Life With the Cows and Land

Saved, Happy Ox (2 years later)

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 00:32:00 +0000

Dhruva Laddhu and his friend Kalyan Tamal were a few months old living in little hutches separate from their mothers and each other, fed by a mechanical milk drip before they were brought home to ISCOWP from the dairy. Now 2 ½ years later, Dhruva and Kalyan are enjoying life as protected oxen at the ISCOWP sanctuary. Dhruva has a loving relationship with Balaji, who was a member of the ISCOWP staff who went to the dairy to bring him home. He enjoys Balaji's attention, especially when he shoos away the flies on his back. Dhruva reciprocates with some wet facial licks. Among the young cows and oxen, Dhruva is the most enthusiastic about treats. He absolutely cannot get enough of them. After changing pastures, he runs and kicks his heels up in joy. Dhruva is enjoying his youth far from the slaughterhouse.

Ox Training Seminar, New Vraja Dhama Hungary

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Wed, 01 May 2019 21:03:00 +0000

What is the role of the ox in cow protection? Attendees of the Ox Training Seminar in New Vraja Dhama, Hungary learn about training oxen and their valuable role in sustainable agriculture.

ISCOWP traveled to New Vraja Dhama in Hungary to help present the week-long Ox Training Seminar held April 17-24. Attendees came from Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, USA, and Hungary. This video presents some of the seminar's activities and the thoughts of some of its attendees.

Training young calves to voice commands, driving mature oxen to perform farm tasks, making yokes, learning about different ox driven machines, and the philosophy behind ox power were a few of the topics covered. New Vraja Dhama farm was an excellent setting for such a seminar because they practice cow protection and do a large amount of their agricultural activities with the oxen.

Jenni Adopts A Cow

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 18:26:00 +0000

Jenni's parents took her on a mystery road trip. She didn't know where she was going or for what purpose. She eventually realized she was at the International Society for Cow Protection. That was a surprise in itself, but there was more to come. Since Jenni is a cow lover, her parents thought it would be a great gift for Jenni if they adopted a cow for her. Jennie is getting married in November, and this was to be a wedding gift for her.

Most of the cows at ISCOWP are rescued from a situation where they were bound for the slaughterhouse. The Adopt A Cow program helps ISCOWP care for the cows who will live out their natural lives far from the slaughterhouse. This is called lifetime cow protection.

Jenni was happy when she found out she was adopting a cow. But now she had to pick one cow out of the herd of 24. First, Meenakshi met her at the fence and then Jenni met Indraneela. Sri Uddharan Datta Thakur was next. Sri is an ox who likes to lay down and receive massages. Madhava, one of ISCOWP's oldest and largest oxen, attracted Jennie's attention and she spent a little time petting him. The younger members of the herd were in the back pasture and to visit with them we took the ATV for a ride. We then met Sri Vasanti, Draupadi, Kalyan Tamal, and Dhruva.

In the end, Jenni was torn between Sri and Madhava. She chose Sri.

You too can adopt a cow at ISCOWP. If you do, you will receive an adoption certificate, adoption photo, a cow protection t-shirt and seasonal video/photo updates of your cow during the year. For more details, please visit our website adoption page.

Meet Priya the Ox, King of the Herd

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 17:35:00 +0000

On a cow protection farm all cows, bulls, and oxen are protected from slaughter. Each cow, in this case, ox, has his own unique personality. Meet Priya, the ox who is king of the ISCOWP herd.

Priya the ox is a force to be reckoned with, at least for now. In this video, you can see how he has established himself as the king of the herd by defeating both Keshava, an older, bigger ox and Sri who is his brother. Although he has a tough persona, he also has a soft and gentle aspect to his personality. He loves alfalfa cubes and takes the cubes from Balabhadra carefully, and he allows little 2-year-old Bhima to pet him while we know that he could plow down all the humans present if he wanted to. It seems that he has a steady girlfriend in Jahnava who takes any chance she has to lick Priya and associate with him. In the first clip of Priya receiving licks from Jahnava, it can be seen that Madhava is licking Priya also and the recently defeated Keshava is patiently waiting as Priya receives his recognition as king of the herd.

These cows and oxen all live at the International Society for Cow Protection, ISCOWP. Most members of the ISCOWP herd have been rescued from the meat and dairy industries. They will never be slaughtered, but they will be protected until their natural passing.

Memory of Srila Prabhupada at ISKCON Hawaii 50th Anniversary (Balabhadra...

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 20:10:00 +0000

A short memory from Balabhadra das of massaging Srila Prabhupada at the Ala Aoloa temple location during the bus tour of historic ISKCON Hawaii locations. The occasion was the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada in Hawaii, January 19, 2019. Balabhadra das was the first person to be initiated by Srila Prabhupada in Hawaii. It is because of Srila Prabhupada's teachings that ISCOWP was established in 1990.

Hay Excites and Satisfies Cows

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:46:00 +0000

Donations during this Matching Gift Challenge have helped ISCOWP in many ways one of which is to feed the ISCOWP herd. This year, in addition to the cost of hay, ISCOWP had expensive tractor repairs. The tractor is necessary to move the 800-pound hay bales. But with your help, the tractor was fixed and the hay bales were bought.

This video shows a delivery of hay bales from our neighbor "Misty Morning Hounds." Not only do we purchase all our hay from Mac and Alexis (owners of Misty Morning Hounds) but they also helped feed the ISCOWP herd the 800-pound bales of hay when our tractor was inoperable. We all thank Mac and Alexis!

Once the bales of hay are in the hay barn they are then moved by Balabhadra das (ISCOWP president Wiliam E. Dove) and grandson Balaji to the feeding rings and the herd is called by them to partake of the yummy hay. The herd is in excited anticipation of the new hay. Once they start eating the hay, some of the cows fill up fast and with full stomachs, they lay down in the pasture. Due to the quality, tasty hay they are satisfied this winter season.

Satisfied, happy cows are the joy of cow protection.

Happy Cows Arati

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 16:11:00 +0000

All the cows were resting under a group of Live Oak trees which gave them a lot of shade on the hot Fall day. Almost all of these cows in the ISCOWP herd were saved when they were about to be slaughtered. While the cows were in a restful mood, Balabhadra das offered Arati to the ISCOWP Diety Giiraj and the ISCOWP herd. In celebration, the herd was fed alfalfa cubes as treats and the younger members of the herd were given access to a pasture they never roamed before. All herd members were joyful either eating alfalfa cubes or running and kicking their heels exploring the new pasture.

Training Oxen by Voice Commands Lesson 5 To Stand

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 15:58:00 +0000

We are back again with the Training Oxen by Voice Commands series. Here is lesson 5 which deals with the importance of standing and how to train your oxen to stand. This time Kalyan Tamal is the ox in training. Kalyan and Dhruva, both rescued from a dairy where they were about to be slaughtered are the ox team in training. They live at the ISCOWP sanctuary where they are in training to show how intelligent they are and how they have a role to play in the family farm. They need not be slaughtered.

Cow love starts young

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 21:19:00 +0000

This summer the rains were abundant, and they brought lush grass for the cows. The cows were in heaven. This video was taken during the summer and features a two-year-old boy and his growing attraction for the cows. His name is Bhima.

Bhima is Balaji's brother. You may be familiar with Balaji as he has been in quite a few of our cow videos from the age of two to now (he is now nine years old).

Bhima has been growing up with the cows. The cows are a big part of his little world. He likes to call the cows when we move them from one pasture to another. He also likes to ride and sometimes drive the ATV to visit the cows in the pasture. The ISCOWP cows are generally not afraid of people and considerate of Bhima. They know that on the ISCOWP farm cows are protected. Therefore Bhima has a positive experience, and the hope is he will protect and love cows and never eat them when he grows up. The hope is also that the viewer of this video will understand cows have feelings and deserve to be loved and protected.

Bulls Massage Mother Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 14:31:00 +0000

“Spending a day with the bulls is very satisfying work, and Mother Bhumi (Mother Earth) likes it. She is not so happy to have the tractor pounding her around. When the bulls are working, they’re walking on Mother Bhumi, and they are giving her a massage. Sometimes they will pass urine; sometimes they will pass stool during the course. This makes Mother Bhumi also very happy.”

These were some of my thoughts which emerged while I was giving the Sunday feast lecture at the ISKCON Honolulu temple in Hawaii.

It wasn’t but a week after the May Cow Culture conference in Silicon Valley, California that I went to Hawaii upon my twin sister’s request. Our mother had passed away at the ripe old age of 101, and before her passing, she had requested that her body be cremated and the ashes put into the Moanalua Bay. A very close friend of my sister had a suitable boat which could safely transport us out into the ocean to help us fulfill our mother’s wish. He had suggested that we wait until the beginning of summer as the Pacific ocean would be calmer at that time. In the first week of June, we deposited her ashes in the Moanalua Bay. However, I kept half the ashes aside which I will take to India and deposit there in the holy river of Ganga.

I grew up in Hawaii and was the first person to be initiated by Srila Prabhupada in Hawaii in the year 1969. Back then having a child initiated into the Hare Krishna movement was a lot to accept. My mother tolerated it, met Srila Prabhupada and attended a Sunday feast lecture given by him at the Honolulu temple on Oahu.

While I was in Hawaii, I visited the Honolulu Hare Krishna temple. I was asked to give the Sunday feast lecture, and the following video is of that lecture. Thanks to 9-year-old Balaji Dove for video graphing the class. There are some slides added to the video footage that you will find interesting, and I hope the video will enrich your spiritual understanding of cow protection. Thanks for watching!

Yours, Balabhadra das (William E. Dove, ISCOWP president)

Bulls, not Milk?

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 18:06:00 +0000

The Cow Culture Conference was held in Silicon Valley, California May 2018 by the Om Sri Surabhi Campaign headed by HH Bhakti Raghava Swami. At the conference, Balabhadra (William E. Dove -president of ISCOWP) speaks about Lord Krishna as a protector of cows, why cows were bred in Vedic times and his personal realizations about the benefit of associating with cows. Some flashes from the past can be seen in pictures, dating back to the 1980's, accompanying his talk.

A Tribute to Our Mothers

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Sat, 12 May 2018 16:10:00 +0000

The cow is like our mother. Here is a tribute to three special mothers in the ISCOWP herd. They have been through significant difficulties living in the same dairy before they were rescued by ISCOWP members. Through grace and courage, they have forged relationships with each other and other members of the herd. They are noticeably motherly to many of the younger cows and oxen in the herd which helps relieve the sorrow of the children who were taken away from them while in the dairy. Happy Mother's Day to them and all of you! You can adopt a cow for Mother's Day, a great gift. Go to http://iscowp.org/adopt-a-cow/

Cow Protection Allies

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 11:19:00 +0000

Establishing cow protection is essential to bringing about a more peaceful, compassionate and spiritual world. Considering the chaotic and materialistic state of the world today, any attempt to bring about a more humane and friendly society is a battle or declaration of war. In any fight, some allies join for various reasons of their own. This video is a short discussion about the war to establish cow protection and its allies, like vegans.

Boy & Ox Friends for Life

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 20:42:00 +0000

Balaji and Devakinandana, a rescued ox, have been friends since 2014 when Balaji was five years old, and Devaki was a few days old. Devaki was one of eight calves who was rescued at the auction barn from slaughter. Devaki and the other calves had to be fed with milk bottles for six months since they did not have enough time with their mothers and did not get enough nutrients. Now four years later Balaji and Devaki are still buddies. Balaji is lucky that Devaki has developed into a friendly, careful ox. With Balaji and the rest of the ISCOWP staff, he never butts or swings his horn or pushes. Devaki is living the good life far from the slaughterhouse.

Deriving Religious Principles Through Cow Protection

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 19:58:00 +0000

Balabhadra das (William E. Dove president of ISCOWP) talks about how religious principles are derived from protecting cows. Srimad Bhagavatam class in ISKCON Houston, February 18, 2018. www.iscowp.org

I found something wonderful

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 00:30:00 +0000

I found something wonderful: And I want to share it with you

Have you seen a cow trot or gallop?

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 11:28:00 +0000

Cows rescued by ISCOWP members a year ago were let out on new pasture. We enjoyed watching them run, trot and gallop around the new pasture and thought you would enjoy watching them too. Dhruva galloped, Vasanti trotted with her dewlap swaying to and thro and Kalyan and Draupadi did the same.

The Story of 8 Rescued Calves

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 18:19:00 +0000

This is the story of eight calves rescued by ISCOWP members. View them back in 2014 when they were first rescued and now in 2017 after living 3 years in a protected environment at ISCOWP Cow Sanctuary in Florida.

Priya Loves Apple Slices and Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 17:59:00 +0000

Priyavrata is a lover of sliced apple treats and tree leaves. Although there is plenty of grass to eat Priya likes to add to his diet. Priya has been quite peaceful and relaxed although he is king of the herd and has the personality to go with that position. He is also healthy and happy at the ISCOWP Sanctuary. By the way, Priyavrata is his full name but we call him Priya for short.

Krishna is a Cowherd Boy SB 8.24.5

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 09:31:00 +0000

The Cow Seva Kirtan Mela Festival was hosted by the Hare Krishna devotees of the ISKCON New Talavan farm community in Mississippi, USA. Balabhadra das gave three Srimad Bhagavatam classes about the importance of cow protection. Here is a video of one of the classes entitled "Krishna is a Cowherd Boy."

Training Oxen by Voice Commands Lesson 3

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 22:51:00 +0000

Lesson 3 is about teaching the commands "Get Up" and "Whoa" to the team Dhruva Laddhu and Kalyan Tamal. In this video, Dhruva is 9 months old and Kalyan is 10 months old. Check back or subscribe to know when the continuing lessons are published. By the end of the series, one should know how to train a team from an early age to adulthood or full working capacity.

Training Oxen by Voice Commands Lesson 2 The Halter

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 17:45:00 +0000

William E. Dove (president of ISCOWP and also known as Balabhadra das) is available to answer any questions about the training process. You may ask here in the comment section or email at iscowp@gmail.com..

More lessons will be coming soon. This is the second in a series that is published on our YouTube channel ISCOWP108 . The main reason to be teaching oxen how to do useful work and obey commands is to show their usefulness as an alternative to their slaughter. To many the ox or steer has no purpose but for the price he may bring in the meat industry.

Kalindi Vijaya and Her Boyfriends

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 19:27:00 +0000

Kalindi Vijaya is one of our rescue dairy cows. She is the star of the video "Joyfully Free From the Dairy." Some of our subscribers have asked how she is doing since she was rescued in 2015.

Kalindi Vijaya is doing well. This video will give you some idea of her life at ISCOWP.

This spring Kalindi has two boyfriends: Priyavrata and Narayana. They are rescues also. It has been two years since Kalindi was rescued, 5 years since Narayana was rescued and 9 years since Priyavrata was rescued. They have been and are living a peaceful life at the ISCOWP farm where they will live out their natural lives.

This video represents the spring update for Kalindi, Priyavrata and Narayana. Most of the spring was very dry, in fact we were in a drought. now the rains have come and it is raining everyday. The video clips that show bright green pasture are a result of just a few days of rain.

Calves Happily Reunited

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Thu, 18 May 2017 18:51:00 +0000

A calf just saved from being dehorned and branded is in the trailer entering the International Society for Cow Protection (also known as ISCOWP) Florida farm. Her name is Draupadi Amba. Another calf saved from the same fate and from the same breeder is already at the ISCOWP farm. Her name is Sri Vasanti and Draupadi is about to be reunited with her.

Training Oxen Lesson 1 Become Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Balabhadra das) — Tue, 09 May 2017 21:35:00 +0000

This is the first in a series of lessons ISCOWP plans to publish with the intent that someone who watches them should attain a good idea of how to train oxen by voice commands from the beginning of their oxen's lives to their maturity.