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Chapter 4. Enacting Vegan Laws and Policies > Animal Farmers’ Successful Transition to Alternative Careers
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III. Animal Farmers’ Successful Transition to
Alternative Careers
In the United States
There was one American pig farmer who had owned many pigs all crammed in a filthy factory farm. After being visited by the famous vegan author John Robbins, the famous ice cream heir, and he left his father’s business of ice cream, multi-million-dollar business, in order to go into a vegan direction. So, he visited this pig farm, and then this farmer suddenly remembered that in his childhood he truly loved one pig as his close friend and companion, but he was forced to deny and forget this loving feeling due to the pressure of his family and society.124
But after realizing it, he could no longer abuse the gentle pigs one more second. He decided to quit. So, instead of raising pigs, he bought a small organic farm and sells organic vegetables, and he’s doing fine. He’s still alive. And his heart is still more alive than ever.
There was another [who] brings his 10 pet pigs—he has 10 as his pets that he kept from his old farm—and visits schools now often to show the children how intelligent and friendly pigs really are, so the children will not eat the pigs, for example. Not only he doesn’t raise pigs anymore, he goes into the opposite direction to protect the animals.
There was a rancher, a Texan. In Texas they raise a lot of cows and that’s where the word “cowboy” comes from. He owned a big ranch of cows, but then suddenly he changed because he had cancer from meat. After he treated himself [from a tumor,] became vegan, now he’s an animal advocate. He goes everywhere lecturing, telling people the truth, the real truth, the cruel truth and the bad business truth about raising animals. He’s a very staunch advocate for animals. His name is Howard Lyman. He was once or twice a guest speaker on the Supreme Master Television.
In the Middle East
Recently in Iran, there was a dairy cow farmer—he even wrote to us telling his story—who also decided that he needed to change his career to help the planet and his own conscience. So, he made sure all his cows were adopted to good, safe homes to live the rest of their dignified lives. And now he works at a vegan restaurant.
In Asia
Another story comes from Formosa (Taiwan), where a pig farmer just became vegan after watching the Supreme Master Television and realizing that he wanted to protect the environment and avoid bad karmic retribution for himself and his family. So right now, he is keeping all his pigs as spoilt family-member pets for life. And he is switching to a different kind of farming.
In all these cases, the people involved are doing just fine, even better than ever before. It took a great amount of courage in the beginning to change their whole life career around, but all of them would guarantee that it was worth it, more than worth it. It’s worth the great freedom of their heart, their spirit and happiness of their family as well and health.
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