THE ISCOWP NEWS

HARVEST WORKSHOP

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Harvest Workshop

The Harvest Workshop began on Friday, August 19. Attendees came from Columbus, Ohio, Marietta, Ohio, and Baltimore, Maryland as well as the local area. For some of the attendees this was their first association with followers of Srila Prabhupada, and for most, it was their first visit to the ISCOWP farm. Workshops were held on drying and canning vegetables from the garden, ox training, and garden production.

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Ox Demonstration Workshop 2005 with Krishna and Balaram

Here are some observations from some of  the attendees.

Dear Lakshmi,

Thank you so much for this weekend, I really enjoyed spending time with you and your family.

Also, if you want, whenever the rest of the produce is ready and you need help, I could come up and spend the weekend, leaving after work at 3:00 on Friday and staying through Sunday. And, I will bring my own bed sheets and towels so that I won't be imposing too much because that just makes extra work for you.

Please stay in touch and thank you again for the wonderful time that we spent with you and your family and the fabulous meals. Hopefully, I will be able someday to learn to make the comfrey salve and also work with the babies, they are so energetic and enthusiastic and your father is wonderful with them. My grandfather used a team of oxen on his farm and they were treated as cherished friends, not farm animals. I still have some old photos of them that I treasure, they were such gentle souls, and I still treasure the time that I spent with them.

I will plan on sending $35 - $50 a month (whatever I have) for as long as I can or as long as I work, and you can do it however, I don't need a certificate to know that I am connected to the loving souls that you are taking care for. And, I understand more after Balabhadra's seminar on Saturday, made a lot of things clearer. They are so special and I just wish that more people could see that and connect the dots. My grandfather always said that they were wise beyond our understanding. I always felt the way that he did, and I still do and that is why I was so drawn to this farm. Thank you for letting me visit.

And if you ever need jars, a friend of mine that doesn't can anymore said that you could have what she used to use.

Peace & Love, Shelda

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Shelda Bloomingdale getting to know Jaya

We first heard about the Harvest Workshop from a friend by the name of Karusha who spoke such wonderful things, inspiring us to visit. The trip down was just beautiful and all the more upon our arrival. The land all around us was flourishing and green and so well taken care of. There were many steep hills that varied in shapes and sizes scattered across the farm. On the very top of the highest hill was the foundation and home of the family and friends that built this farm and workshop.  The house was simple, yet modern, and gave a comfortable setting of content. It stood firm and let out a calming atmosphere embracing the land and all that was around it.

We were all introduced to each other and to a friendly dog named Rudra-babaji. Rudra jumped around, played, and brought a warm joy to our hearts and a wonderful feeling of comfort.  It was a beautiful day, the sun was out, and even though it was hot, it was still nice enough to enjoy the welcoming spirit around us.  The love of God just glowed from the faces of those who were there.  They made us feel, so to say, “a part of the family,” and working together as a whole with the presence of Krishna all around us.  Learning so much and being involved with such moving people was a wonderful experience.  Everyone benefited, whether it was mentally, physically or most importantly, spiritually.  Our hearts were truly at peace among them all.

When we started to walk the grounds, Balabhadra guided us to each fresh crop, having something intriguing to say for each one.  We first stopped beside the pepper plants, where he picked a sweet red pepper, passing it around for all to taste.  Straight from the crop, the taste was so very sweet and refreshing.  We moved on to the tomato plants where there were many varieties.  Once again, Balabhadra picked fresh off the vine a red, ripe tomato and handed one to us and said, “Bite into it like an apple.”  With such a delicious taste, we wished it could have lasted longer.  The crop of tomatoes alone had 400 plants and each plant was just as ripe as the next one.  We continued on to the potatoes where we helped dig through the soil with our hands and dug them out.  The soil was soft, healthy and surprisingly cool on such a hot day.  Balabhadra had nothing but wonderful, inspiring words to say to all of us as well as a welcoming invite to dinner.

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Harvest Workshop Garden Tour 

We all sat in the shade beneath a long white canopy where a long table was set.  The food, company, and fellowship were all so very delighting.  Movements after enjoying the delicious food, we all participated in cutting tomatoes for canning and storing.  Shortly thereafter, the rain started to pour down upon the canopy, setting off a nice, cool breeze after having a hot day.  We continued cutting tomatoes for dehydrating as well as another vegetable called Kerela.  We sliced them and placed them upon trays that were put into dehydrators to be stored as well.  They had many varieties of vegetables that were canned and stored in a room beside the house for winter and any need.  The fascinating process of each step of working together and accomplishing is truly a service of God, an experience that all should come to know. By Tina Jones

There are 13 cows and 12 oxen on the farm.  They are all equally loved and cared for as if they are children.  The reason for having the cows here is to get healthy organic milk from them while promoting spiritual advancement, rather than taking unhealthy milk and their lives from them in a violent death like most cattle farmers do.  They have very good living quarters; solid, leak-proof ceilings and plenty of hay for warmth.  When it is time to go to the field, they are never overworked.  Whenever an ox starts to get tired or upset, their workday is immediately over.  When the oxen are too old to work, they are retired and live the rest of their lives the same as the others until they die a natural death. 

One thing Balabhadra pointed out was how similar a cow is to a man.  We both have families, we both have to work our bodies to provide for them, and we both grow old and die.  The relationship between man and animal on this farm is not one of master and slave based out of fear; but rather of love and friendship based out of duty.  It really feels like the way God would have it.

Everything on the farm is completely centered around Krishna.  A loving, serving, humble attitude towards Him is the main goal.  God is loved here, not feared.  The many names of the Lord are constantly used with reverent love; it is like He is here with us in the flesh and is our best friend.  There is a beautiful temple close by, built for Prabhupada, with many other devotees living nearby.  This is a small community of people who are trying to survive while keeping their lives based on service to God and to each other.

We found the Harvest Workshop to

be of immense value for the knowledge of growing and storing your own organic food, learning to use love and compassion rather than violence when working with animals, and most importantly, to develop a more loving relationship with God.  We need more places like this, and we would certainly recommend to anyone of any race, of any religion, to come to the Harvest Workshop and let our Creator reveal Himself to your heart. By Mark Jones

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Karusha at the head of the table and Mark and Tina Jones at the front of the table

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