Echo Farms mission is to equip people with agricultural resources and skills to reduce hunger and improve the lives of the poor, globally.

Time spent touring Echo Farms in late April changed my life. From the Tippy Tap to the Moringa tree to the Aquaponic Fish ponds to the bicycles powering corn grinders…I can see the vast effect ECHO is making through study, education and teaching in your global Impact centers. David Erickson, ECHO’s Chief Organizational Development Officer first statement that ECHO’s goal is to support the 4.5 million small-scale farmers world wide which can in turn make a difference in 2.2 billion lives still resonates in my mind.

The Tippy Tap allows you to wash your hands with soap without touching anything.  Designed in Zimbabwe, Tippy Taps are simple, economic hand-washing stations made from locally available materials.  They are not dependent on piped water and… — The Tippy Tap allows you to wash your hands with soap without touching anything. Designed in Zimbabwe, Tippy Taps are simple, economic hand-washing stations made from locally available materials. They are not dependent on piped water and require a tenth of the water normally used to wash hands.

What sticks with me as I joyfully journey to Earth Dance organic farm in Ferguson where I’m apprenticing are the stories David shared. From the doctor prescribing moringa powder to his pregnant patients, to the Mali farmer who learned from ECHO and is now the SRI (System of Rice Intensification) expert to the dramatic effects of Liter Lights in village huts, the effect of simple changes by human hands has a ripple effect on the people Echo serves.

As I was leaving, David pointed out a quote that will have lasting effect on my next steps:

“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.”

— Herbert Spencer

&nbs… — This is the third station of the aquaponics system.