Guest guest Posted May 23, 2001 Report Share Posted May 23, 2001 > Srila > Prabhupada mentions that society can become perfect with 5 % brahmanas. Sounds reasonable. > So how can we make a breakdown of 5% brahmanas, but also keep the > sudras > as less than 50%. Why is that necessary? > Prabhupada explains that the vaisya class is naturally > independent -- but farming in Soviet Union was done by a class of people who > had > no independence. When the communists took over, they instituted land reform by systematically destroying the class called (I think, my history might be a little rusty) the kulaks, who were the large land owner/farmers who were "exploiting" the peasant class. Which they very well might have been, but the famines that arose after their managerial knowledge was lost were huge. > In general, I don't think becoming an agribusiness > farmer will do much to help one's spiritual advancement -- we would be too busy > figuring out how to crush everyone else. > I won't speak to how external activity can effect spiritual health, but as for health of society, America is living on the back of agribusiness and has world high rates of suicide, divorce, mental illness, and substance abuse problems. Not symptoms of a happy society, or a society we should be thinking of Krsnaizing, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2001 Report Share Posted May 23, 2001 > > > Rather I suggest that becmoming an "agribusiness farmer" could be a good > intermediate step to rebuilding the "noble profession" as long as one sticks > to organic, sustainable methods. Balaji prabhu in Alachua is doing this on > 50 acres of Balavanta prabhu's land and making 100% of his (admittedly > modest) living from this. He is gradually increasing and engaging other > devotees in the area to grow and sell through him. 50 acres hardly qualifies as agribusiness, even if he is using all the acres intensively, which my gutr tells me is probably not the case, correct me if mistaken. That is still a small time operator, well within what I think will be needed. > > NOw, if he could be supported with subsidies (or premiums for the product) > to engage ox power, then a real experiment can start. That is a good direction to go. Premiums are an excellent way to use subsidies. > I am settling my > family in Alachua this summer and I will be spending a good amount of time > there while I am not in Mayapur. I hope to pursue this with Balaji as well > as Madhava GHosh prabhu's trust ideas while I am there. Actually not my idea - Srila Prabhupada himself approved it and it is what all successful long term institutions do. Check out any University's budget. > As you have pointed > out, we need the "suchis and srimatis" to subsidize the efforts, at least in > the beginning. I am hoping the Alachua community can be inspired to start > taking a lead in this. > > Your servant, > Pancaratna das Which could manifest in the form of a committement that all or at least some minimum percentage of the Deity's inputs be from devotees. The old idea about a fast day or two a month , mandatory for brahmanas (acting as role models as Rohita encourages), encouraged for others, where only devotee produced bhoga is consumed. If you have no access to such bhoga, then you fast, but no limit on consumtion if from devotees. This will generate a market and a gut level motivation for premium pricing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2001 Report Share Posted May 23, 2001 > > > > > > Rather I suggest that becmoming an "agribusiness farmer" could be a good > > intermediate step to rebuilding the "noble profession" as long as one sticks > > to organic, sustainable methods. Balaji prabhu in Alachua is doing this on > > 50 acres of Balavanta prabhu's land and making 100% of his (admittedly > > modest) living from this. He is gradually increasing and engaging other > > devotees in the area to grow and sell through him. > > 50 acres hardly qualifies as agribusiness, even if he is using all the acres > intensively, which my gutr tells me is probably not the case, correct me if > mistaken. That is still a small time operator, well within what I think > will be needed. > > > How many tractors is he using, how many acres are being cultivated, how many helpers? Your servant, Chayadevi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2001 Report Share Posted May 25, 2001 > > > > > > > > > > > Rather I suggest that becmoming an "agribusiness farmer" could be a > > > good intermediate step to rebuilding the "noble profession" as long as > > > one > sticks > > > to organic, sustainable methods. Balaji prabhu in Alachua is doing > > > this > on > > > 50 acres of Balavanta prabhu's land and making 100% of his (admittedly > > > modest) living from this. He is gradually increasing and engaging > > > other devotees in the area to grow and sell through him. > > > > 50 acres hardly qualifies as agribusiness, even if he is using all the > acres > > intensively, which my gutr tells me is probably not the case, correct > > me > if > > mistaken. That is still a small time operator, well within what I > think > > will be needed. > > > > > > How many tractors is he using, how many acres are being cultivated, how > many helpers? I am back in Mayapur right now and can't answer. I will be in Alachua in July and I'll start talking with you about this idea, after I have discussed it with Balaji. Let's hope he (and others in the community) go for it. Your servant, Pancaratna das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 29, 2001 Report Share Posted May 29, 2001 > 50 acres hardly qualifies as agribusiness, even if he is using all the > acres intensively, which my gutr tells me is probably not the case, > correct me if mistaken. That is still a small time operator, well > within what I think will be needed. Yes, it is important to distinguish between huge agribusiness and the small family farmer who still operates commercially and makes a living. > Which could manifest in the form of a committement that all or at least > some minimum percentage of the Deity's inputs be from devotees. The old > idea about > a fast day or two a month , mandatory for brahmanas (acting as role > models as Rohita encourages), encouraged for others, where only devotee > produced bhoga is consumed. If you have no access to such bhoga, then > you fast, but no limit > on consumtion if from devotees. This will generate a market and a gut > level motivation for premium pricing. Very good idea. Thanks. Your servant, Pancaratna das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 29, 2001 Report Share Posted May 29, 2001 > > > 50 acres hardly qualifies as agribusiness, even if he is using all the > > acres intensively, which my gutr tells me is probably not the case, > > correct me if mistaken. That is still a small time operator, well > > within what I think will be needed. > >Yes, it is important to distinguish between huge agribusiness and the small >family farmer who still operates commercially and makes a living. > > > Which could manifest in the form of a committement that all or at least > > some minimum percentage of the Deity's inputs be from devotees. The >old > > idea about > > a fast day or two a month , mandatory for brahmanas (acting as role > > models as Rohita encourages), encouraged for others, where only >devotee > > produced bhoga is consumed. If you have no access to such bhoga, then > > you fast, but no limit > > on consumtion if from devotees. This will generate a market and a gut > > level motivation for premium pricing. > >Very good idea. Thanks. > >Your servant, >Pancaratna das Just imagine who will follow this... how many? does this mean that devotees who followed and are starving because they couldn't buy bhoga from anywhere else a particular day of the month, will pay a bigger price because of their pending hunger for that day? It may be suprising but there is quite a few devotees that garden.. They may not be agri business but they feed something to them selves. Something they usualy buy though is grains. How many devotees are growing grains? Anyone can have a vegi garden. especialy in season. Every time I hear something about cows and business I am totaly convinced that Kaliyuga is in effect and progressing.. I pray for the day that this idea will fade. Maybe there can be two cow confrences.. One for commercial and one for simple life goal..? Hare Krsna- Derek- _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 30, 2001 Report Share Posted May 30, 2001 > > > Yes, it is important to distinguish between huge agribusiness and the small > family farmer who still operates commercially and makes a living. Yes. Although my brothers, for example, are considered a small family farm, and still an agribusinessman. Using fossil fuels and machinery, they plant about 1800 acres a year, just themselves and a hired man. Beans, sunflowers, soybeans, corn, wheat and other small grains. Gave up potatoes last year after we had grown them continously for over 60 years - couldn't make any money off as little as 200 acres. I have a cousin married to a potatoe farmer who still makes a living at it - grows 1200 acres. Family farm also, but agribusiness for sure. Contrast that to Ranaka who bought used outdated potato equipment at a small fraction of new cost and puts in 2 to 4 acres a year and sells direct to the consumer. There is the difference I mean. That is also how my brothers got into navy and pinto bean production. A couple of farmer's starting growing beans in their area and made some money, whole bunch more make a desparate leap into them as small grains and potatoes were profitless, that flooded the market, and a bunch of them folded up and gave up farming, my brother's bought equipment at 10 cents on the dollar at auctions, and got into the business for a low investment, and still keep plugging away at it, not having big payments on equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.