Jay and Katja Wilde are the subjects of BAFTA-winning film 73 Cows. The pair of former cattle farmers who are urging people to go vegan and ‘change the world for good’ have teamed up with Veganuary – a global organization encouraging people to try vegan in January and beyond – to encourage people to sign the 31-day plant-based pledge. They have joined a list of prolific people including Joaquin Phoenix, Alicia Silverstone, Mayim Bialik, Evanna Lynch, Monami Frost, George Monbiot, Jason Gillespie, and amongst others who are backing the initiative.
The pair made national headlines when they revealed they had given away the animals and had now turned to vegetable farming supported by The Vegan Society. They have said in a joint statement that everybody who goes vegan plays an important part in changing the world for the good in so many ways. They have asked people to empower themselves by making a simple decision to forgo meat and other animal products for January 2020. They also shared that with the advice and support of the Veganuary team it is easy these days to live a vegan life.
In the film 73 Cows, Jay Wilde has opened up about how he became friends with the animals first and then felt as though he was betraying them when he took them to slaughter. He described it as a ‘terrifying’ experience for the animals and for him too emotionally. He also mentioned the pressure the farmers experience being ‘locked into the farming tradition. He also shared the positive reactions from veggies and vegans when he gave up cattle farming. He describes the whole move to veganism as a ‘relief’.