Upcoming events

Las abejas sin aguijón (también llamados Meliponinos) representan un grupo de insectos altamente sociales, con colonias perennes y habitantes de zonas tropicales y subtropicales. Su importancia destaca desde la ambiental como polinizadores hasta la parte productiva, pasando por los aspectos sociales, tradicionales, de inclusión de género, explotación no maderable del bosque, entre otros.

Este curso pretende dar las bases biológicas, así como los parámetros a seguir en la iniciación del cultivo de estas abejas; revisando para ello, la parte histórica de la actividad, la instalación del meliponario, multiplicación, cuidado y división de las colonias y una semblanza de la producción y comercialización sustentable.

As a development worker or missionary, where do you start? How might you ensure that development efforts will be relevant, realistic, and community-owned? This five-day course will cover the basics of effective community development. Using proven participatory methods, experienced community development workers will introduce attendees to hands-on tools that can better enable change agents and partner communities to survey local assets and needs. Utilizing feedback, participants will practice prioritizing issues as well as strategic responses in order to develop action plans. Course participants will walk through the fundamentals of project management cycles: planning, implementation, monitoring, finances, and reporting. Additionally, participants will explore methodologies of agricultural information exchange.

Highlighted Instructor:

Lindy Backues, PhD, is Associate Professor of Economic Development at Eastern University, St. Davids,
Pennsylvania, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. His publications, writings, and
public speaking events have explored the connection between theology and community development,
especially as the two interface in the midst of practical, implemented, participatory involvement. Dr.
Backues came to Eastern University after nearly two decades of direct involvement in development
work in Indonesia, where, among other accomplishments, he founded and directed a multi-disciplinary,
multi-faith community empowerment, non-government organization. He also served as program
supervisor between 2005–2007 for tsunami response in the province of Aceh Jaya in north Sumatra.
Living in Indonesia from 1989–2007, Dr. Backues worked primarily in the region of West Java amongst
the Sundanese and served as Indonesia Country Director for Millennium Relief & Development Services
out of Houston, Texas. Dr. Backues teaches a wide variety of courses at Eastern University, such as
“Epistemological Insights for Anthropological Practice,” “Faith and Economic Justice,” “Economic
Development of Third World Countries,” “Economic Reasoning Seminar,” “Theology of Culture,” and
“Theology of Poverty.”

These workshops will show you how to grow diverse and rich food forests by working with nature’s own strategies for abundance. By combining training in natural succession, species selection, design, implementation, and management together with hands-on experience on an active farm, you will gain new skills and knowledge that will transform the way you understand and practice agriculture. The workshops integrate multiple approaches to make regeneration of lands feasible both ecologically and economically. What you will learn can be applied at any scale, from home landscapes to any size farm, forest, or conservation project.

Description from the event coordinators:

Come and learn about this amazing tool for equipping the poor and ushering in the promised abundant life of Christ, in the “agricultural domain”. 

This three day seminar will cover all three integrated spheres of influence - Biblical, Management, and Technology. It will empower you with a resource to serve others in both Word and deed. 

The 6th Biennial ECHO Asia Agriculture and Community Development Conference will take place on October 3-6, 2017, in Chiang Mai, Thailand!

Our conference theme "Improving Lives" expresses our desire to partner with you as we train, equip, and grow our network to impact the lives and livelihoods of farmers and their families across Asia. Speakers will share practical solutions to agricultural challenges, personal experiences, and strategies for improving the lives of millions who daily face the threat of starvation. The event offers an open exchange of information, connecting the people and ideas that can  make a real and sustainable difference.

Come join us for 3-days of plenary speakers, workshops, a poster session, paper submission and proceedings, and a seed exchange, followed by a 1-day site visit!

Many Tanzanian families lack a secure source of nutritious food, do not have access to clean water, and have few streams of family income. The moringa tree provides an easily-implemented, family-level solution that addresses all three of these issues. Our 2-day training seminar will cover the following topics:

• Community Assessment - identifying assets and challenges
• Nutrition - basic nutrtion and nutritional properties of moringa (why moringa matters)
• Moringa cultivation, care, and uses
• Moringa seeds and water treatment
• Adding moringa to the daily diet
• Using moringa for income
• Management essentials

This year marks the 24th Anniversary of the ECHO International Agriculture Conference held in Fort Myers, FL!  We hope that you will make plans to join us for this year's conference.  The event brings together some of the world’s most influential voices dedicated to eradicating hunger and improving lives.

Speakers will share practical solutions to agricultural challenges, personal experiences and strategies for improving the lives of millions who daily face the threat of starvation. The event offers an open exchange of information, connecting the people and ideas that can make a real and sustainable difference.

Conference accommodation and meeting rooms for morning and evening sessions will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (Crowne Plaza) in the Bell Tower district of Fort Myers. Afternoon workshops and demonstrations will be held at the 50-acre ECHO farm in North Fort Myers, which has one of the largest collections of tropical fruits and vegetables in the United States.

If you need to request a visa invitation letter please fill out this form: International Applicant's Additional Information Form

Those interested in preparing for short/long-term involvement in agricultural development internationally  are encouraged to participate in this one-week course held two times a year. Course participants will gain an introduction to aspects of poverty and community development and an orientation to ECHO. They will also receive instruction on proven agricultural principles/practices and practical techniques, systems and technologies to meet agricultural and nutritional needs of small-scale, impoverished farmers. There will also be time for hands-on work on the farm, visits with staff, and study in the library. Course content is presented from a biblical perspective. 

Who the course is for:

This course will especially benefit those who are considering short- or long-term involvement in international agricultural development work. It can also be of benefit to those who have been on the field doing development work for a few years but who would like to take a step back and re-evaluate their approach. Those who could benefit from this course include short-term or career missionaries, international project volunteers (e.g. Peace Corps), leaders of relief-oriented organizations, or missions committee leaders of churches involved in agricultural projects overseas. 

What is offered:

This course covers a broad range of topics relevant to those starting out in agricultural development in a tropical environment.  The purpose of this class is to expose you to several different ideas and concepts.  Although a significant amount of time will be spent looking at examples on the ECHO Farm, given the breadth of topics covered, extensive hands-on farm work should not be an expectation of taking this course.

Those interested in preparing for short/long-term involvement in agricultural development internationally  are encouraged to participate in this one-week course held two times a year. Course participants will gain an introduction to aspects of poverty and community development and an orientation to ECHO. They will also receive instruction on proven agricultural principles/practices and practical techniques, systems and technologies to meet agricultural and nutritional needs of small-scale, impoverished farmers. There will also be time for hands-on work on the farm, visits with staff, and study in the library. Course content is presented from a biblical perspective. 

Who the course is for:

This course will especially benefit those who are considering short- or long-term involvement in international agricultural development work. It can also be of benefit to those who have been on the field doing development work for a few years but who would like to take a step back and re-evaluate their approach. Those who could benefit from this course include short-term or career missionaries, international project volunteers (e.g. Peace Corps), leaders of relief-oriented organizations, or missions committee leaders of churches involved in agricultural projects overseas. 

What is offered:

This course covers a broad range of topics relevant to those starting out in agricultural development in a tropical environment.  The purpose of this class is to expose you to several different ideas and concepts.  Although a significant amount of time will be spent looking at examples on the ECHO Farm, given the breadth of topics covered, extensive hands-on farm work should not be an expectation of taking this course.

Did you know that of 250,000 identified plant species worldwide that only 30 species provide 95 percent of our global food energy needs? And that only three of these crops – wheat, maize and rice – provide half of the world’s food?

With severe weather extremes and other risks to global food security, many agricultural experts agree that global cropping systems should be as diversified as possible. As small-scale farms are particularly vulnerable to climatic and economic instability, underutilized crops may be key to their resilience.

Underutilized crops are those with “underexploited potential for contributing to food security, nutrition, health, income generation and environmental services.” The ECHO Underutilized Crops Workshop (September 10-14) will not only introduce participants to various less known crops but will also spotlight opportunities for their production and utilization.

The workshop will also include practical nutrition activities in which various underutilized crops on the ECHO farm will be harvested and prepared into meals.