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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Sophie Kevany

‘I just want to leave with the calf’: the US activist befriending farmers

Jason Bolalek does a health check on a calf he is about to rescue from a dairy farm.
Jason Bolalek does a health check on a calf he is about to rescue from a dairy farm. Photograph: Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media

In an era of undercover investigations, hidden videos and potential prison sentences for those involved in trespassing, US livestock farmers are not known for welcoming activists on to their land, or letting them find homes for unwanted calves.

But Vermont-based activist Jason Bolalek has upended a narrative of opposing sides by befriending dairy producers in his home state, the biggest dairy-producing state in north-east US.

A red cow barn in the snow in rural Vermont
Vermont is known for dairy farming, producing almost 1.5bn litres of milk in 2019. Photograph: Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media
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