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"If you look after the
welfare of the livestock
and the environment,
they in return will
look after you."
Roger Harley is a farmer near Peterborough,
Ontario, who has been dedicated to the humane
treatment of animals since he began raising
sheep and cattle in the southwest of England 30
years ago. With his wife, Julie, and children,
James and Emily, Roger grazes livestock on some
of the best rolling green pasture in North
America. |
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Roger is an independent farmer working to conserve
herds of historic breeds of livestock and poultry. On
his land, he pastures a herd of rare Tamworth pigs and a
flock of Wiltshire Horn sheep -- resilient, rugged
breeds that are vigorous lines. This is a significant
breeding program that will share its healthy, sturdy
herds with other Canadian farmers, who will be able to
reproduce the lines and carry them into the future.
To Roger, confined animal operations are a calamity
waiting to happen. "The major problem today is that food
production is increasingly being intensified into highly
automated factory farms isolated to small parcels of
land. The focus is solely on efficiency, and that's
wrong.
| "The truth is, we can economically farm animals in an
environment as they were naturally intended to live.
They can graze freely, eating numerous types of plants
instead of factory-developed bulk food, and they can
stay free of engineered animal proteins and antibiotics
and growth hormones. These animals deserve all the contentments in life we can give them. Farmers must
carry this responsibility." Roger Harley is a
leader in high standards for animal welfare,
hormone and antibiotic-free farming. His rare
breeds program is one of the most
forward-thinking visions for farm ethics in
North America.
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Roger's Wiltshire
sheep, a breed that does well in
heat and cold. No problems with
external parasites, no tail docking
needed. Lambs have a lot of vitality
and will to live and are born with
protection from the cold. |
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We are proud to have this
outstanding rancher, innovator and breeder on the
Purpose program.
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Roger and Julie's children,
James and Emily, are an important part of the
farming business, helping with the everyday farm
work: feeding and checking the sheep, cattle,
pigs and goats. Emily raises the orphan lambs on
the farm, and they can often be seen following
her endlessly around the yards. James spends a
lot of time doing research into the traits of
heritage cattle and pigs, looking for the breeds
that will lend themselves to fullest use of the
pasture. |
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