A fun, family-friendly event is happening this March in North Fort Myers. The Global Food and Farm Festival will take place on Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at ECHO, located at 17391 Durrance Road. Tickets are $7 in advance for everyone 6 and older, or $10 at the door. Kids under 5 get in free.
The event is a big deal for ECHO, a working farm focused on serving farmers worldwide. Grace Miller, the Director, mentioned they’ve hosted this festival for 20 years. It’s a chance for families to explore the farm and learn together.
There will be tasty food and juice tastings, cooking demos, and interactive sessions with ECHO’s interns. One highlight will be spinning wool from the farm’s sheep. The farm features different areas to mimic global climates, like a rainforest section where visitors can taste samples typical of that environment.
Festival-goers can also meet the farm’s animals—pigs, sheep, goats, and more. Food trucks will be on-site as well, offering treats from local favorites like Red Roc Cravings and Sunny Days Ice Cream. Plus, you can explore booths from various local vendors.
Kids will have plenty to enjoy too, with crafts and face painting available throughout the day. ECHO will also be selling edible landscaping plants, along with fresh produce from their nursery.
This year, they expect around 800 to 1,000 attendees. Miller expressed her excitement about the event, noting, “It’s festive and fun to see kids learn about plants from around the world.” She hopes attendees leave with a better understanding of ECHO’s mission, which aims to combat hunger both locally and globally by teaching sustainable agriculture practices.
In fact, recent studies show a growing interest in sustainable farming, with 80% of Americans now supporting local food initiatives. ECHO is at the forefront of this movement, impacting lives not just in Florida but as far as Honduras and East Africa.
For more details, you can reach ECHO at (239) 543-3246 or visit their website at echonet.org.
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News from around the region,ECHO Global Food and Farm Festival set for March 14
