Resident New Vrindaban volunteers in the 6.5 acre ‘Garden of Seven Gates,’ harvesting peppers to make salsa and chutney.  About farming, Chanaka Pantit (4th Century BCE), noted that farming means at least 5 people involved. Many hands make light work.

A devotee once told me, “We should be known as the guardians of the mode of goodness.” Having mentored a few hundred farm apprentices over the past 15 years, truer words were never spoken. Young people are looking for much more than technical expertise in organic food production. What they really want — actually, what all jiva souls want — is enlivening association, or as Srila Prabhupada termed it, “We’re all hungry for that spiritual atmosphere that reconnects us with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Call it what you like — environmental activism, permaculture, bio-regionalism, slow food, the local food movement, etc. — it’s all about becoming sensitive, responsive and relevant to the most basic of human needs: FOOD! And the best way to deliver Krishna consciousness to Western society — bar none — is food activism supported by food producing farms and gardening projects.

Here we offer a few ways you can contribute:

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