

The Old MacDonald Hackathon  - joshwprinceton
http://blog.dwolla.com/cows-code-and-money-the-old-mcdonald-hackathon-haveacow/

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cwbrandsma
Wait, what type of cow we talking here? Jersey, Guernsey, Holstein, Angus?
Male or Female? How old? Sorry, former dairy kid OCD kicking in from a state
that has more cows than there are Iowans.

And a rooster? Can I get it processed (plucked, gutted, and in a bag ready for
a pot)

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mamoswined
A rooster is an interesting choice of a prize. Few farmers, even the
locavore/small kind, breed their own chickens anymore. And they tend to be
banned in a lot of areas. The type of cooking they are perfect for (chicken
soup from scratch)is not something the average person tends to do anymore. So
not many people want roosters.

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tjr
There has been a lot of commotion around the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area for the
past few years, with a legal motion to allow a modest number of suburban
chickens on residential personal property being repeatedly brought up for
discussion.

Thankfully, the motion has thus far been shot down in my immediate area, but I
think it has passed somewhere.

And there are still a few properties that have been owned by the same family
for longer than the modern livestock laws have been on the books, and thus
they are permitted to keep sundry animals. I rather enjoy the llamas. :-)

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mamoswined
I have known people in NYC who kept chickens. It didn't seem like it caused a
problem for anyone. But if they ended up with a rooster, that was a big issue
because they are banned.

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danso
This is a terrible idea and perpetuates outdated stereotypes of Iowans for a
cheap laugh. Our specialty is pigs, not cows.

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hammock
For the curious: <http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/quickfacts.asp>

_Corn value of production (2011 crop year) $14.5 billion

Soybeans value of production (2011 crop year) $5.50 billion

Cattle and calves, cash receipts (2011) $3.41 billion

Hogs, cash receipts (2011) $6.70 billion_

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mrkmcknz
This has brightened my Monday up. One question... How do the logistics work
out here?

 _I can't think of anything more amusing than 4 neck-beard hackers winning a
cow at a hack._

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jtchang
Maybe first prize can be a pardon for the cow. Something like what the
president does for turkeys every Thanksgiving.

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JagMicker
As someone born & raised in Iowa, I'm glad to see them embrace the startup
culture. Iowa is a great place to live, and it could use some new sharp minds
to help it grow.

As for the people complaining about prizes --- why don't you donate something
more enticing than cow, chicken, and rooster?

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scottyallen
Who's up for a road trip from the Bay Area? Bonus points if you have a
livestock trailer or something to tow it with. Somehow I don't think my Prius
will cut it...

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smoyer
Bay Area ... Prius

Our second stereotype of the thread!

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littlegiantcap
Jordan Lampe is a genius. This is exactly the sort of thing thay makes me miss
Dwolla so much. I may actually head back to Des Moines for this.

Also anyone know if butchering services are included?

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Ataub24
Genius he is

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littlegiantcap
I suspect you had a hand in this too :)

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JasonFruit
As a coder who raises his own meat, I want to go to Des Moines --- but I have
enough roosters to fill my freezer. That pig, though . . .

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joezhou
BRB... Waiting for an African Hackathon where I can get an elephant or zebra.

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mamoswined
Is it a live cow or meat?

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mschonfeld
That's totally your up to you... We'll give it to you anyway you want it.

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mamoswined
What kind of cow? How was it raised?

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testing12341234
Is it local?

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2LBICPEK6w>

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ChuckMcM
I appreciate that they didn't go for the 'brogrammer' stereotype.

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Falling3
Really unhappy to see animals being given away as "prizes".

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jtchang
Why?

There is a long history of animals as gifts/prizes such as for dowrys in
marriages.

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Falling3
There is also a long history of parents arranging those marriages - doesn't
make any of it a good idea.

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zevyoura
You didn't provide any reasons for your position. I don't want to put words in
your mouth, but the reasons I can think of are:

1\. You don't support domesticated animals and/or the farming of animals

2\. You dislike the idea of living things being transferrable goods

3\. You fear for the welfare of the animal after being given away

Is it one of these or is there another reason? I think it's an interesting
conversation to have.

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Falling3
zevyoura, you actually did a great job of summarizing my positions (especially
for someone I assume does not fully share them). This is just such an
unnecessary combination of something I happen to love and something I happen
to hate.

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evan_
You do realize that nobody's going to be keeping a live cow or pig in their
apartment, right? It's most likely that they're going to give away a butchered
cow.

Not that it makes it better if you don't support raising animals for slaughter
at all, but you shouldn't worry that it's going to be _more_ cruel to the
animal.

