News Reports
Ox plowing garden fields
To plow our weedy garden plots, we employed the two ox from the Govardhan Goshala in Saranagati Village. The ox walked 2 km and stayed in a fenced off area of the garden, grazing on the grass growing on the edge of garden and between the fruit trees. A greenhouse was their temporary shelter while they lived here.
One day they escaped and went home, but the next morning they were walked back to the eco village for their morning plowing duties. The ox are almost 2 years old and are away from home and mothers for the first time. The training has been good for ox health and well being. Dharma mani ox has become very friendly.
The results from ox plowing are fantastic. They can nicely turn-over previously cultivated land. We will plant our seeds soon after in the plowed rows.
"You have to engage more men for plowing. Two bulls will be required for each plow.... you cut the tree,…
Spring renewal
This spring important developments are taking place to manifest the Vedic Eco Village. We now have our Master Plan secured and have begun implementing certain aspects of the overall project.
Our initial priority to is build a bath house on the deck of the main cabin, as well we will build a kitchen to provide prasadam for workers and visitors to the Village. We will start with a simple outdoor kitchen. We will need a basic structure with roof, cob stove (for cooking with wood and dung), stainless steel sink, tables and storage areas.
Daivata prabhu has re-launched the ox training program at Govardhan Goshala. The ox are being trained on yoke pulling a cart. When they are ready, they will pull the cart to the Eco Village and we will stay for a month in the fenced garden. There we will train them to pull a simple hoe to turn-over the soil in preparation for planting in May.
We are also…
Cows Protection in Winter
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.
It is bad for health to drink cold water on cold days. Drinking Water in…
Winter Challenges
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.
Our winters can be either warm or cold depending on currents in the pacific ocean and polar jet streams. We are 400 km from the ocean and sometimes our…
Preparing for Winter
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…