Gita-nagari's Ox-Power Unit - 1987

[Guest guest]

New Talavan wrote:

 

> -

> Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor - UK) <Syamasundara (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

> mark chatburn <markjon11 >; New Talavan <talavan (AT) fnbop (DOT) com>;

> Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

> Tuesday, March 27, 2001 3:34 PM

> Protection Farms - modeling a better system than the slaughter of

> billions of animals.

>

> Comment:

> Do you have plans that you could send of an ox-powered grain mill or contact

> with someone that does?

>

> Taraka Prabhu does someone in Gita Nagari still have the plans for the

> ox-powered sawmill?

 

Rohita Prabhu, under Paramananda's supervision in 1987, I put together a 25

page booklet on Gita-nagari's ox-powered saw mill, complete with 20 pen and ink

drawings by Sarva-Siddhi Ratha. I still have a few copies.

 

Most unfortunately, that was all back in typewriter days -- so I can't download

it to this conference. Maybe that could be a project for me -- to re-type it

to

disk, and to scan the drawings. Come to think of it -- maybe I could get my

son Ashto to do it for a "community service" project which he needs to complete

before he can graduate from high school.

 

Possibly we could post it on the ISCOWP website in the Resource section. Chaya

and Balabhadra Prabhus -- do you think that would be a possibility?

 

Another note on this whole topic is that in the early 1990's, Lagudi and Acarya

(?) prabhus put together their own version for Australia's New Govardhan Farm.

I believe they had it set up for irrigation. In the historical American

versions of an ox-power or horse-power sweep unit, one person stands in the

center and prompts the draft animals with a stick or lash, since they are all

trained by voice command. This was the plan used at Gita-nagari, since they

were

modeling their unit after an Amish horse power unit in Kentucky.

Unfortunately

for the Australian version, Lagudi's animals were not trained with voice

command, they just had nose rings. Therefore, in addition to pulling the

sweep,

the oxen also had to pull a little cart with the ox driver in it, so he could

guide them by pulling the reins to their noses. In the photos, it looked

somewhat awkward.

 

I heard that people thought that Gita-nagari's gearing system could have been

improved -- but at least if we could put the plans on the ISCOWP website,

animal

traction technicians could begin to suggest improvements. Probably we could

get

a lot of feedback from the members of Christian Schlekert's Animal Traction

Network.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

 

 

>

>

> Does anyone have plans for a gear system that could operate a water well?

>

> One devotee here tells me that in rural Brazil they have ox-powered baler

> and hayforks for the big round bales of hay (15,000 pound).

 

--

Noma Petroff

Academic Department Coordinator

BOWDOIN COLLEGE

Department of Theater & Dance

9100 College Station

Brunswick ME 04011-8491

 

Phone: (207) 725-3663

FAX: (207) 725-3372

e-mail: npetroff (AT) bowdoin (DOT) edu