Request for help

[Guest guest]

Dandavad. Prabhupada kijaya!

 

ON reviewing my text and several comments, I realize that my example of a

100 animal herd size was inappropriate as it will be many years before the

program reachs that size, if ever..

 

In fact what we are currently planning to start with is two milking cows,

meaning a herd size of 20.

 

Of this most will be "virtual " as we would not actually have the animals in

the herd, but would still be putting aside the cost of maintaining these

cows, calves and bulls into the trust fund.

 

If we maintain the number of milking cows at just two then the corresponding

breeding schedule would require about 15 years for the herd to physically

grow to 20. By that time the CSA would have accumulated about $50,000 in the

trust fund. This is without compound interest. If you add interest then the

size of the fund grows to nearly $67,000.

 

If the program stopped at this point and there was no more breeding and no

more income, then the fund would be more than enough to cover the cost of

maintaining the herd for the rest of their lifetimes.

 

This is the model we are working from. IN this model, there is actually

little or no profit from the sale of milk. At $5.00 a gallon the breakup

would be:

40% goes to the person milking,

11% to maintain the milking cow

48% to maintain the rest of the herd (or put into the trust fund)

1% for overheads, etc.

 

WE are now studying our overheads, cow maintenance costs, etc. to refine

these figures.

 

If, after 3 years the model is working well, then we might accelerate the

breeding for a few years to boost the herd size. I am working on this model

to see what the financial implications might be.

 

I will respond to the points raised by Derek, Hare Krsna dasi and Chaya

prabhus in separate posts.

 

Your servant,

Pancaratna das