International Society for Cow Protection, Inc. Volume 20 Issue 2/ 2010

Barn Roof Finished!

Help Us Get Ready for the Winter!

Cow Protection in the Village.

Lakshmi’s Kitchen Save Your Produce.

Q & A: What are You Doing for Cow Protection?

Cows Absolved WWW.ISCOWP.ORG of Causing Global Warming.

Dear ISCOWP Members, ISCOWP Profile

The official International Society for Cow Some of the spiritual leaders of the Protection, Inc. (ISCOWP) was incorpo- rated in the USA, March 1990, as a 501 (c) International Society for Krsna Consciousness (3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization. William and Irene Dove (Balabhadra das and Chayadevi dasi) are its managing di- (ISKCON) recently visited ISCOWP. The rectors. They are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya of the conversations centered on cow protection and International Society for Krishna Con- sciousness (ISKCON). Through their spiri- how it can be increased and improved amongst the ISKCON tual master's teachings, they have imbibed the practices and benefits, both spiritual and material, of lifetime members. We were most happy to take part in these conversations cow protection.

and do pray that they will manifest practical improvements in the Cow protection means enabling cows to live out their natural lives with love and affection. The tenets of cow protection are future. Input from these visits are in some of this issue’s articles. universal and nonsectarian, available to all regardless of race, creed, or nationality.

Life is busy on the farm at this time of year. Mailing Address ISCOWP Planting, weeding, harvesting, fencing, greeting guests, maintaining RD 1 Box 322 A Moundsville, WV, USA, 26041

the grounds and the everyday farm activities of caring for the cows. Phone 1.304.843.1658

Soon winter will be upon us and there are a few projects and Donations and Financial Report s USA tax deductible number: 23-2604082. equipment that we need before the snow falls. Please check page 3. To donate online: www.iscowp.org/donations.html A special thanks to everyone who helped us www.causes.com/cowprotection

To donate by mail: completely rebuild the old barn roof for the cows! Make out check to ISCOWP and send to ISCOWP mailing address Yours, Chayadevi A copy of each year’s ISCOWP IRS Form 990-EZ is available at www.guidestar.org

Contents E-new sletter Monthly Send us an email with subscribe in the subject. 3 10 Cow Protection in the Village Help Us Get Ready for Winter! T-shirt s Some projects to complete and Communities of like minded www.iscowp.org/tshirts.html equipment to purchase! persons can protect cows. Adopt A Cow www.iscowp.org/adopt-a-cow.html 4 Letters 11 The Barn Roof Finished! Bacteria in Cow Dung, Good for Thank you for helping us finish Sponsor an Eart hworm or Bookw orm! www.iscowp.org/sponsor.html You, Cows Absolved of Causing this important project. Global Warming, and more Editor's note 12 Lakshmi’s Kitchen Articles and quoted comments by those other than the editors do not necessarily 6 ISCOWP Update Ways to save your garden represent the viewpoint of the editors. A brief on spring, summer and produce for the winter or when ISCOWP and the lotus/cow symbol are future ISCOWP activities. you have excess. registered service marks of the official International Society for Cow Protection, Inc.

9 All About You 13 Q. & A: What are You Doing Internet Some of Pancharatna prabhu’s for Cow Protection? [email protected] www.iscowp.org realizations and why he and Sivarama Swami asks and www.iscowp.blogspot.com family adopt a cow. answers the question. www.facebook.com/internationalsocietyforcowprotectioniscowp

2 2010 / Volume 20 Issue 2 / ISCOW P News Help Us Get Ready for Winter!

oon winter will be upon us and there are a few projects we need S to complete and equipment that we need to purchase before the snow falls. Whatever you can donate to help us get ready for winter will help us protect the cows during this winter’s cold ice and snow. Last winter was a wake up call as to what can happen if there is a hard winter.

Telescoping Pole Pruners

Lots of snow melts into the barn gutters. Doors are needed on barn in the background.

The trees on the road bowing with snow. Last year we bought a portable Before next winter we would like to generator for one side of the farm. It build two sets of sliding doors on both Trees and branches are overhanging was an emergency purchase and took sides of the barn to prevent the snow the road to ISCOWP. When heavy care of the lack of water supply for the and rain from coming into the barn. snow falls, the branches and trees can cows after 1 week of no electricity. The sliding doors would give the break and block the road. Our option of leaving that space open in neighbor, who moved, use to cut the There are two sides to the farm, each decent weather so the cows can have branches. With these pruners we will on a different well and pump. To keep lots of fresh air. $1000 be able to maintain the plant growth the ISCOWP services going during a along the road. Last winter we could power outage we need another This gives a total of : $5, 699.99 not get down the road for 1 week. generator. The generator we wish to Then we had a few days of open road purchase is a permanent unit that sits and again another week of road outside all year and gets turned on blockage. $800 when there is the need. It is always connected to the power of the Barn Roof Gutters Repaired building being serviced. After The gutters need maintenance repair attachments and installation we figure so the heavy rain and snow melting the cost to be: $3, 799.99 will not flood the barn floor and make a slippery environment for the cows. Doors on Geriatric Barn $100 The geriatric barn is used for old cows, ill cows, dying cows or very We were without power several times, Generac Generator young cows. During the last 2 years once for almost 2 weeks. . Power outages happen here too often snow and rain came through both and last too long causing water sides of the barn covering 1/2 of the Please help us get ready for the winter shortage for the cows and garden not barn floor. This made it uncomforta- by using the enclosed form or to mention the ISCOWP staff. Freezers ble for the cows inside the barn since donating online at: and computers would also be able to some were not well and could not www.iscowp.org/ongoingprojects.html continue to operate with this generator. move freely. Thank you.

ISCOW P News / Volume 20 Issue 2 / 2010 3 Researchers from the Sage Colleges in Letters Troy, NY, reported today their findings that specific bacteria Bacteria in Cow Dung common to our environment may Good for You increase learning behavior. Dorothy From: Badrinarayan das Matthews and Susan Jenks, who To: [email protected] conducted the study, shared their Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:50 AM findings with those in attendance at Subject: All auspicious nature of the cow the meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego. Hare Krishna. Thought you might find this interesting. I just heard a clip The bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, from the BBC news service confirming is well known to scientists, as the the Vedic injunction that everything dead bacteria is being tested as about the cow is auspicious and bene- immunotherapy for asthma, cancer, ficial. It was a piece on research being depression, psoriasis, dermatitis, done in Australia on a particular eczema and tuberculosis. M. vaccae, bacteria found primarily in cow dung so named because it was first or "gobar" as they call it in India. discovered in cow dung in Austria, is naturally found in soil, and it is Sri is greeting the morning sun. Turns out that this bacteria, when in- inhaled when people spend time haled (as would happen naturally in a outdoors, especially where there are live bacteria to an experimental group rural setting or village life) helps gen- plants and trees. of mice to see how it would effect erate serotonin, a chemical which acts their navigation of a maze. in the brain to regulate moods and It was found in previous research that creates a sense of well-being. Even heat-killed M. vaccae had anti- The mice that were fed the live M. more so, this bacteria is found to reduce depressant effects on mice by vaccae learned the maze twice as fast the effects of asthma and a host of other stimulating the growth of neurons as the control group, which had not diseases and bodily distresses. and levels of serotonin. Mathews and received M. vaccae, and the Jenks, however, were curious about experimental group exhibited less The commentator said "The benefits the effects of live M. vaccae, and fed anxiety as well. are especially true for children who grow up playing in such natural surrounding, where they would inhale this bacteria. That children are increasingly cut off from this type of natural environment may well be one of the major causes of the growth of allergies and attention deficit disorder in children".

So once again, research science is playing catch-up to the eternal wisdom of the Vedas. Krishna playing with the cows in His childhood lila is showing the best standard for health for all children.

More on the benefits of cow dung / gobar, http://inventorspot.com/archive/201005

Bacteria Found In Cow Dung Can Make You Smarter by T Goodman Cow dung patties are used extensively in India for fuel for cooking. 4 2010 / Volume 20 Issue 2 / ISCOW P News Some time later, the experimental By Louise Gray, that grass fed cattle in the UK and US group was taken off the bacteria and Environment Correspondent can also be good for the environment tested again against the control Published: 7:00AM BST 08 Apr 2010 as long as the animals are free range. group. This time, the experimental mice did not learn the maze as fast as In the past environmentalists, from Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, of the when they were given the bacteria, Lord Stern to Sir Paul McCartney, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in but they were still faster than the have urged people to stop eating meat Germany, carried out the study in control mice. because the methane produced by Inner Mongolia in China. He found cattle causes global warming. that grassland produced more nitrous In yet a third maze learning oxide during the spring thaw when experiment, conducted after the mice However a new study found that sheep or cattle have not been grazing. had rested for three weeks, the cattle grazed on the grasslands of This is because the greenhouse gas, experimental mice ran faster than the China actually reduce another also known as laughing gas, is controls, but not fast enough to make greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide. released by microbes in the soil. When a statistically significant difference. This suggested to the researchers that the effects of M. vaccae are temporary.

"This research suggests that M. vaccae may play a role in anxiety and learning in mammals," says Matthews. "It is interesting to speculate that creating learning environments in schools that include time in the outdoors where M. vaccae is present may decrease anxiety and improve the ability to learn new tasks."

Take a walk outdoors when you take a break. You'll return more relaxed and smarter!

Sources: Medical News Today, Wikipedia Photo: Reuters Cows absolved of causing global w arming w ith nitrous oxide There has been research in the last several years claiming that cows contribute greatly to From: Eric Bott global warming due to their methane gas emissions. This we have known to be due to To: [email protected] the unnatural beef industry practice of feeding and feedlot containment. Here in this Sent: Friday, April 09, 2010 1:21 AM picture Argentine scientists are strapping plastic tanks to the backs of cows to collect Subject: fyi: Cows absolved of causing their farts for a global warming study. global warming with nitrous oxide Authors of the paper, published in the grass is long snow settles keeping http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ Nature, say the research does not the microbes warm and providing environment/climatechange/7564682/ mean that producing livestock to eat water, however when the grass is cut Cows-absolved-of-causing-global- is good for the environment in all short by animals the ground freezes warming-with-nitrous-oxide.html countries. However in certain and the microbes die. circumstances, it can be better for Livestock could actually be good for global warming to let animals graze Dr Butterbach-Bahl said the study the environment according to a new on grassland. overturned assumptions about study that found grazing cows or grazing goats and cattle. "It's been sheep can cut emissions of a powerful The research will reignite the generally assumed that if you increase greenhouse gas. argument over whether to eat red meat after other studies suggested Continued on page 15

ISCOW P News / Volume 20 Issue 2 / 2010 5 staying in the barns during midday and leaving the barns late in the day for pasturing. In the early morning they can be found on the hilltops where they spent the night catching the cool evening breezes. As soon as the mountain mist begins to evaporate and the sun rises, the cows come down from the hillsides to the barns to once again take shelter of the shade of the barn roofs.

So far this year all the cows have stayed healthy. About half the herd is older and some of them have arthritis which has been manageable. We pray they stay healthy as it is a pleasure to see them enjoy the pastures and each others association.

Guests Guests have come from Columbus, Ohio, Gainesville and Alachua Priya,Vishaka and the herd pasturing in the early morning. Florida, Washing D.C., Switzerland, Columbia, India, England, Czech Republic, Canada, New Talavan Mississippi, Texas, New Jersey, Gita ISCOWP Update Nagari Pennsylvania, Hanover Col-

his spring and summer have been extremely busy with the T major projects of rebuilding the old barn roof and building the 1/4 mile fence line bordering part of the cow’s pasturing ground. These two projects are now completed due to your help. Thank you.

This time of year is already the busiest one on the farm with beginning, maintaining and harvesting the garden, maintaining the grounds, building and repairing any of the farm buildings, harvesting wood from the forest for winter heating, and greeting and touring guests.

Cow s Spring brought lush green hillside pastures to which the cows gleefully ran and jumped when allowed out of Kala Kanta and Jitamrita run the Gainesville ISKCON temple in Florida. They brought the barnyard. Summer has brought a youth group from Florida to visit ISCOWP. They visited the cows and our home and heat waves and high humidity with we had discussions about the importance of cow protection, cow protection communities little rain. The cows escape the heat by worldwide and the practical operation of ISCOWP with a tour of the root cellar. In the

6 2010 / Volume 20 Issue 2 / ISCOW P News lege in Indiana, Ohio State University varieties are growing nicely and there So far the most successful dried and to mention an incom- are many green tomatoes. . The apple premiums for you have been the plete list. We have a sign at the end of trees are bowing due to the Bitter Melon, tomatoes and apples. the road that says by appointment abundance of fruit. We pray that Flowers are abundant. only. This helps greatly to enable us to nothing stops their development as it perform our service on the farm and has been a few years since we had a These next two months will be busy greet and meet sincere guests. productive apple crop. Also the dried weeding, planting, harvesting, apples are a nice premium for you. preserving and keeping the grounds maintained. As fall approaches the garden productivity slows down and the grass slows in growth due to the cooling temperatures.

New Staff We welcome Maitreya das who has joined the ISCOWP staff and is now living in the cabin on the farm. He is helping with the farm chores, but the service he loves the most is beautify- ing the grounds and keeping them neat and clean. The goal is to organize the grounds so they can be main- tained easily. Thank you Maitreya!

Planning Trip to USA Farms In November we are planning to visit the USA cow protection farms mostly in the south. The hope is to foster Balabhadra feeding Jahnava a treat in honor of a donor of a $1000. Any donor of $1000 unity and learn of the frustrations and will be honored by prayers for them and feeding of treats to the entire herd. accomplishments of the members of

The highlight of each visit is to meet the cows even though we also show our garden, root cellar and home. The cows do not just stay in the barns and if guests come at a time when they are out of the barn an adventurous trek must be taken through the pastures or forest. The effort is always worth it.

We try to take pictures of every guest’s visit. We send the pictures to our guests as mementos if so desired and publish them in the ISCOWP e- newsletter. Pictures of all the guests will not fit in the ISCOWP News.

Gar den We are now harvesting chard, peppers, lettuce, berries, mint, tomatoes, Bitter Melon, beans and basil. We enjoyed sweet peas and Narayana, Surariha, Bala, Giri, and Deshi, 2nd generation devotees from New Talavan, spinach for several months but they Mississippi, with a big appetite for a farm lunch after they helped us haul, cut and are now finished. The beets, carrots, deliver firewood from the ISCOWP forest to the ISCOWP residences for winter heat. tomatillos, and beans of several Lakshmi and Balaji also had a big appetite.

ISCOW P News / Volume 20 Issue 2 / 2010 7 the farms. If you would like to the conference will be us to visit, please contact us invited to share their at [email protected]. We knowledge and skills. look forward to visiting with you. Please respond indicating your interest and possible Farms, Food and Faith attendance ASAP. As Conference indicated, the number of “Members and supporters participants will be limited of ISKCON agricultural (approximate 35 attendees). communities are invited to participate in a 3 -1/2 Day You may call: 304-845-9591 conference beginning or e-mail Friday, December 3rd, for Bhaktivana Dhama community Baldwin City, Kansas. [email protected] for 1/2 day beginning at 2 pm, further information or with Saturday and Sunday full your suggestions towards day, and ending Monday, making this a memorable December 6th at 1 pm. and meaningful event.” (GBC) A partial goal of this conference is to introduce We will be attending this and study methods of conference and encourage practical sustainability in others interested to do so. current day ISKCON agricultural projects or Bhaktivana Dhama future projects and to In May, Balabhadra was define how our philosophy invited to attend the meets real life in practice. It biannual gathering of is planned to facilitate a friends of the Bhaktivana limited number of in- Dhama community. There terested persons in order to Ohio State University students came to ISCOWP to do research he gave 3 classes on cow maximized interactions, ex- for their Global Leadership course. protection during his 3 day changes, learning and visit. They are presently sharing of the same. protecting 4 cows and plan to expand. We'd especially like to invite younger generation Here is an add from this members to participate community: “Bhaktivana with the distinct hope of Dhama farm community, inspiring them towards a near Kansas City, is more simple fulfilling life- offering job/service style in the near future. We positions for devotees who also welcome those who wish to help pursue Srila might wish to offer a Prabhupada’s vision of cow presentation or workshop protection and self- to contact us (see below). sustainable farming. Experience welcome but The venue will be ISKCON not necessary since training New Vrindaban, West will be provided. Virginia and registration Opportunities available for will include meals and individuals, couple or small accommodation. Some non- We rented a two man auger to drill pilot holes so the pounding family. For further details ISKCON people from the would go more easily. It is a two man auger but will give two please call Krishna Das at secular world who are ex- men a real workout. We put 4 men on it and they were able to 785-594-2651 or email pert in various areas related drill the remaining 150 holes in about 8 hours. [email protected].”

8 2010 / Volume 20 Issue 2 / ISCOW P News ISCOWP and other cow we should be paying at All About You protection programs has least three times what we meant so much to me, my pay in the supermarket. So, ll devotees learn technology. Not only were wife Atitaguna dasi, and the way we see it, we about the they the answer to the our family. should pay the difference to A importance of cows "food problem", as Srila cow protection rather than in Vedic culture from the Prabhupada put it, but the In addition to our support of pocketing our “savings”. We beginning of their path in energy problem in general. ISKCON's sankirtan ac- do that by adopting cows, yoga* and I was no tivities, by contributing to one with ISCOWP and exception. But it was not Only with their help, could a cow protection programs we another here in Alachua. until I became involved in Krishna conscious com- feel that we are making a Srila Prabhupada’s centen- munity produce enough food small but important step When we can, we buy milk nial celebrations that my and basic necessities to have forward towards turning our from devotees in the area if understanding of the im- they have excess and we look portance of cow protection forward to the day we can really began to deepen and buy our veggies from take a firm root in the core protected ox-powered farms. of my personal values. Although it is indirect, by As part of the celebration connecting our lives with we began looking at differ- the care of cows we feel ent ways to strengthen their blessings in our lives. ISKCON and a group be- Of all their gifts, it is the gan to coalesce around the blessings of the cows that topic of ISKCON's eco- are most important. When nomic and social develop- we lived in we ment. One of the prominent got to have direct associa- voices in this group was tion with the cows living Hare Krsna dasi, who had there and could see how assembled and organized everyone was blessed when hundreds of citations from they were happy. Srila Prabhupada's recorded work on the topic Pancharatna’s wife, Atitaguna, with their adopted cow The love and care of the of Varnasrama Dharma.* Gourangi during their 2005 visit to the ISCOWP Farm. devotees of ISCOWP is ex- traordinary and it is our great Reading this material and the time for other devotional current cow killing society to privilege to be able to assist discussing it with the other services without depending a cow protecting world. them from a distance and get members of our group be- on industrial society. a drop of the ocean of gan to solidify my under- We also like to look at our blessings they are receiving standing of the importance Born out of this deepening contributions to cow pro- from the cows in their care. of the cow and bull in conviction of the impor- tection as a way to make bringing about the qualities tance of cow protection I our use of dairy products in Pancharatna (born 1951), of sattva guna* required for began getting involved our household more appro- joined ISKCON in 1970, and true Vedic culture. where I could in different priate. We realize that the served in Mayapur for about projects to promote cow industrial milk products 23 years in the period from I could understand that protection. But, although I that we purchase, even the 1976 to 2002. He married his milk products were really a came up with many ideas, ones we get from our local wife Atitaguna dasi in 1980 side benefit to cow protec- especially connected to my organic dairies, are subsi- and they raised their family of tion and that the primary work in Mayapur, other dized by the blood of the 4 in Mayapur. They now live benefits came from the projects always took a cows and bulls connected in Alachua with daughter Nila oxen whose manual labor higher priority, mostly due to this production. and grandson Bhima. He was capable of generating to their source of funding. currently serves as director of complete agricultural pros- Realistically, if we were to Friends of the BBT and the perity without reliance on That's why the opportunity purchase all our dairy from Sambandha Initiative. fossil fuels and industrial to support the work of a protected cow dairy farm, (*words found on page 15)

ISCOW P News / Volume 20 Issue 2 / 2010 9 To realize the sanctity of all living beings can be found amongst followers of various religious paths. It is also a common theme among animal activists. Those of Hindu beliefs have a special spiritual and practical connection with the cow. On these premises cow protection fits into the hearts and minds of many people. However, the practice of eating beef is so widespread, creating a huge industry which is breeding and killing enormous uncountable numbers of cows each day, includes even more people. Besides that, the meat industry is one of the most powerful within and without governments, ever influencing the minds of people especially the youth. Bhakti Raghava Swami, head of the India Varnasrama Minstry, meets ISCOWP’s Sri. Those who are sympathetic to cow protection contemplate the question Cow Protection of how to practice cow protection to increase the numbers of cows being protected and to counteract the meat in the Village industry. One way, the most natural and symbiotic way, is to develop village life where the cow is loved and he practice of cow protection What place then does cow protection considered important by everyone in has been common in India for have in the 21st century and in the the village. Bhakti Raghava Swami, T thousands of years. Even western world? head of the ISKCON’s India Ministry today one can see cows protected in for Varnasrama Development believes the villages and in large goshalas (sanctuaries for cows). Support for cow protection within India is not hard to find although western culture and the desire to meet western standards is diminishing that support.

The longest, most successful history of cow protection has been in the village life of India. The cow was and is a source of milk, the bull, labor for tilling the fields to produce grains and the dung from both useful for fuel, fertilizer, medicine and building material. God’s gift to the village farmer by which he could provide for his family. A gift to be considered sacred not only for its sheer generosity in allowing the village farmer to live with all the necessities but also due to the long religious history of the cow in India’s holy Vedic scriptures. The ISCOWP herd coming down from the hills heading to the barn one early morning.

10 2010 / Volume 20 Issue 2 / ISCOW P News village life in India, and other atmosphere for the cows, themselves countries as Indonesia, to be the and their children. Time, place and The Barn Roof foundation for cow protection in their circumstance is the guideline. respective countries. Is Finished! Within village life the cow is known Bhakti Vaibhava Swami who to each individual. The cow is impor- Thank You! produced the film Lost Village tant to their personal life at the least explains beautifully in his film how by the dung that can be used to village life within India naturally and fertilize the gardens and fields. When symbiotically supports cow there is a natural personal protection. His film also explains how relationship between individuals Indian village life is eroding due to a there is more love and concern. The changing world. concept is not complex, but the

Due to age, 40 years, and a harsh win- ter the old barn roof was in need of repair. With your help we began to rebuild the large barn roof, an area 70 feet by 94 feet.

We ran into more structural damage than we anticipated. Once we took off the old tin we could see it. The rafters had sunk weakening the purlins (the wood going horizontal to the rafters). Much of the purlins had become bent and cracked which made the platform to lay the metal roofing upon not level Bahkti Vaibhava Swami, producer of the documentary Lost Village, speaks about the and unstable. simple but sublime village life close to the land and cows. To correct the problem we first You may think, “What is so practical knowledge and abilities to thought of leveling the roof by jacking wonderful about village life, isn’t such implement the concept are not up the rafters from underneath the a life backward?” commonly understood. They are roof, but due to the weight of the roof being lost as the world moves from a it was not possible. The solution was “The sense of tranquility, the principle predominately agrarian society to an to cut square blocks, (2" thick, by 8 of pure living, the presence of farms urban one. inches wide, by 18 inches long) and and animals, the co-existence with nail them to the rafters at varied nature, and the intimate connection “There could be the best of both heights to level the roof platform and with the earth and environment, worlds. The best of villages and the then nail the purlins to the blocks. The remain the shelter for everyone on best of towns. But the rate at which metal roofing then had a level plat- this planet.” Lost Village things are changing and getting lost, form on which to be laid. one cannot even begin to imagine The village life we are speaking of what the future will hold for us and The finished roof is a beautiful sight does not have to be a duplicate of our future generation.” Lost Village to us. Now the cows will have a se- village life in India. In the western cure roof over their heads and there environment it can be a group of To find out more and buy Lost Village: will be no need to worry when winter families getting together to purchase www.lostvillagemovie.com/home.html comes with possible heavy snowfall land on which they can comfortably To find out more about the Varnasrama as occurred last winter. Thank you support some cows as a group effort Ministry: www.varnasrama.org/ everyone for your help! creating a safe and peaceful

ISCOW P News / Volume 20 Issue 2 / 2010 11 Chard When you pick your chard for freezing, take the leaves off the stems. It is best to pick your chard early in the morning and freeze soon after as this retains the nutrients. Blanch the leaves for 2 minutes. Then put in ice water. Drain and pack in container for freezing with 1/2 inch air space.

Chayadevi harvesting chard which can be frozen, canned and cooked fresh.

Blackberries can be frozen, canned as Lakshmi’s Kitchen jams and dried as leathers.

f you have ever gardened, you may have had the problem of I more produce than you can consume before it spoils. For the last 12 years we have canned most of our produce. This requires equipment, storage space and lots of time. The second way we preserve our produce is by drying which takes a lot of time but less space. Another way to preserve your produce is by freezing.

Most everyone has a refrigerator in which there is a freezer. Freezing is usually a less time consuming process than canning and drying. Lakshmi, now a mother with a toddler, has less time to can then she did before. We therefore bought a freezer to help preserve our produce.

If you live in a climate that has Basil, on the right, gives a nice scent and helps keep the flies away as they do not like winters, you no longer need lament the smell. We also have mint growing in this bed and it also discourages flies. The mint that you must pay high prices for low leaves can be dried for tea and the basil leaves can be dried for spice. However, the basil quality fruits and other produce. If leaves have a lot of oil in them which makes them more difficult to dry, so be sure to have you live in a climate that is warm all a very hot attic or greenhouse for drying them. We have made the Basil leaves into pesto year round, then you can save your and frozen it. The Basil stems and flowers are very nice in vases. In this bed we have garden abundance or those good also grown Dill of which you can save the seeds for spice. Beans of different varieties are supermarket produce discounts. growing here as well and are not yet ready for harvest.

12 2010 / Volume 20 Issue 2 / ISCOW P News If you are cooking the chard you can use the Q & A: What Are You stems by cutting them into small pieces and cooking them before the leaves. Doing for Cow Protection? Lakshmi uses some olive oil, mustard seed, fresh gin- ger and asafetida (Hing). Then she puts in the stems and cooks them until al- most soft. She then adds the leaves and cooks till the stems and leaves are done. Add salt at the end.

Blackberries While picking berries try to avoid getting stems, leaves etc. in your container. It makes it easier to clean them later and avoids bruising. After picking, clean the berries keeping only the firm ripe ones for freezing. While making jams or leathers, you need not be so fussy. Then dry them on a paper or cloth towel and put them in freezer containers with 1/2 inch air space on top. Sivaram Swami and Balabhadra visiting the cows at the ISCOWP Farm. Sivarama Swami recently stayed with us for a few days in which we had discussions concerning cow protection. Basil/Mint To make pesto use only the By Sivarama Swami* other castes think that they My proposition is that it is Basil leaves. It takes a lot of are the most important everyone’s responsibility. Just leaves to make a little pesto rsi goraksya vanijya. people, because it is actually like everyone’s responsibility as the leaves are put into a Krsi means plough- they who are feeding. Of is chanting Hare Krishna, food processor and ground K ing or agriculture course the vaisyas think that watering Tulasi devi*, reading up into a paste. Just follow and goraksya, cow protection. the brahmanas are the most Bhagavatam*. Similarly part a preferred pesto recipe These are the staples of soci- important because they are of our common dharma is to and pack into freezer ety, this is what people live taking the result of their protect cows. This is containers, add a thin layer on. All living entities subsist work and offering it back to something that you see of olive oil on top and then on grains. So the ksatriyas the Lord. ingrained in communities like 1/2 inch air space before may direct and instruct peo- Bhaktivedanta Manor*, where closing the lid. ple, the brahmanas* may Srila Prabhupada said that they have to limit the amount perform their yajnas,* but if this very common type of of cows they receive as gifts, For drying, cut both the they don’t eat then giving exchange was there but the and be very careful about the Basil and mint right before shelter or instruction is not responsibility of this type of food that is offered to it flowers as that is the time going to work. goraksy*, is it the duty of the cows, because to a greater the scent and flavor will be just some people? Some or lesser degree all the most intense. Also the best That eating is therefore the very, very exclusive people? devotees see the protection of time is in the morning most essential aspect of life Is it the responsibility of all cows as their dharma. before noon. Dry in paper and this is why the vaisyas* vaisyas, or is it for all bags tied tight in a hot and their assistants, the grhastas* or all devotees? It is everyone’s dharma: the place like an attic. sudras, are so integral that the cow is our mother, she gives

ISCOW P News / Volume 20 Issue 2 / 2010 13 us milk while all over the rest does not contribute or par- devotees interested. More There are milkmaids and of the world cows are being ticipate directly in cow difficult than getting devo- there are cowherd men. butchered, slaughtered, protection then he should tees to do sankirtan*, more And if we are not willing to abused, and taken advantage know that he is neglecting difficult than getting some- be milkmaids and cowherd of. Vaisnavas* must take it as his dharma. In other words one to cook in the kitchen men here in the material their responsibility to protect he is adharmic. or be temple president, is to world, if this service is be- cows. Now, how do you get devotees to be cow- yond us and we cannot protect cows? Does that This is in my view the herds. To make devotees foresee how we are going mean that you have a cow on greater picture of what var- work with the cows, bulls, to dedicate our lives to your balcony in downtown nasrama means. Varnas- and oxen and to make that working with the cows, Singapore? No, that type of rama doesn’t mean that we their life, it is very difficult then where are we going? cow protection is actually simply philosophize about for devotees to do this. “I Then you had better look cow abuse. You cannot just for somewhere other than keep your own cow. Braja*. Then you had better go to Dwaraka* or Cows only give milk if they Vaikuntha*, where that is have calves, which means not a compulsory, integral you have to constantly have part of life. calves, which means you have to have a herd, and Because in the spiritual that is a full time business. world, in Goloka So how is it that individuals Vrindavan, Krishna goes should protect cows? They out every day to tend cows. should in some way or an- And yet it is so difficult to other be connected to get devotees to be cowherd- ISKCON’s herds. Srila ers, to see that this is a re- Prabhupada established cow spectable future, and to protection for instance in stick with that service. Be- New Vrindavan, Gita cause once again, cow pro- Nagari, or as we have done tection is something that here in Hungary at New we talk about as being Vraja-dhama. These herds against the principles of are not the sole responsibil- slaughtering the animals. ity or duty of the local We don’t believe in slaugh- devotees in those places, tering the cow, we don’t be- they are the responsibility of lieve in eating the meat of the devotees and congre- Sivarama Swami with ISCOWP’s Madhava the cow, cows should be gation of the local country. It properly protected. But, is their responsibility to a way of life, but what are am an educated person, I when it comes to properly contribute to the cow pro- the duties of varnas* and have this diploma and you protecting the cows, are we tection, to donate towards asramas*, what are the du- want me to take care of willing to do it? Are we ac- the maintenance of the cow, ties that are common for all cows? You want me to do tually willing to dedicate to come and do some cow Vaisnavas, for all humans. that thing that God does? our lives to taking care of seva*, and when they come And one of them is the You want me to do that ac- cows? Or are we willing to to the temple they should protection of cows, just like tivity that is going on in the participate and support the bring some bhoga* for the chanting Hare Krsna is a spiritual world?” protection of cows? cows, to find out what items common responsibility as are needed by the cowherds. mentioned earlier. And that is what is going Therefore, we should ask: And the cow herds. on the spiritual world. That “What am I doing for pro- So, similarly, cow protec- is what is going on where tecting my mother? What am Cow protection is every- tion is a common responsi- we are going–at least where I doing to sustain cow one’s business, it is every- bility for everyone. It I want to go is where there protection in my zone? It is one’s responsibility. This is doesn’t necessarily always is only gopas* and gopis.* my responsibility, my duty as being written down as occur to us, and even when The whole social identity is a Vaisnava. Am I performing varnasrama dharma*. If one it does, it’s difficult to get based on “go”, on cows. my dharmic* duty?”

14 2010 / Volume 20 Issue 2 / ISCOW P News Sivarama Swami (born March 30, reared for sport; the pigs and lambs; 1949, Budhapest, Hungary) is a Vaisnava Letters the dairy cattle, beef cattle and veal guru and a religious leader for the calves; and also the fish and shellfish. International Society for Krishna Cows absolved of causing global There is nothing else like it on the Consciousness (ISKCON). He is a w arming w ith nitrous oxide market focused, as it is, not just on the member of the Governing Body continued from page 5 whole production process but also on Commission (GBC) who is responsible for the UK industry. leading ISKCON's mission in Hungary, livestock numbers you get a rise in Romania and Turkey. Within ISKCON, emissions of nitrous oxide. This is not The book has been endorsed by - Sivarama Swami is also well known for the case," he said. among others - Joanna Lumley, Julie his deep knowledge of Vaisnava literature, Walters and Viva!. Altogether there and has written several books about Estimated nitrous oxide emissions are 13 endorsements. They, together Gaudiya Vaisnavism. * from temperate grasslands in places with copies of reviews, are on; like Inner Mongolia as well as vast www.onthemenuanimalwelfare.co.uk Sivarama Swami received the Gold Cross swatches of the United States, Canada, of Merit of the Hungarian Republic on Russia and China account for up to a Julie Walters and Viva! have described October 20, 2009, the second highest third of the total amount of the On the Menu as a 'must read'. Julie award in the state. Karoly Manherz, the greenhouse gas produced every year. Roxburgh, Co-ordinator of The State Secretary for Higher Education and Nitrous oxide is the third most im- Shellfish Network , has referred to the Science, awarded Sivarama Swami with portant greenhouse gas after carbon writing as "concentrated and power- the Gold Cross, saying it was in dioxide and methane. ful.” And Roger Smith, Director of Old appreciation of his “charitable, Pond Publishing, said of it “I have been humanitarian and value-creating work.” But Dr Butterbach-Bahl pointed out reading your typescript with a sort of that the study did not take into account appalled fascination. I suppose this is Glossar y the methane produced by the livestock what people felt when they first read asramas-the four spiritual orders of life or the carbon dioxide produced if soil Silent Spring or Animal Machines.” Bhagavatam:-Vedic scriptures erodes. He also pointed out that much Bhaktivedanta Manor-English community of the red meat eaten in the western On the Menu is available in the US via -the system of cultivation of world is from intensively farmed the usual suppliers including Amazon bhakti, or pure devotional service, animals in southern countries. and Ingrams. bhoga-food not yet offered to God Sincerely yours, brahmanas-priestly class He said the study does not overturn the Sue Cross Braja-highest level spiritual world case for cutting down on red meat but dharmic-religious duty of every human shows grazing livestock is not always bad Non sectarian cow protection Dwaraka-island kingdom of Lord Krishna for global warming. Hare Krsna! Gaudiya Vaisnavism-a vaisnava that follows the teachings of Lord Caitanya. Book on Farm Animal Welfare I Will send donations whenever goraksy-cow protector From: comments@onthemenu- possible, just for the general upkeep gopas-male cowherds animalwelfare.co.uk of your mission to spread knowledge gopis-female cowherds To: [email protected] of the importance of cow protection. grhastas-married householders Subject: Book on Farm Animal Welfare sankirtan- congregational glorification of Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 4:33 AM May Srila Prabhupada, the Lord through chanting His holy name Lord Jesus, satva guna-the mode of material goodness I am emailing to tell you about my Saint Francis of Assisi, seva-a devotional service book: On The Menu: Animal Welfare. Saint Nicholas of Talentino, Tulasi devi-sacred plant Since it supports the vegan, and all vegetarian saints Vaikuntha-the abode of Lord Narayana vegetarian cause, I am hoping you always smile upon you devotees at vaisnavas-devotees of Lord Krishna might consider posting news of it on ISCOWP! vaisyas-agriculture or business class your message board - or doing a varnas-occupational divisions of society review for your newsletter? Sincerely in Christ, varnasrama dharma-a Vedic social Joanie Delisio structure of 4 social & 4 spiritual orders On the Menu examines how the ani- yajnas-Vedic religious ceremonies mals we eat are produced: the chick- Front Cover: Vrajbhakti devi dasi and ens, ducks, turkeys and geese; the son Narahari das, laying hens, quail and the pheasants Back Cov er: Pooja Sharma with Priya

ISCOW P News / Volume 20 Issue 2 / 2010 15

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As long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love. Pythagoras (6th century)