The Himalayan Farm Project

As some of you may know, I am currently volunteering my time and energy at a very special little organic farming project in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains the North of India. At this stage the project is still in its infancy but already its receiving interest and support from the right people, which indicates a lot of growth potential. The project was founded by a very young “70 year old” man named Hari Pant. Hari and this project already have a very loyal following and he is being assisted and supported by a team of passionate foreign volunteers. At this point the farm is serving as a meeting point, where likeminded people from all over the world are coming together to learn and to share their own knowledge about sustainability, conscious living and permaculture to get the project off the ground. Very interesting and exciting for those of us that are here!

One of the project goals is to host school children, university students and educational camps to educate them in eco farming and sustainability – the project is not all that far from making this a reality. Unfortunately one of the requirements for this to materialise is electricity – which at the moment, is non-existent up on the mountain.

So this is the first part of the purpose of this mail, and where you and the power of your VOTE come in..
(Please don’t get lost just yet)

The project has been short listed in a competition where we are in line to win a grant from Mahindra for Rs.400,000 (approx $ 8,000). This prize money will help the project in getting SOLAR PANELS installed on the farm – which will take care of the energy needs involved in accommodating the future students. Electricity allows us to plough full steam ahead in promoting the project to schools, universities and other institutions. Ie, this kind of advancement is a leap in the right direction in terms of actualizing this part of the projects vision.

So those of you who resonate with this kind of project, kindly give us a vote – its really easy (ok, there are a few clicks involved but still super simple)!

I would really appreciate your vote/ support!!!
1) Click on the link – http://bit.ly/VoteHFP

2) Then click the vote button

3) A window will open – {LOGIN AND VOTE} using your Facebook account.

4) Voila – REALLY EASY!!

The next part of this mail, is more of an open invitation to those of you who are/ have been involved in projects like this or live off the grid permanently to feel free to share your experiences, thoughts, recommendations, assistance, volunteers, joys, campfire songs whatever. Ie. We welcome your interest and input. Also, you’re more than welcome to share this mail with your eco-orientated databases.

At this point much of what gets done on the farm depends largely on the type volunteers we receive and the skills they have. Functions like website management, marketing, administration etc take a back seat when volunteers and resources are focusing on construction/ development up on the farm so any help or suggestions for solutions in these areas would also be greatly appreciated too!

If this project has sparked a little bit of interest in you please:

* Check out our brand new website
* Join The Himalayan Farm Project on Facebook (click here)
* Read the latest blog (click here)
* Discover our work with the Bhagirath Pande Charitable Trust (click here)
* Take the time to explore the great work of our partner KORAKOR (click here)

I will be posting some more pictures of the farm and the AMAZING surrounding scenery very soon!

If you would like to know more or just send us a love-letter please pop us a mail either at:
himalayanfarmer@gmail.com

or my personal email is ok too – donna.leigh101@gmail.com

So from the bottom of my heart I thank you for taking the time to vote for this little project. I look forward to seeing you all when Im home – Im sure we’ll have loads to talk about!

A few last words about Hari and the project –

Spread over a 5 acre farm and run by an all-volunteer team, at a base level the Farm aims to:

- Be an experimental farm centre for renewable energy, green architecture and low cost organic agriculture;
- Share ideas and learn about traditional farming with the local community;
- Attract the youth and expose them to an alternative and healthier way of living and caring for the planet;
- Inspire young people to consider farming as a vocation

What made this project so special and unique to me is the father of the project. After spending some time observing Hari, its clear he is deeply sincere and kind, a humble and conscious man who is clearly very respected by his community. He has lead and personally funded a number of community enhancing projects.

Before the local hospital could afford its own ambulance, Hari had taken it upon himself to buy and operate a small and basic ambulance, which is still in use today. He also sponsored heated spinal beds to the hospital and continues to pay the salary of the operator. Just so the local mountain people can have some relief! Nice guy huh?

His willingness to learn and perseverance in gaining the skills and knowledge needed to get this project off the ground is infectious and inspirational. I believe the impact of people like Hari and these kind of projects can ripple far and wide, if we allow them to – we allow them, by nurturing and supporting their growth in whichever small way we can…

“The earth does not belong to men; men belong to the earth.”
~ Sri Aurobindo

Kind Regards,
Donna-Leigh Baird

4 Rhodes Ave Vereeniging
083 387 3696
016 455 4620
donna.leigh101@gmail.com