Dates: October 30-November 2, 2012 (Tuesday-Friday)

Location: Myanmar Baptist Convention Conference Hall, Yangon

 

 Cost: $100 per person or $80 per person for groups registering 5 or more.  The training fee includes lodging at the Myanmar Baptist Convention compound, lunch and two breaks daily and transportation to select field trip sites.  

 

For those not staying at the MBC compound, the cost is $90 per person.

 

Payment is due on the first day of the workshop in U.S. dollars or Kyat equivalent

 

Language: Burmese and translated English

 

Description:  Co-hosted by the Myanmar Baptist Convention, World Concern Myanmar and the ECHO Asia Impact Center, this workshop will offer practical learning opportunities and discussions related to:  

• Natural farming methods using indigenous microbes: (half day)
• Biochar for agriculture and mitigation of climate change (full day)
• Climate Change: Practical responses to the effects on agriculture (half day)
• Grain amaranth: production and food preparation methods (half day)
• Alternative energy approaches for Myanmar: biogas, improved stoves, improved charcoal production (half day)  

 

Dates: March 5-7, 2013

Location: Aloha Farm, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

Cost: $100 (4,200 pesos) per person or $80 (3,360 pesos) per person for groups registering 5 or more. The training fee includes a buffet lunch and two breaks daily.

 

Description: Co-hosted by Aloha Farm and the ECHO Asia Impact Center, this workshop will offer practical learning opportunities related to:

• Small-scale livestock production
• Improvement and maintenance of soil fertility
• Production and application of natural foliar fertilizers
• Production and application of bokashi (fertilizer/soil amendment made from kitchen waste)
• An introduction to Asian perennial vegetables
• Agroforestry systems for the production of non-timber forest products
• Intensive nursery management
• Value-added natural processing of farm products.

Seed Exchange: All attendees are invited to bring seeds or other propagatable materials (root or stem cuttings, etc.) of valued and special crops from their areas. These might include outstanding non-hybrid varieties of rice, corn, fruit and vegetables. Anyone who brings seeds and/or plant materials will be eligible to receive similar materials in exchange.

 

Local accommodations: Contact Aloha Farm regarding accommodations at the farm and nearby (mik@mozcom.com).

 

Flight Details: Eight flights daily from Manila to Puerto Princesa City and three times per week from Cebu. Hotels have van pickup service from and to airport.

 

To register or to receive more information about the symposium contact echoasia@echonet.org

An agriculture workshop sponsored by ECHO, EFICOR and Word Relief Canada was held in Sahibganj, Jharkhand in eastern India during March 19-22, 2012. The event was attended by 26 persons representing five relief and development organization from India's east and northeastern regions.

 

In addition to technical presentations provided by local agricultural officials related to agroforestry, secondary agriculture and aquaculture, ECHO Asia Impact Center Director, Rick Burnette and ECHO Asia Research Consultant, Dr. Ricky Bates (professor of Horticulture at Penn State University), offered sessions related to moringa, green manure/cover crops, sustainable upland farming, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and urban/backyard agriculture. EFICOR staff and local community-based partners also shared case studies related to their agriculture livelihood work in the project's Sahibganj focus area.

 

Besides an introduction to seed exchange in which crop seeds from northeast India and ECHO Asia were distributed, a following networking session enabled representatives from each organization to share experiences related to agriculture and community development. Each group gave examples of efforts that have succeeded or have proven difficult to carry out.

 

On the final day, participants traveled to ethnic Malto communities outside of Sahibganj to learn about EFICOR's food security partnership with local families to promote small kitchen gardens, community forestry, conservation farming and improved livestock production. After returning to Sahibganj that evening, the workshop closed with the distribution of certificates and a brief worship service.

 

ECHO Asia would like to express its gratitude to EFICOR for hosting the workshop as well as to World Relief Canada and the Canadian Food Grains Bank for their support towards the event.

 

The ECHO Asia Impact Center relies heavily on a handful of interns and volunteers. These talented individuals are often recruited from ECHO's group of fine interns based at the Global Farm in Ft. Myers, Florida. Others are recommended through key partner organizations.

 

 

Although most are fairly recent university graduates or young professionals, one of ECHO Asia's longest serving interns, James Manson, has actually been on a long gap year (or rather two gap years).

 

James, who has an Australian mom and a New Zealander dad, grew up in Chiang Mai and attended Grace International School. Upon graduation from high school in 2010, James decided that he would like an opportunity to give back to the community and gain some hands on experience in agriculture. ECHO Asia accepted James to assist at the seed bank.

 

Since then, James has enthusiastically engaged in a wide range of seed bank activities such as collecting data for at least three trials, including the effects of vacuum seed storage, bruchid control approaches for seed storage, and vegetable fern production under varying degrees of shade.   James also designed and oversaw the construction of a prototype earthbag house at the seed bank; an alternative structure made from local materials being evaluated as a possible approach for storing seeds and other agricultural products.

 

While serving at the ECHO Asia Seed Bank, James became fluent in Thai and was very helpful in hosting guests from Thailand and beyond. Having wrapped up his stint as an intern in June 2012, James is headed to Australia for university studies in agriculture.

 

Thanks so much James, and good luck at uni!

The ECHO Asia Impact Center operates under ECHO, a non-profit, Christian organization that helps you help the poor to produce food in the developing world .