A family-friendly event that will showcase various aspects of farming will be held this March in North Fort Myers.<\/p>\n
The Global Food and Farm Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at ECHO, 17391 Durrance Road, North Fort Myers<\/a>. Tickets are $7 per person for those 6 and older in advance at echonet.org, or $10 at the door for those 6 and older, and free for children up to 5 years old.<\/p>\n Since it is a working farm, portions are not wheelchair accessible, but can be toured by golf cart.<\/p>\n North America Impact Center ECHO Director Grace Miller said they have been holding the Global Food and Farm Festival for 20 years, making it their biggest open house of the year for the 57-acre global farm. She said the highlight of the festival is visiting the farm with family.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are family friendly activities, some teaching. Come and find out more about ECHO and what we do to serve the farmers around the world and locally,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n The festival will feature food and juice tasting, cooking shows, and farm technique demonstrations from ECHO\u2019s interns, such as a group spinning wool for the farm\u2019s sheep.<\/p>\n \u201cThe farm is divided into areas to stimulate different climates and geography around the world,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n She said for example, the intern that takes care of the rainforest geography will teach about her climate\u00df, as well as provide samples from the rainforest.<\/p>\n Miller said attendees will also have an opportunity to see the farm\u2019s animals \u2013 pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and rabbits.<\/p>\n There will also be food trucks \u2013 Red Roc Cravings, Dave\u2019s Neapolitan Pizza and Sunny Days Ice Cream, so families can stay and eat on the grounds.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will have different vendors that will have their tables \u2013 10 vendors \u2013 edible landscaping to Christian farmers that work, churches, and different organizations and businesses from Lee County,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Crafts for the kiddos and face painting will also be available.<\/p>\n Miller said edible landscaping plants, such as avocados, mangoes and jackfruit, will be for sale from ECHO\u2019s nursery. Fresh produce will also be for sale.<\/p>\n \u201cThere will be tours of the farm throughout the day,\u201d she said. \u201cThe admission fee gets you all of this once you are in.\u201d<\/p>\n The event typically draws 800 to 1,000 attendees.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very festive and fun to see people learning about plants \u2014 kids learning about plants from around the world,\u201d Miller said, adding that she enjoys \u201cpeople to know a little more about ECHO so they can partner with us, maybe sign up as a volunteer, donate, or bring other friends here. What we do really impacts thousands of lives around the world. It\u2019s a chance for people in Fort Myers to find out about all that we do.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n ECHO has been in North Fort Myers for 44 years.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so fun to learn about plants, and animals \u2013 most importantly to learn about our ministry about how we are helping give hope to the hungry,\u201d she said. \u201cThat is the highlight \u2013 how we are working and partnering to help people elevate hunger, locally in Immokalee to people in Honduras that live in the hills and dessert in east Africa. It is exciting to tell people about the needs. We want to teach people to grow their own food \u2013 more healthy and sustainable (food), better nutrition and healthier learning and also care for their earth. Good food, good health and good care of creation.\u201d<\/p>\n For more information, call (239) 543-3246, or visit\u00a0echonet.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n