Saturday, November 14, 2026
In ECHO’s small animal husbandry area, goats and rabbits aren’t just sources of milk and meat - they’re part of an integrated system that includes composting, biodigesters, and nutrient cycling. Nothing goes to waste.
ECHO’s compostable toilet in the community garden demonstrates how human waste can be safely converted into compost in areas without plumbing. Designed for use in off-grid or low-resource settings, this system models an affordable, sanitary solution that supports soil health while conserving water, a critical need in many parts of the world.
Ducks are housed in a shelter built directly above a tilapia pond - by design. Their droppings fall into the water, naturally fertilizing it and feeding the algae that nourish the fish.
These simple tire gardens in ECHO’s Urban Garden exhibit demonstrate how families with limited space can grow vegetables using recycled materials and greywater, empowering food production in the most unlikely spaces.
Keyhole gardens are circular raised beds with a central compost basket, allowing food scraps and greywater to nourish the soil from the inside out. Ideal for arid regions or urban spaces with poor soil
ECHO’s Global Demonstration Farm features a patchwork of simulated landscapes including tropical lowlands, semi-arid regions, monsoon areas, and highland slopes.
From pedal-powered grain mills to homemade water pumps, ECHO showcases dozens of low-cost agricultural technologies. Many tools are designed to be built with locally available materials, ensuring they’re accessible and maintainable long after visitors return home.
Through internships, farm tours, and hands-on training, ECHO equips students, missionaries, and nonprofit workers with the practical skills needed to serve in global agriculture and hunger relief. Alumni are now working in over 90 countries.
This vibrant magenta plant is cranberry hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella), a fast-growing edible prized for its tart, cranberry-like flavor and striking color.
For almost 45 years, Fort Myers has been home to a global project combating food scarcity across the world, and many residents have never even heard about it. Tucked just east of exit 143, off Durrance Road, is ECHO North America Impact Center, one of six international farms cultivating solutions to world hunger.
Over the years, ECHO has expanded internationally, establishing regional impact centers in East Africa, West Africa, Asia, and most recently, Central America. Each location is tailored to the needs of its region, but they all share a common goal: equipping farmers with practical, sustainable knowledge. The work is never about a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it’s grounded in collaboration, contextual understanding, and a deep respect for local wisdom.
“We don’t exist to feed the world; we exist to teach people how to feed themselves and their communities,” said Grace Miller, Director of ECHO North America Impact Center. Through hands-on training and utilizing agroecology principles, ECHO has served as a bridge between agricultural innovation and the pressing needs of small-scale farmers across the globe.
Agroecology encourages local innovations and solutions that are tested and adapted within specific cultural and environmental contexts. It allows farmers to become co-creators of knowledge, building food systems that reflect their values and realities. The holistic framework promotes sustainability, equity, and resilience not only on farms, but within entire communities.
“We’re basically a living encyclopedia,” Miller explained. “People from all over the world visit to learn low-cost, sustainable farming techniques they can take back home, whether that’s to Haiti, Honduras, or Homestead.”
ECHO’s Fort Myers campus isn’t an average farm. Instead of tidy rows of monocrops, you’ll find diverse food forests, vertical gardens, and bamboo fencing. The farm simulates a range of challenging growing conditions from urban rooftops and semi-arid climates to tropical lowlands and monsoon-drenched hillsides. Each zone is carefully designed to replicate the environments where many of the world’s impoverished live and grow food.
In addition to their fully functioning farms, ECHO’s Global Seed Bank maintains over 300 varieties of underutilized, nutrient-rich crops that thrive in tough conditions and offer lifesaving nutrition. From moringa- a plant nicknamed the “miracle tree” for its edible leaves and high vitamin content to amaranth, cowpeas, and pigeon peas, ECHO helps bring back hardy crops that commercial agriculture often ignores.
Through its free resources, online network, and agricultural conferences, ECHO shares time-tested knowledge with missionaries, NGOs, and smallholder farmers facing drought, soil degradation, or hunger. In 2023 alone, ECHO trained 11,000 people worldwide. “When we train one development worker, we indirectly impact hundreds or thousands of lives,” Miller noted.
While ECHO’s work reaches far beyond Florida, its impact is growing locally, too. The North America Impact Center hosts frequent workshops, volunteer days, and internships. Students, garden clubs, and families often visit for hands-on learning experiences.
The farm is open to the public Monday through Saturday and offers guided tours where guests can learn about global agriculture and discover simple tools to live more sustainably at home.
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