Just one year old, Pepper is a fun-loving little cow who’s literally jumping for joy at his new forever home: Farm Sanctuary in Acton, California. Here, he has space to roam and many friends to love.

But his fate could have been very different.

Pepper was raised in a Temecula, California, school as part of Future Farmers of America (FFA). Like 4-H and similar programs, FFA pairs students with a farm animal they will help care for and send to be auctioned off to the food industry, and ultimately slaughtered.

For many children, the bond between them and the animal they’ve raised becomes strong, and the moment when they must send their friend away to face this fate is deeply painful. Some, like Carmen, try to save their lives.

Having raised Pepper, young Carmen came to love this playful and curious calf. Changes were being made to the FFA program at her school, so she knew that, with the help of her kind mother, Maria, she had the opportunity to try to give Pepper a chance.

We joined Carmen and Maria in trying to save both Pepper and his brother, Salt, who had been raised at Pepper’s side by another student. We attempted to negotiate Salt coming to Farm Sanctuary, but sadly, these conversations were unsuccessful. Salt will likely be sent to auction, but Pepper’s family did not give up on their cow companion.

Reaching out to us, Carmen and Maria helped bring Pepper to Farm Sanctuary, where they got to see him experience his safe, loving home for the first time.

We can’t wait for Pepper’s rescuers to come back to visit him soon, as he continues to enjoy the freedom he’s found here. Cows form deep bonds and lasting friendships, including with the humans they know and trust, and we’re sure Pepper will be delighted to see them.

Sanctuary is a lifelong promise for the rescued residents of Farm Sanctuary, including Pepper, who now has what was once going to be denied to him: the chance to grow up.

Here, Pepper will have individualized care, veterinary care, nutritious food, warm bedding and shelter, daily enrichment for his cognitive and social well-being, and more. And you can be part of his new life.

Pepper’s story will be a continued reminder of why Farm Sanctuary’s humane education programming is a crucial component of our 3 pronged approach.

Please give today to support the care of Pepper and our hundreds of rescued farm animal residents, all of whom have found hope and healing at Farm Sanctuary.

Your support makes a tangible impact in their lives, and in our ongoing education and advocacy efforts to build a food system rooted in compassion, not cruelty. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

For many of us, compassion and empathy are innate. Most kids see animals, including farm animals, and know that they should not be harmed.

But school agriculture programs like FFA teach something different. They set young people up to see farm animals as products, rather than living beings who deserve our kindness. 

At Farm Sanctuary, we teach that farm animals have value because of who they are, not what they can produce. Through free humane education curricula, we help educators across the country nurture kindness and empower students to build a food system rooted in compassion.

If you are an educator looking for humane alternatives to school agriculture programs, we are happy to share a few suggestions:

• Engage with Farm Sanctuary’s free educational resources, including monthly webinars, downloadable curricula, the Youth Leadership Council, and much more.
• Explore The Hatching Kindness Project, which offers teachers an alternative to hatching chicks in the classroom, which often results in unwanted chickens with nowhere to go.
• Help your class “adopt” a new friend through Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt a Farm Animal program. Unlike animal agriculture “adoption” campaigns, this long-running program allows people to truly make an impact in the life of a farm animal by sponsoring the daily care of one of our rescued residents. 

If you are a parent opposed to animal agriculture programs in your children’s school, or looking for humane education options, we encourage you to contact your children’s teacher or school and invite them to request Farm Sanctuary’s humane education and leadership programs be made available as compassionate alternatives by sharing this link or emailing [email protected].