[Posted August 4, 2009]

Culling the Cows

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

A cow's life hinges upon supply and demand

Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel Aug 2, 2009 - RICK BARRETT

Downturn sours dairying

Wisconsin's dairy industry, still thousands of farms strong, is awash in trouble.

The average dairy farm in the state is losing about $100 per cow each month, according to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.

With more than 1.25 million cows in the state, it means the industry is losing about $4 million a day.

That's largely because farmers, who received about $20 for every hundred pounds of milk they produced last summer, have seen that price cut in half this summer. They've slashed expenses but are losing money on every gallon of milk they produce - partly because consumers are buying less ice cream, butter and cheese.

Some farmers have cashed out their farm equity and savings just to buy cattle feed and pay their utility bills.

Entire herds of cows have been slaughtered as part of a national program meant to reduce milk supplies and increase the amount that farmers receive in their milk checks.

A national program, called Cooperatives Working Together, has paid farmers to send more than 100,000 cows to the slaughterhouse. Several dozen Wisconsin farms have participated in the herd liquidation program.

Yet it's heartbreaking and a poor way to manage the nation's milk supply, Rozwadowski said.

"Farmers who have been milking cows for decades are now seeing a lifetime's work go up in smoke as their herds, including even bred heifers, are sold off to the CWT program. At the same time, there are 924 million hungry people in the world... our dairy products could be used to feed the hungry." go to story

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Caring for cows

Making cows happy is good for the planet A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

if you keep the cows happy, then cow will supply large quantity of milk. If the cow knows that you are going to kill it, she is always afraid, always fearful: "Oh, this man will kill." They can understand. I have seen in New Vrindaban. One cow, she was crying because her calf was taken away. So she was feeling so sorry. Now in our New Vrindaban, we see how the cows are happy, how they are dealing. They are not afraid. This is our duty, to keep the cows happy. more

Feed the world

excerpt from conversation, Melbourne, April 21, 1976

GURU-KRPA: There's more cows in this country than people.

PRABHUPADA: They are killing?

GURU-KRPA: They are eating them.

PRABHUPADA: And other countries, they are starving for want of milk. Therefore I say the United Nation simply barking dogs. What is the value if they cannot adjust? United Nation, all the nations should take advantage all the facilities offered, but that they will not allow. And they are named, "United." Just see. Farce.

DEVOTEE (1): In New Zealand they have a hundred million tons of surplus milk powder, and they can't sell it, so they decided to feed it to the pigs. They could send it all over the world.

PRABHUPADA: Why not take it free and send it to India?

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