Shumei International Institute

The Shumei International Institute
In keeping with Shinji Shumeikai’s* philosophy, the Shumei International Institute, Inc. is a non-profit organization, created to provide an environment for spiritual growth through interfaith activities, the practice of Natural Agriculture, and art and cultural events.
The Shumei Crestone Center, in Saguache County, Colorado is the Institute’s headquarters. The Institute is maintained and administered by the seven members of its board of directors.

Crestone is located in the vast 5,000 square mile San Luis Valley of Colorado and sits on one of the largest freshwater aquifers on earth. At over 7,500 feet above sea level and ringed on three sides by snow-peaked mountains, some looming over 14,000 feet above, the Valley is the highest Alpine region in the world.The air is pure. The terrain is a fusion of Alpine and high desert, and the surrounding mountains insulate its unique climate. The soil is a mixture of sand, clay, cobble and rock. There are pristine streams, with greenbelts of aspen, cottonwoods, and ponderosas. Aspen is thick on the mountains, while pine and junipers sparsely stud the foothills and valley floor below.
At such a height above sea level, the weather can be harsh and dramatic, with extreme temperatures, intense sunlight, heavy snows, heavy wind, dust storms, hard rains, lightening strikes, and wildfires. Yet, the Valley averages about 330 days of sunshine a year. In much of the Crestone area, annual rainfall averages 7 inches. In the foothills, precipitation is nearly double that of the valleys and temperatures are warmer. Subzero Fahrenheit temperatures can occur at night during the winter months. The coldest month is January, averaging highs of 34.7 degrees Fahrenheit with lows of 8.2 degrees. The hottest month is July with average highs of 83 degrees and lows of 50.8.