Tapahpunja Dasa Farm Journal, Outreach

Food Independence (Part 1): Growing, Processing and Marketing Lettuce

The Food Independence Series is dedicated to gardeners and farmers worldwide who take up the responsibility of growing healthy organic food as a sacred duty for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.

As the Age of Kali descends, food security will become the defining principle for reshaping and re-spiritualizing human society around the principles of love and trust. Kindness to animals—especially the cows and bulls—will herald in an agrarian golden age in which brahminical culture will flourish because the agricultural landscape will be alive with human activity.

Continue reading “Food Independence (Part 1): Growing, Processing and Marketing Lettuce” →

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Tapahpunja Dasa Farm Journal

Edible Seed Oil Breakthrough

One of Srila Prabhupada’s direct instructions to the pioneer residents of New Talavan Community in 1975 was to grow castor beans. Traditionally. in India, castor is grown for its multiple medicinal values as well as for lamp oil and that’s specifically why Prabhupada wanted it grown: to harness a renewable source of lighting. Finally, in 2014 Radha Maha Laksmi Devi Dasi donated the funds to purchase a Swedish designed state-of-the-art seed oil press capable of extracting fine oil out of any seed. The press was so expertly engineered that the initial efforts to master its use all failed. Finally, Croatian born Nanda-suta Dasa tinkered with the machine and made it function properly. He and Dvi Bhuja Dasa, the founder of Blue Boy Herb Co., immediately pressed a batch of okra seeds only to yield a beautiful flow of golden green okra oil. Okra oil is known as the ghee of Africa. In 2018, New talavan residents are teaming up to plant a one acre plot of castor beans in pursuit of Srila Prabhupada’s 1975 order. Better late than never.