THE ISCOWP NEWS Volume 12 Issue 3 2002

Letters

Establishing a Viable Cow Protection Program

Dear Readers,

The following is a reprint of a discussion on the Cow conference concerning the forming of a viable plan for the beginning of a cow protection program in Alachua, Florida, USA. This discussion presents many detailed considerations for establishing such a program. Since the discussion is quite lengthy, it is being continued in this issue and in future issues. The knowledge presented is quite valuable for anyone considering establishing such a program. The discussion is geared for establishing a cow program in a warm climate but much of the details are universal.

Yrs,

Chayadevi

 

From: billy bob buckwheat <d_4h@hotmail.com>

To: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor - UK) <Syamasundara@pamho.net>; Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow@pamho.net>

Subject: Re: Request for help

Date: Thursday, July 04, 2002 12:00 AM

 

Who will do :

1) HEALTH CHECKS- (and know what their looking at)??

a). Hoof care

b). Open wounds, infections, injections, pull inserts for deworming, mastitis care, various others.......

c). Assisting Birthing complications of calves.

d). Caring for new born, clipping umbilical cord and sterilize, birthing watch, colostrums feeding, many others.......

e). Dehorning (if desired) Castration, others.....

 

2) PASTURE MANAGEMENT

a). moving herds to proper fields at proper times.

b). Making sure fields are seeded, weeded, holes filed.

c). Fencing-

d). Irrigation and watering for herds.

e). Poisonous plant protection

f). Cutting grass or buying grass that is not just weed. Storing the grass and grains, taking care of the storage facilities...

g). A million other things..

 

3) TRAINING COWS AND OXEN

 a). A trillion things...

 

4) BREEDING CONTROL MANAGEMENT

a). taking care of a bull?, facilities? Know how?

b). picking the sire if doing manual insemination.

5) just realized I'll be here for awhile if I write more..

6) There are various tools and training for all these activities and for each activity.. three dozen choices of how to do it.

7) The way to have all things done nicely is.. just keep one or two or 5 cows personally and forget business racketing, take care of the dear Matta's and Pita's as a part of the house hold, and they will reward you accordingly, not to mention KRSNA. GOPAL. GOVINDA..

This is the way of success and simple survival which is the main task of life and the best model. (no cow engineering), no matter your life style rich, poor, complicated or simple, just keep a cow or two and be happy with your nightly hot cup of milk, yogurt that you can't get rid of, butter if you get around to shaking the jar, yum, CURD.. burfi.....

If she thinks she is your mother and she gets love.. she will supply you her whole life.. as I've witnessed.

Make industrial size, and she is just another number, and you will breed

every 1,2,3, years to keep up with competition or overhead, ECT..

Good luck... Derek-

P.S. better keep fire insurance for your industry, and insurance on the cows in case one jumps a broken fence line that the low waged servant didn’t fix properly and the cow walks in the nearest highway..

(maybe).…

 

From: markjon chatburn <protection_farms@yahoo.com>

To: <Pancaratna.ACBSP@;

Cc: <iscowp@earthlink.net>

Subject: Multivariate herd data

Date: Tuesday, July 09, 2002 7:51 AM

 

I finally got round to creating the multivariate herd data that is so necessary for a proper business plan, whatever the format. Play with it at will.

 

Cows/yr is the determinant factor of how many calves are to be born each year.

 

Milking yield responds to a 4-year lactation that can be altered. Also, for a 3- or 2-year lactation one can put in zero and alter the other 2 years accordingly. Though this could change herd population dynamics in terms of breeding, though non-milking cows should take up the slack in the available herd of mothers to impregnate.

 

Milk price is in £8, and it is a/the major factor.

 

The system is semi-primed, not like the first excel file I sent, which was fully primed. The system does not bifurcate, though it can be seen that an eighth of the herd are non-lactating mothers. These could be formed as a separate herd, in terms of the financial model, thus reducing the first herds. Again this is a pyramid model which requires ever ending expansion into an ever ending market. As long as this can be factored into the model there is a good 20, 40, 60, 80 or more years of market growth. As the supply grows demand will grow in a positive-feedback cycle which is hugely beneficial for the system as a whole.

 

There needs to be a %efficiency correlation in it as well, which I will do later. No business can expect to be 100% efficient to the model, except after many

years when all the problems are ironed out.

 

The two land costs relate to renting and buying. The buying option is obviously the best. Also, if the land bought is bequeathed to charity (i.e. VEDA), thus owning both the cows and the land, which has a reciprocal contract to give permanent free use to the business based on a Standards criteria, then that

solves the lifetime-assurance system we were looking at. If the business goes bankrupt then there is land

capital to back up for life the animals. The business would be not-very profitable, but that is not THE idea.

 

The cost of animal insurance for medical bills is not included - any data? This should be an internal system with moneys being put by for the needs of the herd.

 

The internal rate of return (IRR) for the business is pathetic if looked at a capitalist “milk-it-for-profit" mentality. Yet it secures land, lifetime-assurance for the animals, milk yield and oxen for crop production. It is ideal for CSA, wherein CSA full members invest in shares which then are backed with bank loans to secure the full-herd mortgage, with profit from non-used land in the first 10 to 20 years then the first 15 years make profit followed by loss for 40 years, then profit onwards. CSA full-members would thus reap back there initial investment plus dividends/profits. It would also require them to buy year-shares for milk and crops. An assortment of relationships could be formed wherein initial investment could be dividends to pay for year-shares.

 

A separate crop production model would be needed. This may be registered as a different business if deemed fit. The idea is to stop cross-subsidization, for each component part to be self sustaining. Thus when adversity comes the backbone - cows and land - are assured via the charity. The appendage businesses -crops, tourism, temples, cafes, restaurants, ox carts, horse carriages, etc., can all go bankrupt, but the backbone will remain for other appendage businesses to reappear in fairer times.

 

There has, as yet, been no modeling of ox/cropping, the assumption being that it will not make enough profit to pay off oxen's maintenance. This could and should be erroneous. Thus, if oxen make profit and support themselves then the costs are dramatically reduced.

 

Neither included are public costs (tax, asset insurance, lobbying etc.) and benefits (cheap land rents, grants, legislation), nor charity costs and benefits. ISKCON has a huge amount of experience with the latter of which it is mostly supporting the

current system (Adopt A Cow, etc.). All I am doing is inserting private capital and supplier/consumer

relationships into this - yet if the price is right then it could go it alone privately. But then why neglect public and charitable institutions? Utility is the means, to exploit all factors at our disposal to create a viable system that puts us on the land for good. Those who go subsistence all the better, but first they need the land and expertise.

Creating a charity (not-for-profit organization) in the image of what I suggested in VEDA would then add a lot of capital to the system as well as being the bankruptcy protection that is needed as the land would be bequeathed.

 

It is inherently complex, but I believe I am starting to get the backbone of the system in place. With data, structural modification and addition we could soon have a very good business model. But to move further on it I sincerely believe we should raise some money to get a notable expert in the field to go over the structure and the data with a tooth pick. I have been accused of recklessness with this model, but I would not want to go ahead with it until it has been peer reviewed, and not by just devotees, who whilst experienced are not always expert Ag economists, but by karmi-business-heads who have been in the business for years. One who has worked in third world countries with oxen, worked in the first world in both conventional and organic, with CSA's, etc.

 

This is after all a theoretical model, and reality is much different to theory. Yet the model should be as close as possible to mirroring reality.

(If you would like to view the Multivariate herd data please write mark at his  e mail address)

 

From: Mark Middle Mountain <gourdmad@ovnet.com>

To: markjon chatburn <protection_farms@yahoo.com>; <Cow@pamho.net>; <Pancaratna.ACBSP@pamho.net>

Cc: <iscowp@earthlink.net>; <Cow@pamho.net>

Subject: Re: Multivariate herd data

Date: Friday, July 12, 2002 12:51 PM

 

> A separate crop production model would be needed. This may be registered as a different business if deemed fit. The idea is to stop cross-subsidization, for each  component part to be self sustaining. Thus when adversity comes the backbone - cows and land - are  assured via the charity. The appendage businesses,  crops, tourism, temples, cafes, restaurants, ox carts, horse carriages, etc., can all go bankrupt, but the backbone will remain for other appendage businesses to reappear in fairer times.>>

Excellent point.

 

From: Noma T. Petroff <npetroff@bowdoin.edu>

To: markjon chatburn <protection_farms@yahoo.com>; <Cow@pamho.net>

Cc: Pancaratna.ACBSP@pamho.net>; <iscowp@earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: Multivariate herd data - milk quality changes over time

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2002 7:05 AM

 

I have not seen your spread sheet -- but I wonder if you are factoring

in declining milk production for each cow.

 

For example, at the beginning of a lactation a Brown Swiss cow might be giving 10 gallons (86 pounds) of milk per day.  After a year and a half, milk output might be 2 gallons or (about 17 pounds) per day, and might continue that way for the next couple years.

 

Also, you probably want to factor in the quality-value of a gallon of milk over that time.  Milk during the first year of the lactation can be used for any purpose.  Milk after the first year is a different consistency and might be better for curd (possibly cheese, also?). Maybe burfi.  Not so good for hot milk.

Hare Krsna dasi

 

From: <Pancaratna.ACBSP@pamho.net>

To: markjon chatburn <protection_farms@yahoo.com>

Cc: <iscowp@earthlink.net>; <Cow@pamho.net>

Subject: Multivariate herd data

Date: Wednesday, July 10, 2002 3:10 PM

 

Dear Mark,

Dandavad. Prabhupada kijaya!

Thank you very much for your information. I will need to study it a bit more before commenting.

 

I attach for you,  and other's on this thread, a file which I prepared as a model of the herd we are planning to start with. The maximum size of this herd is 20, with just breeding every two years for the milkers. We also plan to breed only 2 of 3 cows from the 13th year.

Click on picture to enlarge

Balabhadra is hand milking which is the most pleasurable way of milking for the cow.

 

The ratio of male to female is tilted due to starting with 2  2-year old Heifers, ready to be impregnated and one year old heifer

 

I have included the "virtual herd" which is the basis for calculating a trust fund for the system. I have cut it off at 15 years to see how the trust fund would work to maintain the herd if breeding was stopped at that point and there was no income.

 

I haven't included labor or land costs in the $350 per year, nor is there inflation adjustments. Anyway, it is a start.

(This file is also quite lengthy and if you would like to view it please contact Pancaratna at his e-mail address)

 

From: markjon chatburn, protection_farms@yahoo.com

To: <gourdmad@ovnet.com>; <iscowp@earthlink.net>; <Pancaratna.ACBSP@pamho.net,<npetroff@bowdoin.edu>

Subject: Multivariate herd data

Date: Sunday, July 14, 2002 7:09 PM

Dear Pancaratna and all,

Thank you for your spreadsheet. I looked over it and found many similarities with my first one that was not a variant model but a predicted model. Having done that I then put in breeding 1 animal a year in the multi-variant model and it came to a similar maths. In your spreadsheet at W66 your trust fund has about $60,000. Mine, at AG4, has a value of $100,000 related to the mortgage (meaning start up costs), which is the trust fund.

 

The beauty of the spreadsheet I have, and which I send anew with gallons and £s to $s converted, is that most variables can be changed and refined as more and better data is brought forward. I first did a predicted model, but the maths of it were so correspondent that a variant model is well suited. Sorry if such terms are confusing, all it is saying is that there are mathematical correlations which mean it can be modeled and transformed in various ways.

 

The point with the trust fund, or land fund, is which is better to have 1) land, whose natural capital produces the product interest that is the business, and that can be liquidated to finance the animals herd depreciation, or 2) a lump sum that has no fixed asset, just financial, whose interest pays land rent

or something else.

 

I'm sure Prabhupada would say land. At the end of the day it is to be hoped that the trust fund would not need to be used. If there is a temporary blip in the farm’s fortune and the charity takes over the lease of the animals then land can be re-mortgaged to allow for temporary herd maintenance and depreciation (if old enough) until the system can be rebooted again under the same or different businesses under a new license that the charity leases out. At all times though the charity must be the owner of the animals and the land, and lease them out on a principles-based system.

 

I have also included the selling off of non-milking mothers, as in the cell bifurcation model, into a separate functioning and financing farm cell. You may also notice that a price of £1.3/liter =$9/gallon, and still this does not pull even; but you  would not expect it to as many other costs and benefits are not in place. Also the efficient work load is one milker with 12 milking mothers (3 in the 4-year stages).

 

The spreadsheet takes some working through to get into its dynamics. If you set the cows/yr at 1 then it mirrors your spreadsheet. I hope it is of some use to yourselves, the animals and nature.

(If you wish to view this spread sheet please contact Mark)

 

From: Mark Middle Mountain <gourdmad@ovnet.com>

To: <Cow@pamho.net>

Subject: Re: Request for help

Date: Monday, July 15, 2002 3:25 AM

 

> Preconditions:

> 1) The business model is based on freehold land so there is no direct land cost.>

 

You need to have some ironclad leasehold on that land held in trust so the whole program isn't evicted on a whim.

 

> 2) All initial capital expenses like barn, initial acquisition of animals, etc. are taken as already existing (We plan on obtaining grants, donations, etc. for these costs).>

 

Yes,  this is the subsidization necessary we have spoken of so often. Consider donations of animals from devotee farms.  NV is for now actually not a candidate for donating young cows,  as after a decade of no breeding, most cows are considered too old to be breed, especially since most are still heifers. What young stock there is primarily half beef,  due to unregulated incursions by neighbors bulls :-)   (while I at times put forth the argument a calf born of a neighbors bull belonged to the neighbor  the more sentimental always rejected that concept)

 

DO NOT BUY NEW EQUIPMENT.   The steady contraction of the number of farms in the US means that there is always an auction somewhere,  and if you are patient,  you should be able to get everything you need for 25-50% of new cost.  Get your wish list immediately,   run it by some farmers in your local area,  then find out where the farm auctions are listed in your part of the country.

 

As these capitalization expenses are major part of production,  if you do not start breeding until they are in place,  you will really limit your operating expenses,  not having to pay down loans and interest on those loans.  Or you could offer large donors milk as part of a compensation package for the donation,  if they live close by.  I'm sure you already have that as part of your plan :-)

 

If you have a 501(c)3 that could accept donations of older equipment,  and then they could lease the equipment to the dairy operation in exchange for maintaining old cows, you may be able to place ads in dairy publications and get donations of equipment from conventional farmers who are upgrading to bigger equipment.

 

The idea is that the normal dairy is not expected to keep those animals,  but a 501(c)3 could maintain an older animal as part of it's religious practice,  and they could contract with the dairy to maintain those animals.  The dairy could donate the older animals to the 501 (c)3,   in the remote case there was a  profit (on paper) and even take a tax write off, especially if it is linked with a viable CSA that does profit from the fruit and vegetable production.  the older cows are now property of the 501(c)3,  (which may also exempt them from state personal property taxes,  at least it would in WV ,  (don't know Florida tax structure),  and the 501(c)3 could contract with the dairy to care for the cows and provide use of the equipment as in kind payment.

 

> Cow Husbandry operations:

 This is based on an optimum herd size of 100 with milking cows freshened only every four years and retired after 2-3 lactations. One out of three heifers might  never be bred.>

 

Sounds good.

 

> We have projected the following breakup of the herd and the costs of maintaining the herd (feed, etc.)

Milking Cow 10 @ $675.00 year = $6,750

Dry Cow 20 @ $325.00 year = $6,500

Retired Cow 10 @ $325.00 year = $3,250

Heifer 10 @ $250.00 year = $2,500

Oxen 10 @ $400.00 year = $4,000

Retired Oxen 30 @ $325.00 year = $9,750

Bull Calf 10 @ $250.00 year = $2,500>

 

With equipment and land costs not counted in,  these seem reasonable. Although I would think that a retired cow is cheaper to maintain than a growing calf,  because if you want to get full size,  then some grain should

be fed younger stock,  plus occasionally vet may be needed for a younger

animal, whereas for the older stock, sometimes you let nature take it's course.

 

> Cost of milking (10 cows)

Labor 4 hours/day (365 days/year) @ $7 per hour $10,220

Total direct cost $45,470>

 

Again,  $7 gross pay to an employee will cost employer $8-9.

 

> This means that the direct cost is about $3.69 per gallon. (this is one of the main areas we need help in verifying our assumptions - see bottom) Our market research indicates we can charge $5.00 per gallon reasonably and  sell "milk shares" in our CSA for $650 per year eventually providing about 95 persons with approx 2.5 gallons of milk (or equivalent in yogurt, etc.) per week.>

 

One difference between the $3.69 and the $5 figure you don't seem to be accounting for is the processing costs.  Chilling the milk for raw milk sales (legal in Florida?)  or pasteurizing it takes labor and energy,  plus bottling costs which are labor and energy,  assuming equipment already in hand.

 

>This would bring a gross margin of about $16,000 for the farmer to  help cover his own living expenses and all other indirect costs, including his assistants.>

 

My hope would be a break even for the dairy,  with the manure as free fertilizer being the benefit and major part of the profit, farmer getting some of the labor costs for him/herself.

> This would be in addition to the main business of the farm which is growing vegetables, fruits and flowers for the CSA members. The oxen would be used in this program which we estimate will save about up to $5,000 that would otherwise be spent on equipment maintenance and depreciation, irrigation, electricity, insurance, fuel, etc.

 

I think savings from oxen might be optimistic:-)  But at least if it was a break even with mechanical draft,  it wouldn't be a liability and that is a plus.  The profit in using oxen will be more in a marketing perspective, or in giving rides at festivals, and on a spiritual level, Krsna will be pleased :-)

> For the CSA we project utilizing about 6 acres for the 95 member households. Each household would pay about $480 per year for a total of $45,000 income. The direct costs of the agriculture is estimated at just around $400 per  acre for external inputs. This comes to $2400 per year leaving a gross margin of $42,500 for the farmer and his assistants as well as additional income for the social security of the cows and oxen.>

 

CSA have their own brand of headaches, but are definitely where forward thinking farmers are looking.  Alachua is a unique area with a large devotee community that is capital generating,  so it is a great opportunity and niche market,  worth taking the shot.  I assume there is already an existing operation there looking to expand or upgrade,  that would be ideal, starting from scratch is way more difficult than most people can conceive.

 

<Initially we will not have such a large herd or even a small one but proportionate herd, but we will still set aside the money we would have spent if we had the actual proportionate number of animals. For example, we are planning to start with 2 milking cows and two bull calves (hopefully from the same cows). However, we will set aside the cost of maintaining an additional 6 animals into a trust fund for future retired animals.  Thus we expect that the initial milk production will at best just break even.>

 

Good,  start small, then when initial obstacles are overcome successfully,

gradual expansion.

 

> On the other hand, we will start with the full agricultural program if we get enough subscribers. This will be done alongside the existing Govinda's Garden farm which has been selling organic vegetables grown on 30+ acres for several years now.>

 

Go for it,  I will pray for you.

 

> To facilitate this program we are forming an independent non-profit that will support the development of this model on privately owned and operated farms. I will be managing the non-profit and seeking grants for the program. The non-profit may also develop into a sort of certifying agency. We are also considering operating a "social security" fund for both farmers and animals through this non-profit.>

 

Got to love the idealism ;-)_

 

> This is the basic outline. We need advice on several issues which I will post in a separate text.>

 

Sorry so slow to respond, but the demands of my own gardening operation

drain most of my energy. Feel free to stop by NV and visit,  we could have

a frank and long conversation on these matters.

 

Hare Krsna

Madhava Gosh

(in case you didn't realize that is who Mark Middle Mountain is,  I am not

on COM anymore)

 

Medicinal Use of Cow Urine Receives US patent

From: Nirguna <nirguna108@vsnl.com>

To: <iscowp@earthlink.net>

Subject:

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2002 5:00 AM

 

Hindu News  Today's Headlines  

Medicinal Use of Cow Urine Receives US patent

2002-07-08 Published by Hinduism Today Gathered by Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 8: Joint research conducted by the Scientists of Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, a Central Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratory, and Go-Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra, Nagpur, has resulted in the granting of a US patent for a unique pharmaceutical composition, announced Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi.

 

The research discovered the unique bio-enhancing activity in a specific cow urine distillate, which enhances the anti-microbial effects of antibiotic and anti-fungal agents. Cow urine has been used for its medicinal properties in India since ancient times and has been described as a substance/secretion with innumerable therapeutic values in ''Sushrita Samhita'' and ''Ashtanga Sangrah.''

 

This contemporary finding is the synergy of Indian traditional wisdom and modern science. The impact of this novel patent will be on reducing the dosage of drugs to get a given therapeutic effect. It will also reduce the cost of treatment and the side-effects due to toxicity, according to the details of the research paper.

 

Joshi also believed the achievement would give impetus to the traditional researchers of the country. Details of the cow urine patent, entitled Pharmaceutical composition containing cow urine distillate and an antibiotic, #6,410,059, are available at the US Patent Office website: www.patft.uspto.gov/

 

Resource

From: Noma T. Petroff <npetroff@bowdoin.edu>

To: Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow@pamho.net>

Subject: Acres USA - online Ag reprints

Date: Monday, July 08, 2002 2:19 PM

 

Devotees may be interested in the free online article reprints available from Acres USA, an organic agriculture newspaper.

 

Articles include topics of agronomy, marketing, ecology, etc., including

the following two articles on agronomy:

 

Soil Testing for Fertility Management

                    by Neal Kinsey

                    May 2002

Understanding the Carbon-Nitrogen Ratio

                    by Crow Miller

                    April 2000

From: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor - UK) <Syamasundara@pamho.net>

To: Mark Middle Mountain <gourdmad@ovnet.com>; Noma T. Petroff <npetroff@bowdoin.edu>; Cow@pamho.net

Subject: Re: Specific help for CSA - ox power unit

Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 1:21 AM

Click on picture to enlarge

Here at Bhaktivedanta Manor we have an ox power unit made from a truck axle, prop shafts and gear boxes. My feeling is that it is of such a simple design that it could very easily be replicated.

Having seen the Gita Nagari ox power unit my perception is that such a unit would require too specialized engineering to be viable in a lot of cases.

The essential parts of the spare parts ox power unit are all available globally and thus easy to construct.

We use our power unit for rolling grains as it has the parts of a Tractor Power Take Off then whatever a static tractor could power this unit can power (providing you put enough oxen on it); wood saw, oil press, flour mill, vegetable chopper, chaff cutter, washing machine, water pump, air compressor etc...

We have 4 arms off the power unit and generally only use 4 single oxen, however it would be better to follow the Gita Nagari model in this regard and put 5 arms on the power unit. This means you can have 5 teams of 2 (10 oxen) on the unit which will not only look amazing but also gives valuable work for the oxen.

From: <npetroff@bowdoin.edu>

To: <Cow@pamho.net>

Cc: <gourdmad@ovnet.com>

Subject: Re: Specific help for CSA - ox

power unit

Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 9:24 AM

Even though the Gita-nagari unit has 5 arms, I believe that sometimes they would run it with fewer than 5 teams.

Oh, now I remember, they used single yokes instead of double yokes -- so it was only 1 ox per arm -- otherwise the outside ox would have to run 15% faster than the inner ox.

Even still, I think sometimes they might use fewer than 5 oxen -- Balabhadra?

Hare Krsna dasi

From: <Syamasundara@pamho.net>

To: <npetroff@bowdoin.edu>; <Cow@pamho.net>

Subject: Re: Specific help for CSA - ox power unit

Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 1:44 AM

When I visited Balabhadra Prabhu and his wife Chayadevi they showed me a video of the Gita Nagari ox power unit being used. In that video they were cutting wood with 5 oxen. One could hear the saw slowing down through the wood which probably didn't matter for the thickness of wood being cut.

If the saw was going through very thick wood or was cutting planks then it would seem that there would have to be the full team of 5 x 2. It seems that there will be oxen who walk at different speeds in any case. Certainly here at BM our two teams both walk at different paces. Perhaps the teams should be positioned according to their natural walking speed. Anybody remember 'Ben Hur' the slower ox on the inside and faster on the outside.

From: <npetroff@bowdoin.edu>

To: <Cow@pamho.net>

Subject: Re: Specific help for CSA - ox power unit

Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 7:06 AM

If you will refer to Paramananda and Vaisnava's Gita-nagari Ox Power Unit booklet on the ISCOWP website, you will note that it is definitely designed for 5 single oxen.

The illustration on the back page, showing 2 yokes of 2 oxen each is a very early 1985 photo -- taken before the single yokes were made and before a shelter for the unit was built. If you look closely, it appears that the outside ox on the foreground is having difficulty maintaining proper rhythm with the inside ox. He does not look comfortable.

The ISKCON Farm In Uganda

Written by Adrien Baguma

From: "Adrien Baguma" <adrienbagshumb@yahoo.ca>

To: <iscowp@earthlink.net>

Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 10:50 AM

Subject: Inquiry and information

I am BAGUMA, a devotee in ISKCON temple in Kampala Uganda. I joined ISKCON in September 2001, to participate actively here in Africa, particularly in Democratic Republic of Congo, (DRC) where I am from. I joined ISKCON after reading Srila Prabhupada’s book "The Science for Self Realization." I decided to join ISKCON after I finished my university studies. Before I went to the university, I lived in our poor traditional village as we belong to traditional kings family. Our duty was to keep cows and protect the land.

Under senior UK devotees I trained to use and dedicate my skills in social organization and development to maintain the ISKCON farm in Uganda. We have 9 hectares in Kampala Lumuli-village. We conceived the project for as a self-sufficiency . We produce beans, maize, and other vegetables for ISKCON Food for Life Program in Kampala Uganda where we are now feeding more than 600 persons every week.

Click on picture to enlarge

    For the first land preparation and first crop production in February 2002 we had two permanent farmers and every day we had 10 laborers for cultivating the land from the village. We would work the land, eat prasadam (food offered first to the Lord (Krishna), and after work we would chant the holy names of Lord Krishna with them  Now more of them are attending our Sunday Food for Life farm program and asking to join

.We never use tractors, neither chemical things, even if we found some insect that were difficult to get rid of. We have 7 cows who supply cow dung, and urine for soil fertilization. We also use ashes from the local kitchen for fertilizer.

Click on picture to enlarge

Hand labor is widely available in Africa, so we really did not need to have bulls to do  the work, but their utilization is a crucial part of Krishna Consciousness.

Our future project is 50 hectares of land that we want to develop for self-sufficiency crop production and to also  help the temple to propagate Krishna Consciousness in all of Uganda Africa through the transcendental method chanting Hare Krishna maha mantra, dancing and prasadam distribution. We are also growing green vegetables, sweet potatoes, green peppers and eggs plants, which supply 60 % of the temple stock in town, the farm and Food for Life kitchen.

The local people here perform their agriculture based on culture tradition, not the way of modernized agriculture. The family  even find medicinal cures for disease through cow worshipping. In the early morning the cows are brought out to the pasture and in the evening the cows are herded back from the pasture.

Click on picture to enlarge

Actually, because of gospel through the new Christian testament, our village and many other villages, started eating meat. Some old men refused completely and still bury cows when they die, as in Mulenge east RDC. The climate is equatorial. There are many islands, lakes (Lake Kivu, lake Tanganyika). The land is in the natural condition and there are many vacant plantations to be used for Krishna.

 I view the ISCOWP example as an active approach for propagation of Krishna Consciousness and Cow Protection in Africa, Central Africa, in East DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi, where cows are worshipable and are given the same respect as our material mothers as the cow is considered the mother of the family . When a man gets married his family gives cows to the future wife’s family. When the cows die, some traditional kings, conservationist, bury them.

Update Vol. 12 Issue 3 2002

11/28/02 Since we are approaching the end of the year, it is a good time to report how the campaign is doing. Started in July, 2002, it extends to July of next year. Presently we have $10,200 in the bank. $2000 of that money, given by the GBC, is for Balabhadra’s trip to India. That leaves $8000. We have definite reliable pledges for another $5000 that will bring it up to $13,000. $15,850 was the estimated cost of constructing the storage building for the ox power equipment and round bale hay storage. Considering that we have already bought the tin for the roof for $1,100 we have a balance of $1,750 needed. The construction will begin as soon as the warm weather is upon us, which is usually in May, possibly April.

Actually, the entire campaign was for $22,974.00. Repairing and painting the old barn roof was estimated at $2,006.40. We have spent $1,658.00 to paint the old barn roof and water seal the new barn’s sides. It will take about $200.00 to finish sealing the holes in the roof. So in total, as of this date, we can deduct $15,658.00 collected for the $22,974.00 proposed amount. That leaves $7,316.00 needed before July 2003, and $1,750 of that needed by April.

Below is a photo of a part of the farm where this building will be placed. It was taken from the hillside above our present residence/ISCOWP office. Where the old farmhouse is located is where the new building will be built. We hope to have the old house down this winter. The area between the barrels and the new barn is where we were originally going to put the building. But Balabhadra had second thoughts due to the electricity lines being low and not enough space between the lines and the top of the building for safety purposes. He feels we can put a smaller building here in the future. When we finish the first storage building, we will see how much we can get in it and then we will know what further needs there may be.

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Note the hay bales sitting on the edge of the hillside. We would like to get as much of this under cover as possible. Every year we lose some due to mold and if it were under roof we would not have this mold problem. In the barn we are able to store 35 large round bales (as you see in the photo) and 400 square bales which can be handled by hand.

Beyond the cow trailer, you can see the entrance driveway that has been enlarged to allow parking and turn around area. The entrance road comes from in front of the old house. We will be purchasing stone to lay in the driveway so it is not a muddy mess. You can see that there is a road that passes the barn and goes to the last building/residence at the end. Beyond that house is a cabin. At the forefront of the photo is a road that goes to our residence.

10/25/02 Fall is here now and everything is very lovely in colors of gold, yellow, and red. The pastures are a lovely green in contrast to the brown of summer. They have gotten a spurt of green growth from the rains, but it is too late for any real growth sufficient to feed the cows. We are now officially feeding them from the barn. It is a pleasure to see the cows since they appear to be contented with the freedom to be in the pasture and to come to the barn for hay. This is pleasant weather for them.

11/26/02 The surrounding hillsides have changed from a multicolored scene to a gray one of leafless trees almost overnight. Just today it started snowing and 6 inches of snow is predicted. The cows have grown their winter coats and do not seem to feel the cold. At this point the pastures are not as attractive to them because they can’t find very much to eat there; but they do like to roam them just the same. The weather predictions are that it should be a mild winter but this present weather defies that report. The temperature tonight is in the twenties. It’s good to know that all the cows can gather in their new barn for warmth and shelter from the elements if they want to.

11/28/02 Needless to say we are now heating with wood. In fact, tonight I put too much wood in the stove and got the house too hot. I had to open the windows and I couldn’t sleep. That’s the amazing thing about wood heat. It gives out an immediate intense heat that is penetrating. There is no other form of heat that compares. Certain types of wood give more heat then others. So it is not necessarily the amount of wood you use but the type. Locust gives the most intense penetrating heat. One log of locust can make you open the windows depending on the temperature outside. So you might say it is a science in building your fire just right.

10/25/02 Bell peppers as well as hot peppers, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and kale are still being harvested from our garden and used in our prasadam (foodstuffs first offered to the Lord) preparations.

The last newsletter you received and Volume 11 Issue 2 from the year 2001 are now on the web site: http://www. iscowp.org. Also the project fundraiser is on the project button and anyone can make a donation from there. The address is: http://www. iscowp.org

We are corresponding with a devotee (Padmagarbha das) in Russia who has translated the Minimum Cow Protection Standards into Russian and is working on a project to put up an ISCOWP Russian language web page. We’ll let you know how this progresses.

As mentioned in the last ISCOWP update, Balabhadra along with Suresvara das will give a seminar on cow protection in Mayapur. The course will cover cow protection on the international level and be available to all persons interested in cow protection. There is an MIHE web page where anyone can sign up for this course and others. The address for this course is: http://www.mayapur.org/mihe/2003/2k3_balabhadra.htm.

[This page takes 30 seconds to download  Please be Patient, as this is an excellent Article]

Cows are ruminants, members of the suborder Ruminantia (order Artiodactyla). Other members of this suborder are the pronghorns, giraffes, deer, antelopes, sheep, and goats. Most ruminants have a four-chambered stomach. (Camels and some other ruminants, however, have a three-chambered stomach.)

The first chamber is the large rumen (or paunch). The next two are the reticulum and the omasum (psalterium or manyplies). These first three chambers are believed to be derived from the esophagus. The last chamber is the abomasum (or reed), which corresponds to the stomach of other mammals.

The combined four-chambered stomach is big. In the domestic ox (Bos taurus) the whole stomach occupies nearly three-quarters of the abdominal cavity. In medium sized cattle, the rumen by itself can hold between 25 to 75 gallons. The rumen grows large in early life after the changeover from a milk diet.

Click Picture to enlarge

Cows have four chambers in their stomach: remun (largest chamber of the stomach occupying most of the left side of the abdominal cavity), reticulum, abomasum and omasum as viewed in this diagram as viewed in this diagram http://www.vet.pudue.com of the right side of the cow.

"Number of cows and calves slaughtered every 24 hours in the U.S.: 90,000." "What Humans Owe to Animals," The Economist, Aug 19, 1995. [02.06.27:03]

"U.S. dairy cows: 10 million." Mason, Jim "Assault and Battery," Animals' Voice, Vol. 4, No. 2, pg. 33. [02.06.27:04]

"U.S. dairy cows housed in some type of factory system: 5 million" Mason, Jim "Assault and Battery," Animals' Voice, Vol. 4, No. 2, pg. 33. [02.06.27:05]

"Natural life-span of a dairy cow: 20-25 years." [02.06.27:06]

"Lifespan of U.S. dairy cows. 3-4 years." [02.06.27:07]

"Period of time required for U.S. factory farms cows to produce their own weight in milk today: 3 weeks." [02.06.27:08]

"For some cows given bovine growth hormone: 8 days"[02.06.27:09]

"U.S. dairy cows that at any given time have mastitis (painful udder infections): 50%." Adcock, Melanie, "The Diary Cow: America's 'Foster Mother,"' Humane Society of the United States; http://www.hsus.org [02.06.27:10]

"Materials routinely fed to U.S. cattle: Dried poultry waste and sewage sludge." Cheeke, Peter, Contemporary issues in Animal Agriculture, 2nd ed, Interstate Publishers, Danville, IL, 1999 pg 76, 278. [02.06.27:11]

"Cattle feed now contains things like chicken manure and dead cats." (U.S. News and World Report, 1997) "The next bad beef scandal," U.S. News and World Report, Sept 1, 1997. [02.06.27:12]

The total number of mammals and birds raised and killed for food in the U.S. this year is expected to reach 9,906 million. This represents a 2% increase over the 2000 figure of 9,713 million." [02.10.01.01]

"The 2001 total includes 40 million cattle and calves (down 4% from 2000), 113 million pigs (down 2%), 4 million sheep (down 7%), 308 million turkeys (up 1.3%), 8,967 million 'broilers' (up 2%), 446 million laying hens (up 3.8%), and 25.6 million ducks (up 2.8%)." [02.10.01.02]

"In more personal terms, during a 75-year lifetime, a typical U.S. resident is responsible for the suffering and death of 11 cows, 32 pigs and sheep, 85 turkeys, 2,570 chickens and ducks, and un-counted numbers of fish and other aquatic animals." [02.10.01.06]

The worldwide number of animals killed for food in 2000 was 45 billion, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. This included 306 million cattle, buffalo, and calves, 1.2 billion pigs, 795 million sheep and goats, and nearly 43 billion chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese. The figures exclude some small countries and 'non-slaughter' deaths, which are generally not reported." [002.10.01.5]

"Rainforest beef is typically found in fast food hamburgers or processed beef products. In both 1993 and 1994 the United States imported over 200,000,000 pounds of fresh and frozen beef from Central American countries. Two-thirds of these countries’ rainforests have been cleared, primarily to raise cattle whose stringy, cheap meat is exported to profit the U.S. food industry. When it enters the United States, the beef is not labeled with its country of origin, so there is no way to trace it to its sources." (Rainforest Action Network) ("Seven Things You Can Do to Save the Rainforest," Rainforest Action Network Facts sheet, http://www.ran.org/ran/info_center/factsheets/) [02.08.08.02]