Making Hay

How Do You Go On? (Part Two of Two)

By Jasmin

 
This past Thursday, I began the discussion “How Do You Go On?” Today, I will continue to talk to some of my colleagues and friends at Farm Sanctuary about how they continue fighting the good fight (with gusto, I might add), when animal oppression is so ever-present. I’ll then continue to discuss ways that you can avoid activist burnout.

When I closed yesterday, we were talking about Susie Coston, Farm Sanctuary’s national shelter director, and Leanne Cronquist, Farm Sanctuary’s California shelter director. So, in the face of a world where animal cruelty is the norm, how do they go on?

Susie explained it beautifully: “For those of us who work in the shelter, we go on because there are animals physically here – individuals who require hands-on help right now – who need us to be there for them. Many come in near death, and we can watch them bloom, come back to life and thrive. We can see terrified animals begin to trust us – and some turn out to be the friendliest and most loving of all. So in the face of all the ugliness – the live markets we take them out of, the rescue sites we go to, the factory farms we see – we are truly lucky to be able to give these amazing animals a second chance. We get to watch them graze, run, kick up their heels and enjoy their lives. We see them happy. We see people meet them and decide to never eat meat again. Just think of the numbers of individual lives that one person changing their diet will save. There’s so much in the world that’s sad, but we have to go on because each animal here is an individual; so even when one passes, there are hundreds more – right here, right now – who rely on us to keep going. And although it can break our hearts to see these animals coming from such dire situations – just imagine what it must be like to live it! We are the lucky ones; we must go on.”

 

Leanne Cronquist sees things similarly. She said, “It’s also important to think about what a great life the animals have at Farm Sanctuary. If they live to be 10 to 15 years old, which wouldn’t happen in other places, they have such a great life and get to experience what they should as their species – roaming pastures, sunbathing, swimming in a pond. Even for those animals who pass away shortly after they arrive here, in their last days they still get to see the sun, walk outside, have loving hands touch them. So despite the sadness and death, there is so much goodness and hope. Plus, we know that there are still so many other lives to save, people to change, work to be done, etc. So we go on.”

Savoring the happiness that comes along is another must-do for the lifelong activist. Whether that comes in the form of watching a rescued pig run across a field gleefully, noticing the thumb’s up that a passerby gives you while you’re taking part in a “No Foie Gras” demo, or sitting down to enjoy a yummy, compassionate meal with your family, taking in those little joyful moments as they arise can keep you going.

As for me, I turn my angst into activism. Actually, that’s why I’m an activist. The alternative is complacency, and that’s just plain silly. In the instance that someone makes a snide remark to me about how delicious their dead cow tastes, or if I find myself standing in front of a hot dog stand weeping, or if I see a sad animal story on the news, nothing drives me more than sitting down and spending five minutes writing a letter to the editor. Or raising money for the Walk for Farm Animals. Or thanking my local coffee shop for having vegan brownies. (That’s right, folks, activism comes in all different shapes and sizes, including the gracious variety.) If that doesn’t hit the spot, I cuddle with my dog. Or I plan a trip to Farm Sanctuary, which always reinvigorates me. Or I watch a rerun of The Nanny and forget about my woes entirely. Every single day, I spend at least one hour getting my mind off things, which means I do something entirely unrelated to animal rights. (That’s what Netflix is for.)

This is just some of the advice that we have to offer for those who feel angry or hopeless when confronted with constant reminders of animal oppression. But we also want to heed your advice. So, won’t you speak your mind in the comment-box below and tell us how you go on? Likewise, if you have questions or concerns, feel free to use the comment section below for that, too.

So, tell me… How do you go on?

***

For more information about avoiding activist burnout, I recommend The Lifelong Activist by Hillary Rettig, The Animal Activist’s Handbook by Matt Ball and Bruce Friedrich, and Aftershock by pattrice jones.

Planting Seeds in Your Community

By Casey

The community garden in Ithaca, NY, chock-full of veggie goodness!

With its long history of promoting meat, eggs and dairy, the USDA is usually not at the top of our “Favorite Government Agencies” list. But sometimes, it does something we really like, such as when Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this month that August 23–29 would be declared “National Community Gardening Week.”

“Community gardens provide numerous benefits including opportunities for local food production, resource conservation, and neighborhood beautification," said Vilsack. "But they also promote family and community interaction and enhance opportunities to eat healthy, nutritious foods. Each of these benefits is something we can and should strive for."

Friends and neighbors coming together to cultivate fresh local produce is something we can all agree is a  step towards a more sustainable – and more plant-based – American diet. But there’s something that’s even better than a community garden, and that something is a veganic community garden!

If you’re new to the idea, veganic gardening is the practice of growing food crops using methods that are not only organic (free of GMOs and nasty chemicals), but also free of animal exploitation. Sadly, most “just-plain-organic” agriculture in the U. S. relies heavily on animal-based fertilizers such as manure, blood meal and bone meal. Yuck. We can do better.

While many organic enthusiasts believe that you need manure to grow your organic veggies, it just isn’t so! In fact, many cultures, past and present, have sustained their fields without chemicals or manure, simply because they didn’t have an enormous animal industry desperately trying to dispose of its smelly mountains of waste. Think about it. Do you think Native Americans growing the three sisters (corn, beans and squash) had large hog and dairy farms to supply their fields with truckloads of animal poop? Uh-uh.

So, now that you are in on this little secret, it’s time to share the knowledge.

A veganic Earthbox, grown by our very own Delci.

First, locate a community garden near you. The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA)  has a convenient database to help you out. Just plug in your zip code and see what’s growing in your neighborhood. Talk to your local garden coordinators and see how you can get involved.

If you live in a temperate zone, it may be too late to have a veganic plot this year, but investing your labor during this year’s harvest season can earn the respect of your fellow gardeners. When you show up at meeting to plan next year’s garden, you’ll have more influence. (Going to the meeting with some yummy vegan brownies couldn’t hurt your case either. ) Use the time between now and then to brush up on – or learn the basics of – veganic agriculture. To help you get started, check out the Veganic Agriculture Network  and this excellent “how-to” from the Vegan Society.

“But, what if there is no community garden in my neighborhood?” you ask. Why, lucky you! That means you can get in on the ground floor and start your own community garden! As a founding member, you’ll have the clout to make sure things are done veganically from day one. The ACGA has a terrific guide on how do launch your own community garden right here. So enjoy celebrating National Community Garden Week, and start hatching plans now for a truly humane garden in 2010.

For more suggestions, see the Tips on Veganic Gardening on our "Tools and Resources" page.

The Vegan Virus

By Jasmin

My mother (a vegan) was recently buying a Prius. This particular model of the Hybrid car came with leather seats, so my mother asked for it to be made with fabric seats instead. When the sales guy asked her why, she responded, “Because I’m vegan. I don’t believe that animals should be exploited for their parts.” The sales guy, taken aback, paused for a moment to reflect, and then genuinely remarked, “Good for you!” My mother was spreading the “Vegan Virus.”

Okay, so that’s not the nicest thing to call it. You might prefer to say, “Make Veganism Viral,” or something of the like. But at the end of the day, it means the same thing, and it can be nicely summed up by this quote by an Animal Agriculture Trade Journalist:

“The animal rights activists are on the move, and they are making things happen–one nasty legislation at a time.”

(Thanks for noticing!)

The point is, we are making real changes, on both grassroots and top-roots levels. And that’s partly due to the fact that we’re talking; we’re making veganism viral.

Any conversation can be brought back to the animals. And by spreading the “Vegan Virus” (humor me here), we are laying the groundwork that is necessary for creating budding vegans, thereby mitigating – and ultimately ending – animal cruelty.

So if you’re at a restaurant and asking them to hold the cheese, tell them it’s because you’re vegan (then ask them to consider offering more vegan options on the menu). If someone tells you how cute your dog is, respond that you just love animals – especially pigs and chickens! If your co-worker is telling you about her plans for her weekend Bar-B-Que, tell her about that fabulous veggie dog you had last week, and throw in that you’re vegan. By doing so, you are planting seeds.

It’s actually a kind of fun game to play with yourself. No matter what random comment someone makes, there’s a way to bring it back to the animals.

Them: “Boy oh boy was the traffic awful before!”
You: “Not to mention the global warming gasses aplenty! But since I’m vegan, at least I’m reducing some of my carbon footprint.”

Them: “What pretty flowers on your desk!”
You: “Yes, I love plants! I love eating plant-based food, too!”

Them: “What time is it?”
You: “Time to go vegan!”

Alright, maybe I’m getting a little silly. But still, you get the point. 

Another family member of mine, who has not yet joined the vegan bandwagon the rest of my family is on (but is getting there!), told me once that on Thanksgiving, as he was eating his dead bird, he was thinking of me and my “convictions.” A compliment, if you ask me. And I’ve noticed that he’s drastically reduced the amount of animal products he consumes.

Spreading the “Vegan Virus” can be as easy as doing one thing a day for farm animals. Mention your veganism in passing, wear a message button or t-shirt, make a point to tell the car salesman why you don’t want leather seats, e-mail or Facebook an animal-friendly article to your friends and family, bring vegan ice cream to your work’s ice cream party, and, of course, stand proud.