Guest guest Posted November 19, 1999 Report Share Posted November 19, 1999 Dear Prabhus and friends Over the past few weeks we have been gripped and hurt by the many reports of abuse and alleged abuse of the cows and oxen. Many words have been shared and bombed. A number of devotees have mentioned the need to find employment for the oxen as a solution or part of the solution. This point is generaly understood by all cowherders. To get an ox team to work seriously the driver must be making his livelihood from their work otherwise how else can he/she work them. In this day and age the vast majority of devotees require money to live and thus they must do something to earn their money. The oxen should be an essentail part of the money making scheme. Livelihoods should be dependant on the oxen. The solution (I feel) is to manifest buiseness schemes where organic, animal friendly, animal draft food products are being sold. The world is waiting for such products in the marketplace. If the devotees don't do it there is no doubt otheres will do it and are already thinking about how it can be done. I think a very positive step in this conference will be an ethos of vigorous encouragenment for devotees to make their livelihoods from oxpowered agriculture. The trading type of vaisyas(vanijyam) should be driving the market and the agricultural type(krisis) of devotees will respond and the cow herding type(go-rakshya) of devotees will be relieved. All types are needed. Right now the cowherding world needs a champion to drive the oxpowered agricultral system. There is a niche market and the devotees of ISKCON are poised to capture it. Where is the buiseness person to push the market? We can demonstrate an alternative farming sytem that can be imitated by the greater population if we have livelihoods at its base. The devotees who want to live a very simple lifestyle can do, and the devotees who want to make a good income can do so also. Both can live and thrive side by side. Some thoughts for consideration ys Syamasundara das Bhaktivedanta Manor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 1999 Report Share Posted November 19, 1999 IIt may be possible to start a cooperative based upon foodstuffs produced by oxen. This could include many varieties of foodstuffs and of course organically grown. This could be done by ISKCOWP as the regulator so to speak. The deovtees who would join the coop would agree to buy the foodstuffs or products from membrs at a fair price in or order to support the oxen and cow protection. It would require some oranization but once one is shown to be sincere in developing an oxen program, then he should be allowed to introduce items that are produced such as crafts on the farm and it would have the ISKCOWP stamp if certain amounts went directly to the cow and ox program. What do you think. YS Dvibhuja COM: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor - UK) <Syamasundara (AT) bbt (DOT) se> COM: Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) bbt (DOT) se> Friday, November 19, 1999 3:40 AM Livelihoods from the cows and oxen >[Text 2791565 from COM] > >Dear Prabhus and friends > >Over the past few weeks we have been gripped and hurt by the many reports of >abuse and alleged abuse of the cows and oxen. Many words have been shared >and bombed. > >A number of devotees have mentioned the need to find employment for the oxen >as a solution or part of the solution. This point is generaly understood by >all cowherders. To get an ox team to work seriously the driver must be >making his livelihood from their work otherwise how else can he/she work >them. In this day and age the vast majority of devotees require money to >live and thus they must do something to earn their money. > >The oxen should be an essentail part of the money making scheme. Livelihoods >should be dependant on the oxen. The solution (I feel) is to manifest >buiseness schemes where organic, animal friendly, animal draft food products >are being sold. The world is waiting for such products in the marketplace. >If the devotees don't do it there is no doubt otheres will do it and are >already thinking about how it can be done. > >I think a very positive step in this conference will be an ethos of vigorous >encouragenment for devotees to make their livelihoods from oxpowered >agriculture. > >The trading type of vaisyas(vanijyam) should be driving the market and the >agricultural type(krisis) of devotees will respond and the cow herding >type(go-rakshya) of devotees will be relieved. All types are needed. Right >now the cowherding world needs a champion to drive the oxpowered agricultral >system. There is a niche market and the devotees of ISKCON are poised to >capture it. Where is the buiseness person to push the market? > >We can demonstrate an alternative farming sytem that can be imitated by the >greater population if we have livelihoods at its base. The devotees who want >to live a very simple lifestyle can do, and the devotees who want to make a >good income can do so also. Both can live and thrive side by side. > >Some thoughts for consideration >ys >Syamasundara das >Bhaktivedanta Manor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 25, 1999 Report Share Posted November 25, 1999 - Martin <laksmi (AT) datastar (DOT) net> COM: Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) bbt (DOT) se> Friday, November 19, 1999 6:57 PM Re: Livelihoods from the cows and oxen > [Text 2793038 from COM] > > IIt may be possible to start a cooperative based upon foodstuffs produced by > oxen. This could include many varieties of foodstuffs and of course > organically grown. This could be done by ISKCOWP as the regulator so to > speak. The deovtees who would join the coop would agree to buy the > foodstuffs or products from membrs at a fair price in or order to support > the oxen and cow protection. It would require some oranization but once one > is shown to be sincere in developing an oxen program, then he should be > allowed to introduce items that are produced such as crafts on the farm and > it would have the ISKCOWP stamp if certain amounts went directly to the cow > and ox program. What do you think. > > YS > Dvibhuja This was an idea we had in order to acquire money to do the Ministry as well as other activities. We were considering herbal products which are in high demand here. Of course the product would be "value added" because the land the herbs are grown on is plowed by the oxen. The label would recognize this. We are building a modified earth shelter for our residence and it has a root cellar for storage, a large attic for drying, and work room with plumbing for preperation of herbal tonics, etc. We have ideas how this could work on a local level, but not on the level (international level) you are speaking of. It seems that it would take a business mind? Anyone out there? Please explain. Your servant, Chayadevi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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