Saturday 5 July 2014

Prabhupadanugas Farm Fiji Report

REVIEW  # 35

July 6, 2014.  Adventures in New Jaipur, Prabhupadanuga Farm in Fiji

RICE FIELDS

After some lengthy breakdowns including track motor repairs (the details would be a chapter out of the book, The Wondrous Bliss of Maintaining Big Kali Yuga Machinery), our excavator has returned to work in the field- the rice field. Normally this area, a very fertile section of the property, is very muddy and boggy, but at present we are experiencing hardly any rain for the last two months. This has been good for our work of forming up a number of rice blocks or paddies, and they are now nine in number. They are each a fraction of an acre because the lay of the land is slightly sloped, and each paddy needs to be level for flooding, so they are terraced, in effect. The paddy borders are lined with a low earthen dike to hold the water, which will come from wet season rains, watershed runoff, or free-flowing water piped down from the adjacent stream. By use of cutoff valves, overflows, and drains we can flood whichever blocks that will be planted. After a week back on the job, our excavator operator was bitten by a dog in town and another week went by with no further progress.

Our first rice venture last year was hand-broadcast on an unflooded two acres, but the yield was quite meager, about 100 kilos only. It is expected that the flooded rice system will produce at least double the yield of dryland planting. Of course, our strict standard of no chemicals for fertilizer, insecticide, or herbicide results in “homestead” yields rather than the artificial commercial yields that are now widely sought after. Only natural agricultural methods are applied in New Jaipur. Our workers have a blank look on their faces as I explain for the twelfth time that modern chemical agriculture is unhealthy for both the body and the soul, umm, I mean, soil.

Jaypal from the nearby Indian settlement came by to give advice, as his family has been growing flooded rice for several generations, relying on bullocks for shallow plowing. Following an eyeball leveling, we use stakes, string, and a line level for final leveling touchups. Each year the rice stalks and weeds will be plowed under to fertilize the next crop. We could also add other organic material such as beach debris (seaweed/ mangrove leaves) or kitchen compost.

Our schedule is to plant our first flooded rice crops when the wet season starts around October-November. Seedlings are sprouted on a dry bed, and transplanted directly into the flooded paddy when they are a foot high. Bhakta Benjamin has sourced from India a manual rice thresher and rice huller (as well as a manual oil press)- see www.thomaseximp.com/rice. The alternative to “manual” machines is dependency on tractor, diesel fuel, and a modern civilization to provide them.

We hope to make another six floodable rice paddies in another area of the farm, below where the cottages are being built. These would possibly be used by residents who wanted to grow their own rice, if we can obtain the thresher and huller in time and we hire Jaypal’s bullocks for plowing. The ideal of a family and friends all pitching in together in the rice field to grow their own grain for the next year or more, as often spoken of by Srila Prabhupada, is an exciting proximate reality! Of course, for countless millions the world over this is already a normal part of their lives, but for us western, technocratic, and accustomed-to-artificial-living type of people, it IS exciting.

NEWSBITS

After more than a year of processing our order for six Guernsey calves to be imported from New Zealand, after the animals had been chosen, tested, quarantined, and were ready for their flight, Fiji Biosecurity suddenly stopped indefinitely all animal imports from New Zealand. Due to the appearance in NZ of a

​tick-borne disease, our order was dead and cancelled indefinitely. Next we moved quickly to import our A2 Guernsey calves from Victoria, Australia, which was approved by Biosecurity. After choosing calves from a primary Guernsey dairy and making import arrangements, Australia was also restricted. It seems that animals are not being allowed into Fiji now from anywhere in the world. It has been a very frustrating experience, but we cannot become discouraged. We are determined to start our Vedic village with first-class cows and not the local beef animals that give watery, A1, and very low butterfat milk. The quality of these local cows’ milk is worse than buffalo milk, hardly real cow milk at all.
Meanwhile, back at the farm, we are getting fresh “milk” from Jaypal, who is milking beef cows- from which it took 4 liters to make a handful of curd (the milk is so thin). Not ideal, but at least fresh and pure. So now what? We are not yet sure what Plan F will be…

We have cut our local labor force in less than half, as most of the big projects are complete. We intend now to focus more on maintenance, planting, and hopefully, writing. Recently we did some concrete repairs to the water reservoir and made some divisional fences in our 12 acre batiki grass pasture of beach coconuts. There are now 3 smaller paddocks for rotational grazing, which is a much more efficient manner of utilizing pastures. Cows can waste a lot of good pasture by roaming over a large area. Fence repairs were also undertaken. This is all additional preparation for that future day when the cows finally come home (to us). When, oh when, will that day be ours….?

The French beans in the garden did not produce hardly at all, neither the mung beans, due to the lack of rainfall. It hasn’t been this dry in a long time; only a couple small rains in at least a month. As such, we spend up to an hour every day watering our new garden. I just pulled most of the scrawny beans to make room for Chinese cabbage transplants. The peanuts are doing well, though, and we have a row of sweet corn. Bak choy, mustard, radish, tomatoes, long beans are all coming in, doing well aas long as we keep them watered. We have a gravity flow pipe rigged to deliver water from a pool in the adjacent stream which is always fed by springs in the hills above.

We have a constant year-round supply of cassava and dalo (taro), water cress, lemons and limes, bananas and papayas, and in winter there are pidgeon peas and a few strawberries. The transition to self-sufficiency is underway, slowly but surely. We are expanding the number of eggplant bushes, which produce continuously for years. Finally on July 4, we got some rain in the night.

  A large dongo mangrove tree fell across the river, just missing our boat and boatshed. It is good firewood though, and we received an order from a fellow near town. The workers had to spend a few weeks digging out clumps of nasty weeds 8 feet tall from all the pastures and also cut vines, ferns, and other weeds down by machete. I have been finding any chance I can get to go prune the fruit trees, especially the citrus, which tend to develop drooping shapes and vertical sucker branches. It is a very pleasant time for me as I move around and under the lemons and limes with my handsaw, pruners, and heavy rubber gloves, shaping the future fruit supply of New Jaipur. It is very satisfying to engage in the noblest profession on Krishna’s behalf.

COTTAGES

Our Indian crew of three from town, headed by Rohit, have finished the blockwork on all six cottages and have started on the first roof. This cottage is reserved for Bhakta Benjamin with wife Anika and boys Tibo and Jaro; he has secured his choice of cottage and homestead with a handsome donation, having planted some small soursop and other fruit trees on his lot during his recent visit. He has ocean and pasture views, being a few minute walk down from the main lodge and temple building. Bhakta Ben looks forward to his initiation by Srila Prabhupada when he arrives in New Jaipur early next year.



COOPERATION

When I wrote in VVR #34 about whether to reform ISKCON or rebuild Prabhupada’s mission in one or more new organizations, I worried a bit that it would be a controversial topic, but hoped to evoke some positive discussions on the topic of increased cooperation amongst the scattered Prabhupadanugas worldwide. Quite a few devotees replied with their thoughts, and this leads to the continued exploration of the subject. It seems many have become uninterested or hopeless, not knowing what to do, and unable to do it even if they had an idea of how to serve Prabhupada’s mission… a sad state of affairs.

Yasodanandan Prabhu, president of Hare Krishna Society, was sympathetic to the idea of somehow re-organizing a cohesive organization of worldwide rtviks, and listed some impediments to this lofty ideal.

Considerable immaturity, infighting, and philosophical deviations in the name of rtviks/ Prabhupadanugas.
Many so-called rtviks do not follow the basic principles and devotional standards set up by Srila Prabhupada.
Bangalore Group has an organized format by which Prabhupada’s mission is growing in India and elsewhere, but there is the uncertainty of participation by many sympathizers due to the ISKCON lawsuit, causing them to wait and see the results.
He also noted that the Hare Krishna Society since 2001 has offered association and identity for those interested to affiliate, provided they were serious and sincere about following Srila Prabhupada.

Actually, unless a devotee IS following the basic principles and standards of Krishna consciousness, that person should be timid about expressing their views, arguments, debate, or chastisements to other devotees. Without following, how one can speak? The internet allows anyone to espouse their opinions, and there is quite a lot of worthless junk in cyberspace by would-be know-it-alls and by those who posture as devotees with advanced realizations. Perhaps before anyone begins their rant or lecture, it would be most useful to let readers know whether they are really following the basic principles of Krishna consciousness or not. Why? Simply because without this essential feature, that person is by definition in illusion, and what he says will also be accordingly defective.

So- the correct understanding is that the cooperation between Prabhupada’s followers that everyone wonders why it is missing, can best be enhanced simply by our following the four regulative principles, chanting our minimum 16 rounds daily, taking only food properly offered to Krishna, rising early for a morning program either at the temple or our home, no idle sports (such as watching maya movies, taking idle vacations, listening to mundane music or TV, etc…), and also, very importantly, being constructively engaged in the service of Prabhupada’s mission. Someone who is earning income and not using it or giving it for Prabhupada’s service, is a miser, and is not cooperating with Prabhupada, what to speak of with his followers. That’s a good start…

After that, lack of cooperation often stems from conflicting personal motives while we are serving Prabhupada. How often have we seen Prabhupada emphasize that we must achieve PURE devotional service, without fruitive motives, mental speculation, and aspirations to mystic powers? Karma, jnana, and yoga… these things will impede our cooperation. Mature and strictly following devotees who have given up personal ambition and desire for profit, adoration, and distinction- they are the best cooperators because they have a common objective- to please Srila Prabhupada.

RECAP

New Jaipur is a Prabhupadanuga project on a 857 acre fully titled, fully paid-for farm by the ocean in Fiji. The South Pacific is a very auspicious and pleasant location on this planet, and Fiji was visited by Srila Prabhupada. The basic development has been completed. A 2 story large lodge and guest house includes also the initial temple room and a small Prabhupada museum. The farm is fertile and a small river about 7 km long runs through a valley with high ridges on both sides. Pastures, orchards, water reservoir, future temple site, rice paddies, gardens, farm roads, a dock on the river for our boat, cleared agricultural fields, water cress patch, and six cottages- these are surrounded by virgin tropical rainforest with no snakes or other dangerous creatures. We are offering a cottage and land to devotees who wish to live simply and cultivate higher standards of Krishna consciousness. One person, one farm at a time- Prabhupada intends to respiritualize humanity through Vedic villages. A visit to see Fiji and New Jaipur is highly recommended so that a determination can be made on this proposition. Direct flights to Fiji come from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Singapore. It appears that modern civilization, increasingly artificial in so many ways, may not continue to function in its century-long, easy-money ways much longer. Srila Prabhupada’s farms are the future of the planet…

WEBSITE ANNOUNCEMENT

I first reserved our web domain in 1997, and finally we have the great pleasure to announce our website. It is not fully completed, but since it is taking so long to finish, and it has much essential material, with project information and photos, please take a look at our life and humble attempt to please Srila Prabhupada in the Fiji Islands. Feedback welcome! Help us with links on other sites!

NEW JAIPUR FIJI WEBSITE:       www.vedicvillage.org


QUOTES

►740602mw.gen                Conversations                364211/530501
Prabhupada: Wasteful, yes. Therefore I say they have no brain. All, they are rascals. Rascal leaders. A little labor in agriculture will be sufficient to produce the family's food stock for the whole year. You can stock. You work only three months, and you get sufficient food for your whole family. And less nine months, you chant Hare Krsna. But these rascals will not do that. They will work hard like ass simply for eating. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti. They will not accept easy life.

►750403mw.may               Conversations
There are so many land. Come here and grow food. Grow fruit. That is... That is the desire of Krsna. Annad bhavanti bhutani.Produce food and eat in sufficiently, be strong, and chant Hare Krsna. That is our philosophy. Why you are producing bolts and nuts, tire and tubes? Eat. Rascal. They do not know that first of all you must eat. No, everyone is engaged in industry. Why? Krsna does not say that "Take to industry." Krsna says, "Produce foodstuff." Annad bhavanti bhutani. If you produce foodstuff, then both your animals, yourself, will be happy, becoming strong. Why do they manufacture other things?

►760731r2.par               Conversations
... little cottages, grow little vegetable, little barley or wheat and milk. That is sufficient. We don't require much. We don't want luxury. We want just to subsist. Yavad artha prayojana. We hate the idea of luxury, unnecessary.

►How they were happy, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana with Kṛṣṇa and living and cows. That I want to introduce. At any cost do it and... Don't bother about big, big buildings. It is not required. Useless waste of time. Produce. Make the whole field green. See that. Then whole economic question solved. Then you eat sumptuous. Eat sumptuously. The animal is happy. The animal even does not give milk; let them eat and pass stool and urine. That is welcome. After all, eating, they will pass stool. So that is beneficial, not that simply milk is beneficial. Even the stool is beneficial. Therefore I am asking so much here and..., "Farm, farm, farm, farm." That is not my program—Kṛṣṇa's program. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Produce greenness everywhere, everywhere. Vṛndāvana. It is not this motorcar civilization. If it has taken in his brain, then it is to be understood that he can do it, this plan. He'll be able.
Srila Prabhupada Conversation, May 27, 1977

Yours in Prabhupada’s service,

Nityananda das                      New Jaipur, Vanua Levu, Fiji Islands

PS. If you would like to be added to our regular mailings of Vedic Village Review news bulletins, please send us an email at srigovinda@gmail.com. Donations welcomed!

Hare Krishna! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

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