James Narayan Higgins already owned eight cows in early 2019 when he had heard that Big Island Dairy was closing, forced to either sell its cows or put them to slaughter.
“We did a fundraiser and set it for just enough money to buy four cows because the space I had for them was limited,” Higgins told Aloha State Daily. “The GoFundMe went viral and raised almost $60,000. It wasn't our original intention, but I ended up getting 70 cows total from the dairy. So you can imagine, with 78 cows in total overnight, it was a crazy next four to five months.”
At that time, he had three acres to keep them temporarily, he said, adding, “But in terms of long-term pasture, I had nothing figured out. It was kind of just a big leap of faith.”
Today, Krishna Cow Sanctuary has about a $200,000 annual operating budget to take care of more than 250 bovines that graze over 500 acres of land across Hawaiʻi Island. Revenues come primarily from cow cuddling, Higgins noted, which volunteers and a couple key staff members assist with.
“Necessity is the mother of invention, and we needed help taking care of all these cows. It’s agritourism," he continued.
The program runs daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with people coming to visit from across the globe. It does have busy seasons, which can attract 50 to 100 people per day, and 10 to 15 people on slower days.
“I wanted to sustainably fund this and so far, cow cuddling has turned into something steady as we’ve also built-up local clientele. We have repeat local families and friends from the other islands,” Higgins said. “But it’s worth it, even 10 to 15 people pays for the operations to run for the day."
He says another venture is in the works – Bull Safari – a driving tour that will showcase the sanctuary’s bulls. He aims to launch that sometime in February.
Partnering with landowners on bovine land management is another area Higgins hopes to scale. In a nutshell, it's a win-win, he said. The dual benefits are that landowners get their grass cut and can qualify for grants or tax breaks, while his cows get fed, thereby saving on his operating costs.
“It’s only because of the power of an army of cows, and even if they do get loose, I call them and they all come running back, because of that connection I have with them,” he said.
How did he perfect his cow call? “The person I learned some cow stuff from; they had a similar call. … I just go ‘Cowcowcowcowcow’ super loud and high-pitched, and the cows come.”
In the new year, Higgins plans to expand his team and provide hands-on training for those who want to learn what he does from fencing to feeding and milking, and more. “If anyone wants to set up a franchise on one of the other islands, hit me up. That’s big picture,” he said.
He’s had his first cow, Bhumi, for 12 of her 27 years. “She’s a really rare, sweet, friendly cow. I feed her treats like papayas, bananas, anything we grow. She taught me a lot.”
When asked about the herd's growth over time, he noted that “some are born with us or people give them away, and on occasion, we’ll find a loose cow. But every year, you can expect about 20 to 30 cows come your way from other people.”
As a sanctuary, Higgins added that the cows are not being raised for meat or milk, but “just to live their life.”
This also ties into his Hindu beliefs.
Higgins added: “Cows are sacred creatures and that’s because they are Krishna’s favorite animal, so by extension, our favorite animal. We donʻt eat or kill any animals, but cows especially are worthy of being take care of and protected. And so for me, taking care of cows is an act of devotion. In my opinion, when people come in to pet the cows, they’re engaging in spiritual practice, too, because they’re making them happy. And we don’t have to talk about philosophy or politics or any of that. It’s just like connecting on the soul level, connecting with the divine, as well. It’s not just a spiritual religious sentiment. It’s the ultimate practicality.
Higgins was born on O’ahu, raised on Maui, and currently resides on Hawai’i Island. He lives with one of the herds and visits the others at least once a week, he said.
When asked if he had any prior background in farming, he said “zero background whatsoever. I was the pale and skinny kid who played video games all day.”
“I think there’s a parallel between video games and running a business. You’re building your skills, your networks, your strategies, getting feedback, and to me, I guess you don’t need to play when you’re doing it in real life.”
Donate and buy tickets for Cow Cuddling here. Follow Krishna Cow Sanctuary on Instagram and TikTok.
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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
