Reports

Harvest and Natural Building Progress

Mohini cow at Ahimsa Goshal Rocket mass heater Cob oven structure Varnasrama class Harvest 2022 Sign for Weekly Trade Faire in Saranagati Village Cow oven

Despite the very cold spring and a very hot summer, our harvest was fruitful, especially cherry, potatoes, carrots, cabbage and hempseeds.  Our small apple trees are starting to produce fruit. 

Natural Building projects use our milled wood and cob made from earth, cow dung and clay from our lake.  This summer we launched the rocket mass heater for the library cabin. A cob bench around the exhaust pipe will be crafted next.

We built a cob oven hut for baking bread, pizza and more.  The cob oven burns wood or dung and frees us from using propane

We lay the foundation for a trade center and market, located in the heart of Saranagati Village, between the goshala and Govardhan Academy.  We used milled wood for the 10x10 foot structure.  Straw for cob came from goshala.

Our farm apprenticeship continued with Govardhan Academy, teaching kids about farming, harvesting, seed collection, cow care and natural building.

Seeking Farmers & Builders

We are in the pioneer stages of developing the Eco Village.  We need more people to build living infrastructure and colony plots.  Plots to develop this year are Goshala (foundation for future barn), Kitchen, Patha Shala (Learning Center), Yoga Shala and Yajna Shala.

We will provide an opportunity to learn aspects of Vedic culture. We learn hands-on about Natural Building, Permaculture Farming, Building shelters, Cows and Ox care & Natural Fibers for Clothing. 

We have the land and clear mission to manifest the vision of Varnasrama villages, as proposed by Srila Prabhupada and our Acharyas.  Varnasrama provides self sufficiency and fulfills the material and spiritual needs of our community and the next generation.

We grow seasonal crops and maintain nut & fruit orchards and flower gardens.  Our root cellar holds 3,000 + pounds of crops and preserves.

Current Farm goals:

Expansion at Ahimsa Goshala

Surabhi's New Calf

Early morning August 18, 2022 Surabhi cow went to a remote part of the forest to have her baby.  Calf and mother are healthy and happy.

Rescue Cows

Earlier that week, 2 new gir cows arrived to Ahimsa Goshala from a small farm in BC that needed a home, or they might end up being sold for slaughter. Welcome to Varuni and Revati. They were restless and confused at first, but they quickly realized they had arrived in a wonderful new home. Sincere thanks to the many devotees who helped this to happen.

New Goshala at Saranagati

The devotees are busy building an additional Goshala in anticipation for the new cows. Our original Gir cow, Surabhi, is in ecstasy that she will be graced with the association of two new friends who belong to practically the same family lineage.

Clay is one of the few building materials with a negative ion charge; healthy to touch & work with!

https://www.ahimsagoshala.com

Renewal and Growth

Our activities now are building living infrastructure, cob building, clearing forests, milling trees and planting trees and gardens.  Oxen plow our fields in the spring and during the harvest.  We are teaching and inspiring people to use these ancient and sustainable methods of building, farming and soil tilling. 

The gardens are expanding thanks to a couple dedicated to the garden. Our first grafted trees are bearing more fruits and berries/bushes are expanding and giving more fruit.  We are canning and jamming as much as possible to fill the root cellar.

In summer, we make cob from earth, clay, straw & cow dung. Cob is used as insulation between walls and on floors.  We are completing our first building project using locally milled lumber, a bathhouse with locally milled timber.  We milled thinned trees into lumber for our building projects.

Working the Land

This spring we continued ox plowing our fields with great success.  Daivata prabhu renovated an old plow he found and it works great to turn over sod.  Each year the ox team is improving our technique and we are learning the right time to plow for the soil condition.  The oxen are getting stronger and have a better feel about when to pull harder.  We have been plowing gardens all over Saranagati Village, inspiring people to use this ancient and sustainable method of soil preparation. 

Climate change has brought us more extreme weather, this year an elongated winter and a summer full of rain in a normally dry season.  The gardens are expanding and the trees and bushes are bearing more fruits.

Despite a lack of labor, forest clearing, wood milling and building continues.  Some of our neighbors, Garuda and Ashrith prabhu are apprenticing at the milling operations.  Our first building project using locally milled lumber is almost complete, the bathhouse is functional and now we are experimenting with techniques to insulate the walls using cob.

Harvest Report Western Canada

Lady bug on corn Raspberries Frog on Dill plant Fruits and Flowers Green plums Flowers in Greenhouse Veggies on Market table

Our best crops this year were kale, parsley, beet, carrot, potato, corn, plum & strawberry.  In the greenhouse tomato, cucumber, pepper & flowers were abundant. Thankfully, no major losses to birds, grazing cows, deer or bear this year.

We are currently growing Carrots, Beets, Potatoes, Peas, Cucumber, Broccoli, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Spinach, Strawberry, Cabbage, Green Beans, Zucchini, Tomato, Cherry Tomato, Eggplant, Peppers, Melon, Radish, Fennel, Squash, Asparugus, Parsnips, Turnipsand Corn.  We have planted hundreds of Apple, Pear, Cherry and Apricot trees.  Dozens of Hazelnut and walnut trees have been planted.  We have raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries, honeyberries (hascaps) and saskatoon berries.  We are growing millet and buckwheat seed for future plantings.  We grow assorted flowers, herbs, and spices.

Forest Fire Prevention and Making Building Materials

wood mill getting read lining up the blad positioning logs sawing saw mill in action before and after results

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.  To accomplish this, we acquired a 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.