For the Himalayan Institute Humanitarian Initiatives, 2009 was an exciting and very busy year. Here is a timeline of major events: HI Cameroon Himalayan Institute Cameroon HI Tibetan Settlements Himalayan Institute & Tibetan Partnership HI India Himalayan Institute India HI Mexico Himalayan Institute Mexico January HI Tibetan Settlements An in-depth planning trip is made to [...]
This past month the Himalayan Institute was honored to host Khen Rinpoche Tsetan, abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in southern India. The Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, who is the second-highest-ranking lama after the Dalai Lama. Following up on Tibetan Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche's visit to the Himalayan Institute [...]
Due to the heavy rains of the monsoon season, the 20-acre Himalayan Institute Energy Farming demonstration site at the Tibetan Rabgayling Settlement was completely overgrown with grass. This threatened to choke the young Pongamia pinnata seedlings that were planted earlier this year. The grass was so tall that it was difficult to see where the Pongamia [...]
The energy farming nursery at the Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement is currently growing over 8,000 Pongamia pinnata seedlings. Tending to a nursery of this size requires lots of attention to ensure that the seedlings get the right amount of water, sunlight, and nutrients. During the summer, temperatures in South India reach as high as 110ºF. Mature [...]
Energy farming refers to the sustainable cultivation of crops that provide green energy, most notably biofuel—crops like sunflower, castor, Jatropha, and Pongamia pinnnata. As the cost of petroleum rises, the need for alternative sources of energy becomes more urgent. Energy farming empowers rural farmers to enter into the rapidly expanding alternative energy market. By utilizing [...]
The Himalayan Institute’s Energy Farming program utilizes organic and biovedic land cultivation techniques. By avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the Energy Farming program is able to grow healthy crops while improving the fertility of the soil. Some of these techniques that are currently in use at the Tibetan Rabgayling Settlement include intercropping, vermicomposting, and micro-rainwater [...]
3,500 pongamia seedlings have been planted at the Himalayan Institute Energy Farming demonstration site at the Tibetan Rabgayling Settlement. The seedlings have been doing very well and are now about 3-4 feet tall. Once fully mature, the seeds from these trees will be used to produce biofuel, which will help to bring jobs and sustainability [...]
The Himalayan Institute Energy Farming team at the Tibetan Rabgayling Settlement has set to work preparing the land for planting young pongamia seedlings. Currently, the seedlings are doing very well at their nursery where they were planted only a few months ago. A tractor from the Rabgayling Settlement Farmers Cooperative has been used to clear [...]
The seed of the Himalayan Institute Tibetan Community Center vision was planted in winter 2007, when an Institute member introduced the HI Community Center concept to representatives of the Tibet Fund, an independent US-based nonprofit organization that works closely with the Central Tibetan Administration and grass roots organizations to sustain and empower the exile community. [...]
On March 22nd P.S. Reddy, project manager for the Energy Farming Pilot Project at the Tibetan Rabgayling Settlement, finished the planting of 10,000 seeds of pongamia pinnata. Many members of the project’s founding group were there to assist in the work. Rigden, Rabgayling’s Agricultural Extension Officer, and Himalayan Institute representatives, Kiran and Virat Xavier, all [...]
