Gardening advice with ECHO Farms

>> ECHO FARMS HAS BEEN PART OF OUR GULF COAST FAMILY FOR DECADES AND WE LOVE STOPPING BY TO SEE WHAT THEY’RE GROWING. AND TODAY THEY’RE COMING TO US TO SHARE A NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN THAT’S OPENING UP THIS MONTH. POLICE ONLY AS WE WELCOME LAUREN TURNER AND ANDY, THEY’RE SPEARHEADING THIS PROJECT AND TELLING US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ECO. GOOD MORNING, GUYS. APPRECIATE BEING HERE. GOOD MORNING. IT’S JUST I’M I’M I’M A DINOSAUR. I’VE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG AND I’VE HAD THE CHANCE TO GO TO ECHO. BUT SOMETIMES WHEN I BRING IT UP, PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT THIS WONDERFUL TREASURE EXISTS BUT IS ECA YES. >> KYRA IS ORGANIZATION THAT IS AND GEARED TOWARDS EQUIPPING PEOPLE TO AT AND COME ALONGSIDE THOSE WHO ARE IN POVERTY AND TO HELP PROVIDE RESOURCES AND LISTENING TO THEIR NEEDS AND HOW TO WRITE THAT FISSION. >> I LOVE THAT. YOU GROW ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT PLANTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND DIFFERENT SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES AND WHATNOT AND HOW CAN PEOPLE LIKE LAURA GET INVOLVED? YOU JUST STARTED WITH ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO. YES, YES, I’M IN TURNING. >> AND SO ONE THING IS OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN TURNS. LAUREN SERVES THE FORT MYERS COMMUNITY TO HELP CHURCHES, COMMUNITY GROUPS, SCHOOLS, TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHERE TO GET STARTED WITH GARDENS. SO SHE’LL COME OUT. IT WILL HAVE STAFF COME OUT AND FIGURE OUT LIKE HOW TO GET STARTED. WILL GET THE BALL ROLLING AND THEN THEY CAN TAKE IT FROM THERE. THEY CAN ALSO COME OUT TO ECHO TO TAKE A TOUR TO SEE WHAT WE’RE DOING TO SEE MAYBE WHAT ARE SOME STRATEGIES THAT THEY CAN USE AND ON THEIR PROPERTIES. IT IS SUCH A NEAT PLACE BECAUSE YOU CAN LEARN SO MUCH EVEN IF YOU HAVE A, YOU KNOW, LIKE I. >> LIKE I DO. I’M NOT VERY GOOD AT A GROWING THINGS. BUT THAT’S KIND OF THE POINT RIGHT TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW DIFFERENT METHODS COULD WORK OUT FOR FOR FOOD IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU BROUGHT AN INTERESTING ONE FOR US HERE. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT? YES, SO THIS IS A PRINCIPLE THAT WE PRACTICE ON THE FARM IN OUR. >> NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY GARDEN, BUT EVERYWHERE AND ITS GROUND COVER. SO WE HAVE ONE. SO HERE THAT IS NOT COVERED. SO AND THEN WE HAVE ONE SOIL WHERE IT IS. MULCH COVERED AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE. THAT COVERAGE MIGHT PROVIDE A TO HELP KEEP WATER FROM. YOU KNOW, RUNNING OFF TO MENTION LOSING THAT BECAUSE STEWARDSHIP IS IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE HAVE IN CREATION. SO ON THIS WE’RE GOING TO SAY THAT WE’RE GOING TO SAVE OUR RESOURCES IN THIS SIDE. >> WE’RE NOT SO WE CAN SHOW YOU. THIS IS ONE OF THE PRACTICES THAT WE DO. >> ALL OF THE FOREIGN ACCOUNT CHECKING. SO WE’LL TAKE 2 LEADERS OF WATER AND LEARNS GOING TO RAIN IT UP ON THE SOIL. AND LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. ALL RIGHT. >> WILL START ON THE SIDES AND THEN WE’LL CATCH THE RUNOFF. DO THEM OUTSIDE AND WE’LL COMPARE >> WELLNESS RUNNING UP VERY QUICKLY. YES. IT LOOKS LIKE A FLORIDA STORM. LIKE THE RAIN. WE GOT, YOU FOR GOING SAY IT WAS IT WAS JUST LIKE THAT. >> AND OBVIOUSLY THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS IS SO MANY OF OUR YARDS OR GARDENS A FOR TRYING. BUT THERE’S OTHER OPTIONS THAT MIGHT MAKE IT BETTER. I’M ASSUMING THIS IS THE WAY TO GO RIGHT WITH A STRAW. YES. >> SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE SOIL, YOU CAN SEE IT’S GROWING YES, IS THE SOILS AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT ITS JUST VERY CLOUDY. YEAH, THERE’A LOT OF FOAM FROM THE PROTEIN. MICROORGANISMS. SURE. AND THERE. SO LET’S COMPARED TO. THE SAME SOIL THAN JUST ADDING MULCH. OKAY. IT’S A HUGE DIFFERENCE. LOOK AT THE COLOR, THE WATER. >> ANIMAL TO MAKE SOMETHING OF A DIFFERENCE IS INCREDIBLE. YES. AND YOU CAN VISUALLY SEE IT RIGHT THERE. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU USE FOR MUCH. >> SO WE CAN USE HAD A STRAW. WE DID. I PREFER, BUT HE CAN. NEWS OF THE GRAND COVERS AS WELL. YOU HAVE DRESSES YOU CAN USE OF THE TOPS YOU. CAN PEOPLE USE WOULD BE MULCH TO COVER THOSE STORIES TO PROTECT INNOCENT AND EMOTION. >> AS WELL, THAT’S PRETTY COOL. THAT’S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU TEACH THERE. AND AGAIN, YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT GOING TO CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS AND THAT SORT OF THING. >> IT’S GOT TO BE REWARDING FOR YOU GUYS TO BE ABLE TO TEACH SOMEBODY HOW TO DO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD, HELP OUT THE COMMUNITY AND AND SIMPLE STEPS LIKE THIS. IT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE YES, THIS IS JUST A GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF RESOURCES THAT MINIMIZES THE WAYS BUT HELPS BUILD SOIL, WHICH IS. >> YOU COME DOWN HERE FROM UP NORTH, YOU CEASE AND THAT IS OUR SOIL. THAT’S OUR TOPSOIL. AND SO HOW CAN WE BUILD ORGANIC MATTER IN? THIS IS THE WAY USING MULTIPLE BECAUSE OF MIKE ORGANISMS. WELL, I IT’LL KEEP THE SUN OFF THE SOIL. KEEP IT COOLER, MORE MOISTURE AND THEY’LL USE IT FOR FOOD. AND THAT’S HOW YOU GET THE DARKER RICHER SOILS. PLANT-BASED US REALLY STARTS A SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HELP PROMOTE WITH THE COMMUNITY GARDENS THAT HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD. SO MANY OF US, AS YOU COME FROM UP NORTH AND WE COME DOWN HERE. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT GROWS. WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO GROW IT. >> CAN CAN THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AS YOU MENTIONED, COME OUT AT ANY TIME OR OR HOW CAN WE COME IN? LEARN? ABSOLUTELY. SO WE YES, WE INVITE PEOPLE TO COME SEE THE FARM COME TO AND IN FACT, THIS WEEKEND TOMORROW WE HAVE THIS GET INTO GARDENING, WHICH IS FROM 08:00AM TO 03:00PM WHERE YOU CAN COME AND LEARN WILL HAVE WORKSHOPS GOING ON AS AND WE’RE NOT JUST SOFTER AND >> IT IS. AND IT’S FOR ALL LEVELS OF GARDENERS. ARE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND BEEN INVOLVED IN LANDSCAPING OR WHATNOT, RIGHT? YES, ALL LEVELS. YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE A GREEN THUMB. THAT’S NOT SAYING IT’S GOING YOU’LL TURN OF GREEN OVER. THANK YOU SO MUCH AS THE INFORMATION RIGHT THERE. THIS IS REALLY COOL. AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO GO AND CHECK OUT A TROPICAL OASIS HERE ON THE GULF COAST. AND THEY OFFERS THAT THESE REALLY, REALLY COOL PROGRAMS FOR GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS. THERE’S A LOCATION AND THE HOURS AND WE’LL PUT ALL OF THIS ON OUR GULF COAST NEWS APP. YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT AS

It’s time to put your green thumb and gardening talents to good use: ECHO Farms in North Fort Myers is getting ready to open up its community garden this month. Two of our friends from the farm joined us in the studio on Friday and told us about ECHO’s mission of teaching sustainable farming methods to those who are food insecure.They even demonstrated one of the methods they use to prevent excessive runoff at the farm when planting crops. ECHO workers cover the soil with mulch in order to seal in moisture and prevent the topsoil from washing away when watering their crops. It is a very simple and sustainable way to upgrade your garden and to protect your plants.To learn more about their mission and future events, click here.WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE!Trending News:Punta Gorda woman accused of stealing motorized Publix shopping cart to drive herself to appointmentOn Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ love and reputation are on the lineTwo areas to watch for tropical development, one over FloridaEstero fire battalion chief accused of misusing task force funds, domestic abuse accusations surfaceAfternoon showers and thunderstorms possible again FridayLee County woman accused of DUI, driving motorcycle at almost 100 mphDOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.

NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. —

They even demonstrated one of the methods they use to prevent excessive runoff at the farm when planting crops. ECHO workers cover the soil with mulch in order to seal in moisture and prevent the topsoil from washing away when watering their crops. It is a very simple and sustainable way to upgrade your garden and to protect your plants.

To learn more about their mission and future events, click here.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE!