Thurl Metzger, a former farmer who went on to lead charity Heifer International for three decades, died Wednesday at his home in Little Rock, Ark. He was 90.

Metzger, who farmed and worked as a high school history teacher in Indiana, began his work with Heifer as an unpaid volunteer in 1946. Five years later, he become the nonprofit’s executive director, a post he held until 1981.

Little Rock-based Heifer aims to end hunger and poverty and has provided livestock and agricultural training to people in 128 countries. Recipients are asked to give the animal’s first female offspring to another family, which is asked to do the same.

As Heifer’s leader, Metzger raised money, helped train volunteers and personally delivered livestock to wartorn and third-world countries.

“You have to remember back in the ‘50s, it wasn’t a very popular time to be sending aid to Russia,” said Jerry Aaker, a Montana resident who worked with Metzger at Heifer. “He ran the program on a shoestring. He was very courageous. He would personally go over there to make sure it all went smoothly.”

Metzger served as the company’s first executive director and worked in South Korea, India, Europe and Africa. In all, he visited 70 countries.