basics about keeping bees, or just learn more about these fascinating creatures that mean so much for our ecosystem! Limit 15.

1:30 pm
How to Support your Health through Fermentation – $15 – Learn how you can dramatically improve your digestive, immune, and hormonal health with live fermented foods. Learn how to target and rebuild your microbiome with fiber and other foods. Get a free sample of Medea’s Famous Organic Pink Ginger Kraut and the recipe for you to try at home!

Sponsors

Presenting Sponsors:
Festival Partners:

Walker Farms Honey

Silent Auction Sponsors:
Community Supporters:

Make it a Getaway!