We have some GOOD NEWS to share:We have taken the first steps to purchase new land and increase our milking herd. We hope to fulfil our pledge to you to provide ahimsa milk after many years of waiting.
Last weekend we moved the first of our non milking cows onto land at Dartmoor in Devon where the Ahimsa project is preparing to secure a new farm.
When the project began with its first tangible bottle of milk 15 years ago, no one expected it to go this distance. In fact, a number of established and successful businessmen said it was not possible! Perhaps that’s exactly why we have been successful, it has not been a business, but a pursuit of principles before profit, an ability to see this initiative as something beyond just ‘farming’, rather a compassionate revolution and an opportunity to make something apparently impossible possible.
Ahimsa started with six cows and no land. In those early days, it was paying people back in milk for monies that had been loaned for its first equipment. Things grew from there and we went to Wales, then onto Groby in Leicestershire, through some of the most challenging obstacles, but the team perservered on. Through unexpected twists and turns we thrust ourselves through purchase of our first piece of land in Manton, Rutland and then acquired the beautiful Chater Valley Fram which transformed into the Ahimsa Eco Farm. Now, we are about to take our greatest leap, from a 40 acre farm to a 350+ acre farm, to increase from 36,000 litres of milk to 100,000 litres of milk, to create a real home for retired cows, calves and develop an ox-working centre to grow our own grain and more in the future.
Where are we in this great adventure? We have now exchanged and placed a deposit on this new land. £4.1M. The bank has agreed to make a substantial loan and our plan to to make 75 more Patrons to help service loans. We have a list of 1500+ people waiting to buy our milk and enable us to take this important step forward.
But we need one final bit of help – to move this operation from Leicetershire to Devon and then to grow it to become what we are dreaming about will need a period of transition, cows are creatures of rountine, we can’t suddenly move them, increase the herd and make everything work overnight.
We need help to transition from where we are today [in Rutland] to where we would like to be [in Devon]. We need some help from you.
We need 350 families to give £1 a day for 3 years to help us through this transtion. Priority to obtain milk will go to those who are able to help us with this transition.
£1 a day today will not buy a health bar. You cannot buy a cup of coffee with £1.
Please help and become one of the 350 to help us complete this huge leap and land on our feet. Thank you.
Click here to help us with our Transition Fund of £1 a day. If you feel inspired, you can click on any of the other options:
https://ahimsadairyfoundation.org.uk/support-us/ Thank you for your time and thank you for considering supporting us on this next phase of the Ahimsa journey.
With all good wishes,
Sita Rama
Director Ahimsa Dairy Foundation
Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=119425
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