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THE ISCOWP NEWS Volume 6 Issue 2
Back to Back Issues Page
As I look out my office (one small room in our home) window, a golden leafed tree sparkles against its black trunk and branches. As the golden leaves fall with the wind to form a multi-colored carpet on the ground, I am reminded how the cold winter is almost here. Every season comes to an end giving birth to a new season. Similarly one era of ISCOWP's history is ending to create another. Our stay at Madhuvana has been very beneficial to presenting cow protection to the public. However, the property is not owned by ISCOWP, but by the New Vrndavana Temple. Due to various pressures the temple is experiencing, financial and otherwise, it is very difficult to maintain and develop Madhuvana as an ideal cow protection facility. We have come to the conclusion that ownership of a sufficient facility by ISCOWP ensures that cow protection remains as the priority land use. Therefore ISCOWP has purchased 57 acres of what was once a 208 acre family farm located about 4 miles from Madhuvana. The property was last owned by the devotees who named it Nandagram (village of Nanda Maharaja, father of Krsna and king of the cowherds). We have named our portion Vrajapura Farm. Vrajapura is the name for Nanda Maharaja's residence. Since its inception in 1990, ISCOWP has been centralized at 4 different locations. Only one location, of insufficient acreage (3 1/2 acres) was owned by ISCOWP. Now, for the first time in ISCOWP's history, sufficient acreage, water, and forest are owned by ISCOWP to ensure and facilitate the goals of cow protection, specifically ox-power. The description, contained in the Krsna Book, of Nanda Maharaja's life and residence (Vrajapura) is one of peaceful agrarianism centered around the loving pastimes of Lord Krsna as a cowherd boy. The vision of this lifestyle is the inspiration and driving force for developing Vrajapura Farm. As Nanda Maharaja lived at Vrajapura providing for the needs of his family through the benevolence of the land and the cows, we at Vrajapura Farm desire to do the same. Showing how to grow, gather, and store the seeds for the future planting of grains, vegetables, herbs, and fruits, is one aspect of realizing this goal. Another is to provide alternative energy sources such as oil (mustard), methane, and ox-power. Yet another is to provide a full spectrum of apprenticeship programs like 1) training and working oxen, 2) making yokes, 3) organic gardening, 4) blacksmithing, and 5) producing vegetable oils. Actually these are only a few possibilities. For one month we did not have the use of our computer due to a systems crash, and we pray that you will forgive us for this issue's delay. This is a special issue because it is almost totally dedicated to one subject, the building of Vrajapura Farm. Also in this issue is contained a short summary report of the Sponsor a Teamster Campaign which many of you donated to. Despite its culmination we are still receiving requests from persons desiring training as teamsters. This is one of the reasons we foresee Vrajapura Farm as a permanent educational facility for the training of teamsters and oxen and the development of sustainable agriculture based on cow protection. Approximately $21, 000 has been pledged to the campaign of
building Vrajapura Farm. We give special thanks to Gour Govinda, our campaign
chairman, his wife Sita dasi, and daughter Chandra Mukhi dasi. Also special
thanks is due Vanamali Pandit das (Dr. Mody) who has provided the funds to build
protective fencing for Vrajapura's gardens. As each issue arrives and the
campaign progresses, we will be reporting the generosity of our members. We are enthused about developing Vrajapura Farm and even
more enthused about working together with like-minded people as yourself to
manifest ISCOWP's new era and Srila Prabhupada's vision. A letter written in
3/30/69 by Srila Prabhupada to Satyabhauma dasi, then living in New Vrndavana,
exemplifies this vision.
The good news and the bad news
Multiflora roses were imported around the turn of the century to create hedge rows (living fences). Unfortunately they have over run many areas. They need to be eliminated, especially from the pastures, where they are occupying at least half of the grounds. The old timers say the best way to eliminate a plant of this nature is to cut it in the early fall. At that time the plant has gone through its full cycle of summer and spring growth and its vital energies are completely above ground. In the early fall, as the weather starts to become cool again, the plants biological clock sends out signals that it is now time for the plant's vital life forces to go back into the root system for the winter. If the plant is cut at this time with the life force above ground, the plant has no reserve to make it through the winter. These rose bushes are full of thorns and because we are using hand tools and chain saws it is almost like hand to hand combat. So, what we are going to do is wait until the cold weather sets in. At that time we are fully clothed in multiple layers of winter clothing which will decrease the thorn's ability to do harm to our bodies. Then next fall the plants will have hardly any growth on them and we will finish the job. Once the roses are cut they will be burned. By cutting the roses this will allow full usage of the pasturing grounds. Presently we have pasturing grounds of about 20 acres, half of which are roses. We approximate that at 6 hour days, 7 days a week, it will take 2 months to clear the pastures and 2 acre garden which is densely populated with multiflora roses. Late October or early November we will begin to cut the roses and we hope to be done by January. Also during this time we will be providing firewood, with the use of the oxen, to at least 6 families, so our time will be divided between the two projects.
Species name: Rosa multiflora
At the present time there is a lot of standing deadwood which needs to be felled and utilized for firewood. There are also some multiflora roses at the beginning of the grove, but for the most part the grove will not take much work to clean up. On the west side there is approximately 15 acres of woodland. In a part of the area we have discovered an old fence line. By talking with the local old timers, we have learned this area was cleared in the thirties and was used as pasture.
We know that this property has been selectively logged twice in the last 30 years and there are still a number of "tops" of trees laying around, mostly oak, which will be utilized as firewood. We won't do any firewood on the property until we actually move up there. Because of the hilly nature of the land, firewood collection will give good opportunity for apprentices and interns to practice their skills with the oxen. As we get the woods cleaned up, we might do some selective thinning of the wood lot. The forestry service can provide us with seedlings for a number of hardwood trees. Since we know this property has been logged twice in the last 30 years, we are considering doing some reforestation once we have things cleaned up. Some of the available trees are locusts, oaks, ash, black walnut, and several other varieties. Presently there are only a few locust trees on the property and since in this area they are the premium firewood and fence post material, our first choice is to establish a nice locust grove.
There are a number of water resources at Vrajapura Farm. There is a drilled well on the west-side of the old house and a hand dug well on the east side. At this point we will not be doing anything with the hand dug well. Our first water development project will be the drilled well. We have located it and unearthed the top casing. Recently electricity has been brought to this area and within the next couple of weeks we will be hooking up the pump to the electricity to see if the pump is still in working order. It has been about 15 years since it has been used. This well is connected to 2 watering stations at the old barns. There is a one inch line presently hooked up to the well and it is quite possible that we will have to put in a larger line, maybe an inch and a half to 2 inches, because the line has already fed two watering stations before reaching the new house site. The larger line will help to provide more water pressure for the house and the garden which is situated next to the new house site. The well to the house is practically horizontal without any incline whatsoever. So, the well will not have to pump uphill. There are 3 very strong springs which we would like to develop. The main spring development is described in the bottom box. We have talked to one of the previous residents of this property who lived here between 1938 and 1953. He used this main spring to water his animals and he also cleared the hillside and had it fenced as a pasture. Now this hillside is completely overgrown with trees.
The next spring which will be developed is on the East side about 50 yards below the house in a gulch. It had been partially developed about 20 years ago with a pipe and an old bathtub which at the present time is in a non-functional capacity. The other springs on the east side of the property flow into Birches Rim which meanders for 3 to 4 miles to a big reservoir named Birches Run Lake in Wilson Valley. It is presently the source of water for the cows. It would be nice for them to have a pond to drink from, but because the head water of Birches Run originates on this property we will have to consult with the conservation department to see what other regulations need to be followed. We also need to take soil samples to see if we have the right type of soil to hold water (enough clay content). This is not an immediate project and will have to be very carefully thought out.
The
Garden
In the small garden by our house at Madhuvana we had a variety of vegetables such as beets, Roma tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, okra, kale, bell peppers, hot peppers, coriander, spinach, radishes, and 3 types of lettuce. In the big garden we had two types of bush beans, butternut squash, and sweet pumpkins, specifically for pumpkin pie. In the early stages of development, the gardens were beautiful and very productive. We picked 100 pounds of beans at the first picking. The pumpkins flowered profusely as did the butternut squash. The fruit set (the blossoms appear, they are then pollinated by bees and other flying insects, then they wilt and the fruit appears) was good and we were enthused as the squash and pumpkins vines started to spread out.
In the spring and early summer we were able to serve our
guests scrumptious meals of a variety of vegetables and salads whose ingredients
were picked fresh from the garden. Combined with Laksmi's (our daughter)
homemade bread and cookies we were beginning to show how rich one can live from
the land. And then harsh reality set in.
No longer were we able to serve our guests and ourselves fresh garden produce. We noticed a dramatic difference in taste using supermarket produce. To make a long story short, there are three large garden predators here besides the insect kingdom: deer, groundhogs, and raccoons. There are several ways to control them: fencing, trapping, shooting, and dogs. The methods that we will employ for the next growing season at Vrajapura Farm will be fencing and dogs.
This year was especially unfortunate for the great
majority of gardens in this area. Many people we talked to, devotees as well as
locals, all remarked that the deer were especially aggressive this year in their
consumption of garden produce. We are now planning for next year's gardens at
Vrajapura farm to prevent a similar devastation. We would like to grow a full assortment of greens, cabbage as a cool weather vegetable for spring and fall, a full assortment of summer squash, bush beans and pole beans, several types of corn (sweet and some for corn meal) cucumbers, bitter melon, several types of tomatoes, several types of hot peppers, as well as sweet peppers, and a full assortment of winter squash and pumpkins. We will be experimenting next year with the rice seeds from our plantings in North Carolina. Also oats and wheat would be desirable but it all depends if we can get the ground worked up in time for planting. We are hoping to build the basement to our straw bale home and to move into it by this time next year. Our agricultural priorities will be removing the rose bushes, fencing, and planting the gardens. With our garden development, we will be focusing on subsistence, quality, and longevity. We are talking to the long term residents of the area to see if they have any heirloom seeds from their grandparents. Such seeds should produce hardy plants since they are from plants already acclimated to this area. Also we would like to start our seed saving so that we may have our own seeds as well as seeds for our members. We will be establishing our perennials such as asparagus, medicine herbs, culinary spices, Jerusalem artichokes, and a number of fruit and nut trees at the very beginning so they can get established. We know that things do not happen overnight. We are looking at a minimum of 5 years to establish a productive, stable garden. The soil is a living entity and its nurturing needs constant attention and care with a long term vision in mind.
$7000 from sale of ISCOWP property (barn) in Sandy Ridge N.C. will refurbish Vrajapura's barns and their water systems.
We have been trying to find the history of the house and we have therefore spoken to several of the older local residents. One man we spoke to lived in the house from 1938-1953, and he was the one who put the electricity in the house and built the wash house. He had a small dairy on the property and was milking 16 Holsteins. He now owns and lives at the property that borders our eastern boundary. On that property there is a similar house that was built in the 1700's. With that information and judging by the square nails in our house it appears that the house was built before the 1850's. Between the stone foundation and the house itself are boards which are called sill plates. In the case of this house they are 10" by 10" timbers which are now almost completely rotten. Because no one has lived in the house for 15 years there are trees that have grown under parts of the house and have lifted the walls in several places. This has caused the walls to separate at several corners. There is absolutely no insulation in the house nor plumbing. What electricity is left is no longer usable. Most of the wood in the house is in good condition. Hardwood floors, floorjoists (real two by fours and two by sixes are all oak). We have talked to other people who have restored old farm buildings and the majority felt that unless you had a lot of money to invest, it would be easier and fewer headaches to tear it down and start over again. Our intention is take it apart piece by piece and salvage the useful components in the building of our strawbale house. Once this present site has been cleared, it is our desire to build an office and reception center on top of the 15' by 35' basement which is lined with large stones. The roof on the pole barn needs to be reinforced and the west side needs to be enclosed. We think we have located some wood siding that we can utilize for this purpose. The weather patterns here come from the west and south. So, when this barn will be used in the winter, the cold west winds will be eliminated ensuring a more comfortable situation for the cows. In the pole barn and feeding station there is a cement pad which needs to be cleaned off. Presently they are under about a foot of manure. In fact, in the beginning, we didn't know the cement floor existed because of the manure's depth. We were quite happy to find it.
The milk house next to the pole barn is a cinder block construction on a cement pad. On the south side, because the rain gutter is broken, water has been eroding the cement pad which in turn has caused some of the cinder block walls to collapse. The 2nd story on the milk house is a 2' by 4' construction which also has roof damage creating more extensive water damage in the building. The first step in repairing this building is to repair the rain gutter and stop the eroding of the cement foundation. The next step would be to "back fill" the eroding foundation so it becomes level and then to replace the broken cinder blocks. After that the second story can be raised with house jacks and the cinder block walls fixed. Finally the second story can be put back in place and the damaged woodwork replaced. The feeding station has a few leaks and the drain tile along the west side needs to be replaced. Other than that it is almost in perfect shape with its cement floor intact. The only thing that needs to be fixed on the silo is the cable that raises and lowers the unloading mechanisms.
Building
Vrajapura Farm Donors Committed As Of November 15,1996
Our grateful thanks to all our members who have already committed themselves to this campaign. You are an inspiration to everyone and a reminder that yes, cow protection, specifically ox-power, is an important aspect of Srila Prabhupada's vision for a Krsna Conscious society. Thank you again! This campaign is to cover the first year's development of Vrajapura Farm. Soon we will be sending you a letter to explain further the campaign and to offer you the opportunity to help. This issue was specifically written to give you a complete background on the new property. Since the campaign goal is to collect $30,000 we have about $9,000 left to collect before completing the financial goal. We hope to achieve that amount by the upcoming letter fund raiser. However, if you wish to send in a donation now, before receiving the letter, please don't hesitate! Our address and tax deductible number are on the back page of this newsletter.
DID
YOU KNOW? 2) The funds from the sale of ISCOWP's barn in Sandy Ridge, North Carolina (built with our member's donations) has been saved and will be sufficient to refurbish the barns and water system at Vrajapura farm. 3) Vanamali Pandit das has provided sufficient funds for Vrajapura's fencing. 4) Our son (Baladeva das) is driving truck to finance the next spring's construction of ISCOWP's strawbale home.
Sponsor
a teamster Campaign Completed
Oxen Trained: Agni & Shyam - all commands, practicing logging
Teamsters: Ananga Manjari dasi (Team Jaya & Nanda)
The Sponsor a Teamster Campaign began in August 1995 and was planned to be completed in August of 1996. The original goal was to collect $30,000 and to train 21 oxen and 12 teamsters. As reported in ISCOWP's 1995 winter newsletter, we received pledges for $25, 928 which would enable us to train 18 oxen and 9 teamsters. $22, 828.50 was actually donated. Logically this would have transferred into less oxen and teamsters. However, by taking a loss in the personal income aspect of the campaign budget and with some of the teamsters training their own teams by ISCOWP's counselling, we have been able to achieve the training of 20 oxen and 10 teamsters in various stages of development.
Although this campaign is officially over, training continues. People continue to request instruction in matters such as training oxen, and ox-power agriculture. This is one of the reasons the main goal of Vrajapura Farm is to provide education by developing into a training center. We will try to facilitate as many persons as possible, however since the campaign is over and the financing of such activity is no longer provided, we are considering charging some fee to cover our time. We now have 9 oxen staying with us at Madhuvan. Due to the lack of water and shelter this is the maximum amount we can care for.
When we move to Vrajapura Farm, this number can be greatly increased due to the barn facilities and water resources. Seven of the oxen will continue training at various levels
of development. The other two, Vraja and Gita, are fully realized accomplished
oxen. Our plan is that all 7 oxen will be experienced working in the
agricultural fields. Of course big Shyam, who has a leg and lung problem, will
not become as accomplished due to his physical limitations. Without your contributions we could have never achieved such positive results for the campaign. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for assisting us in increasing the number of trained oxen and teamsters here in America. |
This site was last updated 10/23/07
On the South
and the East boundaries of Vrajapura Farm are wooded areas with a small stream
running through them. This area is very tranquil and it is often visited during
the heat of the day by the cows seeking shelter in the cool shade of the grove.
During the summer months when we have seminars, this grove will be one of the
areas where we will have classes because of its tranquil meditative nature.
The main spring
of the property is located on this west side and when the spring house is
completed we would like to have a couple of guest cottages situated in these
wooded areas with gravity fed spring water. There are numerous cottage sites, so
it is just a matter of time and money separating us from their development.
