Projects

Cows will benefit from more grazing areas and this will regenerate the land.  We will build colony fences (aka X-fences) from thinned trees in nearby over-grown forests.  Colony fences are moveable, fun to build and require no posts in the ground, so they will last for generations.

First we build 2 lengths of fence around the 6 acre triangle piece, with the lake being the 3rd side.  The lake provides water for cows to drink (we can also bring them spring water from the nearby garden)

The Learning Center (patha shalla) will host a Vaishnava College and provide brahmana and ksatriya training as well as accommodating other teachings.  

Vedic teachings point to universal basic concepts and principles that can help lead individuals and society to a peaceful, healthy and productive life. Those principles are based on an agrarian lifestyle promoting sustainability, self-sufficiency, localized living and respect and protection of all living entities, especially the cows, all centered on a strong character formation upholding moral, ethical and spiritual values.

We are building cube-style timber frame structures using locally milled wood.  Walls are filled with clay slip and finished with cob/plaster.

Made with locally milled wood.  Bandsaw mills logs up to 10 feet providing 4x4 inch cants, beams and boards.  Walls are made with milled boards and insulated with straw, clay, cob and plaster.  The cube rests on an earth foundation with built in mass heater, bath and connection to an outdoor composter/toilet.

Cubes are simple, functional, attractive and easily affordable.   They provide heat, shelter and basic cooking and cleaning.  They serve as storage units, workshops and studios for eco villagers.

We acquired a canadian made wood mill with a saw blade that can cut logs up to 2 feet wide.  Most of the trees we are milling are only one foot wide because large trees cannot grow in a dense forest due to competition for sunlight, water and soil.

We inherited an over grown forest, thick with small trees fighting each other for survival.  The forest floor was full of debris from fallen trees and branches.  This pile up of forest debris is a great fire risk

First we cleared the debris and sorted it into piles for garden mulch, wind blocking piles and burnable wood. Thin trees were thinned and used fire wood and fence materials.  Larger trees can be made into building material. 

Waterline covers 3500 feet and seven hydrants.  The pipeline, hydrant and various brass fittings for the connections costs over $ 6,000.   The work involved digging up a six feet deep canal.  The first 1500 feet would be the two-inch pipe to the entrance of the Eco Village and the balance of 2000 feet would be the one-inch pipe.

Our main log cabin needs a proper, covered and bathing facilities.  The original deck will be expanded and enclosed, veranda style.  A bathing facility is being built on the new deck.  A greenhouse will be constructed on the south side of the cabin, connecting the bathing facility with the front door.

Building Tasks

• rock foundation for deck expansion (complete)
• deck expansion and enclosure (complete)
• bathing facility on west side deck (complete)
• greywater drain (complete)

The southern fruit orchard has 4 trees planted and installed drip lines.  
We have built a temporary fence but will need a permanent one when there are bigger trees giving fruit.

The co-op orchard in the north of eco village has apple, pear, plum and apricot trees, as well as berries. 

We host volunteers at the Vedic Eco Village year round. The Vedic library provides volunteers with bathing, solar shower and kitchen area with a chulha mass heater. A future walipini underground greenhouse will provide year round produce and spices for cooking. 

We envision a village similar to Krishna Village in Australia – an eco yoga community set on an organic farm, that provides the blueprint for a simple, mindful, spiritually based lifestyle.

We are building kitchen for all living areas of the eco village. We will start with a simple outdoor kitchen to feed the volunteer builders of the Colony.  We will need a basic structure with roof, cob stove (for cooking with wood and dung), stainless steel sink, tables and storage areas.

The colony kitchen will provide prasadam for guests, workers, teachers and students of the Colony.