With great team leaders, great team members and a host agency with a truly great mission how could we help but to have a great week? We started the week with a joint devotional time with the ECHO staff and other volunteers. That is how each week will start. In additional to the devotional time, we learn a lot about ECHO (Hope Against Hunger) and their mission. After the devotional time everyone breaks into small groups to pray for each other and ECHO.
Then our NOMADS team was treated to a tour of the farm by one of the docents. Most of the team had not been here before but it was still very interesting to those of us who have.
The ECHO Global Farm is a fascinating place. Even though we took the tour last year, we learned even more on this tour.
Our guide pointing out some jackfruit. Two of our team members have eaten it at a BBQ restaurant where it is offered as a vegetarian option to pork. They said the taste and texture were just like pulled pork.
Our guide also explained the difference between a bunch (or stalk) and a hand of bananas.
One of the growing techniques ECHO teaches
After the tour our team leaders, Susan and Kevin, gave us our marching orders. Top priorities were to repair some walk bridges and the duck pond dock, install a vent fan in the mushroom house, build some potting tables and build some steps to a goat birthing house.
Bridge to the front of the tropical highlands when we arrived
Checking out the bridge framing
Finished bridge to the front of the tropical highlands
Testing the finished bridge
This bridge to the back of the tropical highlands also needed to be rebuilt
When Anne and Mary were demolishing the bridge they used “appropriate technology”, banana plant papers, to collect the old screws.
The team used benches as field expedient saw horses while rebuilding the bridge.
Almost finished bridge to back of tropical highlands
Bridge to back of the tropical highlands at the end of the week. Several team members worked on demolishing the old bridge and building this. The whole structure had to be replaced.
The duck pond dock when we arrived. We had to empty the water tank, remove it and the human powered pumps before we could start work.
Then we had to remove all the old decking
Since the dock holds a large water tank and sometimes several people in a tour group, we had to strengthen the frame. We laminated new rough cut 2x8s to the existing joists.
Last year we worked almost the whole three weeks with Elliot. He is the manager of the Appropriate Technologies area of the farm. We were glad to get to work with him again this week.
After strengthening the structure we re-decked the dock with treated 2x8s.
Some of the work involved wading in the duck pond.
Fortunately the farm had boots we could use.
Getting ready to set a support post. It was set in concrete just before the end of our work week.
The duck pond dock at the end of the week. Next week we will replace the end rail and the last couple of deck boards.
The team prepared a third bridge for repairs. We will probably get back to it next week.
Preparing pipes for potting tables. They were fastened to 4x4s to form the table tops.
Drilling pipes for potting tables
One of several potting table tops the team built
How the potting tables are used
Some of the team installed a vent fan the the mushroom house
New steps for goat birthing house
Today was spent doing laundry, grocery shopping, resting and enjoying the sunset.
Sunset at Riverside Camp where we stay when working at ECHO
RVing With a Purpose 
Would like to tour this sometime. Miss you guys!
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