Jon Stewart buys New Jersey farm to create animal sanctuary post-‘Daily Show’

As New Jersey native Jon Stewart winds down his stellar 16-year run on Comedy Central's Daily Show, speculation has begun to mount surrounding what exactly the beloved comedian will do next.

But as it turns out, Stewart's future may end up being a little more farm-y than funny.

Stewart and his wife, Tracey McShane, recently announced that they have purchased a New Jersey farm with hopes to turn it into an animal sanctuary for rescued farm animals.

Via a press release from animal advocacy group Farm Sanctuary:

The couple recently bought a farm in New Jersey with the intention of providing a home for farm animals rescued from cruelty, and in November, Tracey purchased Adopt a Farm Animal sponsorships for all of their Thanksgiving guests. Even their children are living the Farm Sanctuary life, with Tracey noting that "promises of animal shelter visits in exchange for completed homework are the norm in the Stewart household."

Stewart, of course, has long been an animal-rights advocate, with that aspect of his political identity creeping into Daily Show segments such as in his skewering of Chris Christie's support of gestational pig crates (and in a follow-up), or the recent interview with Farm Sanctuary co-founder and president Gene Baur.

Tracey, Stewart's wife and a Philly native, is also a prominent animal-rights supporter, with a book on the subject, Do Unto Animals, slated for an October 2015 release. She also runs magazine Moomah, which dedicated its most recent issue to living a vegan lifestyle.

"The joy of interacting with animals as friends instead of using them for human consumption is life-changing," Tracey said via a press release. "A trip to Farm Sanctuary should be on everyone's to-do list."

Currently, as USA Today recently found out, the Stewarts already care for 16 critters, plus their two children: two fish, two hamsters, two guinea pigs, two regular pigs, three rabbits, four dogs, and a parrot.

"All rescues," Tracey told USA Today. "Except for the children."

Now with the farm purchase, that group stands to grow post-Daily Show. But, hey, if we've got to lose the best daily TV news anchor going, at least it's with good reason.

Plus, "Farmer Jon" just has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

[Ecorazzi]