ECHO Global Farms

ECHO empowers small-scale farmers to increase their harvests, and the nutritional diversity of their crops. We educate, equip and share sustainable solutions to hunger!

I went to visit my mom for the holidays. Luckily for me (especially considering back home in Canada now amid a three day frigid cold snap!), she lives in Fort Myers Florida. It was nice and warm there. I got to visit farmers' markets, sit in the sun, expose my pale pale skin, shop for cheap designer shoes & hang with my mom & brother. I have done this for many years. 

 This year, I discovered that there was a very cool farm located quite close to where my mom stays. Echo Farm is a pretty amazing place. We toured through test sites for crops that mimic climate zones all over the world, particularly places that are struggling with famine and starvation. "For over 30 years, ECHO has been helping thousands around the world to better access vital information and other resources needed to improve food production and security for small farmers and gardeners"

lush greenery & companion planting demos. 

test growing many global crops such as amaranth 

giant hot pepper plant! this is what happens when you don't have annual frosts

didn't get the chance to learn too many details about this water system. will have to go back to learn more 

lush greens growing in a shady tropical environment

i enjoyed the entire tour, but was extra excited by & interested by the urban farm garden area. so many interesting concepts & successfully growing plants. 

some cool ideas in the urban garden demonstration area

loads of veggies growing in tires, cinder blocks, eaves & more 

greens in eaves  

urban growing test site

 

  There were so many beautiful crops growing and blooming (in Decemeber!), they were saving seeds, and helping farmers grow more food. my kinda place :) 

asparagus winged pea

  Check out their site, donate if you can, I will be back next year to volunteer some time.

cactus looks like abstract art

 

trials & tribulations of gardening

if a tree falls in your garden & no one is around to see it; does it make a sound?

 I don't know! but i sure did yelp, when i arrived at my seed garden to see this; and breathed quite the sigh of relief when i realized most of my plants were amazingly ok - except a few of my precious black russian tomato plants. 

miraculously just missed sweet orange pepper plants!

precious just missed basil plants looking unfazed 

 smashed black russian tomato plants :( 

 back of the garden is unaffected, thankfully! 

not a huge tree, but still could've done a lot more damage. all in all feeling pretty lucky.

fire escape garden

 tomatoes & hot peppers are growing along great! zucchini and cucumbers bloomed quickly and are starting to grow up

 sprouting cucs & zucs from a few weeks ago. they are growing along great now. 

i ran out of space for my black cherry tomatoes in my garden. I figure, i should have great isolation here :) 

urbantomato on Chex

urbantomato was featured on Chex Television's My Peterborough! 

me and my sunroom greenhouse were featured to show you, you can grow your own food; and seeds!

seedlings growing along

tomatoes getting their true leaves. they'll smell like tomatoes soon! 

 it's still a little chilly out there for my liking! But, inside my 'greenhouse' things are growing along quickly. Soon they will need to be transplanted into bigger homes & then I will realize, like I do every year, that even though i thought I cut back, I planted entirely way too much! 

broccoli, kale & romanesco politely asking to be transplanted :) 

My little greenhouse - seed starting

I have recently moved. I lived in the same place for 8 years & had set-up a fairly decent process for growing seedlings indoors using a series of lights & bright windows.

trays just waiting for seedlings 

 new place means new set-up. I have resigned myself to the fact that I won't be able to grow nearly as many seedlings this year (sorry folks!)

But of course, I can't resist growing some.

little tomato seedlings poking their way through the soil 

 So here is so pics of my new set-up. It's mighty cold in my old old window sill so things are taking a little longer than usual, but they seem to be happy enough. 

brand new seedlings. 

 proof that i don't listen to my own advice when it comes to putting one seed in each little container :) and that i get great germination rates. 

broccoli, kale, romanesco & spinach grew quick in cold temps. 

gardens mid august

first tomatoes! 

gorgeous greens of detroit dark red beets 

 there was a tonne of filipendula in the garden, so i didn't weed it out & now its blooming & adding a really nice addition to the beauty of the garden. i even have some lupins blooming late in the garden

 i can see the beauty little orca beans creating dimension in their pods 

 the view of the garden from the back. hard to capture just how much is growing in their in a wide shot

 funky hot peppers <3 p="p">

 black-eyed susan's & yellow beans growing happily together 

 lots of alma paprika's ripening. mmm smoked paprika