Our Field Trip to ECHO

Yesterday we went on a field trip to a place called ECHO. Their goal is to try and stop world hunger. They have a super cool farm in which they try and re-create the different climates and growing patterns around the world. They have plants from around the world and experiment with products that you would not normally expect.

For instance, below are large drums filled with cow manure and water. These drums are connected to a gas skillet and the fumes from the manure mixture give off enough gas to cook meals on the skillet for 4 to 6 months...go figure!

Also very fascinating are some of the planting environments...these plants below look like any other flowers you or I may grow but believe it or not they do not have any soil...I always thought plants needed sun, soil, water and air to grow...turns out the soil is optional, I saw plants that had carpet as their "soil"! Believe it or not the ones here have soda cans and socks as their "soil"!

Along with the fascinating things I saw, I also had the opportunity to eat many yummy things...like leaves!

Okay...I know it sounds gross BUT did you know that their is a leaf that tastes just like a cranberry! There is also a leaf that tastes like spicy mustard, and still another that is equivalent to drinking 4 cups of milk and 6 oranges. There is also a small tomato that contains 100% of your daily vitamin c...Crazy huh!