| Why do you think this project is appropriate for the course assignment? | Local to two of our study group members (Ganga Devi and Ryan)
Project is officially completed
Project was initiated with sustainability and community revitalization at the core
Project created a whole (Sustainable Kashi), nested within a larger whole (Kashi Ashram) which was undergoing significant uncertainty and change after the death of its founder (Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati.)
Sustainable Kashi’s founder (Soo Se Cho) is a good friend of Ganga Devi and Ryan, and multiple other highly involved stakeholders are available for interviews as well.
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| Additional Useful Information | Initially conceived of as a way to bring new energy, reduced food costs, and a sense of purpose and direction for the rising generation of the Kashi Ashram community at a critical juncture, this project had mixed reception among the elders of the community, many of whom thought it a waste of time and resources. The attitudes of the community changed significantly over time and overall the community adopted many more ecologically oriented practices that endure today, though Sustainable Kashi no longer exists.
Within a few years of its existence, Sustainable Kashi became a demonstration site and bioregional destination for the Florida Permaculture scene. For three consecutive years it hosted the Florida Permaculture Convergence and had a highly rated volunteer program. Many people who initially came through for WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities of Organic Farmers) opportunities stayed for months and even years.
A wide range of planting styles were experimented with, from a mandala garden, to a food forest, to a market garden, to integrated livestock and the planting of 300+ fruit trees throughout the property.
Though initially developed with clear vision and leadership from the founder, Soo Se Cho, he recognized the limitations of his knowledge and leadership style and advocated for and recruited a well established, experienced permaculture educator Terry Meer to run Sustainable Kashi. Terry brought a significant wealth of knowledge, an effective teaching style, and an approach to managing a rotating community of volunteers that reflects common dynamics in the permaculture world. Unfortunately, many of those dynamics are not necessarily regenerative, often depending on labor dynamics and agreements of exchange that cannot last long and are not accessible or safe for many people.
There is a lesson around cult-personality dynamics that feels wise to study (to understand and to not repeat)
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