The Story of the Kula Kamala Foundation Growing Domes

The Foundation’s Home in Beautiful Pennsylvania

The Kula Kamala Foundation is situated in the farm and forest region of Berks County, Pennsylvania. The organization’s focus is on uplifting lives and reducing suffering. They teach yoga, meditation, breathwork and holistic and spiritual lifestyle as they are taught through Sanatana Dharma, ancient teachings from what we today call India. “With 24 acres of carefully tapered organic landscape, the ashram is truly a sanctuary of peace and stillness for all. Walk the meditation path, traverse the labyrinth, stroll through the flower gardens, take a yoga class, sit in quiet contemplation, enjoy a delicious, healthy meal... all this and more is waiting here, for you.” Within their campus they have three Growing Spaces domes, two 42’ domes and one 33’ dome and they are an integral part of life at the ashram.

The Purpose of the Foundation

The foundation works with people from all walks of life, children, women, men, young, elders, people living with cancer and other illnesses, people who have been traumatized and people who just want more peace in their hearts and minds. They also work with nature and the beings they share the environment with. Kula Kamala practices conservation on their 24-acre campus and are always looking for ways to support the local fauna and flora. They host two to three hundred people monthly from throughout the community.

With a primary focus for their work being alleviation of suffering, growing food is critical. “Food is such an integral part of our wellness, of the wellness of all beings, it only makes sense that some part of our work must be food related. Having the ability to grow food, grass roots level, and provide for family, friends, and local community, and yes, even the local wildlife, especially those suffering from food insecurity, is an inherent part of our organizational mission. Growing Spaces, by way of their fabulous domes, empowers people to grow food pretty much year round.”

On a separate but related note, at the ashram they carry forward an always expanding intention to create thoughtful spaces where people can gather, practice yoga, meditate, enjoy good healthy violence-free food, learn about healthy living and holistic spirituality, and be inspired to a greater aliveness. The greenhouse domes support the campus because they are a unique gathering space for all those reasons.

The Interiors of the Domes

We hope Kula Kamala Foundation domes inspire your creativity and give you design ideas. They created unique growing environments within the space by using organic shapes and beds of varying heights. Each dome is slightly different in design to meet different purposes of the ashram. Many Growing Spaces clients have opted for custom greenhouse interiors. We also have many photographs of dome interiors on our website to give you ideas for designing your dome greenhouse layout.

Having the three Growing Domes at the ashram always brings questions from visitors. People are genuinely curious and excited about them. People who might not otherwise come to the ashram stop by because they want to see the domes and learn about them. To some degree, having the three domes at the foundation empowers a unique outreach. And having the domes has increased their garden harvests so they can serve more people the delicious, nutritious, vegan, and gluten free meals they prepare.

A Unique Purpose For Each Dome

Each of the domes has a unique purpose. One dome is for growing vegetables and herbs. One is a ceremonial dome, where they grow flowers for ceremonies called “puja”. They also grow flowers to create bouquets for sale as part of a program called “Blooms not Bruises”. The income from bouquets is donated to local shelters that help women and children. The third dome, which was just finished earlier this year, will be used for prepping seedlings and for public sales.

Growing Food at the Foundation

The foundation has one primary farmer who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the domes. They also have three employees, and approximately 10 volunteers trained to work with the domes. Within the domes they are currently growing a variety of herbs, peppers, tomatoes, a variety of veggies, marigolds, shampoo ginger, Dahlias, calla lilies, and so much more. They had custom arbors made for their vining plants to grow on.

The foundation has a wonderful Food4All program that feeds 10-30 people for their regular offerings weekly and an additional 50-100 people for special events. They offer dinners on select Fridays, lunch and dinner on the first Saturday of each month and brunch every Sunday. Their philosophy is: “​We understand that our society is only as healthy as we are. The pay-what-you-can cafe' is open to everyone. We serve all people, no matter their cultural-socio-gender-economic status. Through the kindness-based preparation and service of whole, real and healthy food, we are feeding, nourishing and integrating ourselves & others. Together, we are becoming healthy people manifesting a healthier society.”

We are so happy we could be part of adding to this wonderful ashram and wish them all the best in their efforts of caring for the community.