European Cow Protection and Agriculture

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European Cow Protection and Agriculture
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General Synopsis

• Disaster unfolding or looming within farming
  projects
• Self sufficiency and farming relegated to history
• Preaching about the importance of the farm has
  not been prioritised
• Sense of starting again. How have we come to this
  after 30 years
• Our practiced social structure does not withstand
  leadership defection
• Asking impossible things of farm devotees. No
  money, no support, no housing, no future
• Dependant on new pool of volunteers, current
  system does not support families making it a
  career
• Cows stopped being bred or herds expanded and Cow
  protection being given up by allowing national
  herds to die off
• Oxen not wanted and thus few working
• Farm production (where done) not supported by
  farms or other centres
• Farm products only for the farm and not the rest
  of the projects
• Farm assets sold for short term maintenance
• Farm land not being increased but sold off piece
  by piece

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The whole idea is that we are ISKCON, a community
to be independent from outside help. (SPL to
Yasomatinandana Dasa 28th Nov 1976)
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• Our farm projects are an extremely important part
  of our movement. We must become self sufficient
  by growing our own grains and producing our own
  milk then there will be no question of poverty.
  So develop these farm communities as far as
  possible.
• (SPL to Rupanuga 18th Dec 1974)

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Milk used by each farm project
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How much milk do we need for self reliance in
Europe

• Milk need for farms alone is 319,000 litres per
  year
• How much milk is needed for all projects
• should we estimate twice as much thus 640,000
  litres
• Should we estimate thrice as much thus 1,000,000
  litres per year

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Milk produced in each farm
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Expected Herd Size for Milk Product
ConsumptionFarm Project Only-not Including City
Temples and Other Projects
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Actual herd size
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Estimated herd size for ISKCON European self
reliance

• Assuming need is 1,000,000 litres per year we
  would require to impregnate 120 cows each year.
• Herd total over 15 years 1800 cows.

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Many Temples in India Have Herds of 2000 Cows
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Annual Working Hours of Oxen
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Heating with own woodlands
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Challenge-Making Farms Fashionable

• Insufficient vocal support of leadership
• Not sure if farm projects are important
• Not enough regular visits by GBC and other
  leaders
• Little preaching on the importance of the farm

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Proposal Make farming prestigious

• Leaders take every opportunity to glorify the
  farm projects and the endeavours for self
  sufficiency
• Leaders visit the farms more regularly
• Leaders meet with the farming devotees, encourage
  them and support them

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Challenge Finding carers for the cows and
farmers for the land

• Insufficient persons to care for the cows and the
  land
• Expectation that farm devotees will be volunteers
  or independently financed
• Where will farming devotees live
• A lifestyle for somebody else

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Proposal Make farming family friendly

• Provide key farm workers with a living
• Pay the real price and find donor support
• Two persons at least for milking, ox work and
  cover

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Challenge Funding for farms

• Finances are difficult to find
• Farms need a lot of capital and running costs
• Food items cheaply available in market
• Live in society of 9 spent on food using farming
  system that works with 70

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Proposals look to our own

• Farms made national projects for fund raising
• Find 100 members of congregation to donate 20 to
  30 euros per month through their bank
• Focused monthly donor raising for next three
  years at large gatherings, mail etc
• Find an independent trustee for each farm
• Milk and farm products valued at real price by
  ISKCON projects

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Cow protection means good food and good
trade. Srila Prabhupada letter 22 January, 1976
to Jayatirtha
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Challenge Valuing our own

• If the farm has it we dont want it
• The food from the land has soil on it
• Somebody else has eaten a bit already
• It looks different this time than last
• It takes more time to prepare it for the pot
• I can get it cheaper from the supermarket

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Proposal Support it by using it

• Buy it from the farm if it is available
• Buy it at all cost (maybe a bit more each year
  though)
• Tolerate (no, enjoy) the soil
• Tolerate the bites (its actually edible food)
• Give more time to its preparation (Its for
  Krishna)

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Yes! Go on acquiring the surrounding lands and in
this way we will establish a local self governing
village and show all the world a practical
example of spiritual life as Krishna Himself
exhibited in Vrindaban. Letter to Kirtanananda
Bhaktivedanta Manor 27 July, 1973
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Challenge Finding a place to live

• I want to work on the farm but where do I live
• Most projects have no spare housing
• Most projects can build but dont have capital

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Proposal Building more homes

• Dont sell homes or land to devotees or others
• Build to rent
• Tied homes. Here is your work, Here is your home,
  Here is your income
• Lease OK
• Build all that can be built

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Five Point Action Plan for Farm Development

• Make farming prestigious within ISKCON
• Make farming family friendly
• Find funding from our own
• Support it by using it
• Providing more homes