‘Moove On: The Future of Farming is Vegan!’ PETA Messaging Targets MSU Dairy Science Students

For Immediate Release:
January 28, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

New year, new major? As vegan milk continues to grow in popularity—and dairy milk consumption continues to decline, dropping by almost half since 1975—PETA has erected a sky-high message near Michigan State University (MSU) to remind dairy science students and local farmers that the future of farming is vegan and it’s time to moove on from the cruel dairy industry.

Last year, MSU published an article stating that the number of Michigan dairy farms declined by nearly 31 percent between 2012 and 2022. PETA also points out that vegan milk sales are skyrocketing nationwide—with a 19% growth from 2019 to 2022, compared to animal-based milk, which declined by 4% during that same period—and are expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 11.5% through 2030.

“Dairy is a dying industry that causes immense suffering to mother cows and their calves, who are taken from them at birth and ultimately sent to slaughter,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges dairy science students to ditch their dated degree paths and join the growing number of farmers who are embracing vegan agriculture for the sake of the animals, the planet, and our health.”

Mother cows, like mothers of all species, form instant bonds with their newborns, but in the dairy industry, their beloved calves are taken away from them, often within hours after their birth. Cows are forcibly inseminated (raped) by workers who insert an arm all the way up the elbow into the restrained cow’s rectum and insert a metal rod into the cow’s vagina to deliver semen. Newborn males are usually slaughtered for veal, while female calves endure the same fate as their mothers until their bodies wear out and they’re sent down the ramp to their own slaughter just like their mothers before them.

Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year, dramatically shrinks their food-related carbon footprint, and slashes their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch.

PETA’s message can be seen in the parking lot of the Speedway gas station at 3201 E. Saginaw St., just down the road from Michigan State University.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.