Author: Danielle Flood

Join the Action: North America Conference 2024!

ECHO supporters and network members alike benefit from the bonding and connecting that happens at ECHO conferences.

Become a better church partner for your missionaries, learn how to pray more deeply for the global Church, come experience ECHO’s amazing network firsthand, and share specific agricultural techniques with your local community gardens.

Keynote sessions are held at Crowne Plaza Fort Myers Gulf Coast and ECHO North America. To see videos from past conferences or to register visit conference.echocommunity.org.

Come celebrate more than 30 years of networking and learning together at the 31st ECHO International Agriculture Conference November 12th – 14th, 2024.

Visit https://conference.echocommunity.org/ TODAY! 

Extraordinary Plants: The Sapodilla

The sapodilla, Manilkara zapota, or naseberry has been described as being a “maple sugary pear.” The fruit is small to medium-sized, (5 to 10 cm in diameter), egg-shaped, and coated with sandy brown scurf. The tasty flesh is eaten fresh or as a dessert in shakes, fruit salads, and ice creams.

Sapodilla makes a striking addition to a landscape. It is slow-growing, evergreen, and long-lived, and can reach heights of up to 40 ft with a dense spreading canopy.

This tropical fruit tree is as practical as it is beautiful. It has proven itself well-adapted to very poor soils and thrives in the saline soils of southwest Florida. It is tolerant of dry conditions and salt spray. A sturdy branch structure makes the sapodilla resilient even in hurricane winds. Pruning is not necessary. Mature trees can withstand temperatures as low as 26°F.

Furthermore, the sapodilla remains supremely healthy with little or no care. There are very few pest problems and disease is rare. You can purchase a Sapodilla tree or fruit (seasonally) at ECHO’s Welcome and Resource Center!

Photo by Shmily Digital Photography on Unsplash

http://www.echonet.org/give

A Powerful Platform

Dr. Tim Motis began working for ECHO in 2003 and has greatly contributed to ECHOcommunity.org’s rich knowledge-collection and global dissemination of information to smallholder farmers, missionaries, and development workers.

By: Leeann Estrada
Dr. Tim Motis has been a foundational piece in ECHO’s history. Since 2003, he has contributed to ECHO’s research and publication initiatives, eventually leading a team to research and publish techniques based on small-holder farmers’ inquiries through the ECHOcommunity website. His hard work and knowledge-sharing through ECHO has impacted many small-holder farmers globally. To Dr. Motis, words are the medium through which lives are changed. 
ECHO has found over the years that a lot of information, even if it is targeted to a specific region can still benefit a broader audience and concepts are often broadly applicable.

Growing up as a missionary kid in Liberia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, Tim was always in the garden. His love for plants in early childhood led him to select horticulture as his major at South Dakota State University. Then, just like the flowers in springtime, his desire for missions blossomed his sophomore year: “I didn’t want to go into missions just because that’s what my parents did. I wanted it to be my own calling. Once I got the bug, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” Little did he know how God would use him in a different kind of mission field.

In 1996, in between his master’s and PhD, he spent time in Ethiopia with the International Mission Board’s Journeyman Program as a worker with tree nurseries and vegetable demonstration sites. That was where he heard about ECHO. He would receive ECHO Development Notes (EDNs) — informational agricultural articles — in the mail and even buy some books from the ECHO bookstore. He proudly pointed to a limited-edition hardcover book on his bookshelf titled “Fruits of Warm Climates.”

For Motis, “it’s very rewarding to be able to reach a lot of people through writing.” Indeed, his expertise in answering specific questions from smallholder farmers, international development workers, and non-profit organizations has been a great benefit to ECHO’s network. “ECHO has found over the years that a lot of information, even if it is targeted to a specific region can still benefit a broader audience and concepts are often broadly applicable even if some practices are just by nature better suited to one region than another.” This allows him and his team to multiply their impact.

When receiving inquiries online, he enjoys questions about Green Manure Cover Crops (GMCCs) the most. Some examples include, “Can I plant cowpea at the same time as maize?” or “How should I integrate legumes into another crop like corn?” To answer these questions, he uses the collective knowledge from ECHO’s network, but also incorporates his own research into the equation to better inform the audience. He says, “It’s rewarding that we’re not repeating what’s in the literature but we’re finding things out ourselves.” It is a constant flow of, ideas and innovations between people that keep his role and ECHOcommunity alive.

With a learner’s posture, they realized they needed a low-cost unit of measurement with which the farmers could measure their crop yield. They discovered that farmers were already using a “kigo” – a unit of measurement that was measured by a bag of maize kernels and then converted to grams. “Our research trials had progressed from being on-site trials to doing trials in the community on farmers’ fields, visiting contact farmers. That was very rewarding.”

His collaborations are far-reaching but close to home. One of his favorite EDNs was about moringa, where he collaborated with David Strong whose rich experience with moringa-drying in Southeast Asia was invaluable. In EDN #163 “Harvesting and Drying Considerations for Quality Moringa Leaf Powder,” Dr. Motis experimented to see what the ideal temperature would be for drying moringa. In addition to weaving in his own personal research, he also learned easier ways to dry moringa for best nutrition and quality. The techniques he learned from David he has used in ECHO’s Get-Into-Gardening (GIG) and Tropical Agricultural Development (TAD) courses.

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“I have a great team,” he shares, “and there are always people who can bring in new vision to the work, new ideas.” The hard work and dedication of his team including Stacy Swartz paid off when one of their articles in conjunction with the ECHO Asia team appeared in the highly-acclaimed scientific journal called “Experimental Agriculture”.

As he reflects on his time at ECHO, some of Dr. Motis’s favorite memories at ECHO are watching interns catch muddy tilapia and help filet the fish at the annual fish harvest. Once, he was the lead investigator on a research project in South Africa. There, he and the team had to traverse a steep mountainside: “I vowed I would never be the driver up a mountain that steep, but that time I was the only one on the insurance…so I drove.” He also went to an International Horticulture Congress meeting in Istanbul, Turkey and attended a Moringa Symposium in the Philippines where he was able to share the work of ECHO and invite people into the network.

God has used Dr. Motis’ wide range of life and career experiences to bring him to a greater understanding of “faithfulness in small things [knowing that] the bigger things will work out.” Like the mountain he faced in South Africa, so too has he faced big things in his career path, but the Lord has blessed them — one cup of coffee at a time. He has also blessed the next generation of hunger-fighters by writing reference letters for scores of interns. He finds it rewarding to see them live out God’s call for their life.

Excited about the years to come and ECHO’s Strategic Framework, Dr. Motis comments “I like the strategic framework’s idea of focusing on community seed banks, and especially strengthening the global church and agriculture. Our leaders always say, ‘Serve the network, build the network,’ and that reminds me of how we can also ‘serve the Church, build the Church’ through agriculture by meeting hunger needs as agents of restoration.” Indeed, ECHO has used his words as a mighty platform for which people’s voices can be heard around the world. Network members are doing the practices, but he says, “we put words to it.” By doing so, many lives are changed for the glory of God.

http://www.echonet.org/give

A Simple Bag: making a big difference

In Ekenywa village lives a homemaker named Veronica. Her days are defined by the daily task of cooking meals for her family. Each morning, she begins with the daunting challenge of gathering enough firewood or managing the biogas supply to prepare breakfast.

One day, a new cooking innovation called the Wonder Bag reached her ears and piqued her curiosity. She heard tales of its ability to cook food with minimal fuel once brought to a boil, but skepticism lingered in her mind. Could such a simple-looking bag make a real difference in their lives?

Veronica decided to give it a chance. A non-electric slow cooker, the Wonder Bag allows food to continue to cook for up to eight hours without any additional energy source. With cautious optimism, she prepared a pot of boiling beans using their traditional biogas stove, then carefully transferred it into the Wonder Bag as instructed.

Closing its lid, she waited. Hours later, she unveiled the pot from the Wonder Bag, the beans were cooked, tender, and flavorful, despite having used significantly less biogas. Her family’s skepticism melted away as they savored the meal, amazed at the efficiency of the Wonder Bag.

From that day forward, Veronica’s reliance on the Wonder Bag has grown. She finds herself cooking more elaborate meals without running out of fuel or spending hours monitoring the stove. With the time saved, she now tends her garden, creates moments with her children, and even shares her newfound skills with neighbors who have gathered to witness the magic of the Wonder Bag.

Today Veronica is a beacon of innovation and reflects on how her life has changed. It’s not just about cooking meals—it’s about reclaiming time, conserving resources, and nurturing stronger community bonds.

At #ECHOEastAfrica, we identify, verify & disseminate user-friendly, wallet-friendly, and appropriate solutions that make the most of what’s already available in communities.

What is seed sovereignty?

In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Warorot Market in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the first time since a fire in 1968. As one of the busiest markets in the city, many Chiang Mai residents struggled to find food.

Some knew how to eat leafy plants and gather food from the forest, but if the seeds were not saved from the plants they were consuming, in just over three years it would have all been gone.

“I think it’s very important to prepare and encourage more about saving food and saving seeds,” Ratakarn ‘Wah’ Arttawuttikun said, agricultural operations manager of the ECHO Asia Impact Center.

ECHO’s goal to increase food security and serve farmers with locally sourced seeds of the highest quality begins with teaching about the importance of saving seeds, and fighting for seed sovereignty in order for farmers to independently grow their own culturally appropriate and desired food.

“Seed sovereignty is being free,” Faith Juma said, the seed bank manager of ECHO’s East Africa Impact Center. “The farmers being free to use their own seeds, to exchange them, to sell, to their friends or to the people nearby, or to anyone whom they want to share with.”

Currently, four seed companies control over 60% of the seed market. Mass-produced seeds, sometimes genetically modified, can seem appealing to farmers. Instead of trading local seeds, farmers then gravitate towards purchasing from these companies in order to ensure they’re able to provide increased healthy yields.

Additionally, farmers prefer buying seeds for popular crops that are widely consumed. In the markets of Thailand, many shelves have the same varieties of vegetables, and local seeds are declining in numbers as local varieties are not saved for continued planting.

When seeds are cleaned and stored improperly, only about half of them will germinate and grow to a full crop. ECHO workshops teach farmers about simple, scientifically valid techniques, like using vacuum sealers or bicycle pumps to package the seeds and extend their shelf life.

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Several international conventions have been working to ensure that farmers’ rights are protected. ECHO works to help farmers build networks of local seed bank managers who can then share, teach seed saving techniques in workshops, and inspire communities start their own seed banks.

“People from Laos, Myanmar, or other countries come here [for training] and then go back and start their own seed banks in their countries,” Paw Danmalidoi said, the seed bank supervisor of ECHO’s Asia Impact Center in Chiang Mai.

“We learn from the farmer, and the farmers learn from us as well. It’s very important.”— 
— Wah Arttawuttikun

ECHO teams share trial seed packets with active development worker, facilitate “seed swaps” when teaching workshops, and disseminate information about what climate and weather conditions work for each crop. Keeping records of trial seeds allow ECHO staff to share valuable information with farmers.

“It’s not only sharing our experience, we are sharing with each other,” Arttawuttikun said. “We learn from the farmer, and the farmers learn from us as well. It’s very important.”

Some of the farmers buying mass-produced seeds aren’t aware of the impact that their purchases will have on the future of farming.

Many seed varieties are going extinct, because they aren’t being planted year after year.

“They’re coming from families where their parents and their forefathers were keeping seeds before them [but don’t any longer],” Juma said. “Some of them were born in urban places, for instance, and they probably haven’t seen how the seeds were stored.”

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ECHO’s mission is to break down barriers in agriculture for people around the world to grow their own food in sustainable ways that preserve culture and the environment, and seed sovereignty is just a small part of that. Saving local seeds reduces costs for farmers, helps to preserve climatically adapted crops, preserves local biodiversity and cuisine, and increases food security and nutrition. ECHO is working to ensure local seeds do not get forgotten in formal systems.

Preserving seeds is more than just creating seed sovereignty for farmers — it’s passing seeds from generation to generation, sharing God’s creation and the love of farming to everyone.

Advancing global seed banking is both part of our historical DNA and also one of our new five global goals. Your support of local seed banking globally is urgently needed to resource seed savers around the world!

http://echonet.org/impact/

Sharing Natural Fertilizers in Cameroon

ECHO taught Silas Nfor how to make bioliquid fertilizer when he visited the North America Impact Center. Now, he is teaching everyone about the benefits of making their own fertilizer.

by Anna Pearson

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues into 2024, common chemical fertilizer prices remain high due to fertilizer import and export uncertainties. Russia produces 25% of the world’s nitrogen fertilizer. When Silas Nfor heard about the bioliquid fertilizer that the ECHO North America Impact Center was testing, he knew he needed to teach more people about this natural solution to an ongoing problem.

Nfor came to ECHO’s headquarters to learn about appropriate technology, but soon became interested in the bioliquid fertilizer and insecticide sprays ECHO was developing. Originally identified and trialed in West Africa by the ECHO West Africa team, the North America team picked up the concept and began researching it. An example of ECHO’s powerful networking model in action! After spending a week in Florida, he returned to Nkambe, Cameroon, gathered the ingredients for bioliquid fertilizer, and brought the recipe to farmers in the area he lived.

Recently, Nfor shared that he has spread information about bioliquid fertilizer to nearly 1,000 people. Nfor and others in Nkambe share about bioliquid fertilizer through local radio stations, markets and have met with farmers in Bamenda to teach them how to make it and answer their questions.

“I have maybe 50 contacts where I just put ‘farmer,’ ‘farmer,’ ‘farmer,’ as the name because there are too many people asking questions who I don’t know,” Nfor said. “So I just put ‘farmer’ in my phone.”

The knowledge that Nfor gained from ECHO has been a catalyst in creating a wave of demand for learning how to make bioliquid fertilizer and insecticide sprays in his community.

The materials to create bioliquid fertilizer can usually be found for free – Tithonia, wood ash, and manure. Although making this fertilizer takes more effort than buying its chemical alternatives, it is more cost effective for the farmers as well as for the soil in the long run.

“Chemical fertilizer kills a lot of the microbes that live in soil, because of the salt and copper in it, a lot of things that the microbes don’t like,” Dr. Guin Perry, an educational research associate at ECHO said. “The bioliquid fertilizer is not only helping the plant, but it’s also feeding the microbes that live in the soil.”

With repeated use repeated use of chemical fertilizers, soil will degrade, making it harder Increased use of chemical fertilizers is expensive for farmers, usually derived from fossil fuels, and also increases the chance of releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

“It’s a harsh cycle that is necessary in a sense because there are so many people on the planet — we are quite dependent on chemical fertilizers,” Dr. Perry says. “What many farms are trying to do is to balance the use of chemical fertilizers, adding natural or organic inputs.”

Nfor calls this farming “feed to feed,” because the farmers feed the soil so that the soil will feed them, producing hearty crops. Although a slow process, eventually the soil will have regained its essential nutrients and organic matter to nurture plants.

“My dreams were really answered,” Nfor said. “Now thousands of Cameroonians are benefitting from the bioliquid fertilizer because of ECHO.”

Every year the soil is treated with bioliquid fertilizer, the soil fertility and health increases. The microbes that chemical fertilizer kills are nourished by the bioliquid fertilizer, which acts as growth hormones for the plants — and the bigger the plant is, the more sugars and biomass it makes, in turn feeding the microbes.

Equipped with the knowledge of how to make bioliquid fertilizer, the Cameroonians taught by Nfor are thankful for the increased soil health and profit from their crops.

“My dreams were really answered,” Nfor said. “Now thousands of Cameroonians are benefitting from the bioliquid fertilizer because of ECHO.”

When Nfor first introduced bioliquid fertilizer to his community, it was already partially into planting season, and some farmers didn’t want to implement a new farming method midseason. This year, Nfor introduced the fertilizer early in the planting season to give the farmers a better start.

“I have a good network of people using biogas digesters, slurry, and fertilizer, and we are all working together,” Nfor said. “Lord willing, I will be at ECHO in November to learn more.”

From the President/CEO – August 2024

Greetings all!

Thank you for joining prayerfully, thoughtfully, and financially with ECHO to defeat hunger and improve lives all around the world!

We have a great edition of ECHO News for you this quarter, covering some of the amazing work happening through our four Regional Impact Centers with more to come yet this year! In this edition of ECHO News, you’ll learn more about our Director of Research and Publications, Dr. Tim Motis; hear about how the Basic Utility Vehicle that ECHO has helped to promote is opening up economic opportunities throughout Africa; learn of the impact of farm-made bioliquid fertilizers to improve soil health and lives; and of the importance of local and community seed banking for generations to come!

In addition to these updates, we have been hard at work publicizing our new 2024-2029 Strategic Framework, updating our social media presence (join us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!), and getting the word out to the world about ECHO so that more lives may be touched here and now and for eternity.

It is an incredible privilege to lead an amazing group of men and women worldwide who are dedicated to defeating hunger and improving lives, motivated by the love of Jesus and a desire to glorify God through our professional work in agriculture.

Thank you for making our work possible as we support an amazing network of over 19,000 active development organizations, workers, and individuals worldwide!

I am grateful that God has been making the seeds of faithfulness grow for 43 years through ECHO!

Abram J. Bicksler, Ph.D., President/CEO

http://www.echonet.org/echo-news

Transforming Lives through Permaculture: A Sustainable Living Guide

Permaculture offers a path to sustainable living and food production that emphasizes natural processes and cycles. It’s not just a gardening technique; it’s a philosophy and ethical framework for developing ecosystems that mimic the resilience and diversity of natural habitats. By integrating permaculture principles into our lives, we can create more sustainable, efficient, and productive systems that benefit both people and the planet.

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture stands for “permanent agriculture” and “permanent culture,” reflecting its broad application beyond just agriculture to sustainable human habitats and community living. It’s based on observing natural systems to design human environments that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems.

At its core, permaculture is guided by three ethics: care for the earth, care for people, and fair share. These principles inspire a philosophy of working with, rather than against, nature; viewing everything as interconnected; and recognizing the value of each element in a system.  

Examples of Permaculture

  1. Food Forests: A food forest is a managed garden area that mimics a woodland ecosystem but uses fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and perennial vegetables. The layers are designed to function together, providing food, habitat, and ecosystem benefits.
  2. Rainwater Harvesting Systems: These systems collect rainwater from roofs or other surfaces to store for later use, often in gardens or for other agricultural purposes. This reduces the need for external water sources and can be crucial in water-scarce environments.
  3. Companion Planting: This practice involves growing different plants together to benefit each other, such as providing nutrient support, pest control, or pollinator attraction. For example, planting basil near tomatoes can help repel pests and enhance the flavor of the tomatoes.
  4. Swales and Contour Planting: Swales are shallow trenches that follow the contour lines of a landscape, designed to capture and hold rainwater and reduce erosion. This technique ensures water seeps into the soil, recharging groundwater and hydrating nearby plants.
  5. Natural Building Techniques: Using local, natural, or recycled materials to build structures that are energy-efficient and sustainable. Examples include straw bale houses, earth-sheltered homes, and buildings made with rammed earth.
  6. Sheet Mulching: Also known as lasagna gardening, this method involves layering organic materials on the ground to decompose and form rich soil. It suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and improves soil health without digging or tilling.
  7. Vermicomposting: The process of using worms to compost kitchen scraps and other organic waste into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. This method is efficient and can be easily implemented in small spaces.

The Benefits of Adopting Permaculture

Permaculture designs make efficient use of water through techniques like rainwater harvesting, swales, and drip irrigation. These methods minimize waste and reduce the reliance on large-scale irrigation systems, which can be harmful to the environment.

One of the foundational principles of permaculture is to enhance soil fertility naturally. By using composting, no-dig gardens, and green manures, permaculture systems rebuild and maintain healthy soil, which is the bedrock of any agricultural endeavor. 

Permaculture systems also help combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sinks. Ultimately, the diversity and redundancy built into permaculture designs make these systems more resilient to climate extremes, ensuring food security in an uncertain future.

Getting Involved with Permaculture

There are numerous resources and communities for those interested in permaculture. Echo’s Global Farm, located in Fort Myers, Florida, regularly hosts classes with live examples and experts to help others learn how to implement permaculture practices. You can learn more at https://echonet.org/events/.

By embracing permaculture, we can create resilient, productive systems that benefit all living beings and the planet. We hope you join us in this journey to help increase food security worldwide. 

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ECHO provides hope against hunger around the globe through agricultural training and resources. As a Christian technical networking and resourcing organization, ECHO builds a diverse, global network and serves that network by sharing validated contextualized agricultural options with technical excellence. ECHO’s goal is to serve its network members to advance food security and sustainable livelihoods. ECHO’s North American Regional Impact Center is located in Fort Myers, Florida with a global presence through four Regional Impact Centers in the USA, Thailand, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso. For more information about ECHO call 239-543-3246 or visit echonet.org or ECHOcommunity.org.

The Rise of Eco-Villages: Creating Sustainable Communities Worldwide

Eco-villages represent a visionary approach to community living, grounded in the principles of sustainability, self-sufficiency, and cooperation. These intentional communities are designed to minimize environmental impact while maximizing social harmony and personal well-being. By integrating green building, renewable energy, and sustainable practices, eco-villages offer a model for living that aligns closely with the earth’s ecological capacities.

Understanding Eco-Villages

An eco-village is more than just a place to live; it’s a movement towards creating sustainable, self-reliant communities that respect ecological balance and foster a strong sense of belonging and purpose among its residents.

Key Features of Sustainable Community Living

Eco-villages are characterized by their holistic approach to sustainability, which includes the use of green building materials, renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, and the implementation of organic farming and water conservation techniques.

Living in an eco-village offers numerous benefits, from reducing one’s ecological footprint to enhancing social connections and mental health. These communities are built on the principles of cooperation, shared responsibility, and mutual support, creating a strong, interconnected social fabric.

Environmental and Social Impact

Eco-villages are living proof that low-impact living is feasible and fulfilling. By significantly reducing waste, conserving water, and using renewable energy, these communities have a minimal ecological footprint. 

One of the most compelling aspects of eco-village life is the deep sense of community and belonging it fosters. Eco-villages are designed to encourage interaction, collaboration, and mutual support, offering a strong antidote to the isolation and disconnection faced in modern society.

How to Get Involved with Eco-Villages

For those inspired by the eco-village model, there are many ways to get involved. Whether it’s joining an existing community, participating in workshops and seminars, or even starting a new eco-village, opportunities abound for those committed to sustainable living.

Finding and Joining an Eco-Village

The journey to becoming part of an eco-village starts with research. Many online directories and networks connect individuals with eco-villages globally. Visiting an eco-village, attending open days, or participating in short-term programs can provide invaluable insights into community life and help determine if it’s the right fit for you.

Getting involved with eco-villages isn’t limited to living in one. You can contribute by volunteering, donating, or sharing knowledge on sustainable practices. Additionally, advocating for eco-villages and sustainable living in your own community can help spread the movement’s principles and ideals.

Conclusion

The rise of eco-villages reflects a growing recognition of the need for sustainable, community-oriented living. As more people seek alternatives to the environmental degradation and social isolation characteristic of modern life, eco-villages offer a promising path forward. By embodying principles of sustainability, resilience, and cooperation, eco-villages not only provide a viable model for living in harmony with nature but also inspire a broader movement towards a more sustainable and interconnected world.

Whether you’re drawn to the eco-village movement by a desire to live more sustainably, a yearning for deeper community connections, or a commitment to environmental activism, there are countless ways to engage. By exploring, supporting, or living in an eco-village, you become part of a global effort to reimagine our relationship with the planet and each other, one community at a time.

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ECHO provides hope against hunger around the globe through agricultural training and resources. As a Christian technical networking and resourcing organization, ECHO builds a diverse, global network and serves that network by sharing validated contextualized agricultural options with technical excellence. ECHO’s goal is to serve its network members to advance food security and sustainable livelihoods. ECHO’s North American Regional Impact Center is located in Fort Myers, Florida with a global presence through four Regional Impact Centers in the USA, Thailand, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso. For more information about ECHO call 239-543-3246 or visit echonet.org or ECHOcommunity.org.

Home Composting 101: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

Introduction to Composting

Composting is a natural process that turns organic waste materials into rich soil known as compost. By engaging in home composting, you not only reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills but also transform your kitchen scraps into a valuable resource for your garden. The benefits of composting extend beyond simple waste reduction; it also enriches the soil, which in turn improves plant health, reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, and enhances moisture retention. Additionally, composting at home can significantly lower your carbon footprint by reducing methane production—a potent greenhouse gas—typically generated in landfills.

What you Can Compost (Key Materials)

Composting requires a balance of ‘greens’ and ‘browns’ to effectively break down the organic materials. Greens are nitrogen-rich materials such as kitchen scraps (vegetable and fruit peels), coffee grounds, and grass clippings. They help to speed up the decomposition process. On the other hand, browns provide the necessary carbon and include items like dry leaves, twigs, and even cardboard. Together, these elements create an environment conducive to decomposition.

It’s essential to understand what should and shouldn’t be included in your compost bin. While greens and browns are the backbone of composting, certain materials like meat, dairy, and diseased plants should be avoided as they can attract pests and lead to odor issues. 

Setting Up Your Compost Bin

Choosing the right compost bin is a vital step in starting your composting journey. There are several types of bins to consider, including tumblers, stationary bins, and worm bins, each offering different benefits depending on your lifestyle and space availability. 

Location is another important factor—your bin should be placed in a spot that has some exposure to sunlight but also offers protection from extreme weather. It should also be conveniently located near your garden if possible, to facilitate easy transfer of the finished compost to your garden beds.

Maintaining Your Compost

Maintaining your compost involves regular checks and balances to ensure optimal decomposition. The pile should maintain an ideal moisture level, akin to a wrung-out sponge. Regular turning of the compost helps introduce oxygen, which is crucial for aerobic decomposition and helps prevent odor. Monitoring your compost for signs of a healthy process, like heat production and an earthy smell, can also provide insights into its condition.

Troubleshooting common issues such as odors, pests, or slow decomposition is part of maintaining a compost pile. Each season may require different types of maintenance, making it important to adapt your approach throughout the year.

Harvesting Your Compost

Knowing when your compost is ready to use is key. Finished compost typically appears dark and crumbly with an earthy odor. Harvesting involves sieving out unfinished materials and storing the finished compost in a dry, covered area to avoid nutrient loss. Applying compost to your garden provides numerous benefits, including nutrient enrichment and improved soil structure, which can greatly enhance the health and yield of your plants.

Conclusion

Composting is an effective way to enhance your garden’s soil quality while reducing household waste and your overall environmental impact. By understanding the basics and committing to regular maintenance, you can create a sustainable waste management system right in your backyard. Whether you are a gardening novice or looking to reduce your ecological footprint, starting your compost pile is a rewarding endeavor.

FAQ

  1. What is the best balance of greens and browns in a compost pile?

   Greens should be balanced with browns at a ratio of about 1:3 to ensure effective composting without odors or excessive moisture.

  1. Can I compost paper products?

   Yes, paper products can be composted, especially uncoated paper like newspapers. However, avoid glossy or heavily inked papers.

  1. What should I do if my compost pile smells bad?

  Bad odors are usually a sign of too much moisture or insufficient aeration. Adjust by adding more browns and turning the pile more frequently.

  1. How long does it take for compost to be ready?

  Compost can be ready in as little as a few months, but typically it takes about 6-12 months depending on factors like temperature and materials used.

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ECHO provides hope against hunger around the globe through agricultural training and resources. As a Christian technical networking and resourcing organization, ECHO builds a diverse, global network and serves that network by sharing validated contextualized agricultural options with technical excellence. ECHO’s goal is to serve its network members to advance food security and sustainable livelihoods. ECHO’s North American Regional Impact Center is located in Fort Myers, Florida with a global presence through four Regional Impact Centers in the USA, Thailand, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso. For more information about ECHO call 239-543-3246 or visit echonet.org or ECHOcommunity.org.