By Gurugovinda kripa das
HG Rupagoswami prabhu who earlier took care of Iskcons All India Padayatra successfully for around a decade decided to take the service of developing Iskcon Vrindavans Eco Farm near Radhakund. It is said that this was the place where the Demon Aghasura was killed. If you ever thought Vrindavans ground water is salty, you should try tasting it here. It might even beat the salty Ocean water. Locals say that it is the blood of Aghasura that made it like that. This caused many people to leave parts of land uncultivated.
But with the innovative thinking that Rupagoswami prabhu has, he used the intelligence given by Krishna and did some amazing things until now.
He has many things to come in future like increasing the green cover by planting different trees in Vrindavan forests, Plantation projects etc. But here are a few updates he recently posted on the Farms Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/vvanbvecofarm
Bhaktivedanta Eco Farm Project
One year ago on March 5th,2014 we had the ground breaking ceremony. Due to untimely rain and bad weather we started the first construction around April 5th, 2014.
In the one year span, below are the happenings and updates
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The farm house with 6 rooms and a big kitchen and with front and back veranda ,to be used as godown and prasadam hall are ready. The building is finished with tiles, marble and granites now ready to occupy.
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A nice toilet and bathroom complex is ready (Both for men and women separate block.)
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A 2 km long water pipeline was laid with great endeavor. It was really a difficult job dealing with more than 30 farmers through whose lands the pipe had to be laid 3 to 4 ft under the ground. And had to cross around 400mtr long reserve forest land and two small canals. Only with Krishnas mercy it was possible.
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A small land was purchased nearby to fetch sweet water for the farm. Two bore well were dug on the new land. One with electricity connection (Still waiting for the electricity connection) and other to be run solar submersible pump. The Solar motor is about to be installed by next ten days.
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One room pump house cum Guard (rest) room was built on the new land.
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One 5kb solar system was installed on the roof top of the farm building. It is enough to run lights, fans, and other small electrical and electric gadgets.
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Around 5 acres of land is ready and also cultivated. For the first time around 4.5 quintals of organic wheat was harvested.
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1000 tomato plants were planted but due to unseasonal rain and mild hail stone- so much tomato got wasted but just today I collected around 60kg of tomato.
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Today itself we have sown 1.5acre of green mung (gram) and 1/2 acre of jowar (millet).
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We are preparing another 10 acres for paddy cultivation this monsoon.
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We have been dispersing almost 500 tractor trailers of cowdung manure in the 10 acre land. It comes to around 50 trailers manure per acre.
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Now we have tomato(big quantity) , brinjal(eggplant) , dodka torai( stripe gourd), pumpkin, karela, cucumber, louki(bottle gourd), chilli, capsicum, Oakra, sweet corn, palak and two to three varieties of spinach. Everything here is being done with ZERO chemical fertilizers and Zero chemical pesticides.
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Besides cow dung manure we are using a very effective manure called “Jivamrita” consisting of cow dung, gomutra, jaggery, spoiled chana powder or wheat bran and soil under a Peepal tree in 7:7:2:2:2 proportion. It works like magic for the plants and crops.
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Inviting other farmers from the nearby villages to see our crops cultivated without any chemical and fertilizers. Many of them are really appreciating. We hope one day they will be inspired by our farm and they themselves reverse back to their traditional organic farming. We are even supplying the sample of jivamrita for testing on their crops and flowers.
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By next week the stone boundary wall and a gosala (Only bullocks) construction will be started. Initially only 25 pairs will be maintained.
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Once the gosala and boundary (security for bullocks is very much necessary due to thieves stealing them for slaughter houses, so much prevailing in Vraj area) is ready, the bullocks will be given all kinds of training for cart, tilling land, oil pressing , wheat grinding etc. By next winter we are hoping to use only bullocks for cultivation without using tractor.
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We will inspire our neighboring farmers to use bullocks to plough their field instead of tractor. We plan to supply them with trained bullocks free of cost for cultivation purpose which they have to return at end the of each day.
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Before the coming rainy season we are planning (making ready) to plant around 2000 tree including neem, karanj, bamboo, jamun, kadamba ,pippal in and around our farm. Also preparing to plant 300 papaya trees, 50 lemon trees , 200 banana plants, and other trees like guava, mango, sapota, custard apple, drumstick, amla, litchi trees at least 20 each in the first batch.
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Two acres of land is being readied exclusively for flowers (Rose, marigold) for Sri Sri Krishna Balaram, Radhashyam Sundar, Sri SRi Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada at Temple in RamanReti.
In one year this progress seems satisfactory.Hoping to do best in the coming days in the service of their Lordship Krishna and Balaram and their dear devotees.
We are only short of manpower now and wish and hope that enthusiastic devotees from around the world join us in this service.
HH Radharaman Swami affirms to stay for some weeks here.
This is a very peaceful place in Braja without the noise or pollution of modern life. So anytime during the year, if you have some free time, a vacation, even a few days, please come and spend some time here. We have a nice place to stay and the luxury of prasadam cooked from organic produce, all free of cost.
Please bless us and pray that we can be able to do some service to make the Eco farm a success.
Thank You for encouraging us to serve at the eco farm more sincerely and enthusiastically.
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
https://www.facebook.com/vvanbvecofarm/posts/374665862739884
https://www.facebook.com/rupagoswami.das
Photocredits: Basu Ghosh Prabhu and Rupa Goswami prabhu
Your servant
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GuruGovinda Kripa das