Reports

Winter is a prime time for diseases to flourish in cows. Cows have no difficulty handling snow, but rain is the biggest enemy of cows during winter.  A goshala provides excellent protection against excessive wetness, but it must be well-ventilated  to avoid trapping ammonia which can lead to respiratory problems like pneumonia. 

Cows barns need heat in the winter.  Our neighbouring Govardhana Goshala recently insulated the barn, keeping in body heat, but this prevents fresh air from entering. There are plans to build an external wood stove and to pump heat (via water pipes) into the goshala.

Foot health is also an issue in winter. Cows on pasture typically have fewer foot problems than cows housed on concrete.  However, the goshala has a concrete floor and the cows spend most of the day inside in the winter.

December is dark, cold and sometimes snowy.  We are warm and dry thanks to the forest and the abundant trees here.  We are chopping down dead trees for firewood and chopping tree branches into wood chips used for various purposes.   At the Govardhana Goshala wood chips are used keep the cow sleeping area and grounds dry and clean.  The wood chips are also put on icy and slippery walkways at our homes, school and temple.  

By chipping up branches and fallen tree pieces,  we are helping prevent forest fires by keeping the forest free of combustible debris.  A fire would "run" through cleared areas so quickly that trees will not catch on fire, causing a major blaze.  Cleaning up the forest debris also clears paths for cows to graze.

Winter came early covering us with snow in early November.  Crystal clear and clean snow is beautiful, but signals a time to shift water use patterns.   Freezing water damages pipelines and water hydrants. Since no one is living in the Vedic Eco Village this winter, the water was drained out of our system because a deep freeze can reach the pipelines 6 feet below.  Emptying the water prevents frozen water lines, which only thaw in spring when the warm sun rays deeply penetrate the earth.

Days before the freeze began, we harvested all our crops and stored them in peat moss.  This was a good year for carrots and we also grew the usual beets, squash potatoes for winter eating. We keep them in our root cellars, preserving them until spring and sometimes early next summer.  Inside the greenhouse, the parsley is still alive and growing.

"Actually, everyone should be engaged to produce food, but the modern set-up of civilization is that few people are engaged in producing food, and others are eating."  - Srila Prabhupada 

We wrapped up a summer full of activity and the Eco Village boundaries are taking shape.  The south side colonial fence is complete. The gate for the east entrance has been built and is currently lying on the ground until we can get an machine to lift it into place.  The gate will be about 4 meters high.

This month we celebrate both Go Puja and Gopastami at the Govardhana Goshala In Saranagati Village. On both occasions, Surabhi cow was nicely decorated and sumptuously fed.  Gopastami is the coming-of-age celebration when Nanda Maharaja gave Krishna the responsibility for taking care of the cows. Krishna had previously been taking care of the calves. 

At the Govardhana Goshala, the zebu ox have been regularly put into a yoke and pulling a cart.  With the guidance of Daivata and Yoginath prabhu, they have been moving items like manure from the Goshala to gardens.  They also hauled logs for wood day at Govardhana Academy where the community cuts 12 cords of wood for the upcoming school year.

As we clear through the forest, the location of goshala is becoming more evident.  The goshala will be in the north west corner and the entrance should face the north east, with sufficient sunlight and good ventilation.  Cows do not like dark. Darkness does not allow good health.  Cows love airy spacious inviting surroundings.  As per Vedic wisdom, Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi stays in place which is clean, hygienic and attractive.

Forest materials are being moved into different location.  On road and pathways, the forest floor (a.k.a. duff) is being moved into the garden areas and orchard for mulching trees. Fallen tree branches are being chipped up and put onto the raja marg and pathways.  

The heat wave continues, with temperatures 10 degrees hotter than normal and no rain in sight.  The fire north of us continues to grow, 2 months after it began.

Lord Krishna told Sri Narada that “you will find me wherever my devotees come together to remember me and chant my names and glories".   Lord Jagannatha appeared in Vancouver and Kamloops this week.   We took a break from harvesting and Eco Village Construction so that we could spread the glories of Lord Jagannatha and sing the holy names throughout our province.

Festival of India presents the timeless culture and Knowledge of the eternal Vedas. It delivers the ageless social serenity of the Vedic culture to today's characteristically chaotic population.  

The Festival of India appeared for the first time in Kamloops and was co-managed by Saranagati Village residents.  A special guest appearance was made by Surabhi cow.  Our Brahmacharies led kirtan and helped distribute books.

Cordwood building has begun using cob made from all local materials: earth, clay, straw and cow manure.  Cordwood construction is also known as stackwall or stovewood.  Cordwood or short pieces of debarked tree are laid in a cob mixtures to build a wall.  There's a lot of manual labor involved in building a cordwood house, however the structures can last for many years.  There are some homes in Canada that are between 100 and 200 years old.  Cordwood is commonly used to build homes, barns and saunas.

Our initial project is a boot room in front of a yurt.  We are perfecting the cob recipe and techniques to latter use for Eco Village buildings.  We are using earth near our lake which is naturally high in clay, so we only need to add a little bit of clay.  

The straw is coming from tall grass cut in our garden and dried in the hot sun.  The cow manure comes from "visiting" cows who have lately populated our village.