On June 6th, our class went to ECHO. This was by far the neatest place we have gone so far, and I think it's going to be hard to beat. ECHO come up with techniques to grow palatable plants and animals in situations that would otherwise be difficult, then teaches them to people that need these techniques.
There were so many cool things to see here.
The first thing I remember seeing was the two rice fields right next to each other with different hydration methods. ECHO does this, along with other experiments, to text which methods of growing different plants works best.
ECHO also had different methods of growing crops on hill sides. Usually stone walls are used to prevent soil erosion. A more efficient method that ECHO is using, uses a type of grass as a barrier. The grass is more efficient because it doesn't take up as much space, and the root keep keep the soil in place well. Also, the grass doesn't grow every high or thick, so it doesn't steal sunlight from the crop plants growing. The clippings from these plants can also be used to feed the farmers goats!
Speaking of goats, ECHO was using a technique of raising goats in a small shelter, with a designated eating bit. This prevents goats from eating vegetation that you don't want them to eat, such as your crops.
ECHO also does a lot of animal waste collecting and recycling. They recycle goat waste and rabbit waste. Waste is good for growing plans, and even creating methane gas which can be used to power a stove. They collect rabbit waste but hanging the rabbit cages up high so the waste drops below. I learned that rabbit waste can be used as-is to fertilize plants intended to eat.
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