Heifer Ranch Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Oct 11, 2011) – Heifer Ranch is celebrating its 40th birthday and the public is invited! Ranch@40 – Then and Now… a Journey of Education through the Years, will be held Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Heifer International Learning Center at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Ark.

Forty years ago, Heifer was offered 1,100 acres near Perryville to raise and house animals being shipped overseas to those in need. Through the years, Heifer Ranch has evolved into an education and research center, a model farm and ranch, a conference center and a volunteer experience. The farm is now home to water buffalo, camels, pigs and goats, as well as gardens that help feed volunteers and the public.

School groups, youth groups, families and individuals have come to the ranch to experience what it really means to live in a poverty-stricken village with scarce resources. Visitors are also introduced to Heifer’s sustainable solutions and learn about what they can do to help.

Attendees at the Ranch@40 birthday celebration will enjoy several activities that are fun for all ages, including face painting, scavenger hunts, hayride tours, animal interaction, cheese making, and live demonstrations of beekeeping and goat milking. Lunch will be available for $8 per person.

In addition, Heifer International’s Country Directors will be on hand to meet visitors and talk about the programs in their countries. And of course, no birthday would be complete without a birthday cake and a special gift from Heifer’s Overlook Farm in Massachusetts.

A Homecoming Tour and Reception for Past Ranchers will take place on Friday, October 28. Special lodging and meal packages are available for anyone who would like to spend the weekend at the Ranch. Please contact the Ranch Reservations Office at 501-889-5124.

For more details, please contact Amy Nash, Learning Centers Support Associate Specialist, at amy.nash@heifer.org or 501-907-2699.

Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in 50 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant.