ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 02/16/2020
ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 02/16/2020
Mission Statement: ECO-Vrindaban promotes cow protection, local agriculture, and above all, loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON New Vrindaban’s Founder-Acharya.
Participating Directors: Anuttama (partial attendance), Jamuna Jivani (board secretary), Makara (chair), Ranaka, and Vraja
Participating Advisors: Chaitanya Mangala, Ishana, and Lalita Gopi
1. Ranaka’s Monthly Report
- Lalita Gopi (Temple Barn)
- Currently milking nine cows who are giving 23 gal of milk daily: Surabhi, Sita, Vamsika, Jaya Radhe, Cintamani, Parijata, Subhadra, Gopikatyayani, and Sriya.
- Gopikatyayani gave birth to a heifer named Vaisnavi on January 26th.
- A total of six calves are in the barn: Narada, Dhruva, Prahlad, Yasoda, Satyabhama, and Vaisnavi.
- Anandavidya is making 30 lb of butter and 10 gal of yogurt weekly, he has also been keeping up with the cleaning and maintenance.
- Soil samples have been taken from the pasture and have been sent to the WVU extension center in Morgantown (who have offered to help with pasture improvements)
- Lalita attended an Amish farming conference, a department of agriculture dairy meeting, and a soil lecture from the WVU extension center.
- Nila Govinda continues to help in the barn on weekends.
- Due to the complications of managing nine cows in the goshala, Subhadra is being dried off so she can be rebred.
- Ray
- Moved hay to Temple Barn and Nandagram on a weekly basis.
- Scraped the Valley Barn pads daily and tractor-scraped the aisles weekly
- Stocked feed aisles with hay.
- Moved topsoil into high tunnel #1.
- Delivered 400 lb of potatoes to the temple kitchen in January.
- Caitanya Bhagavat (Nandagram)
- Daily general cow care and ensuring the safety of the Nandagram herd.
- Monitored the herd numbers – four cows, 10 steers, and one bull
- Planned and arranged for favorable social dynamics among the cows.
- Cow health checks, arranged and facilitated veterinarian visits.
- Oversaw and supplemented Nandagram’s winter hay stock.
- Planned upcoming herd accommodations.
- Facilitated, monitored, and cared for planned cow pregnancies.
- General barn maintenance.
- Planned and cared for aging cows.
- Made preparations for winter weather.
- Suchandra
- Teaching Garden
- Removed the stinging nettle around the fence and sprayed with organic weed killer.
- Trimmed trees and weeded behind back fence and inside garden for laying plastic
- Trimmed back the rose bushes and butterfly bushes
- Community Garden
- Pulled and stacked tomato poles in shed.
- Pulled some marigold and zinnia plants.
- Clipped zip ties on front and side part of fence and pulled some of the metal poles.
- Removed some of the cages from tomato plants.
- Teaching Garden
- Analaksita (Vidya’s & Valley High Tunnels)
- Was assisted by Joseph, Noah, and Daniel
- A grow station was set up with a heat mat and new sprouts were started at Vidya’s.
- Weeded, cleaned, and harvested Vidya’s high tunnel.
- The carnations were pruned back to prepare for spring.
- The greenhouse at Vidya’s was set up with insulation, heat mats with temperature control box, and a heater.
- The new sprouts were transplanted and put into the greenhouse.
- Plants at Vidya’s have been covered with cloth when temperatures get too cold.
- Seeding blueprints were made for all high tunnels and have been initiated for Vidya’s outdoor garden and the Teaching Garden.
- High tunnel #1 was broad forked on both sides to allow the dirt to air out.
- Topsoil was delivered to high tunnel #1, the dirt was then spread and leveled.
- High tunnel #2 was tilled and more rocks were removed before the topsoil is delivered and spread.
- All of the butternut squash grown last year and all of the frozen tomato puree from last year was delivered to the temple kitchen.
- The conference room at the Valley Barn was set up for the garden department.
- Began breaking down the Community Garden and delivered supplies to high tunnels #1 and 2.
- Plants in high tunnel #1 were sprayed with neem oil.
- Laid chicken wire and plastic on ground around high tunnel #1 for critter control.
- January 2020 deliveries to the temple kitchen from Vidya’s high tunnels and high tunnel #1:
- Beet bunches – 18
- Kale bunches – 46
- Lettuce heads – 15
- Daikon bunches – 34
- Spinach bunches – 27
- Butternut squash – 60 lb
- Carrots bunches – 4
- Potatoes – 400 lb
- Ranaka
- Bahulaban Barn apartment project: Met with Ishana and Mervin Yoder (Amish contractor) to discuss the overall project. Will report discussion to subcommittee to present a recommendation to the board.
- Met with Ram Associates, CPAs on January 30 and we are now in the process of reviewing the first draft of annual review.
- With the birth of Vaisnavi on January 26, the herd count is now 67.
2. Internal Funding Request: $3.5K for Gifts for On-Site Meetings
WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to offer a token of appreciation to the INV, VA, and ECO-V staff and volunteers.
RESOLVED: The Board approved up to $3,500 as a budget for the purchase of appreciation gifts.
3. Offering for Srila Prabhupada
Lalita Gopi is considering writing the offering for Srila Prabhupada’s vyasa puja book, in conjunction with Anandavidya. She will require a few days to decide.
4. FY19 Finalized Operating Budget Approval
WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to review ECO-V’s income and expenses for the previous year.
RESOLVED: The Board approves a finalized operating budget of $300K for 2019.
5. FY20 Operating Budget Approval
WHEREAS: The ECO-V Board wishes to set projections of ECO-V’s income and expenses for the upcoming year.
RESOLVED: The Board approves an operating budget of $365K for 2020
6. On-site Meetings Planning Update
Vrsni, Gaurasakti, Vrindavan, and Ishana have formed a subcommittee. Rebecca and Julia will be facilitating the discussions. The topics to be covered include:
· Wrapping up topics from previous meetings
· Identifying roles and responsibilities
· Measuring the effectiveness of onsite joint board meetings
· Service conflicts
· Land and housing committee update
