Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization

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ECHO, Inc #echofightshunger is a non-profit agro-ecological organization whose mission is to support small-scale farmers through the dissemination of information and underutilized plant seeds.{{cite news|last1=Nierenberg|first1=Danielle|last2=Small|first2=Sarah|title=101 Global Food Organizations to Watch in 2015|url=http://foodtank.com/news/2015/01/one-hundred-one-global-food-organizations-to-watch-in-twenty-fifteen|accessdate=28 January 2015|work=Food Tank|publisher=Food Tank|date=23 January 2015}}{{cite news|last1=O’phelan|first1=Ann Marie|title=Farm tours bring ag up-close and personal|url=http://highlandstoday.com/list/highlands-agri-leader-news/farm-tours-bring-ag-up-close-and-personal-20150112/|accessdate=28 January 2015|agency=Highlands|publisher=Central Florida’s Agri-Leader|date=January 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710142425/http://highlandstoday.com/list/highlands-agri-leader-news/farm-tours-bring-ag-up-close-and-personal-20150112/|archive-date=10 July 2015|url-status=dead}} The group operates several seed banks worldwide which preserves biodiversity and seed sovereignty.{{cite book|last1=Holmer|first1=R.|last2=Linwattana|first2=G|last3=Keatinge|first3=J.D.H.|last4=Nath|first4=P.|title=SEAVEG 2012: High Value Vegetables in Southeast Asia: Production, Supply and Demand|date=January 2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rMrUsJIOPj4C&q=echo+seed+bank|publisher=AVRDC-WorldVegetableCenter|isbn=9789290582007|accessdate=28 January 2015|ref=High Value Vegetables in Southeast Asia}} ECHO also offers training courses and workshops on many topics, including tropical agriculture.[http://www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/04/kalamazoo_native_russell_powel.html "Kalamazoo native Russell Powell honored by Florida Nonprofit Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization"]. Kalamazoo Gazette. April 10, 2010

Headquarters and North America Impact Center

ECHO is headquartered in North Fort Myers, Florida. Its 56 acre campus houses the North America Impact Center, a demonstration and research farm, a reference library with a variety of resources about rare agricultural crops and techniques,[http://www.naplesnews.com/community/bonita-banner/bonita-middle-students-learn-ropes-self-sustained- "Bonita Middle students learn the ropes of self-sustained farming"]{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. KELLY O'NEIL , The Banner. May 17, 2009 a seed bank, a tropical fruit nursery with a large collection of bamboo varieties, and a bookstore. The North America Impact Center also includes an appropriate technology center developing tools and equipment for small scale farmers.[http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/5-super-simple-ways-to-get-your-urban-garden-going.html "5 Super Simple Ways to Get Your Urban Garden Going"]. Treehugger, A.K. Streeter, March 2, 2011 Various parts of the farm demonstrate agriculture in different conditions including highlands, lowlands, semi-arid and a demonstration of the techniques of urban agriculture that have been implemented around the world.{{cite book|last1=Smit|first1=Jac|last2=Nasr|first2=Joe|last3=Ratta|first3=Annu|url=http://www.jacsmit.com/book/Chap05.pdf |title=Urban Agriculture: Food, Jobs and Sustainable Cities|date=2001|publisher=The Urban Agriculture Network, Inc.|pages=Chapter 5 page 7–8|edition=2001}}[http://fremonttribune.com/news/local/man-helps-others-through-organic-farming/article_c32728ef-47e3-5818-af62-95b5715c20d6.html "Man helps others through organic farming"]. Fremont Tribune, September 8, 2013 By Carolyn Gibbs.

Regional Impact Centers

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In addition to the North America Impact Center, ECHO operates three other Regional Impact Centers to bring agricultural resources to small-scale farmers in the surrounding areas/regions of Chiang Mai, Thailand (Asia Impact Center), Arusha, Tanzania (East Africa Impact Center),[http://newstaar.com/earth-day-15-recommendations-using-agriculture-to-address-environmental-issues/353153/ "Earth Day: 15 Recommendations Using Agriculture to Address Environmental Issues"]. NewStaar Media, D Robert Curry, April 22, 2011 and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (West Africa Impact Center).

Seed distribution

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ECHO maintains a collection of useful tropical trees and other plants and provides seed and cuttings,[http://www.goodfoodworld.com/2012/03/chaya-mayan-tree-spinach-cabbage-star/ "Chaya - Mayan Tree-Spinach, Cabbage Star"]. GoodFood World, Arthur Lee Jacobson, March 20th, 2012 free of charge, to individuals actively involved in agricultural development, with the intention that these open-pollinated seeds will be harvested from the resulting crops and distributed in the communities.[http://www.bradenton.com/2014/12/10/5523056_usf-hospitality-students-use-lakewood.html?rh=1 "USF hospitality students use Lakewood Ranch community garden to enhance learning"]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.Bradenton Herald, By CLAIRE ARONSON December 10, 2014.[http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2014/6/26/anna_maria_garden.html "Anna Maria Island garden project growing, raising awareness"]. Bay News 9, Summer Smith, June 28, 2014, For example, ECHO disseminates seeds and information about Moringa oleifera, a nutritional plant species useful for providing essential vitamins and minerals for people in developing countries in the tropics. To order seeds from ECHO as an active development worker, create an account on ECHOcommunity.org and request seeds through the website. Free trial packets can be received once per year.