Cowboy Willie Nelson Stands Up For Cows

Willie Nelson thinks you should know a thing or two about some cows. The country crooner is joining in on a campaign along with the Animal Legal Defense Fund to raise awareness about cruel-and illegal-living conditions for calves raised to produce milk for dairy products. Moo! Boo!

Specifically, they are targeting Land O'Lakes and Challenge Dairy to get them to stop using milk from calves that come from California's Mendes Calf Ranch - which employs an intensive confinement practice (keeping calves in cramped, filthy crates - sometimes without room to turn around or lie down) and is the subject of a lawsuit brought by the ALDF.

Nelson has written a letter to the companies and is urging others to join the petition, www.FreeBabyMendes.com, that is already 22,000 people strong.

TMZ.com contacted Mendes Calf Ranch who had no comment on the issue.