Back to the farm – Bhaktivedanta Manor

This course is suitable for anyone over the age of 18 who loves to be outdoors, wants to be part of building a sustainable future, and is ready to have some fun alongside other participants. Children who are 14 years of age can attend this course if accompanied by their parent who has also registered for this course.

We really hope that the summer sunshine will add to this outdoor experience and that this is an educational and uplifting two days for you and the family. Please purchase your tickets which are £20.00 for this two-day course, spaces are limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis. A light lunch will be included in this price.

Teachers

Shyam Hari das

Shyam Hari das is actively involved in the horticulture project at the New Gokul Farm. Inspired by the teachings of Srila Prabhupada and having spent his early childhood in a traditional home with cows and growing all food in their own farm, ecology, self-sufficiency and sustainability has been a subject close to his heart. Beyond his day job of working as a Solution Architect within public sector, he is a regular speaker on Vedic philosophy of Varnasrama dharma and particularly passionate about training young children and families in natural living, cow care and organic farming.

Dr Janus Bojesen

Dr Janus Bojesen Jensen is an agroecologist with an MSc in Organic Farming. He has researched the potential of spiritually-based practices to enhance organic and agroecological farming systems worldwide and collaborated with the Brahma Kumaris Rural Development Wing on meditation and agriculture.  He lives in London, UK, and in his free time enjoys natural beekeeping, learning rural skills, permaculture, and horticulture. He is also restoring a seventeenth-century farm on Bornholm Island, Denmark, with the intention of transforming it into a demonstration ahimsa farm and teaching centre.

Achyuta Masoumi

Achyuta did not grow up in the countryside or on a farm, but after a few years of meeting devotees, he moved into the temple as a full-time monk. It was here that he developed an interest in nature and mother earth through the bhakti tradition and the farm and the cows at the manor. While at the manor, he went to India and visited many goshalas there, and stayed at the goshala in Govardhan Eco Village for a month and was really inspired in this time.  Achyuta then decided to come back to the UK and to university and achieved a BSc in Environmental Sciences and International Development. After university, Achyuta has been employed full time as the goshala manager at the manor.

Sheila Chauhan

Sheila Chauhan is an Environmentalist in the area of campaigns and policy. She creates recycling initiatives and environmental campaigns to foster behavioural change to create sustainable lifestyles and contribute to a circular economy. She holds a BSc Honours degree in Environmental Sciences and a Masters in Environmental Law and Practice.  Beyond her 9 – 5, Sheila’s work continues with even more vigour. She offers her services as an Environmental Consultant to the South Asian communities to take climate action through the concept of karma. She delivers thought-provoking workshops and has mobilised a team of volunteers to tour an interactive exhibition called ‘Karma to Climate Change’ (K2CC) to universities, Canary Wharf bankers, and a popular Hindu festival, which had over 60,000 people in attendance. K2CC was recognised by UNESCO as a project for global best practice in the climate change community movement. Sheila’s work in faith and the environment has led to invitations to contribute to international panels on climate change in Rome, New York, Argentina, and in Windsor Castle. In her career, she has also led a panel on the circular economy and sat on a panel on diversity and inclusion at the industry’s largest recycling conference and exhibitions at the Birmingham NEC. She will continue to build a tribe of eco lovers that will expand beyond her lifetime. This is the only footprint she wishes to leave behind.

Timil Patel

Timil is a holistic practitioner, specialising in body mobility and muscle health for the past 12 years. Over the years of practice, he believes the 3 aspects of well-being which are body, mind, and diet are critical in a balanced healthy life. Unfortunately, time, knowledge, stress, and commercialised foods are causing more and more health-related issues within our body so come armed with your questions to get the best out of this session.

Sanjay Gohil

Sanj, our young ecology enthusiast with a passion for cows, the environment and education, has loved people, animals, and nature since he was a child. As he grew up, he turned his eagerness to understand our world into a career, studying for a Science degree and qualifying to become a secondary school Biology teacher. He’s been teaching ever since! Being dissatisfied with modern science’s lack of divine guidance regarding how our planet functions, Sanj found inspiration in the spiritual books written by Srila Prabhupada, particularly The Science of Self-Realization. This inspiration led him to investigate the importance of cows in a healthy, functioning society, and he started to work closely alongside the cow care team at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Since then, Sanj has been focused on raising awareness of the spiritual significance of cows and ecology through classes, seminars, and online outreach. His passion and enthusiasm for sharing Vedic knowledge on cows and environmental relationships is founded on the notion that our individual daily actions influence the world in a collective way. He believes that we should use God’s energy in a responsible, respectful, and caring manner. Sanj is always very keen to share whatever he learns, and he believes that by seeing through the lens of Vedic knowledge, every one of us can benefit from a better understanding of our world.

Provision of course material:

Please visit our FAQs which clarifies what material is / is not provided – COURSE MATERIALS