Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ELM Farm Report and Proposals Sept 2007
ELM Farm Report and Proposals Sept 2007
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Expected herd 570
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)
Actual herd size
50
40
30
20
10
0
Herd size 143 (25%)
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)
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 Have
Herds of 2000 Cows
Annual Working Hours of Oxen
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
Annual Ox Working hours
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)
Heating with own woodlands
500
400
300
200
100
0
Wood used in M3
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)
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: Kirtanananda
Bhaktivedanta 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
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