Agricultural

Humans are malnourished. One in nine, in fact. The Earth has the agricultural foundation to feed every person currently living on the planet, and yet, children die of starvation every day. To think that all the human race would need to do is ascend hunger as its top priority, we could end world hunger by becoming a more universally agricultural.

ECHO, a global Christian organization, provides technical training and equipment to the planet’s poorest regions. They put boots on the ground in these regions and reach out to farmers to provide expertize and state of the art agricultural equipment. In the form of sustainable plants, scientific techniques, and technology, ECHO leverages, agricultural knowledge to answer the question, “How will I feed my family tomorrow?”

There is no one-size fits all solution for every community or region. ECHO prides itself on environmental sustainability. They research and analyze the growth of plants. They take what they learn to the global community. ECHO then listens to regional farmers to understand their specific culture and challenges. The mission is to incorporate more practical and/or scientific methods into the farmers’ every day routine. ECHO helps farmers help themselves.

Right here in Fort Myers, ECHO has Global Farm. Watching ECHO’s Stacy Schwartz provide a virtual tour in a two part YouTube video, I became a believer. The farm not only provides a great place for research, but ECHO uses it to train students on the agricultural systems ECHO has developed. The tilapia farm system provides evidence to how ECHO considers all of the elemental as well as the economic factors in creating a fish farm.

I stopped the video and found a white paper on ECHO fish farming system. The harmony between the use of ducks, algae, and feeding levels is far beyond what a small farmer in an impoverished region could be expected to understand. ECHO understands both the food and agricultural footprint to how it will impact a region’s environment and economical systems.   

The world is made up of disconnected regions. Until recently, a thousand miles might as well have been a light year a way. The digital age is making Earth smaller, and it’s only in its infancy. It will take generations to blur out all age-old, systemic exclusions that separate us as one race, but hopefully, sooner rather than later, feeding hungry children will become crusade that most will consider to be ‘worthwhile. Missionary organizations like ECHO are on the front lines to feeding the world’s most impoverished peoples. As technology improves supply chains and communications while lowering costs to agricultural equipment, these organizations will become the global community that delivers the end of world hunger.  

Urban Experience

Yeah, but… can you dance?

When I think of self-sustaining, isolated communities, I can’t help but think of every movie with a dystopian future. Will humanity be carved up into districts like Hunger Games? Or does a prom-night-gone-bad in Babcock exalt the local minister to lead a charge to ban dancing? I mean, Footloose was based on a true story, ya know. Babcock Ranch sounds great. But, it also sounds like the setting to Pleasantville.

Truthfully, if it’s the first of many that can create community, provide with sustainability, while maintaining economic feasibility, then I’m all for it. I remember when Katrina devastated New Orleans; I recall saying,

“They should rebuild the city looking to the future with renewable energy and autonomous cars.” So, yes, I think towns and cities should be scientifically planned out to responsibly use its environment while creating a diverse, self-sustaining community.

I was impressed with Babcock Ranch videos.  They brought in the best planners. They integrated into the environment. They continually restore their aquifers. They are energy efficient. Autonomous cars is the future. A gigabyte of fiber is thinking ahead. The technology, sustainable energy, and environmental harmony appear to be well thought out. But, the hardest of the three P’s to plan for is People. Did they hire the best psychologists, too? Does the sheriff got 40 years of experience from a small town in Texas?

Profit and Planet cannot sustain without People. There was a video on diversity, but it was short and strangely vague. A melting pot of religions, races, and classes, oh my.

Every neighborhood has at least one elderly lady that complains about kids riding their bikes too loud or a neighbor’s tree with too many encroaching branches. Babcock sounds like heaven for this sort of overwatcher. Don’t get me wrong; I think this type of diverse living should have been part of immigrant integration instead of systemic herding. Every city has its Chinatown and Little Italy; this fosters borders with attitude. All it takes is one silly ordinance and man with a megaphone to create a divide, and Babcock is first generation diversity. It will take many generations to filter out silly religious dogmas, racial tensions, and class warfare.