Ian Tremain, CEO of Anode Feeds - a feed producer based in Somerset - recently rode the length of Britain to raise more than £5000 for the Bath based charity Send a Cow.

Ian was inspired to jump on his bike to support family farmers in Africa.

In 1988, Ian’s father-in-law, Ken Darch, made history by sending one of his prized Friesian cows from Somerset to Uganda. He was one of the first UK farmers to donate his own cows to help end malnutrition, and among a visionary group of farmers who changed thousands of people’s lives with their commitment to the project.

Ian was motivated by Send a Cow’s success to do his bit: “31 years on over 2 million people have been helped from poverty to self-sufficiency. I thought it was time I sent the value of another cow to enable this fantastic work to continue.”

Just over thirty years later, the charity Send a Cow has grown enormously (although they don’t send cows to Africa any more)! With a vision of a confident and thriving rural Africa, the charity supports farmers by providing cows, goats and chickens, where appropriate, for their milk and eggs, and to improve soil fertility.

Ian’s enthusiasm doesn’t just extend to the work that Send a Cow do in Africa, and he has found a new respect for home along the way:

“The journey has been amazing. I am stunned by people’s kindness and support. I've been welcomed by old friends and new and even total strangers…We live in a beautiful, productive country and I feel privileged to call this little island my home.”

Ian set himself a fundraising target of £650, but through the support of his friends and family he raised over £5,000 - enough to provide seven families with a cow, giving them the means to change their own lives, and pass on the gift of a calf to someone in their community.