Global Food and Farm Festival

Saturday Farm Day – 9am – 3pm – Spend the day at our 57-acre Global Farm and tour a tropical rainforest demonstration or learn about alternative energies as they are demonstrated in the appropriate technology area! Kids of all ages can taste, touch, and experience their way around the world as they learn about world hunger and ways they can make an impact!

We invite you to join us for this festival of fun and unique experiences!

Included Workshops:

9:30
Integrated Pest Management for the Florida Home Garden – Stacy Swartz 
We will be talking about the major pests and diseases faced by the home gardener in SWFL as well as some at-home integrated pest management techniques you can use! If you have specimens for ID, please bring photos or samples to the session. Please also be ready to share what you have found to work well in your garden.

10:30
Organic methods for garden pest management – Kara Tyler-Julian

Growing food in Southwest Florida comes with many challenges. Some of the trickiest challenges facing gardeners are the insect and mite pests that feed on the plants and spread diseases. In this presentation you will learn about some of the common plant-feeding invertebrates that plague local gardens and learn about organic products and methods that can be used to protect your plants. Entomologist and gardener Kara Tyler-Julian will share her knowledge gained through 10+ years of professional and personal experience in the field of integrated pest management.

10:30
Edible Landscape Design – Tim Watkins

Learn the basics of backyard perennial edible garden design beginning with principles of agroforestry and food forest design. Explore several examples of perennial gardens at ECHO that illustrate various design principles. Guests will have the opportunity to create simple perennial plant arrangements based on design tools learned in the workshop. 

1:00 
Facing Climate Change – Ariel Hoover
In this presentation, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the myriad impacts of climate change here and around the world and how to make changes that will keep Florida more resilient, and make your life better at the same time. Ariel Hoover is a retired as an instructor at Tufts University outside Boston, MA.

1:00
Edible Perennial Walking Tour – Melissa Hall and Tim Watkins

Get a tour of the ECHO Global farm focusing on the edible perennials, unique fruits, and greens. Join Melissa and Tim as they highlights their favorite edible landscaping plants! 25 participants max. (First come, first spots) 

 2:00
Renewable Energy Solutions – Bob Hoover

This workshop will give an overview of developments in the renewable energy space and offer an optimistic view of how the transition to clean energy can shift the course of climate change destruction in the context of a more sustainable economy. We’ll discuss the role individuals can and must play to make a sustainable future a possibility for our kids and grandkids. Bob Moore is a retired business person currently focused on facilitating adoption of sustainable and resilient development practices in Southwest Florida.