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Balabhadra gives a tour of the garden

This issue is primarily an update of ISCOWP activities. Since the last issue there has been much activity in developing the ISCOWP center. The goal has been to develop the center as a place that people can come to for training and knowledge of cow protection and related self sustaining skills. Although we have much yet to do for complete development, for the first time we officially opened the ISCOWP farm to guests by hosting the first annual Harvest Workshop.  This is the beginning of more such workshops and seminars to be expanded and held in future years.

In these pages we honor the memory of Draupadi who recently past away and welcome Krishna and Balaram who have recently arrived after being saved from slaughter. We are honored to know and care for all these great souls in cow bodies.  With your support we are able to continue this service. Thank you.

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Inside This Issue

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We have some sad news to report. Draupadi, one of our most beloved cows, has passed away. Draupadi was fairly recently adopted by Mary Eshelman. Here is a letter from Balabhadra to Mary about Draupadi.

7/10/04

Dear Mary,

 You are already aware that Draupadi has taken ill.  When the vet came to check on her he could see that externally her lymph glands were swollen and to the side of her right eye there was a lump about the size of a swollen 1/2 dollar that he indicated was also common for her condition.  He did an internal exam and said that a number of her organs were also infected with cancer.  Among them were her lungs, uterus, and heart, to name a few.  Because her lungs and heart were infected, it was causing her to have a hard time in her breathing. 

 The first evening (Monday) when she was not able to stand up, we managed to get her on a low sled and convey her to a flat area below the barn where she would be safe for the night.  The hope was that after resting through the cool evening she would have the strength to again rise up in the morning and rejoin her herd mates.  Unfortunately, in the morning she still was without the strength to get to her feet.  At this time, we got the tractor and with five men we got her back onto the sled and slowly took her up the hill to the barn.  We have an area in the barn that we use for a hospital area.  It is under roof and has large doors that open to allow for fresh air and sunshine.  If the weather turns bad, we close the doors for the comfort of the cows.

 Each day the rest of the herd came to the barn and sat with Draupadi for several hours during the heat of the day.  Draupadi kept trying to get up but was not able to as she was quite weak.  I would check her every 3 or 4 hours during the day.  The last check in the evening was at 10pm and the first check in the morning was 6am.  She was getting a tablet called BHUTT every 12 hours, which is like an aspirin, and it helps with taking the edge off pain without being a narcotic or heavy painkiller.  On each visit, she was offered water and hay.  Sometimes she would eat and the hay was always left in easy reach so she could nibble whenever she wanted.  Sometimes she would drink between 3 and 6 gallons of water.  However, she would usually only take a sip or two, which is a concern, as we did not want her to get dehydrated.  We played nice music (Hare Krishna kirtan) for her 24/7 during this time as well.  During these visits we would clean up the area and when all the chores were done we would spend time with her, sometimes petting and stroking her and always talking to her and rubbing her head.  She still had the strength to remain in a sitting position as opposed to lying down. Sometimes I would kneel by the back of her neck and hug her and she would turn her head towards me and hug me next to her neck in return.

 Yesterday (Friday 7/9/04) when I checked on her at 2:30pm she did not drink any water and she was not eating any hay either.  We hugged again and when I came back at 5:30pm her head was down as if she was sleeping but she had passed away.  The vet said that there was a good chance that her heart would just give out as it was very infected with the cancer and she was having a hard time keeping up with maintaining her body's needs.  I was very grateful that she had a quick and easy passing.  She will be buried on the farm on Monday afternoon when the neighbor can bring his backhoe over.

When I used to milk Draupadi there were a number of families who would buy her milk.  She was a favorite cow of all who knew her, well appreciated, and loved.  She would be classified as an" honest cow".  This term means that whatever she ate was turned into milk and not fat.  Whatever she took for her sustenance she kept only what she needed to maintain herself and the rest was given back in milk.  Even when she was milking she never was a fat cow but maintained a slender figure and pleasant loving demeanor.  I looked forward to milking her in the afternoons.  I would go and get her from pasture and bring her to the house or barn.  She would get her grain and give her milk.  It was a time of reflection for me as it would take about 20 minutes to hand milk her.  I would be sitting next to her with my head resting on her side.  No matter what time of year she always had such a wonderful fragrance, sweet and fresh as an early spring morning or what the air smells like during hay season.

 Draupadi was a great soul and she will be greatly missed.

With great appreciation for your help in protecting the cows,

Sincerely, Balabhadra das (William E. Dove)

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Part of the Harvest Workshop crew visits the cows on pasture.

 In springtime, Little Shyam was diagnosed to have a pinched nerve in his hind quarters. Some other members of the herd have had the same condition and have managed to live with it for many years. We kept an eye on him and in late July, he was not following the herd up the hill to take shelter in the barn at the heat of the day. It was just too difficult for him to walk uphill. At that point, Chayadevi and the workers who were building the loafing shed, coaxed him up the hill and put him in an enclosed portion of the barn. A different diagnosis was reached after a different vet was called. Shyam’s sacrum and hind legs were determined to be calcified and fused together. There is no cartilage there. The vet said that it was advanced and there is not much that can be done. Eventually he would not be able to stand up and he would deteriorate.

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Little Shyam has been having a hard time with his hind quarters. The allopathic vet said there was not much that could be done. We have been having some success with homeopathy in consultation with Labangalatika dasi. Nada dasi has adopted him and has been doing research on substances that can rebuild collagen. She will be sending us something soon and we will use it in the hope that the pads between the bones and vertebrae can be rebuilt.

At first, he was very weak and did not move much. Then he seemed to gain strength. Everyday he received grain morning and evening plus hay and water. Then he seemed to get worse. We started to give homeopathy as instructed by Labangalatika dasi. The homeopathy has helped and now his condition is stable. The area we have him in is not far from a small pasture. On a cloudy day and in the evenings we walk him to the nearby pasture and he stays there for the day or evening. Then we bring him back to his apartment where he can easily get water, grain, shelter and rest. We are not hoping to cure his condition but to make him as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. He is listening to Srila Prabhupada kirtan 24/7.

Nada dasi visited a petting Zoo in Pennsylvania and decided to save the two calves there from going to the slaughterhouse as that is where the owner sends them when they are about 2-4 months old and have grown too big for the zoo. On August 20^th , they arrived at the ISCOWP farm to begin their protected lives. Their names are Krsna and Balaram and they are beautiful Jersey bull calves.

Balabhadra is planning to train them as ISCOWP’s new team. They are presently living in the barn apartment that Asha and Kamdhenu lived in last winter. They are a delight to all who visit them because they are friendly and beautiful.

Because of their young ages, they are still on bottles twice a day with a milk replacer.  They have a grain mix of oats, corn and molasses that is being consumed at a rate of about 3 lbs per day between them.  They also have a choice of 1^st cutting hay or second cutting hay which hangs in hay bags in their feed area. 

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Kirtiraja and Dhananjaya feed Krishna and Balaram their baby bottles.

 Krsna had a large scrape on his side when he arrived and that has cleared up completely with the help of comfrey salve.  Their coats are a medium brown and getting to a nice condition.  They are very frisky and like to race around their enclosure.

Krsna and Balarama are very affectionate and very alert and intelligent.  They have a very close bond with each other and Balabhadra is watching them to see how they do things together to determine what side of the yoke each will be trained for working.  When they come for their bottles Krsna is always on the side which would be the “off ox” position.  Standing in front of them looking at their faces, Krsna would be on the left side.  So most likely this will be the position in the yoke that he will be trained for working.  This may change in the course of their initial training, but not likely.

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Bhaktin Jamie and Krishna exchange a sweet moment.

The rest of the herd is fine. They are still roaming the pastures with plenty to eat on the green hillsides.

Balabhadra is visiting with Vraja, the king of the herd, while Kalki, adopted by Jill Eisenbraun, is wondering who is behind the camera.

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Loafing Shed Project

The loafing shed is almost finished. This area became dangerous to the cows because of inadequate drainage which caused deep mud and potholes. It has developed into a nice barn where we can keep cows and oxen that are old and infirm. Especially during the winter months such cows need special accommodations to get through the cold months without any possible complications. It is on one side of this barn that we will place Shyam and on the other side where we will place Kamadhenu and Asha and a few old cows who normally stay with each other in the pasture.

Excavation began July 19, 2004 with the arrival of a small bulldozer. We had to dig down 24 inches to virgin soil in order to have a good solid base to work on. The bulldozer operator was an older gentleman who has been doing excavation work for forty years and was very expert. Within 4 hours, he had gotten down to virgin soil and pushed all of the manure and loose soil into a large pile by the silo. The rest of the first day was spent loading the double axel dump truck and hauling the manure to a different section of the farm where it was stock piled and will be spread on the fields and garden later in the fall.

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The work site was excavated down to virgin soil and the new French drain was installed.

The next procedure was to dig around the old section of the loafing shed and to remove the faulty French drain and replace it with a new French drain covered in gravel. On top of the gravel was placed a special fabric that will not let dirt get into the French drain and clog it up.

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The third and fourth day was utilized in delivering shale and back filling what we had already excavated. We back filled a depth of 18 inches that leaves 6 inches for the cement slab that will bring us level with the existing cement floor.

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The excavated site  was then backfilled with shale.

 July 23, 2004 we squared up the building site and located the points where the uprights will be placed. We drilled holes 3 feet deep for each of the uprights and proceeded to get the uprights in place and braced. We also removed the existing water station and rerouted the water line to where it will be located.

The next step was to build a perimeter form so that when we poured the cement floor it would be contained.  After the perimeter form was made, we laid in place a heavy wire mesh that would act as reinforcement for the cement. After the wire mesh was in place, we were ready to pour the cement floor.

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The support beams for the extended roof were put in place. Then wire mesh was placed over the shale as a reinforcement for the cement floor. A water hydrant was placed in the middle of the floor.

 During these abovementioned steps the old tin siding was also removed from the back and side walls. This tin was used for the roof.

On August 9, we poured 20 yards of cement to give us a new floor for the expanded loafing shed.  We started at 6a.m. so we would have advantage of the cool morning and we finished the pour at 1p.m. We had six men on the job that day as cement work is hard work and once the pour starts you only have a certain time period to get everything done before the cement sets.

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Frank and Richie lay the cement floor.

 During the pouring of the cement, another man was trenching a 400 ft. ditch from the edge of the loafing shed down to the closest gulch that already was the site of a natural spring.  In this ditch was laid 4-inch PVC drainpipe that will carry the water from the French drain and gutters away from the loafing shed.  After the 400 ft. of drainpipe was laid and connected, the ditch was covered with dirt and two major parts of the project were completed in the same day.

The crew needed a couple of days off to fulfill other commitments which was good as the cement needed time to set up and cure before we could walk on it again.

The next phase was to frame up the roof.  The rafters we used are 2x6x16 rough cut poplar and the nailers that the roofing tin is nailed to is 1x6x16 rough-cut poplar.  After the new section of roof was framed up, the tin was put into place.  We then had to change the pitch of the old roof to meet the pitch of the new roof.  This meant that the back of the old roof needed to be jacked up 30 inches.  We used three coalmine jacks and took the weight off the back of the roof.  We then cut the 6x6 support posts freeing up the roof so it could be lifted in place.  Inch by inch the roof was raised to meet the pitch of the new roof.  It took 4 ½ hours and five men working very carefully to raise the old roof.  When the old and new roof joined in the desired configuration, we cut 6x6 filler blocks and glued and nailed them in place so the 6x6 support beams were now going to hold the weight of the roof.  After this was done the coal mine jacks were removed and the roof was solid and complete.

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Three coal mine jacks were used to raise the roof.

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After the roof was raised 30 inches, the old roof and new roof met each other.  Filler blocks were measured and hammered in place where they were glued and nailed.

The shelter part was almost complete but we needed to add a section for hay storage so that the cows could be fed in this new barn throughout the winter season.  Almost at road level and 12 ft. from the back of the loafing shed, we laid 6x6x16 pressure treated beams.  We then attached  2x6x12 ft pressure treated floor joists every 2 ft from the back of the shed to the 6x6x16 beams.  After the floor joists were in, ¾ inch plywood was nailed down to give a floor space of 12 ft x 62 ft for hay storage.  This area has also had sides added to it and a roof erected to give the loafing shed a very nice area for hay storage.

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The hay storage deck is in place and walls are being framed. 

 As of the writing of this letter most of the siding has been nailed in place.  We used 1x6 inch rough-cut poplar boards.  On the road side of the hay storage area an 8ft high by 12 ft. wide sliding door was built.

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We had ordered a 500-gallon cement tank that arrived on Sept 3.  It took five men 2 hours to slide into place on pipes.  Now the cows will have a nice water tank for cool clean water.

There are still a few things that need to be accomplished:

1) Electrical service needs to be established for lights and receptacles.  In addition, a separate dedicated line needs to be run just for the water heater for the tank so the water will not freeze during the cold winter months.

2) The feed isle needs to be built so the cows can eat the hay but cannot get into the feed isle.

3) Three sets of gates need to be purchased and hung.

4) The siding needs finished.

5) The gutter needs hung and connected to the downspout.

6) Total clean up of the area so no construction material or nails are left behind to harm the cows

7) Bedding needs to be laid down for the comfort of the cows.

All of these things are scheduled to be accomplished by the end of September

Does anyone have the details of Rudolf Steiner’s recipes for soil treatments?

I used to live in Bangalore, working with Abhirama prabhu and managing the Sri Mayapur master plan office. I joined a local group called Eco-net, and I attended a talk given by a foreigner on Biodynamics, so that aroused my interest.

I just got a cow horn from one of our deceased cows, and would really like to get the details of the preparation made by burying the dung stuffed horn in the ground.

How deep to bury it, for how long and by how much to dilute the essence once it is ready? How much land can be treated by one horn’s worth of the preparation? The cow has been dead for almost two years now. So is that horn ok to use? The other preparations seemed to be much more complicated. 

I wanted to bring something else up that is also related.

When the Biodynamic representative gave his talk, he described how Rudolph Steiner had discovered that the cows channel 'cosmic energy' (sounds really cosmic huh!) into the ground. He said that the horns are like antenna, and the internal structure of the horn is designed in such a way as it receives the energy that is then grounded through the hooves. I wondered where he got that from, how he worked it out. Is it found in the Vedas? I liked the sound of it, but of course one has doubts when one hears these things from non Vedic sources. I guess the cosmic energy could be compared to prana?

He said that it is this structure of the horn that helps to amplify and create a super potent soil additive.

Very interesting...although by itself maybe a little far fetched... (or so I thought). But this guy had a lot of evidence to show that these preparations, which incidentally have been used since the 1930's or 50's (as far as I remember), are very effective. When something has been around for so long, and considering that Waldorf schools are so well respected, then it seems prudent to take notice.

From: JC <jnk@blr.vsnl.net.in>

To: Cow@pamho.net

Date: 1/1/2004 6:00:06 AM

Well, our farm is biodynamic since 1998 and I am part of the Indian Biodynamic association, conducting training and research.  If I understand your question clearly I can try to give some putins.

I am putting down in brief the different preparations of Steiner for the regeneration of soil activity which are usually followed by any Biodynamic farmer.

Steiner's basic concept is to enliven the earth/soil.  He had a lot of experience with the European healing herbs and likewise the eastern farming wisdom. Many (not all) of the Biodynamic (BD) practices are parallel to the Vedic farming systems. Like the personality touch to the land, cosmic influence on land and plants (especially the moon influence), importance of cows in the farming systems, the holistic approach and the concept of vitality in food for the development of human thinking, feeling and willing process. I have found many similarities in the Thaithiria Upanishad and even in Bhagavatam. However, BD practices show result in an organic farming system compared to the chemical system. BD is all about the balancing of the four different elements connected to plants - Light/air, water, heat and earth elements.

BD Preparation 500 (Cow Horn Manure)

Fresh cow manure (preferably from one fed on  organic grass and fodder) filled in cow horns, buried under the ground, about 1 to 1.5 feet deep in winter and removed at spring time.  By then the dung would have changed into rich humus. One need to use only 25 grams of this for an acre of land, after potencising the water by stirring which is similar to the making of homeopathic medicines. This is sprinkled over the land in the evenings at spring time and at autumn.  It is supposed to improve the microbial and earth worm activity in the soil. Helps build the top soil.

BD Preparation 501 (cow silica)

Quartz crystals (silicon dioxide)- In India you get it along the banks of river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh)- is pulverized and filled in a cow horn, buried in the ground in the summer and removed in the autumn.  The is a very powerful form of silica which can improve the photosynthetic ability of  leaves when it is spread like a mist over the leaves at sun rise. Plants treated so can be quite free of fungal attacks and it improves the quality of fruits and grains. About one gram of this is sufficient for an acre crop.

BD Preparation 502

(Yarrow flowers- Achillea millifolium), 503 (Chamomile flowers- Matricaria chamomilla), 504 (Stinging Nettle leaves- Urtica dioica), 505 (Oak bark- Quercus robur), 506(Dandelion flowers- Taraxacum officinale) and 507 (Valerian flower extract - Valeriana officinalis)

These preps are decomposed in certain organs of domesticate animals and then added  to the compost for soil regeneration.  Each of these plants are supposed to bring in certain micro nutrients and the influence of certain planets and zodiacs into the soil.  Lot of research has gone into these different preps and many microbes beneficial to the soil have been identified and more are yet to be identified.

We have had some good results with these systems. Of late I do have some apprehensions about the spread of BD farming as it involves the use of cow horns and a few other organs.  I am not quite sure if we devotees can follow this system fully, and I would appreciate comments from some experienced devotees.

Of course we can use the standard Indian practice of using Panchagavya (the five products from cow), amrith pani- a decoction of honey, ghee and cow dung and also just milk is good enough to give a strong microbial activity for soil regeneration, provided you have moisture and a good soil cover.

It doesn't matter how long since the horn was removed from the cow, you can still use them as long as they are not damaged badly. Cow horns have a vital part to play in its digestion process and in receiving the cosmic influence into it which makes the  cow an ideal farming companion with its complex microbial growth- the intestine. The cow horn even though removed from the cow still has some potency which is used to convert the cow dung in the buried horn into rich humus and to draw into it the earth energy which is active below the ground in the winter season.  This energy 'springs out' in the spring in the form of active growth - So I guess everything makes sense. You can notice that the tips of the cow horn has a filling where as the bulls horn is hollow right through.

From: Syamasundara@pamho.net

Sent: Thursday, Jan 01, 2004 10:10 PM

To: Cow@pamho.net

I am not sure it is right in saying that the bull horn is hollow right through. One of our bulls lost his horn and his inner horn was significantly smaller than the outer horn. Unfortunately we never found the  outer horn and so I cannot say for sure but it seems that the outer horn must have had some filling in the tips much to the same degree as a cow.

Do you or others on this conference have any experience in this matter.

From: JC <jnk@blr.vsnl.net.in>

Date: Saturday, Jan 3, 2004 3:15 am

As a BD practitioner I have to go through many horns - cows, bull, buffalo. You could tap the tips of the horns and you can make out the hollowness at the tips in case of the bull and the filling in the case of the cows horn. That is one way to differentiate but again the calving marks on  the cows horn is very obvious.  The filling at the tip of the horn is something  surely to do with the reproductive activity of the cow and the milk generation.  Someone once told me that the cow eats green grass which is a nitrogen and protein material and it gives a calcium rich material called milk.  So how does that happen?? -  I am still wondering!!!

This must be due to the micro-floral growth in the digestive system and again  the cosmic influence through the horns.

Lots of research has been done and it is an accepted fact that the urine  and dung  from a cow is better than that of the bull. This again will  reflect on the digestive system and the filling in the horns of the cow. 

 Especially of  a lactating cow - its very special. Even a chromatography done on  a filter  paper with silver nitrate shows better strength in cow manure  compared to that of the bulls.

Many villagers allow their cows especially  when it is in the  later stages of its pregnancy, to walk around their land as they believe that their land becomes reactivated by the hoof prints of the cow.  The  relationship of cow to land is a very complex and unique one.

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Rudra Babaji the Garden Protector

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Balabhadra and Rudra Babaji

 May, 2004

We went to the local pound to look for a replacement for Mela, our Akita/Shepard mix watchdog who protected our garden. Just the other day we found deer tracks in our garden. Nothing is large enough to eat yet but we took it as a warning. After observing the dogs available, we settled on a puppy of Collie/Shepard mix. He is now home and already barking at noises in the valley. He seems to be exceptional: intelligent, positive, alert, loyal, protective. Before coming to us, he had spent his whole life in a cage. You can imagine how happy he is to be able to have so much space to explore. Now we have to train him to chase the deer, not the cats or cows. He has not yet seen a groundhog. We named him Rudra, which is another name for Lord Shiva who is the destroyer. We were thinking of him removing (destroying) the deer and ground hog population. Babaji is his middle name and means someone who dwells alone in one place, performing severe austerities and penance.

June 2004

Rudra is following in the footsteps of Mela. He barks at all the animals but not the cows or humans. He chases the deer and groundhogs and barks most of the night. We did not see deer footprints in the garden since he came but just the other day we saw that possibly rabbits ate the urd dahl. That part of the garden is far away from the house. Rudra is not tied up and can go where he likes but desires to stay near the house.

Late August, 2004

Rudra caught his first groundhog!