Bloomin’ Bees and Wowza Cowza!
Alum Creating Sustainable Communities


We love hearing about our successful and entrepreneurial alumni, and we hope you do too.

For the past several years Steven Kaufmann (A.A. 2009) has created a Bee Keeping Business (Bloomin’ Bees) at Ananda Village in Northern California. There’s lots of national and international interest in bees these days, especially as they have been mysteriously vanishing from the planet in large numbers. Some say cell phone signals are confusing them and there are other theories. Bees play an important role for productive agriculture in small communities. One of the things that Steven enjoys about bee keeping is the idea that he is “giving back to the land” and helping his community become sustainable.

Steven’s bees are kept to raise organic honey, which he sells locally. He shared that currently he’s raising his bees on wild blackberries, star thistle and clover honey. Steven even brought the bees up to the Ananda College of Living Wisdom campus last spring so they could feast on our plentiful Manzanita blossoms. His local organic honey is especially nice, not what you would find in the usual supermarket!

Steven’s newest venture is something he’s been wanting to do for a long time—create a small organic dairy right in downtown Ananda Village. In July, Steven (and his business partner Cullen Lewis) became proud parents of two young Jersey cows, Daisy and Jesse. If you didn’t know, Jersey cows (according to Nakula) give the richest milk of all the dairy cows. Steven plans to have organic milk available later this summer after Daisy (the lighter brown cow) has her calf in August. Jesse will have her calf in December, so she’ll be giving milk around Christmas. Steven and Cullen are currently building their cow shed, caring for these wonderful creatures and planning for the growth of the dairy.

Working outdoors in nature and bringing sustainability to communities is something that Steven loves. Since graduating with his A.A. in Living Wisdom Studies (Small Communities Solution) in 2009, Steven has been doing remarkable things with small communities. He recently visited Cite Ecologique Community in Canada, to see their unique community. And if you didn’t think he was busy enough, he also works part-time for Ananda Sangha online and helps lead a week-long summer program entitled “Deepening Your Spiritual Life” for Ananda Summer Youth Retreats. Busy as a bee!


Steven Kaufmann at the Great Pyramids during our study abroad to Egypt in 2007

Steven Kaufmann at the Great Pyramids during our study abroad to Egypt in 2007.


Steven Kaufmann and his new cows.

Steven Kaufmann and
his new cows


Steven Kaufmann's cow
Steven Kaufmann's cows