New Vrindaban needs to have a moratorium on any and all purchases of cows until the previously mentioned plan for cow protection (Not just milk) has been solidified and put into place. That means an actual irrevocable trust set up not just some resolution in a meeting. A real calf facility built.

We have purchased 14 cows in the last 6 months. That is 7 cows and 7 calves. To care for them in a warehousing manner over their potential lifetime will cost upwards of $10,000 each. By purchasing 14 cows, this has committed NV to a $140,000 bill.

While the standard of care NV cows currently receives is in excess of American Dairy industry standards, it has still not risen to the level of familial style care for the entire herd, although we do have some examples of it.

Due to the circumstances of having so many legacy cows from the Kirtanananda era, and the other reactions in the form of IRS settlement, settlement with the Justice department, and fallout from the child abusers, options were limited and it was due to the sacrifice of Ranaka, a series of fundraisers, the generosity of donors and many other devotees that the care was as good as it was.

Now NV can start looking beyond those exigencies and start planning a better quality of care that will be more attractive to Westerners who are potential devotees. While it is crucial to have the support of the Indian community, preaching to Indians is not Srila Prabhupada’s only purpose for NV. It is corollary to preaching to Westerners and we need to keep that in sight.

Too rapid expansion without adequate trained staff for caring for the cows, and with lack of proper education for those dealing directly with the donors on the repercussions and responsibilities inherent in cow protection can once again force us into remaining in the old paradigm of warehousing cows and choke what I had began to see as the dawn of a very positive time in NV agriculture.

The ones who make the decisions as to how the donors are educated and how the purchases of cows are made are directly responsible for the quality of lives of those cows. No more pointing fingers at Kirtanananda. If you take money that is used to buy cows you are responsible. If you write the check you are responsible. If you have managerial authority for those who do those things, you are responsible. If you sit on a board that okays the purchase, you are responsible.

No equivocating, no passing the buck. NV has taken on 14 cows and that means it needs to upgrade the facilities and provide for their lifetime care. That needs to be dealt with before any more are purchased.

No clapping of hands in front of the Deities and thinking the birds of karma fly away and you are exempt.

This is not liking buying a car. It is like bringing a child into the family. The cows are utterly dependent on their protectors for all their needs for the entirety of their lives.

For those who think milk will offset some of the cost. I was at the temple barn this morning and talked to Jaya Prabhupada. At the peak, the 2 cows now there were giving 6 gallons of milk a day 9part of it goes to feed the calves). This takes, for setup, the milking, and the cleanup, 2 hours a day.

6 gallons x 8.6 lbs/gallon = 51.6 lbs of milk x $15 hundredweight (value of milk in the bulk tank) = $7.74/2 hours labor for the milking = $3.87 per hour.

In other words, the cost of the milk doesn’t cover minimum wage for the act of milking. Even at $3 a gallon, it barely covers the proposed new federal minimum wage which will be $7.25 an hour.

Now you have to subtract the cost of feed, utilities, and facility maintenance and it isn’t even a zero sum proposition. Stipulated they are first calf heifers.

Additionally, if you get too many more milking cows too fast, milk production will exceed demand and NV may end up dumping milk.

Due to competitive market forces and economies of scale, in order to make money you need to cull and slaughter your cows ruthlessly and have about 500 milking.

In other words there is no economic offset for the $140,000 due to savings in milk purchases.

Of course, milk from protected cows is 100 times more valuable to offer to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri RVC than Putana milk purchased in the market, so economics is not the overriding consideration.

However, that protection needs to be in place and practiced and not simply given lip service in Bhagavatam class.

Once the plan has been effected, then we can consider getting more cows. This can be a really positive thing if it is done consciously.