Marieke Head and Anthony Crockford
Husband-and-wife duo Anthony and Marieke first joined Mercy For Animals in 2014 and have embodied the spirit of the Compassion Collective since day one. I first had the pleasure of truly connecting with Marieke about three years ago on a video call. She talked about their family, her going vegan in 2009, Anthony joining her shortly after, and their commitment to raising their two daughters entirely plant-based. I also loved discovering that Marieke and Anthony had once lived in my home country of Denmark! This moment feels especially fitting to spotlight these two incredible animal advocates, as they completed a six-month family bicycle adventure across parts of Europe this past August. Following their journey online was such a joy, though it did make me feel a bit lazy at times, LOL. I continue to be amazed by the extraordinary members of the Compassion Collective, and I hope you enjoy getting to know this remarkable couple dedicated to making the world a better place for everyone.
This moment feels especially fitting to spotlight these two incredible animal advocates, as they completed a six-month family bicycle adventure across parts of Europe.
Q – Tell us about yourself and how you became interested in animal protection.
A – I (Marieke) have always loved animals, and like many kids, I had a childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian. At 18, I became vegetarian, and over the years, I read several books on animal rights and veganism that eventually led me to becoming vegan. Through our careers, we both have worked in renewable energy and sustainability, always having an awareness of the impacts that our societies have not only on the environment but on people and animals. Animal protection is something that we have especially found an urgency in, as so much animal exploitation happens every day as a matter of course.
Q – What does being in the Compassion Collective mean to you?
A – To us it means partaking in making tangible contributions that allow Mercy For Animals to carry out more ambitious projects. By intentionally grouping together and involving members in Mercy For Animals’ activities, the Compassion Collective feels empowering and motivating.
Q – The whole family recently got back from one of the coolest adventures ever, a bicycle trip that started in Lisbon and ended in Amsterdam, lasting about half a year. Can you tell us a bit about that? Was it tough being vegan?
A – We decided that it was the right time to step away from our regular lives and take off on a family adventure. We left Lisbon on two semi-recumbent tandem bikes, with one kid on the front and one adult on the back of each bike. We mostly biked every day, staying at off-season rentals, hostels, and campgrounds along the way as we weaved our way up the coast of Portugal and along the Camino de Santiago in Spain, zigzagged across France along its many canals, and biked through farmland in Belgium until we reached our end point in the Netherlands. Since we were mostly self-catering, we relied on whatever vegan offerings were to be had at local grocery stores. We had low expectations for vegan food in Portugal and Spain but were surprised to find little health food sections in most grocery stores. France was a bit trickier, as the vegan products were mostly interspersed in the meat and dairy sections of supermarkets (yuck!) and availability was variable. Belgium and especially the Netherlands felt like vegan meccas after having had slim pickings for months. The Netherlands even had entire sections of the fridge cases in its supermarkets dedicated to vegan sandwich toppings! At the end of the day, everywhere we went had great fruit, vegetables, and bean offerings, which is all you really need for the makings of a great vegan meal! You can read all about our adventures here: https://www.polarsteps.com/VELOve2fiets/16141652-lisbon-to-amsterdam-2025.
Q – What part of Mercy For Animals’ work is closest to your heart?
A – The Transfarmation program is such a great idea and brilliant program! We love that it’s helping farmers who have felt trapped in animal farming transform their barns and capital investments into something useful.
Things you can to end the cruelty associated with factory farming:
Explore plant-based living and eat fewer products that sustain factory farming and its incredibly cruel practices.
Support our work to spare animals from suffering in factory farms by becoming a Mercy for Animals member or making a contribution to our campaigns.
Highlight the issues associated with factory farming for friends and family to help transform their thinking.