elm farm report and proposals sept 2007

8/14/2019 ELM Farm report and proposals sept 2007

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/elm-farm-report-and-proposals-sept-2007 1/33

EuropeanCow Protection and

Agriculture



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, nohousing, no future

• Dependant on new pool of volunteers, current system does not supportfamilies making it a career

• Cows stopped being bred or herds expanded and Cow protection being givenup 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



The whole idea is that we are ISKCON, a

community to be independent from outside

help.

(SPL to Yasomatinandana Dasa 28th Nov 1976)



•Our farm projects are an extremely important part

of our movement. We must become self sufficient by

growing our own grains and producing our ownmilk; then there will be no question of poverty. So

develop these farm communities as far as possible.

•(SPL to Rupanuga 18th Dec 1974)



ISKCON European League table 2007Country land Herd Milk Oxen Ox hrs Arable Forest Wood Houses Direction

size Yield Working Used m3 Status

1 Hungary 200 34 23,000 10 7800 25 30 500 16 Thriving

2England(BM) 52 41 44,000 9 5200 0 1.8 0 9 Thriving3 Czech 40 12 7000 4 1000 13 0 0 0 Uncertain

4 Sweden 60 11 2500 1 500 0 40 360 11 Uncertain

5 Poland 35 6 3600 1 300 25 5 100 2 Precarious

6 Spain 300 6 7000 0 0 20 270 0 14 Uncertain

7 Italy(VV) 80 8 0 0 0 10 60 200 2 Uncertain

8 France 83 3 0 0 0 8 70 400 7 Terminating

9 N Ireland 15 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 Terminating

10 Germany 21 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 Terminating

11 Italy(PD) 13 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 Terminating

12 Slovakia 1.5 13 0 4 100 0 0 80 0 Precarious

13 Swiss 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Terminated

14 Belgium 60 0 0 0 0 10 47 0 15 Terminated

15 Italy(VHK) 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 Terminated

16 England(cnwl 1.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Unrated

17 Scotland 4.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 Unrated18 Italy(GM) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Unrated

Europe 975 144 87,100 29 14900 111 531.8 1640 126



Cow Protection and working oxen status

Country Direction Summary

Status

1 Hungary Thriving 2 Thriving

2 England(BM) Thriving 4 Functioning to some degree but uncertain

3 Czech Uncertain 2 Functioning but Precarious

4 Sweden Uncertain 4 Terminating cow protection

5 Poland Precarious 3 Already terminated

6 Spain Uncertain 3 Unrated as yet

7 Italy(VV) Uncertain

8 France Terminating 18 Rural projects9 N Ireland Terminating

10 Germany Terminating

11 Italy(PD) Terminating

12 Slovakia Precarious

13 Swiss Terminated

14 Belgium Terminated

15 Italy(VHK) Terminated16

17 Scotland Unrated

18 England(cnwl) Unrated

Italy(GM) Unrated

Europe



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 thus1,000,000 litres per year



Milk used by each farm project

0

10,000

20,00030,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

Milk need 319,000 litres for farms

Hungary England(BM) Czech Sweden Poland

Spain Italy(VV) France N Ireland Germany

Slovakia Swiss Belgium Italy(VHK) Italy(PD)

Scotland England(cnwl) Italy(GM)



Milk produced in each farm

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,00050,000

Milk Produced 87,100 litres (27% of total)







Expected Herd Size for Milk Product

ConsumptionFarm Project Only-not Including City Temples and Other Projects

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Expected herd 570







Actual herd size

0

10

20

30

40

50

Herd size 143 (25%)







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.



Many Temples in India HaveHerds of 2000 Cows



Annual Working Hours of Oxen

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

Annual Ox Working hours







Heating with own woodlands

0

100

200

300

400

500

Wood used in M3

Hungary England(BM) Czech Sweden PolandSpain Italy(VV) France N Ireland Germany





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



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



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



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



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%



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



Cow protection means good food and

good trade.Srila Prabhupada letter 22 January, 1976 to Jayatirtha



Challenge – Valuing our own

• If the farm has it we don’t 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



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 (It’s for

Krishna)



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: KirtananandaBhaktivedanta Manor 27 July, 1973



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 don’t have

capital



Proposal – Building more homes

• Don’t 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



Fi P i A i Pl f F



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

elm farm report and proposals sept 2007

Documents