Around the world ISKCON maintains ethical dairy farms in the Vedic style that are completely different from modern day factory farms, built to produce meat and milk. ISKCON dairy farms are not run for profit, nor for meat. Cows and bulls are protected and taken care of until their natural death and never sent to slaughterhouses when they are old.
These Vedic model dairy farms, or “goshalas” as they are called in Vedic India, are built to promote humane treatment of cows and bulls, to give them peaceful lives and render service unto them. In exchange, they supply nutritious milk and help the devotees in fertilising the land. Cow manure is used as fertilisers for agriculture and bulls help to plough the fields.
In factory farms, reproduction of cows is done in an artificial way to use them for food. In ISKCON goshalas, cows are not made to reproduce artificially. Cows freely graze in open air and they are not fed chemicals or any other substances used to artificially boost milk production, as done in contemporary industrialised farms. Most of the time, their feed is locally grown.
Calves stay close to their mothers to ensure they receive motherly love and affection and drink as much milk as they want. Happy cows produce a different quality of milk as you can experience for yourself by visiting an ISKCON goshala.
You can support humane treatment of cows and bulls by adopting a cow or calf. You are also welcome to give your time and love by doing service in these goshalas. Please contact your nearest ISKCON dairy farm to know more.
