an alternative to cow slaughter milk

[Guest guest]

Dear devotees,

 

I have been thinking a lot lately about alternatives re. cow protection.

Those of you that have been on cow com long enough will know that I am an

ardent supporter of bullock utilization, but there doesn’t to be much

interest and personally being a woman pushing 40, I don’t think I’d have

much energy to take it up personally. But I hate buying milk from the cow

slaughter business. And of course there are so many devotees in my

situation.

 

We are in a fortunate part of the world where the grass grows all year

round, and there is no need for cows to come into a barn at any time, except

maybe for sickness or birthing. So the expenses for lifetime protection

would be much smaller than elsewhere where it snows. I think it is a viable

alternative for a family with land enough for 5- 6 cows, given the worst

drought, to breed one cow and have it lactating for around 4 years, which is

quite possible, before another calf is born. The most cows one would ever

have is 5 or 6. So a cow in the first year, gives MUCH more milk than a

family can consume. So the devotees in the area, or vegetarians/conditional

vegans, can purchase at an increased price, to support cow protection. And

ALL the money from the milk sales would go into the cow trust account, to be

used ONLY for the upkeep of the cows and offspring into their old age.

 

It’s a similar idea I guess, to Mark’s, except in our area, costs are

minimal, and it is on an extremely small scale. Now to be convincing, for

the potential milk buyers, it would be good if there could be some

certification from ISCOWP that we are bonafide cow protectors, and to

qualify for that certification, we would have to provide monthly financial

reports to them, or 6- monthly or whatever they want. We could also send

reports to the consumer himself.

 

The figures for the milk price I have yet to work out, but as the cows do

not need feed during the winter, except the milking one, then I think the

price would be much lower than Mark’s price of $5 a litre. It should cover

veterinary expenses, etc.

 

Maybe there could be two types of certified farms, one in which the cows are

used only, and one which the bullocks are also utilized- the first would be

class B and the second class A- the best of course. But both classes must be

showing how they are putting aside money for the old age care of their cows

and bullocks. Sufficient money. And photos and detailed reports would have

to be made available regularly on the state of health of each cow.

 

Another point is, that the market should be established before the breeding.

If there are a few families in the area, with farms like this, then they

could coordinate their breeding, so that when one cow starts to dry a

little, another on another farm is getting ready to give birth, and the

supply to the community does not dwindle.

 

I think that if we go this way, at least we are doing something to go

against the cow slaughter culture, and rather than wait for someone to crop

up who is willing to train bullocks, while we in the meantime, buy shop

milk, there should be an alternative.

 

Another qualification for certification is that they breed no more than 1

cow every 4 years if they have land enough for five only. If they have more

land than that, they can breed more, provided they have the market, but not

too much more, because more than 5 cows are difficult for one family to care

for.

 

This is only a theory and it is probably riddled with holes, things I

haven’t thought of.

I am expecting a response from Hare Krsna dd, that by doing so we are not

encouraging simple living, and I agree, but what families are taking it up,

because we insist on bullock utilization and simple living? Insisting on a

thing does not make it happen. In the meantime, devotees who hate buying

milk from the cow slaughter business are forced to, or go vegan.

 

The important thing is the financial reports, and the fact that breeding is

strictly controlled, and the market is there.

 

I think that it is more viable in areas where grass grows all year around,

but if there is a market willing to buy for a higher price, in other colder

climates, than it is also possible.

 

Anyway, this is an idea I am putting mainly to Chaya devi, but as it might

like to be discussed by other devotees, so I’m putting it here.

 

Ys, Niscala

 

 

 

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