Making Hay

Advocates Assemble for Groundbreaking National Conference!

By Gene

Late last month, hundreds of activists, academics, farmers, and business and nonprofit leaders met near Washington, DC. for the first-ever National Conference to End Factory Farming. There, they examined the personal and community health threats, environmental destruction, and animal suffering caused by industrial animal production. Presenters and attendees also ardently discussed solutions to these issues, building on momentum from around the country that has led more and more people to seek a healthier, more just and sustainable food production system.

The vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and omnivores in attendance came bearing different philosophies but the same goal: to end factory farming. I am a long-time advocate of vegan living who is confronted by the fact that animals will likely be exploited for human food for some time to come. I realize that, as we work for a more complete solution to animal agriculture, it is also important to lessen animals’ suffering and to mitigate the environmental and human health costs associated with industrialized animal production.

Factory farming is entrenched and ubiquitous; most consumers unwittingly support it. Challenging agribusiness, whether through incremental reforms or through a more fundamental approach, shines a light on this system’s many abuses, making it more accountable before the public. Educating the public is also important. Our government should stop supporting and subsidizing the industrialized production and mass distribution of meat, milk and eggs, and consumers need to become more enlightened about these food choices. Citizens can engage more with the political process by reaching out to our elected representatives. When we do so in increasing numbers, it will become more difficult and expensive for the factory farming industry to continue behaving so irresponsibly. We also need to shift toward valuing healthier meals and kindhearted traditions, eating more plant foods and fewer animal foods. This personal shift alone could help eliminate as much as 70 to 80 percent of our health care costs, by some estimates, while preventing untold animal suffering and environmental harm. When consumers vote with our dollars (and sense), buying healthy, whole plant foods grown by responsible farmers, agribusiness will make adjustments to meet market demands.

Ending factory farming will continue to require that individuals and organizations with aligned interests seek common ground and work together in a collegial environment, as we began to do at last month’s conference. Whether among rural or urban, vegan or non-vegan, collaboration will bring contrasting opinions and perspectives to bear on the issues. Our differences are minor in comparison to our similarities, and should not distract us from achieving a common goal: To end factory farming.

Why Carnism Matters

By Gene

In her book, “Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows,” social scientist Dr. Melanie Joy introduces us to a very important idea, a social construct, which she calls carnism. Carnism is a belief system that supports the idea that it is normal, natural, and necessary for human beings to consume the flesh of other animals. By naming and defining carnism, which has been both invisible and ubiquitous in our culture, Joy makes a significant and timely contribution to the efforts of animal rights and vegan advocates, and to our society at large.

In carnistic societies, eating animals is taken as a given, a necessary part of who we are. As Joy points out, however, it is actually something people choose to do (though they are unaware that they are even making a choice). Eating animals is an option, not a requirement, and it comes with serious ethical implications.

Exploiting and killing animals for food is inherently violent and inconsistent with our natural empathic tendencies, so we have developed social and psychological mechanisms to maintain our meat-eating habit. We have become largely disconnected from the painful reality of exploitation and slaughter, keeping it out of sight and out of mind. In the rare instances when we are forced to confront our subjection of billions of animals each year to unnecessary suffering, we fall back on the human brain’s great capacity for rationalization. We have come up with good reasons to do bad things for thousands of years. The techniques we use to excuse the eating of meat are the same we have used to justify other violent institutions and prejudices throughout human history.

In discussions about food, vegan advocates often find ourselves defending our choice not to consume animal products, as though that decision is an aberration we need to explain. A discussion of carnism, however, emphasizes that the habit of animal consumption is itself a social construct. Reframing the meat-eating debate in this way is akin to shifting from focusing on “feminists” or “civil rights activists” to discussing sexist or racist institutions and the social systems that bolster them. As with sexism and racism, carnism is an ideology that supports violence and injustice.

Humans are social animals, and we learn behaviors, including how and whom we eat, from those around us. In carnistic societies, members unwittingly support businesses that engage in systemic cruelties and conspire to look the other way. But humans are also hardwired to feel empathy. The concept of carnism is a useful tool to understand and deconstruct a dominant institution that stifles our innate compassionate impulses.

Teach Your Children Well

By Gene

Like most people in the United States, I grew up eating meat, milk and eggs, and believing that it was healthy to do so. I didn’t make a conscious choice to eat animal foods – I just adopted the habit from my parents and from everyone else around me without thinking very much about it. Had I been exposed to the benefits of plant-based eating earlier, I certainly would have consumed far fewer animal products.

I don’t begrudge my parents for raising and feeding me the way they did. They believed these foods were good for my siblings and me. They believed, as many parents still do, that meat, milk, and eggs are a necessary part of the human diet. In her excellent book, Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows, Melanie Joy describes a social construction she calls “carnism,” whereby the consumption of animal flesh and the violence of animal exploitation and slaughter are normalized and institutionalized. These habits and beliefs begin to take hold when we are children.

Thankfully, there are resources and a number of youth programs now available to teach children critical thinking skills and the benefits of eating plants instead of animals. I recently had the opportunity to visit Terra Summer, a camp for kids between the ages of 11 and 14 where food is used to teach math, history, geography, and other topics. The vegetarian camp introduces young people to the benefits of plant-based eating and also teaches cooking and food preparation skills. The day I visited, the students created five different kinds of veggie burgers. All were delicious!

It was wonderful to see this generation learning about the importance of conscientious eating and the profound impact of our food choices. Our individual and collective wellbeing, as well as the future of other animals and our planet, are directly influenced by what we eat and how it is produced.

Reflections on the Just Eats Tour

By Gene

Could the 1977 VW van that carried Hilda (our first rescued animal) to safety and played a pivotal role in the creation of Farm Sanctuary make it across the U.S. after sitting idle for more than 15 years? That was a question on many people’s minds as we prepared for the Just Eats Tour, a cross country trip to explore vegan America that depended on our old van to bring us from New York to California.

The Just Eats Tour started in New York City, where we visited incredible vegan eateries, attended Farm Sanctuary’s 25th Anniversary Gala, and participated in the Veggie Pride Parade. We left the Big Apple on a rainy evening and headed toward Wilmington, DE. As we drove along the bumpy, potholed roads of New York and New Jersey, a projectile blew a hole in our driver’s side headlight and sent a chrome ring around the light flying. It was our first day on the road, we had more than 5,000 miles to go, and we already had a vehicular mishap. Would the old van make it?

Thankfully, the van kept rolling, even though it lost a few parts here and there. We also had to replace three tires. One blew out going 70 miles per hour on a hot Texas highway - it exploded, bending metal, dislodging our battery, and knocking out the tail lights. Although we were delayed, we continued on, and happily, after three weeks on the road, the van pulled into Orland, CA, in time for Farm Sanctuary’s annual Hoe Down. It was a beautiful event and the perfect conclusion to our cross -country exploration.

Besides the dependability of our old VW van, we were taken by the remarkable passion and diversity of America’s vegan food movement. We found vegans in urban and rural areas, representing all shapes and sizes, ethnicities and lifestyles. We met entrepreneurs, authors, academics, and spiritual and business leaders. We spoke with people who have been vegan for decades and others who just recently decided to forego animal products. And we also met second and third generations of vegans. The vegan movement is bringing people of different ages and various backgrounds together around common interests.

Restaurants are catching on, experimenting with vegan dishes and reporting strong demand. They have been impressed by how enthusiastic and appreciative vegan customers are to see plant-based options. The vegan community is helping these businesses to make plant foods more widely available, providing menu suggestions, product recommendations, and even recipes and food preparation tips.  And with more vegan options available, omnivores are increasingly choosing them. Everywhere we went across the U.S., we saw that the vegan movement is vibrant and growing!

Take a Ride with the Just Eats Tour!

By Gene

Starting at Farm Sanctuary’s 25th Anniversary Gala, which was held at Cipriani’s on Wall Street in New York City on May 14, I’ve been on the Just Eats Tour, driving the original VW van that launched Farm Sanctuary in 1986 across the U.S. to celebrate our 25thanniversary and to explore vegan America.

In this van, we rescued our first animal, Hilda, a downed sheep who had been left on a pile of dead animals behind Lancaster Stockyards in Pennsylvania. In the early days of Farm Sanctuary, we also raised funds to support our work by selling veggie hot dogs out of this van at Grateful Dead concerts. Getting the old VW on the road again has been a blast, and we’re meeting so many amazing people along the way. We’ve found vegan food and vegan advocates in every corner of the country, in both rural and urban settings.

The factory farming industry is deeply entrenched in our food culture and economic system, but change is afoot. More and more consumers are seeking to reconnect with the sources of their food and to eat well, impulses that inevitably lead to a rejection of factory farming. An entrepreneurial spirit is flourishing in this burgeoning food movement, and new, socially responsible enterprises are sprouting up in agricultural areas. Driving through Iowa recently, we saw dozens of windmills towering above cornfields, and we learned that Iowa produces more wind energy than any other state. Perhaps wind can help disburden us of our reliance on fossil fuels and corn-based ethanol!

I am writing now from Omaha, NE, staying with the amazing cookbook author and chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz, who welcomed us with an incredible vegan brunch, featuring French toast and “sausage”. From here, we’ll be continuing our westward adventure, eventually arriving in Orland, CA, for Farm Sanctuary’s Country Hoe Down on June 4 and 5. If you’re planning to be in northern California then, we’d love to see you there! In the meantime, please check out www.justeatstour.org.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine

By Gene

Despite the “war on cancer” initiated by President Nixon in 1971, the disease continues to spread, afflicting millions of Americans across the U.S. and leaving a trail of suffering and death in its wake. It’s particularly disturbing that health organizations and professionals working to eliminate cancer have failed to address major contributors to the disease and have failed to provide simple advice for reducing risk.

I recently learned of a chicken barbeque, organized by well-meaning citizens that sought to raise funds and awareness for a cancer society. I was struck by the irony. People coming together to fight cancer were consuming grilled chicken, which increases the risk of cancer. Rather than advancing its purported cause, this event was actually perpetuating the problem, along with the dangerous assumption that eating chicken is somehow healthy.

Mainstream health organizations have failed to heed the advice of Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, who said “Let food be thy medicine.” How we eat has profound impacts on our health. Sadly, we’re eating ourselves to early deaths. Billions of dollars are spent every year in the U.S. to treat preventable diseases. Those burdensome costs, along with the untold suffering accompanying these illnesses, could be significantly reduced, or even eliminated in many instances, through healthier food choices. The best nutritional advice, according to leading experts, is to eat whole plant foods and to leave processed foods and animal products off our plates.

Hopefully, organizations whose mission it is to promote health will remember Hippocrates’ advice, and instead of centering fundraising events around barbequed chicken or other unhealthy foods, they’ll start bringing people together over whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Change in the Air

 

by Gene

I’ve often seen “scientific” studies used to defend cruel, unjust institutions like factory farming so I was skeptical when I saw an article in an agribusiness journal entitled “Study examines link between high-protein diet, bone density” (Meatingplace.com, 7/7/2010) a few weeks ago. The research was funded by the National Pork Board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and I expected the same sort of reductionist self promoting conclusion that is commonly arrived at by industry funded “science.” Instead, the study found that high protein diets including lean meat was associated with a loss of calcium in the bones. Those on a plant-based diet fared better.

Then, a couple weeks ago Meatingplace.com published a provocative article entitled, “How can food retailers become more sustainable? Use less meat.” It described a presentation at the annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists that suggested that the food industry should move toward “lower intensity agricultural products,” and that means using fewer animal-based foods.

And, yet another veggie friendly Meatingplace.com article recently reported: “More menu items are being labeled as ‘healthy,’ according to Mintel Menu Insights. These items saw a 65 percent increase between the second quarter of 2009 and the second quarter of 2010. Vegetarian labels on menu items rose by 12 percent between the second quarter of 2007 and the second quarter of 2010. More than half of diners who say they’re eating healthier food when they eat out do it by adding more fruits and vegetables.”

It is encouraging to see these subjects published in agribusiness trade media and showing up in concrete data. At the end of the day, agriculture should seek to feed the world by producing food in an ecologically efficient way that’s affordable, especially to those who need it. The best way to do that is to grow plants instead of animals for human consumption.

Now, if only our U.S. government’s Dietary Guidelines advocated for a plant-based diet, rather than allowing the meat, dairy and egg industries to insert their products into government recommendations. The Dietary Guidelines, released every five years, are up for revision this year, and thankfully the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee produced a report urging that Americans modify their diets to become more plant-based. The final 2010 Guidelines are now being crafted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Farm Sanctuary, in conjunction with Lewis and Clark Animal Law Clinic submitted comments to the USDA and HHS making recommendations for the 2010 Guidelines. We applauded the Dietary Guidelines Committee for advising that we move toward a more plant-based diet, and urged that the final Guidelines help facilitate a shift in dietary habits. You can read our comments here.

Although agribusiness is deeply entrenched in Washington, DC and in institutions that influence how we eat, there is a growing recognition of the many costs associated with our animal-based food system, and citizens are starting to make more healthful and conscientious food choices. As consumers and policy makers learn more about the consequences of our food choices, and seek to improve how we eat, the food industry will be forced to change.

An Act(ivism) of Love

 

By Beth Begany
 
In June, wedding season heats up about as fast as the weather, as couples exchange vows in ceremonies that confirm their commitment to the beloved person next to them. People gather to witness a public affirmation of love and to honor and celebrate the lucky pair. These celebrations of love afford couples an opportunity to express their commitment to ethical living. Vegan weddings and commitment ceremonies are increasingly prevalent these days, as couples opt for gourmet plant-based fare that is in keeping with their ethical lifestyle.

While it’s possible these days to do a vegan wedding almost anywhere, some couples dream of having their special day at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY or Orland, CA, and over the years we’ve provided the compassionate backdrop for a number of ceremonies. Mike and Sherry Depsky didn’t really consider getting married anywhere else (although they admit to flirting ever so briefly with the idea of an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas), and they tied the knot in our Watkins Glen visitors’ center in 2004. They return just about every year to celebrate their anniversary and stay in one of our B&B cabins.

When Ann Hawkes and Ferrol Johnson get married this fall, it will be hundreds of miles away from Farm Sanctuary outside Bloomington, Indiana in a lodge the couple is renting for the weekend. They will host about 40 guests. It’s really important to them that the celebration of their nuptials is cruelty-free, so they decided the best way was to provide housing and food for the entire weekend so guests would be completely taken care of. They plan to do all the cooking themselves, except for the cake.

One of the most important traditions is the wedding cake, and vegan versions are truly spectacular, as well as delicious. Vegan bakeries abound, and some specialize in creating memorable and delectable creations designed to please both the eyes and the palate. (Check out Sticky Fingers Bakery, Hippie Chick Bakery and Vegan Treats for some pictures of truly incredible vegan wedding cakes.)

Another traditional part of weddings and commitment ceremonies are gifts. Couples receive gifts, but they also give them in the form of mementos of the special day. Leslie Carmona recounts how she and husband Jason wove their veganism into their 2009 wedding: “We really wanted our wedding to reflect who we are as a couple. Animal advocacy is such an important part of our lives, so it was only natural for us to share this with our family and friends. At the reception, we gave each guest a Farm Sanctuary wine glass, along with a card describing this wonderful organization. It was a great way to support one of our favorite organizations, while giving a gift to commemorate our special day.”

And talking about support, some couples even ask for donations to Farm Sanctuary in lieu of wedding gifts. That’s what Ann and Ferrol are doing. “We’re already established, so we don’t really need anything,” Ann explains. “So instead we’re asking that if anyone wants to give a gift, they make a donation to Farm Sanctuary.”

This is the feel-good stuff that makes people cry at weddings and commitment ceremonies — there is so much love that it fills you with tears of joy. Throw veganism into the mix and you also get hope. When compassionate couples use their special day to extend their circle of kindness to include animals the impact is tremendous as they demonstrate that love does indeed conquer all.

Top photo: Sherry and Mike's wedding at Farm Sanctuary.

Searching for Sustenance: Specialty Vegan Food Companies are Thriving

 

By Gene

At each meal, we have the opportunity to eat in a way that is consistent with our values and interests. Finding vegan food is getting easier and easier, and fortunately, compassionate food choices don’t have to be boring.

The market for vegan and vegetarian food is expanding – from about $646 million in 1998 to $2.8 billion in 2006 and still growing. In their 2009 Vegetarian Foods Market Assessment, Research and Markets declared that “vegetarian foods have moved from being a niche sector [...] to becoming a mature and mainstream sector.”

Growing awareness of animal welfare, general health and environmental issues has driven Americans to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets. A 2008 poll conducted by Vegetarian Times magazine found that while 3.2% of adult Americans are vegetarians, an additional 10% identify as “vegetarian inclined.” We are in the midst of a movement toward more conscientious eating, and cruelty-free cuisine is impressing vegans and non-vegans alike. It is getting easier to find foods that are fun, delicious, environmentally sustainable, and animal-friendly.

Veggie Brothers, an online vegan restaurant, is one of the many businesses working hard to make delicious vegan food readily available. Award-winning Chef Mark Rasmussen and businessman Michael Balducci are helping to ease the transition to a plant-based diet for the masses. Billed as "vegan cuisine for the mainstream,” their ready-made meals and sides focus on American classics and emphasize non-GMO and organically sourced ingredients.

For those of you in New York state who don’t have time to cook and can’t afford your own private chef, Lagusta’s Luscious also prepares vegan meals for home delivery.

For dessert, Allison’s Gourmet provides a wide selection of cruelty-free baked goods and confections to sate your sweet tooth. Vegans can enjoy decadent fudge again! And, if you’re avoiding refined sugars or gluten, check out Pure Sweets, where macaroons, muffins, and other snacks abound.

If you love chocolate, you’re in luck. Sjaaks Organic Chocolates, Rose City Chocolatier, and Life by Chocolate each carry a line of vegan chocolates. Spread the spirit of compassion and show how amazing vegan food can be by picking up a gift box of gourmet vegan chocolates for the office. If ice cream is more your speed, Turtle Mountain offers delicious dairy-free frozen desserts, yogurt and beverages.

These are just a few of the many specialty vegan food companies putting a new and innovative twist on animal-friendly eats. What’s your favorite specialty vegan food? Feel free to leave your recommendations in the comments below. There has never been a better time to be vegan, so enjoy! Your body, the Earth and the animals will thank you.

Moving Forward Into the Past

By Gene

 

Last month I had the opportunity to speak at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. I enjoyed my time there with professors and students who are exploring positive changes in our food system, and it was also great to visit with dedicated activists and Farm Sanctuary supporters in the area. I had amazing vegan meals both on campus and off, including at a restaurant called Tofu House. Given its name, I assumed this was a vegetarian restaurant, but I saw dishes with beef, pork and chicken on the menu. I asked if these were veggie meats, but was told they were not. I almost walked out, but ultimately decided to stay.

It turned out that Tofu House was a Korean restaurant. Before the main course, I was served several bowls with kimchi (a traditional Korean dish), bean sprouts, vegetables, grains, and legumes. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, which was very healthy and reminded me about the wisdom embodied by traditional foods. For millennia, civilizations around the world have survived and flourished on plant foods.

In recent years, citizens in affluent countries like the U.S. have been eating too many animal foods, and we are now seeing the resulting health problems, including higher rates of heart disease, cancer and obesity. Now, there is a growing interest in eating better: Fast food restaurants are offering salads and at least one (Burger King) sells a veggie burger. The meat and dairy industries’ influence on the National School Lunch Program is starting to be questioned. Farmers markets, community gardens and home gardens are sprouting up everywhere. We are in the midst of a burgeoning food movement.

It is common for people to incorrectly assume that eliminating animal products from their diet will limit how they eat. However, when people choose to go vegan, their food options typically expand and include many international foods that they hadn’t tried before. That was certainly my experience. In the U.S., groups of immigrants have brought interesting and varied food traditions from every corner of the globe, and most of them are centered on plant foods. Along with a vegetarian restaurant, there are a number of establishments, including Japanese, Indian and Lebanese ones, with many vegan options within walking distance of my house in College Park, Maryland. Eating vegan is easier than ever.

As we choose foods that nourish our bodies, we often find ourselves returning to dishes that have sustained humans for generations. As we go forward, there is much we can learn from our past.