Howard Lyman

Who is Howard Lyman?

Howard F. Lyman is an American farmer and animal welfare activist who is known for his actions promoting vegetarian nutrition and organic farming.

He was raised as a fourth generation rancher on a farm that produced dairy and meat commodities. He attended Montana State University and graduated with a B.S. degree in general agriculture in 1961. Upon graduation, he spent two years in the United States Army before returning to work on the farm.

From 1963 to 1983 he was actively engaged in animal and grain production. The areas in which he was involved were dairy, pork, registered Hereford, chicken, range cattle, feedlot beef production, veal, grain, silage, and hay production.

In 1979 Lyman was diagnosed with a tumor in his spine. Faced with the prospect of paralysis, he vowed to return to non-chemical means of farming if he beat the cancer. He survived an operation to remove the tumor and set out to transform his land into an organic farm. He also attempted to be elected to political office, but he lost his first contest. He became a lobbyist instead and moved to Washington, D.C.

Circa 1990, again facing health concerns, he became a vegetarian and found his health improving.