Celebrations

Winter is approaching, and the grass is not lush anymore. We are now feeding out hay bales to our 24 cows and oxen to supplement their diet. Thanks to all ISCOWP members, there are plenty of hay bales for this time of year. When the cows notice a new bale of hay, they get really excited and want to munch on the tasty hay. Be sure to watch out as they moo, push and shove, throw the hay in the air, and fill their stomachs!

ISCOWP News

We all have a few things to celebrate. First, due to your generosity, we have almost completely matched the second $25,000 Matching Gift Challenge! We now have approximately $4380 left to collect to complete the Challenge! Secondly, the ISCOWP herd is now supplementing their diet with tasty hay due to your help!  Thank you so much from the ISCOWP staff and cows! Thirdly, today is Diwali, and tomorrow is Govardhana Puja! And we must not forget that we are in the midst of the special month of Karthik. In the Vedic culture, it is understood by giving in charity to a cow during this time; the giver is bestowed with mercy and protection from the Lord. One auspicious time after another by which we can gain the mercy of the Lord! So please take this opportunity to help us complete the Challenge by donating here.

In honor of ISCOWP’s 30th anniversary, we are posting photos from the past. The photo above was taken in 2010 in a village near Minsk, Belarus, at the ISKCON Belarus farm.  Most of the farms in Belarus have no fencing. Cowherds stay with the cows all day in the pasturing grounds.  At this particular ISKCON farm, there were almost 70 cows, which required three cowherds to stay with them all day. This method of cow protection is reminiscent of cow protection practices in Vedic times.

About Cows

One of our ISCOWP108 YouTube channel viewers asked the question, “I know it’s a strange question, but can you catch coronavirus from livestock?” ISCOWP answered, “Thanks for the question. There is some potential for spillover from humans to cows. The potential is medium. Now, as far as cows spreading the coronavirus to humans, it seems that only takes place in situations like the Chinese wet market. 

We sincerely pray that all ISCOWP members are safe and well. We also pray for the welfare of all beings on the planet during this most difficult time.

About the Meat or Dairy Industry

There is an interesting article on the fate of dairy consumption in the USA on the Civil Eats website.

“On January 6, Borden Dairy Co., one of the nation’s oldest, filed for bankruptcy because it could not afford its debt load and pension obligations, CNN reported. It’s the second large dairy co-op to file for bankruptcy since November when Dean Foods filed in the wake of a growing trend: Fewer Americans are drinking cow’s milk. Sales of the product dropped by $15 billion from 2015 to 2019. As a result, small and mid-sized farmers are selling out, moving away, and even taking their own lives in the face of insurmountable financial woes. And while plant-based milk sales have been on the rise (the nascent oat milk market alone grew by 636 percent to $53 million over the past year), it’s not as simple as a wholesale move away from dairy since the cheese and yogurt markets have remained solid, and demand for niche milk products—such as lactose-free and flavored whole milk—are on the rise.

In October, California’s oldest dairy farm, Giacomazzi Dairy, closed down after 125 years to grow almonds instead. Owner Dino Giacomazzi explained the farm was making the shift because of how difficult it’s been to make money in conventional dairy. Three years earlier, Elmhurst Dairy in New York shut down its dairy plant and shifted to offering vegan, nut-based milk instead of cow’s milk.”