Book Illustration from "Lightfoot the Deer" (credit: Harrison Cady)

Their event, “‘Stories from the Wild’ at Central Library” will feature the classic children’s book, Lightfoot the Deer, written by Thornton W. Burgess and illustrated by Harrison Cady, which tells the story of a deer and his hunter, from the deer’s point of view. Storyteller Loretta-Lucy Miller will act as the storyteller at this event (an event which is making me wonder I should reserve a seat on the Bolt Bus — because the City of Brotherly Love is calling!). Artist Zipora Schula and dancer Lara Vracarich will be helping to lead the kiddies in the hands-on portion of the afternoon. It will take place on Saturday, February 18, from 2-4 p.m., at Story Hour Room of the Parkway Central Library Children’s Department, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The event is free, and it is recommended that you make reservations, by emailing publiceyephilly [at] gmail.com.

For those of you not in the Philadelphia area (and if you’re not, you should probably find yourself there sometime soon, since the new vegan hotspot, Vedge, just opened), it is pretty easy to host an event like this all by yourself. You can either use Lightfoot the Deer, or you can browse around on VegBooks for other animal-friendly books. Be sure to include pro-animal themed activities that make the young ones not only engage in artistic expression, but also begin dialogue with their friends (and with you) about why animals are our friends — not our food.

Note to self: Don't be intimidated! Read this book!

That said, I am so intrigued — and slightly intimidated — by this new book by Kim Socha, Women, Destruction, and the Avant-Garde: A Paradigm for Animal Liberation. Though I haven’t read it (yet!), and it might very well be a tad too academic for the casual reader (eh-hem), I love where it’s going. All you need to do is see the book’s description to share in my excitement (and possible trepidation):

This interdisciplinary study fuses analysis of feminist literature and manifestos, radical political theory, critical vanguard studies, women’s performance art, and popular culture to argue for the animal liberation movement as successor to the liberationist visions of the early twentieth-century avant-gardes, most especially the Surrealists. These vanguard groups are judiciously critiqued for their refusal to confront their own misogyny, a quandary that continues to plague animal activists, thereby disallowing for cohesion and full recognition of women’s value within a culturally marginalized cause. This volume is of interest to anyone who is concerned about the continued — indeed, escalating — violence against nonhumans. More broadly, it will interest those seeking new pathways to challenge the dominant power constructions through which oppression of humans, nonhumans, and the environment thrives.Women, Destruction, and the Avant-Garde ultimately poses the animal liberation movement as having serious political and cultural implications for radical social change, destruction of hierarchy and for a world without shackles and cages, much as the Surrealists envisioned.

The comprehensive book will set you back whopping $81 on Amazon (though you can also buy it used and save about ten bucks in the process, or maybe just ask your library to get you a copy). Anyone who reads it, please keep us posted on your thoughts. I’ll keep you posted, too, since Women, Destruction, and the Avant-Garde is most certainly on my wish list — both in terms of books I wish I could afford, and books I wish I could devour. The subject-matter of violence against non-humans, and the many correlations between women and animals, clearly is near and dear to my heart. What Socha created here looks to be a manifesto (a “womanifesto?”) — one that even unacademics, such as myself, might want to read.

Animal Welfare Trust

Past grant recipients have included a doctoral student who worked with the FBI to conduct a study on the link between animal cruelty and personal violence, a law student who interned at Neighborhood Cats to draft a model TNR ordinance, and a vet student who developed a program on alternatives to the use of live animals in surgical training in vet school curriculums.

The deadline is March, 2012. If you are in graduate school, or you know someone who is who deeply cares about animals, this is too good an opportunity to pass up.

***

Helping Vegan Parents Navigate the Not-So-Vegan Landscape

By Robyn Moore

I recently read an article that asked the question, “As a vegan, should you raise your child vegan?” To me, that question is absurd on many levels. As parents, we are responsible for making decisions for our kids based on our own sets of values and beliefs. Typically, we do not allow kids to make their own decisions when it comes to things that are dangerous to them physically or developmentally, or that we find morally abhorrent. So if we believe that eating animals and animal products is morally wrong (or unhealthy, or detrimental to the environment), then why would we let our kids engage in that behavior?

Charlotte

As a vegan parent, I encounter messages, and experience situations every day, that contradict what I’m trying to teach my daughter, Charlotte. Some of these (“milk is necessary for strong bones,” “you need meat for protein,” etc.) come directly from the industries whose livelihoods depend on our buying into them. Yet many others come from less obvious places: story time, gym class, music class, books, cartoons, the playground, the toys we buy. Our world revolves around the idea that animals are here for our personal use — this includes food, clothing, products, and entertainment — so being a vegan parent can sometimes feel like an uphill battle.

One example of this is story time at the library. The books that are chosen often center around “blissful” farm and zoo animals — only reinforcing society’s misperceptions about animals in confinement. Many of the books that Charlotte grabs from the shelves show animals in some sort of exploitive situation, such as a circus, or they include pictures of kids eating hot dogs or drinking milk. In music class, kids sing songs such as “Fried Ham,” “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” and “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” In gym and other group settings, toddlers tend to share (or grab) one another’s snacks, so I have to be keep a watchful eye on Charlotte to make sure she doesn’t take somebody else’s goldfish or string cheese. And then, of course, there are the playground and play date conversations with other parents. Food always comes up, and, much to my dismay, I hear about what other kids are eating. More often than not, it’s chicken nuggets, or macaroni and cheese, always accompanied by a big glass of milk.

But if examples like these are what I’m up against, I can handle it. I will trade these minor inconveniences any day for the satisfaction of knowing that my husband and I are raising our child based on principles of integrity and compassion.

Robyn and her family at the NYC Walk for Farm Animals

Still, I’m acutely aware that Charlotte is only a year and a half old. She’s still at the age where I can, for all intents and purposes, control what she eats and drinks, who she plays with, what books she reads. Charlotte is our only child, and, being in the (quickly growing!) vegan minority, we’re also learning as we go. Just as we adults evolve and change, so will Charlotte. That means that, 10 years from now when little Charlotte is in middle school, my challenges as a vegan parent raising a vegan child will radically shift. There will be a whole new set of joys and happiness that we’ll share, and, with that, a whole new set of questions. No doubt things will get more difficult as she becomes an autonomous person. Of course, my hope is that, as Charlotte grows, her values – respecting animals, and not exploiting them – will be so instilled in her, that even as she grows to be a teenager and an adult, she will carry her moral compass and live her life according to these ethics.

Every age has its own set of issues and growing pains, and as a mother of a vegan child, that is something I am looking forward to handling. But if we, as parents – and aunts, uncles, grandparents, and neighbors – trust that we are doing the right thing, then my hope is that everything else will fall into place. It is up to us as parents to be activists not only for the animals, but also for our own kids.

With that in mind, here are few tips to help vegan parents navigate the not-so vegan landscape.

1. Read books and watch movies that affirm and reinforce vegan values. VegBooks lists over 500 titles.
2. Visit an animal sanctuary. Exposing vegan kids to rescued farm animals is so important — it helps them make the connection between their cruelty-free lifestyle and the animals they are saving.
3. Get together with local veg families so that your kids will have the opportunity to meet other like-minded kids, and you’ll get to meet other like-minded parents. If you live in the NYC area, join my meet-up group: NYC Vegetarian and Vegan Families. If a meet-up group like that doesn’t exist in your area, think about starting one.
4. Show your kids the power of activism! If they feel strongly about a specific animal or issue, encourage them to join a protest, write a letter to a newspaper, have a vegan bake sale, hand out literature, or create an art project. This will empower them and teach them to be a voice for the voiceless.
5. Search for websites and blogs about raising veg kids. Many of them, including my own, RaisingVegKids.com, offer resources, articles, and support for vegan families.
6. Make holidays special. Instead of focusing on what kids can’t do or eat, make vegan versions of traditional dishes, and even crafts. For example, make a vegan gingerbread house or egg-free potato latkes, and color papier-mâché Easter eggs.
7. Cook and bake delicious vegan recipes with your kids. Order the book, Vegan Lunchbox.
8. When dining out at a non-vegan restaurant, look to the side dishes (instead of the meat- and dairy-heavy kid’s menu), where you’ll find healthy and yummy choices such as veggies, beans, rice, etc.
9. Adopt a rescued farm animal (virtually). Farm Sanctuary will send you a picture of an animal of your choice with some fun details about him or her. Your kids can frame it and keep it in their room, and even visit their adopted animal at the sanctuary. They can even bring the picture to school and tell their classmates all about it, effectively spreading the message. Of course, if you have the space, adopt a real rescued farm animal whom kids can help care for and love.
10. Be an active parent when it comes to birthday parties and school events. Find out what is being served, and if it’s not vegan, make or buy a similar vegan version so that your child will not feel left out. Make enough for the other kids, too, so that they can see first-hand how delicious compassion can taste.
11. Show your kids that being vegan is fun! Make vegan pancakes on the weekend, or have a vegan pizza party on a school night. Make things like DIY vegan ice cream sundaes, or, on movie night, popcorn with vegan butter.

Embracing veganism is the most effective step a family can take to fight animal cruelty. It’s about teaching your kids to vote with their dollars by boycotting industries that exploit and harm animals. It’s about choosing a side — the animals’ side. Encourage your kids to be proud, confident, and courageous in their family’s decision to respect and value the lives of all others, including animals. Read books about brave people throughout history who were once viewed as being different and in the minority – such as those who worked for the abolition of slavery, for women’s suffrage, for civil rights – but were later viewed as heroes, who, despite challenges, spoke up for what was right.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said:

Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” Vanity asks the question, “Is it popular?” But conscience asks the question, “Is it right?” And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.

 ***

Robyn Moore

Robyn Moore is a mom to Charlotte, whom she and her husband, Martin, are raising vegan. Robyn has her master’s degree in education. She is the creator of RaisingVegKids.com, the organizer of NYC Vegetarian and Vegan Families Meetup, and is a book reviewer for VegBooks. Robyn is an avid traveler who has taught English in Nepal, volunteered helping animals in Africa, and lived abroad in Switzerland.

Animal Legal and Historical Center

The Animal Legal and Historical Center is an absolutely invaluable website for anyone interested in animal law. Founded by Professor David Favre, an eminent and longstanding animal law scholar at Michigan State University School of Law, this voluminous and constantly updated website organizes over 12oo full text cases and 1400 statutes into subject areas. It also includes comprehensive descriptions and explanations of the original sources, original articles, links to articles on every conceivable animal law topic, and news updates on hot topics in animal law. If that weren’t enough, it also includes an international collection of materials.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has recently released the sixth edition of it’s amazing resource, Animal Protection Laws of the United States of America and Canada. The entire 4000 pages, in searchable form, can be downloaded for free, and will provide you with “a detailed survey of the general animal protection and related statutes for all of the states, principal districts and territories of the United States of America, and for all of Canada; [and] up-to-date versions of each jurisdiction’s laws.”

Many law schools now provide research guides to animal law in their online library guides and, while they may not provide links which outsiders can use to access the materials, they can be a useful starting point for those who want to do research in this area who have access to Lexis or Westlaw, or other ways of accessing the materials. For example, UCLA’s Libguide provides a very useful research guide to animal law. Of particular interest is the section called Getting Started: Suggested Readings for Those New to Animal Law, which compiles articles of interest to those just finding out about animal law to help them in their journey. And, while you’re at it,  you should be aware that Westlaw itself now includes animal law as an individual subject area in its database.

There are now so many animal law journals published by law schools that it’s impossible to keep up! It’s so exciting. They include the venerable Animal Law out of Lewis and Clark, which has been published regularly since 1994(!), the Journal of Animal Law out of Michigan State University, and the Stanford Journal of Animal Law and Policy.

For less scholarly, and more newsy ways to stay on top of animal law, you might want to regularly peruse new issues of The Animals’ Advocate, published by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Another great resource is the Animal Blawg, which was founded by Professor David Cassuto of Pace Law School, and is updated quite regularly. Or, quickest and easiest, just “like” the facebook page of the Animal Law Committee of the American Bar Association’s TIPS section, where articles of interest to animal lawyers — and animal lovers — are posted on a daily basis.

In addition to these awards for people, there are several awards for particular pieces of work. These include Media of the Year, Undergraduate Paper/Project/Thesis of the Year, Graduate Paper/Project/Dissertation of the Year, and Faculty Paper/Project of the Year. If you are proud of one of your accomplishments in this area, or know someone who has produced stellar work during the past year, check out the requirements and get your nomination in now.

While we’re on the subject, you probably will want to consider submitting a proposal for a presentation to be made at the Institute’s annual conference, which will be held at Canisius College, in Buffalo, on March 2-4. The theme of this year’s conference will be From Greece to Wall St.: Global Economic Revolutions and Critical Animal Studies, and they are seeking presentations from a wide variety of disciplines on a wide variety of topics, including Critical Criminology, Animals in Relations to Religion and Spirituality, Social Networking, and Redefining Nature. The proposal only needs to be 500 words, so even though it’s also due on January 15, there’s no reason not to jump on this and get it in.

As most of you already know, Vegan Mainstream not only “provides marketing solutions” to vegan businesses, but also empowers and supports an eager and thriving vegan community (such as through their Facebook page, which is interactive and full of current AR happenings). The upcoming webinars are one hour long, totally free, and — if you ask me — a much more productive way of spending your lunch hour than playing Snood (which, okay, I also thoroughly enjoy).

Another set of upcoming animal-themed webinars come to us thanks to the ASPCA, are also one hour long and offered at no cost, and focus on the subject of animal abuse, with an emphasis on animal law. They include “The AniCare Approach for Treating Animal Abuse: What it is and how you can use it,” “Non-Human DNA in Criminal Cases,” “The Psychological Aspects of Maltreated Animals,” and “Common Issues Law Enforcement and Prosecutors Confront When Investigating and Litigating ‘Puppy Mill’ Cases.”

Also on the webinar circuit is Julie Lewin, the passionate activist behind the book Get Political for Animals. Though not yet up on the website, we hear through the grapevine that she will next be offering her series of webinars on that same topic starting later this month. On January 21, at 1 pm EST, you can view “Get Political for Animals and Win the Laws They Need in Your Town, City, County or State”; on Sunday, January 29, at 1 pm EST there’s “How the Lawmaking Process Really Works — and How Your Political Group for Animals Impacts Each Step”; and, on Sunday, February 5, at 1 pm EST, you can see, “How to Launch and Run a Political Organization for Animals in Your Town, City, County or State — and the Simple Steps It Takes to Do It.” These sound like the perfect next step for those who were intrigued by what our intern Sally so eloquently talked about last week – changing the law for animals. In addition to the above scheduled webinars, Julie even offers private ones, all as part of the National Institute for Animal Advocacy. To register, first email Julie at jlewin[at]nifaa.org and, once she tells you there’s still an opening, donate what you can afford on the website. Don’t forget to join her email list to stay up to speed about current webinars.

We at Our Hen House have talked about using Webinars for Animal Rights before. Beyond just attending the ones that Vegan Mainstream, the ASPCA, and Julie Lewin are offering — and ones that other advocacy groups have offered in the past, sometimes even as online conferences — maybe you want to go further into webinar world. If you are a person with a unique skill set that can be plugged into changing the world (and we all have one, folks, as we discussed in our recent workshop on activism that is now available online), perhaps its time for you to dust off your webcam and start your own webinar. These can include subjects such as vegan nutrition, using art to speak up for animals, Leafleting 101, animal law, and about a bzillion other pro-animal themed subjects.

Another plus? You don’t have to leave your living room. You can even be naked from the waist down, and no one would know. Which gives me an idea: “Change the World Wearing No More than a Necktie?” Perhaps…

Now, you can view the entire workshop for free on the Lewis & Clark website (just fyi — viewing it requires that your computer be up to date with Silverlight). It’s a good workshop to even have on in the background as you do house chores or the likes. In other words, you only really need to hear it.

Even more exciting for us (since we did, in fact, already attend our own workshop) is that the vast majority of the workshops presented throughout the weekend are now up on the Lewis & Clark site. We are pretty stoked to catch up on some of the ones we missed, and revisit the workshops we already attended. Some highlights include “Drawing Connections Between Animal Law and Other Disciplines” by Taimie Bryant and Maneesha Deckha, “Developing New Legal Theories to Help Animals: Benefits and Limitations” by Kathy Hessler and Matthew Liebman, and “Where Did Your Food Really Come From? A Guide to Food Labeling,” by Carter Dillard and Will Fantle.

March 30-31, 2012

Of course, humans share their vulnerability not only with other humans, but with all the sentient creatures of this planet. That is why it is exciting to see that the latest project of this Initiative is a workshop entitled, “An Uncomfortable Conversation: Human Use of Animals.” And it’s also exciting to see that it recognizes that, not only do animals share humans’ vulnerability, they are additionally vulnerable to the enormous suffering imposed upon them by humans.

A few of the guiding questions for the workshop are: “Where do our obligations to animals originate — their capacity to suffer or other morally relevant properties; rights; relation to humans, and/or vulnerability to harm?” “What is the significance of the fact that humans create and control the permanent dependency of domestic animals?” and “Are animals made vulnerable by their legal status as property, human creation, or use, and how should individuals, private entities, or the state respond to such vulnerability?”

If these are the kind of questions that intrigue you, a call for papers has been issued, and proposals are due on February 1, 2012. The workshop itself will be held on March 30-31, 2012.

As for myself, I certainly didn’t start out as a teacher. I am a lawyer, and have been for longer than I care to admit in this blog entry. But law was one of the first areas of academia to focus on animal issues in a serious way, and law schools were eager to find people with some expertise in the brand new field of animal law to teach courses. Thus, about 5 years ago, my teaching career was born.

These days, when I’m not running Our Hen House with Jasmin, I teach animal law as an adjunct at 3 law schools in New York City — positions I hold near to my heart, even if it has caused me a few grey hairs in the process. Incidentally, those grey hairs are thanks to the nature of the work itself, given that I am, since birth, an introvert. It has nothing to do with my incredible and eager students, nor does it involve the coursework, which I frequently find riveting. There are so many aspects of teaching that I love — but, let me tell you, I never thought I would be the one standing at the podium. I have found that, sometimes, animal advocacy combines with life in an unusual and unpredictable way. I am, indeed, “the professor and Mariann.” (If you are too young to get that reference, I don’t even want to know about it.)

If you’ve never taught before, it may — at first, anyway — seem a bit daunting. It certainly did for me (and, truth be told, it still has its moments). In order to ease your way in, one way to start fairly small is to explore the adult education resources in your area. Perhaps there is a formal adult education program at your local community college, or your nearby high school. Or perhaps your community library has adult ed programs. Or there may be a private provider of continuing education courses, such as New York’s Open Center. Look at the current course offerings and think about what sort of class you would want to pitch that would fit in with the type of courses they offer. One idea might be a broad introduction to the issues involved in animal rights. Another idea is a focus on animals in food production. Or, if you’re a lawyer, you could teach one on the fundamentals of animal law. That could be a great opportunity to inform people on the laws concerning some of the everyday issues that confront them regarding their pets, while also broadening their knowledge-base about animal exploitation.

Can you cook? (If so, feel free to drop by for dinner.) A course in the fundamentals of vegan cooking is one of the most valuable things you could offer someone who wants to live more compassionately, but doesn’t know where to start. And such a course could give you the entrée (pun intended) to offer people some much-needed information about vegan nutrition. People are hungry for this information (pun intended again), and, as you make it available to them, you can literally save their lives — along with the animals. How’s that for food for thought?

If you have some academic credentials, you might want to think about moving beyond adult education. Animal studies is now a growing and vibrant part of almost every academic field, as the New York Times has recently recognized, and undergraduate courses in animal studies are booming, as is also evident from the directory kept by the Animals and Society Institute. Our friend David Wolfson, who has taught animal law for many years, is now teaching an undergraduate Animals and Public Policy course at New York University, as part of their minor in Animal Studies. These kinds of opportunities are going to be growing by leaps and bounds, and there are not that many people with the expertise to fill them. Moreover, we certainly don’t want to see the field of animal studies coopted by industry, or by people with a shortsighted view of the issues.

Needless to say, undergraduate teaching gigs may be difficult to get for the beginner. However, community colleges could certainly be a possibility. It’s 2012 — the year of taking chances! That’s according to me, anyhow — and I just made that up right now. But, hey, let’s go with it. If teaching is something you’ve always wanted to do, but it seems scary to you, that’s because it’s a Big Deal. But it’s also a totally necessary step in terms of long-term change for animals, and there are ways of approaching it that are both attainable and fulfilling. It doesn’t have to be terrifying. Don’t make it harder than it is.

While we’re on the subject, if you are, like me, a lawyer, remember that there are still not a lot of people out there with an expertise in animal law, and there are a ton of law schools adding courses — so the possibility of getting an adjunct professorship is very real. If there’s already a course at your local law school, think about pitching a separate course on, say, companion animal law, or farmed animal law, or some kind of other subset of animal law. Or, if all of this seems way too daunting, think about hooking up with your bar association to teach a Continuing Legal Education program on your area of expertise. Believe me, one thing can lead to another!

Maybe teaching feels outside your comfort zone. If so, try to rethink. While you may have to brush up your public speaking skills (Toastmasters, anyone?) or overcome your shyness (if I can do it, anyone can), you already possess the most important thing that any teacher can have — the truth.

Antennae rocks my world

I, for one, am nothing short of stirred and tickled to learn about this incredibly in-depth and thought-provoking resource, and I’m already wondering how I’m going to finish my Christmahanusolstikwanzikuh shopping, when I have all of these back issues to catch up on! I know that many of you will also be titillated, since my inbox is frequently bursting with emails from you wondering how to get further involved with speaking up for animals through the arts. Well, lucky for you, Antennae is seeking submissions for publication.

And in the interest of shameless self-promotion (’tis the season, right?), I wanted to point out a few pieces that Our Hen House has created for our Art of the Animal series, focusing on some of the same creative activists that Antennae is also shedding light on. Last year, we made a video about visual artist Jonathan Horowitz, and his “Go Vegan” exhibit. Two weeks ago, we featured Peter Singer on our 100th podcast episode (which is also available, as always, on iTunes). And, in what is perhaps the video I am most proud of, a couple days ago we brought you our newest installment of the Art of the Animal video series, this time featuring one of our heroes, Sue Coe. Our Art of the Animal series, which is hardly as academic as Antennae (I’m not sure anything I’ve ever written can be described as such), features artists who speak up for animals through their art form, and you can you learn more by browsing that section of our website.

Vegan scholarships make me happy.

If you’re a high school student and you’re reading this, I realize that compassion is your driving force. But this scholarship is a sweet impetus for stepping up your advocacy, and making sure that your fellow students are being reached with the reasons to go vegan and change the world for animals (there are so many countless ways to do that, even if you’re in school).

Do they have a spot in the yearbook for “Most Ethical?” You’ve got that pegged, young friend…

The Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) must have been reading the margins of my grad school notebooks because, together with Lawyers in Defense of Animals, Inc. (LIDA), they are doing just that. With the new online certificate program, Animals, Community and the Law, SPAA and LIDA are making the fight against animal exploitation infinitely more winnable by identifying loads of stakeholders — everyone from elected officials to public health administrators, community developers, attorneys and citizens.

The beauty of this program is that it intends to arm anyone who regards animal policy as their “responsibility, interest, mission, or curiosity” with the knowledge and skills they need to end animal exploitation. In other words, in offering this certificate to, well, anyone who cares about animals, they are making us all stakeholders. This program of study (three “knowledge courses” and a practicum) will “make available knowledge usually reserved to law school students.” While focused primarily on companion animal issues, at least one of the courses, “Animal Cruelty and the Law,” promises to also look at the way the law relates to institutional animal use, including research and food.

The program takes place entirely online and is accessed at the student’s convenience — there are no set times for classes and participation is done via online discussion boards. It’s not just the convenience of this program that I love. It’s how useful it is to almost anyone who wants to change the world for animals. Whether or not animal rights is part of your career, volunteerism, activism, or simply something you care deeply about, this program will prepare you to effect change in your community on behalf of animals. You don’t need any prior experience or knowledge to enroll, and the courses, which can be taken for graduate credit, are taught by LIDA board members.

If, like me, you often daydream about going to grad school (again), but find the time and financial commitment of traditional programs prohibitive and intimidating, perhaps a course of study that is intellectually stimulating, incredibly applicable, and offered in affordable, bitesized chunks is in order!

According to Humane Research Council, “By putting professional research services within reach of groups with limited resources, HRC’s Grassroots Research Fund helps small animal advocacy organizations appreciate the importance of research and directly improve their programs and campaigns with a pro bono project.”

Cool, right? The deadline is coming up on January 1. So get crackin’.

Photo of "Kids Cook for the Holidays!" which is a project of Public Eye Philly. Photo from http://www.publiceyephilly.org/.

“Kids Cook for the Holidays” was organized as part of Public Eye’s Kids Club. During the hour-long session taught by Chef Christina Martin, kids ranging in age from 3 to 10 learned how to make healthy, fun, vegan Thanksgiving meals and got to eat their cruelty-free concoctions for lunch. Following the hands-on lesson, the kids participated in an entertaining art project designed to instill compassion for animals. Another cool thing about the art project is that it resulted in a hand-made objet d’art for kids to take home to spread the word.

Using the creaminess of cauliflower mash or the sweetness of apple pie to foster a discussion on why we don’t eat animals — during the holidays and beyond — is a recipe for a merciful, kind kid with a respect for all beings. ‘Tis the season, so if kids are your thing, perhaps you should be thinking about hosting a formal or informal vegan cooking class.

Of course, if you have kids in the house today and tomorrow, you can start putting this together right now as part of your Thanksgiving Feast. Hopefully, you have on hand Nathalie Van Balen’s Happy Thanksliving! Coloring Zine to help out with the entertainment, but if you don’t, never fear, you can just print out her veggies coloring page.

But, of course, Thanksgiving is just the beginning. Christmahanukwanzasolstikah is in just one month. Before it whizzes by, how about hosting a vegan cupcake-making party for your kids’ class? Be sure to have your talking points ready, too, along with some kids-themed pro-animal stickers.

Got additional suggestions and tips for inspiring compassion in kids? That’s what the comments section is for! Do tell!

Though I’d always had activist tendencies, I wish that I had entered the world of social justice prior to age 21. But, alas, that’s an unproductive thought, since it was all part of my process, and at least I got there eventually. Personal evolution is a complex, painful, beautiful thing. Remembering that I didn’t always know about the horrors of milk production, for example, helps me to extend compassion and patience to others who I am trying to reach with the vital message of veganism. It also gives me hope, which is something that Mariann and I discussed in a recent article we wrote for One Green Planet.

If you follow Our Hen House, you already know that another thing that gives me hope is when art is combined with advocacy. That is why I’m thoroughly thrilled that The Performance Collective at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is currently performing a theatrical adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s wildly popular book, Eating Animals. According to IndyWeek.com, the student actors consume a variety of diets, mostly omnivorous. Yet after learning that all the students at UNC were assigned Eating Animals as their mandatory summer reading, the play’s director, Tony Perucci (a “steadfast omnivore”), felt that the theatrical adaptation would be a perfect fit for The Performance Collective. (Last year, they performed a theatrical adaptation of The Activist.)

As reported in IndyWeek.com:

Rather than attempting to fit Foer’s nonfiction into a single conventional story arc [...], the collective will incorporate movement, dance and multimedia into a more diverse production that still derives some two-thirds of its text from the book, according to Perucci. “Our goal is not to persuade, precisely — it’s to confront,” he says. “At least have a position that’s based on your own critical reflection. I believe [...] that the purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that answers too easily obscure … But ultimately, the thing is that people don’t even ask the question.”

In addition to being thrilled to see students addressing this imperative issue in such a creative way, I’m selfishly also wondering if Mariann, who was quoted in the book alongside David Wolfson (page 51, to be precise), winds up being… theatrically adapted. Or danced to.

What I find perplexing — but okay, I’ll go with it — is that Director Perucci, who uses his “foodie” identity to defend his meat-eating, then goes on to state that Foer’s position in Eating Animals is “clearly stated” that “the only ethical position is to be vegetarian.” So either Perucci disagrees with this idea, and thinks that there is nothing immoral about eating animals, or he is giving himself a get out of jail free card, or perhaps he’s struggling with his rationale. Channeling the hopeful-Jasmin from the beginning of this blog entry, maybe Perucci is on the road to veganism. Hopefully that’s the case, but regardless, I’ll give him more than a few vegan brownie points for having this theatrical vision and making it happen.

Foer’s book has provoked more discussion of the animal issue than almost anything published in recent history. What’s more, it’s widely accepted that UNC-Chapel Hill is supposed to excel at theatre. If I could only reverse the clock and be a young, sprightly (clove-cigarette-smoking, black-clothes-wearing) theatre student again, it’s very possible that this play would’ve been exactly what I needed in order to open my eyes to animal exploitation, and to change. I hope to see more plays that carry the message of animal rights performed at colleges, community centers, and, hell, even Broadway. Maybe I’ll even audition. At the very least, I’ll hand the other auditioners a “Why Vegan?” brochure, so it would not be for naught.

Although animal lawyers around the country are focused intently on this case, for plenty of other lawyers, it’s just one more preemption case, and for non-lawyers, it’s just another example of legal mumbo-jumbo. The sick and injured pigs who are at the center of the case can get lost amongst the legal technicalities. Clearly, for activists, this presents an opportunity to remind everyone that this high-profile case truly matters — that pigs sent to slaughter suffer horribly, and states should be allowed to pass laws protecting animals when the Federal government has failed to do so.

Photo courtesy Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org)

That’s one reason we are so excited that the New York University Student Animal Legal Defense Fund managed to get some of their most prestigious faculty members — Catherine Sharkey, William T. Comfort, III, Roderick Hills, Jr. and Richard Epstein, as well as New York Court of Appeals Judge, Robert Smith — to participate in a “moot court” of the case, in which they act out the roles of advocates and judges, to air the arguments on each side and inform the audience about the case. Even better, they videotaped the event, and a link to the video  and the article about the event ended up on the front page of the NYU Law website.

In spite of all the technical legal issues involved, it’s not possible to discuss this case in this kind of detail without considering the animal cruelty issues at its center. Thus, all of the people who went to this event or watch this video because they are interested in the legal scholarship involved or impressed by the participants now have had an opportunity to be introduced to the ones who really matter here — the pigs.

Photo at top of blog: Courtesy of Farm Sanctuary

Here we are presenting at the Boston VegFest (Mariann on right, Jasmin on left).

Our talk, which was entitled, “Shifting to a Plant-Based Diet: Techniques and Tips for Your Walk on the Green Side,” consisted of our top 10 tips for making this life-saving and life-expanding shift. We thought we would take the opportunity to share a brief recap of those tips on today’s blog entry. Since Tip #1 has to do with finding great resources, reposting our tips is also an opportunity to share the links to those resources.

We’re sure that most of you have additional tips to share (any list, including ours, inevitably is only a starting point). We would love it if you added your tips to the comments section on the blog. As a thank you for commenting, we will randomly select one of you to receive a free copy of Dr. Michael Greger’s newest DVD, “Latest in Clinical Nutrition: Volume 6“ (we reviewed Volume 5 on a recent podcast). Leave a comment with your tips between now and Nov. 7 at midnight EST, include your email address when submitting the comment, and we’ll let you know before Nov. 15 if you’ve won. (And be sure to catch Dr. Greger on our current podcast episode — your mind will be blown!)

But we digress.

Here we go with our Top 10 Tips for Shifting to a Plant-Based Diet:

10.Understand All the Reasons.

Whether you are primarily motivated by your health, by environmental and food sustainability issues, or by your compassion for animals, learn everything you can about all these issues, and how they intertwine in a way that is so powerful that it demonstrates that, without a doubt, shifting to a plant-based diet is our evolutionary destiny.

9. Understand Why Individual Action is so Important

It’s so easy to think that this problem is so big — and I am just one small person — so it doesn’t matter what I do. NO! That is false thinking. When you change your behavior, you influence so many more people than you realize. You need to choose: Do you want to be part of the problem, or part of the solution?

8. Find and Use “Transition” Foods

You don’t have to give up anything you don’t want to give up! There is a cruelty-free alternative to every animal product you can possibly think of. Find foods that are reminiscent of the ones you love, and relish a delicious marriage of your most precious food memories and your healthy, compassionate future.

Jasmin and her jazz hands.

7. Learn How to Get a Decent Meal at a Non-Vegan Restaurant

Never never never settle for a green salad and french fries. Check the menu, call ahead, and hang in there until you get something yummy!

6. Learn How to Add Vegetables to Your Diet*

Vegetables are actually delicious (!) and so good for you that it’s impossible to quantify, and impossible to replicate in a supplement. If fresh are too much trouble, use frozen, but no matter what, eat your veggies, and then eat some more. Once again, your Mom was right. Vegetables are where it’s at. (*This is Mariann’s favorite tip.)

5. Find and Foster Community*

Meet-Ups, vegan drinks, on-line circles, pen pals. However you do it, make new vegan friends. You may think you are the only vegan in town, but we promise you, you are not. We’re everywhere, our community is growing every day, and you want to get on board. (*This is Jasmin’s favorite tip.)

4. Learn How to Handle “Humane” Meat Questions

Sure, one reason you’re vegan is because you don’t want to take someone’s life just to satisfy your appetite, no matter how so-called “humanely” they were treated. But when this issue comes up, don’t forget to explore some of the other issues. Be compassionate, but don’t let someone who brings this up walk away without gently asking them about what their standards really are and how they know they are being followed?, whether they boycott factory farming?, what about land use issues?, do they know that milk and eggs, regardless of how small the farm is, are rooted in the exploitation of reproduction?, etc., etc., etc.

Mariann singing the National Anthem. (Kidding -- she's just presenting...)

3. Plan Ahead for Holidays and Family Get-Togethers.

‘Tis the Season. Bring good food and bring enough, ’cause everyone is going to want some. As Mariann likes to say, the single most effective thing you can do for animals is provide delicious vegan food.

2. Don’t Feel the Need to be a Spokesperson

Thanks to Carol J. Adams for this one. Being an advocate for compassionate eating is wonderful, but you can do it on your own terms and when you think people are really open to hearing your answers. If they are just using you as a way to dissipate their own anxiety about their destructive eating habits and aren’t actually interested in hearing you, you don’t have to engage. Just let them know that you are happy with the way you are eating. Period.

1. Find the Best Resources

Here are a few we fancy:

Top Book on Transitioning – The 30-Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Top Health Film – Forks Over Knives (now streaming on Netflix!)

Top Issues Film – Vegucated

Top Helpful Website – Vegan at Heart

Top Nutrition Website – Nutrition Facts

Top Project – Vegan Buddies

Top Vegan News Source — Vegan.com

Top Health Book – Vegan for Life by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina

***

All in all, the Boston VegFest was a huge success, and we were honored to be a part of it. Be sure to also read the thorough recap of the Fest in the Tie Dye Files (and a super special thanks to Kaitlyn for the flattering words). And also check out the rad article about the Fest on the popular blog for the Boston Globe, Boston.com (we were interviewed!).

And there you have our Top 10 Tips for Shifting to a Plant-Based Diet. What are some of your tips?

Now, those of you with strong opinions and a flair for words have the opportunity to submit an abstract to Open Court Popular Culture and Philosophy Series, which brings “high-quality philosophy to general readers by critically exploring the meanings, concepts, and puzzles within television shows, movies, music and other icons of popular culture.” The possibility of using this series (which, incidentally has previously published a piece exploring the philosophy behind Spongebob Squarepants) to philosophize about the exploitation of animals through exploring The Planet of the Apes seems like an opportunity of a lifetime.

Here is the full description of the Call for Abstracts:

PLANET OF THE APES AND PHILOSOPHY:CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Deadline for abstract submission: January 15, 2012

Editor: John Huss

The editor encourages contributions from philosophers and other intellectuals that explore topics connected to the Planet of the Apes franchise, from Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel La Planète des singes to the 1968 politically charged blockbuster starring Charlton Heston, through the sequels and TV series to the 2011 reboot/prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The prequel, which was released at roughly the same time as the documentary Project Nim, has recently received attention from philosophers and animal rights activists, including Peter Singer.  Much public discussion of Rise of the Planet of the Apes has centered on ethical and philosophical issues.

Of particular interest for the volume are popular essays addressing current debates in philosophy of biology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, animal rights, political philosophy, and environmental ethics. Authors who would like to try their hand at engaging a non-academic audience in philosophical dialogue using the Planet of the Apes films as a touchstone are especially encouraged to submit an abstract.

Email abstracts and a c.v. to: huss.john[at]gmail.com.

Deadlines: Abstracts due by January 15, 2012; notification of abstract acceptance by February 15^, 2012.  First drafts due by June 15, 2012; final drafts due by August 15, 2012.

The fine print: Contributors will not be paid in cash, but in copies of the book, worldwide fame and prestige.

Whenever I’ve alerted you to contests like this one in the past, I usually just send you to their guidelines page. But because I am so ga-ga over the WOLFoundation’s guidelines, I’m pasting them below — and I’m bolding the parts I love the most:

What we are looking for

Emily from California just let us know that she spoke at her school’s staff meeting and persuaded them to implement a monthly anti-bullying activity that we did at camp through her entire high school! Owen from Illinois is working with her city council to add recycling in her town! Danielle from Oregon asked for an alternative to dissection in her science class, and when her teacher rudely assigned her to write an essay about the benefits of animal research, she wrote a report about the misleading scientific results of animal research — and got extra credit!

Perhaps we can all learn a thing or five from these inspiring kids, who — in a world where going with the flow, no questions asked, is the norm — are refusing to be complacent.

First and foremost, the 19th annual Animal Law Conference (wow — 19th?!) will be held next weekend, on October 14-16, at Lewis and Clark Law School in the very vegan-friendly city of Portland, OR. We are on cloud 9 about speaking there. Our workshop will take place on Sunday, Oct. 16, and will cover one of our favorite topics — the one you can’t get us to shut up about — incorporating animal activism into your everyday life (and exploring ways to amp up what you already do to change the world). It is entitled “Enough Already. DO Something for Animals!” While at this one-of-a-kind conference, we are also thrilled that we’ll have the opportunity to hear so many exciting speakers, including Sarah Baeckler of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, David Cassuto of Pace Law School (who you can check out on our podcast), Carter Dillard of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (also featured on our podcast), Kristen Stilt of the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals, and so many other movers and shakers from the world of animal law. Our bags are packed (well, not really…), and we can’t wait (yes, really)!

In fact, we are so eager about this trip that we will be going out to Lewis and Clark Law School a day early for a separate Animal Law Review Symposium. This symposium is being organized by the students who publish the student-run law review, Animal Law – the first journal dedicated to animal law issues in the country, and one that remains the best known of what is now a wide array of such journals. The symposium will feature some of the leading voices in international animal law, including Maneesha Deckha, Professor of Law at the University of Victoria, who will be speaking on the intersections between critical animal studies and animal law, and the aforementioned David Cassuto, who will be discussing climate change and animal agriculture, with a particularly sharp focus on what’s happening in Brazil.

Animal Law Conference

Beyond that, and back here on the east coast, two very cool programs that are coming up at New York University Law School should also be on your radar. One is a panel on the environmental effects of factory farming, featuring such luminaries as New York Times columnist Mark Bittman, animal law professor extraordinaire David Wolfson (who has also been featured on the podcast), and Jon Lovvorn, the director of the Animal Protection Litigation team at the Humane Society of the United States. The other NYU Law School event to note is a faculty “moot court” of the upcoming arguments in National Meat Association v Harris, wherein the Supreme Court will decide the validity, under federal law, of California’s no-downer law.

Toward the end of this month, Mariann will be speaking in one of our favorite cities, New Orleans (which, by the way, is finally beginning to expand it’s vegan options), at the 3d Annual Continuing Legal Education program of the Louisiana Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee. The program, entitled “Animal Law 3.0”  will feature speakers on companion animal law as well as farmed animal law, and promises to be dynamic and eye-opening.

Though not directly related to animal law, since your calendars are clearly in front of you now, please also note that on October 29, we will be presenting a workshop at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival (the biggest VegFest in the country) entitled “Shifting to a Plant-Based Diet: Techniques and Tips for Your Walk on the Green Side”; on November 2 we’ll be celebrating Jasmin’s birthday with a Hen Party that will surely result in lots of fun (and hopefully lots of funds, too!); and on November 4 we’ll be presenting “Food as Activism” for the Montclair, NJ Vegan Meet-Up. Also, if you’re in or around NYC, please save the dates of December 1 and December 2, where one or both of us will be presenting two new exciting workshops. You can stay up to speed on those events (and other ones) in the “Upcoming Squawking Engagements” sidebar of our website (look to the right of this).

Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to go take a Valium.

Another NYU project that we are excited about came as a result of an amazing seminar at NYU’s Environmental Studies Program taught by Mia McDonald, of Brighter Green. This was not a purely academic enterprise. Instead, the class of nine students was given a very real world task — creating a set of policy recommendations for the (fictional) Mayor’s Initiative on Food and Climate Change. The students created the Eating for the Green Apple initiative, including an elaborate policy proposal, as well as a toolkit designed to empower individuals and communities to increase “cool foods” in their diet. (Unfortunately, the recommended foods included eggs, but were in other respects completely vegan.)

Eating for the Green Apple

The role of animal-based foods in climate change is well-known to vegans, but, even in spite of the fact that Al Gore has come around on the issue, it still has yet to reach mainstream consciousness. This innovative school project not only brought that message to the students who participated in the class, but, hopefully, will be part of their mindset as they go out into the world. It’s just too bad that these students aren’t part of a real Mayor’s Initiative on Food and Climate Change — and that the project wasn’t 100% vegan. (Let’s hope that by the time these students are working in environmental policy, they ditch the eggs, which, while perhaps less problematic vis a vis climate change than other animal-based foods, are hideous in every other way).

Despite that, this program is a clear reminder of the extraordinary opportunities that exist to bring animal-related issues into the academic world. Teachers at all levels are in a position to bring the truth to their students in innovative ways.

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In conjunction with the Animals and Society Insitute, the Wesleyan Animal Studies program is now inviting applications for its sixth annual summer fellowship program for scholars pursuing research in Human-Animal Studies. Open to 6 to 8 fellows working in a wide variety of disciplines, the program will be hosted by Wesleyan faculty Lori Gruen (whose recent book, Ethics and Animals: An Introduction, was recently reviewed here at Our Hen House) and Kari Weill. Among the topics pursued in the past are “Animal Experimentation and Animal Welfare in Twentieth Century Anglo-American Science,” “The Animal Rights Movements in France and the United States,” and “Legal Personhood, Animal Advocacy, and Human-Animal Relationships.” And, because this is an exclusively “in-residence” program, there is a great deal of opportunity for cross-pollination, including mentorship, guest lectures, and scholarly exchange.

For the lucky few who are chosen, this clearly presents an opportunity of a lifetime. Applications for next summer’s program are due November 30, 2011.

One of the particularly great things about Minding Animals is that it spawns so many ancillary events. For example, there are other things going on at or around the time of the conference in the Netherlands, including a conference at the International School of Philosophy in Leusden. But more importantly for those of us who can’t travel to the main event are the “pre-conferences” that take place at various sites around the globe prior to the main conference. Several years ago, we attended one of these at Hunter College and were impressed by the wide range of scholarship.

Minding Animals

This year, the New York “pre-conference” is going to take place at New York University on October 14, 2011, and it’s particularly exciting that it will be timed to coordinate with the launch of NYU’s brand spanking new animal studies program. The topic for the day is intriguingly entitled, “Animal Studies: Changing the Subject?” and the speakers are, again, from a wide-ranging assortment of academic disciplines, including anthropology, ecology, ethology, sociology, social work, literature, and philosophy. So far, the list of speakers includes Ralph Acampora, Marc Bekoff (!), Jeffrey Bussolini,  Susan Crane, Lori Gruen, Jacques Lezra , Susan McHugh, and Gary Steiner.

This conference is not only open to the public, but it is also free (though it does require you to register). This is a truly exciting opportunity for those who don’t have a chance to enroll in an animal studies program to learn about some of the topics and inquiries this new field is starting to tackle.

This kind of access to original materials is one of the things that will help make animal studies a more and more legitimate area of scholarly research and writing. If you are interested in that kind of endeavor, you should know about this collection as one of the places to help you in your research. And, if you are one of those people who has been doing the animal thing for a while and doesn’t know what to do with those newsletters and mimeographs from the olden days that are clogging up your attic, you should be thinking about donating them.

George Mason University

Taught by Paul Gorski, an assistant professor at GMU, the course sounds like it was amazing. Guest speakers included Justin Goodman and Katie Arth of PETA, Anne Hogan and Matthew Prescott of the HSUS, and a team of students from GMU’s Animal Rights Collective. Movies, including The Cove, excerpts from Earthlings, and Meet Your Meat, were shown. And field trips were held to Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary and Taking Action for Animals conference.

In spite of the strong message that this content obviously carries, Gorski is careful to allow his students to come to their own conclusions by giving them the cognitive tools they need so that they start to question what they hear and see. “I don’t see my role as preparing activists,” says Gorski. “I just see [animal rights] as a conversation in society that people are really interested in.” And apparently it’s not a one-way conversation. In an interview with the Institute for Humane Education, Gorski revealed how much he had learned from his students: “I relearned that my students are desperate to be pushed, to get messy, to trade comfort for deeper learning. I relearned how honored I feel that they allow me along for the ride.”

One thing that we at Our Hen House love? The school magazine, “The Mason Spirit,” highlighted the course as one of the “Courses We Love.”

Now, in perhaps the most exciting vegan turn of events that The Lone Star State has seen, the University of North Texas (UNT) has a cafeteria that is going completely, entirely vegan! According to an article in NT Daily, a press release concerning the changes at Maple cafeteria (the “no blood on my hands” hotspot) included information stating that “The culinary staff has been creating recipes using nothing but fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains.” Uh, time to go back to school?

In order to find inspiration for the new vegan cafeteria menu items, members of the UNT dining services visited several restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (oh it’s so hard being them), including Spiral Diner (I still have dreams about the Frito Pie I had there) and Cosmic Cafe . It was actually Cosmic Cafe that wound up providing the inspiration for the interior design of the newly-veganized Maple Cafeteria. And for those of you lucky enough to be in Texas, word on the street has it that Maple Cafeteria might open to the public a couple days a week.

The course, which includes a course book, a downloadable curriculum, an online commons and telephone mentoring by the instructor, addresses such questions as

• What do I want to be able to say about my life and what I’ve done to create a better world?
• What am I responsible for?
• What are the impacts of my choices on myself, other people, other species and the environment?
• How can I help change destructive systems that perpetuate cruelty, violence and injustice?

Institute for Humane Education

All of us who look around and see suffering on the unimaginable scale created by factory farming can feel so hopeless, and helpless. What can we, as individuals, possibly do to affect the juggernaut of exploitation? How can we possibly have an effect? The only solution to the despair is to act, but the fact is is that sometimes we just don’t know what to do.  While Our Hen House is here to provide people with ideas that anyone can use to create change, you may have trouble trusting your own instincts about what is the right fit for you.

When we just can’t seem to focus on our particular path, courses such as this one can truly rescue us. Simply by helping us think clearly, forcing us to honestly evaluate our talents, our desires, our potential, and, yes, our limitations, these kinds of experiences can help us get started in finding our own particular way to take action.

If this is the kind of thing that appeals to you, there are several opportunities coming up to take advantage of it. Courses start on September 2, October 3, and November 4.

Charles Darwin

The symposium will take place on February 18, 2012 and will launch the Darwin festival, which takes place every year in Shrewsbury, Darwin’s birthplace. According to the organizers, “The aim of the symposium is to engage with emerging sensibilities and questioning about human nonhuman animal relations. Its objective is to offer complementary perspectives to Darwinian and other scientific perspectives on nonhuman animals.”

I particularly love the interweaving of scholarly and artistic explorations of our relationships with animals. Ah, to be in England…

The fabulous folks at VegNews told us that just by voting, these are the fabulous prizes you will be entered to win;

Grand Prize: VEGAN CARIBBEAN CRUISE
Get ready to embark on an all-expense paid vegan vacation of a lifetime. You and one very lucky guest will sail on the breathtaking Italian luxury liner Poesia for a weeklong cruise with Holistic Holiday at Sea. Nourish your mind, body, and spirit as you traverse the clear-blue waters of the Carribbean, enjoying stops at St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. While on board, enjoy artfully prepared organic vegan cuisine, morning yoga, cooking classes, educational seminars, evening parties, and so much more. In addition, you’ll enjoy dinner at the stunning all-vegan Sublime restaurant in Fort Lauderdale before setting sail. Bon voyage!

First Prize: YEAR SUPPLY OF COCONUT BLISS ICE CREAM
Imagine taking a bite of one of the richest, most decadent vegan ice creams available. Now, imagine having this indulgent dairy-free frozen dessert in your freezer 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for an entire year. With flavors like Chocolate Walnut Brownie, Ginger Cookie Caramel, and Pineapple Coconut, Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss is perfect for sundaes, milkshakes, or just right out of the carton. This coconut-based ice cream will leave you in a state of bliss, guaranteed.

Second Prize: VEGANTREATS DESSERT PARTY
Did someone say Peanut Butter Bomb Cake? We did, and we’re offering an entire party’s worth of cake, brownies, cookies, cannolis, doughnuts, sticky buns, and more from VeganTreats bakery just in time for the holidays. Think platters of Tahitian Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies, White Chocolate Pretzel Brownies, and Marshmallow Cream Doughnuts (and that’s just the beginning). One lucky winner will receive three dozen of VeganTreats’ very best, plus free tote bags, t-shirts, and buttons for the ultimate vegan dessert party. Let’s just say you’re going to need a lot of almond milk for this shindig.

Third Prize: VITAMIX BLENDER
Make silky-smooth soups, refreshing smoothies, and the perfect cashew-cheese sauce with a state-of-the-art Vitamix blender, a favorite of the VegNews staff. With a motor that packs some serious horsepower and blades spinning at upwards of 240 miles per hour, the Vitamix’s power and performance can’t be beat, and neither will the ice cream, bisques, and piña coladas you make with it (send photos!). This industry-leading culinary contraption is a must-have in every vegan kitchen.

Plus, Weekly Giveaways! CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE BOXES
Trust us, you’ve never tasted vegan truffles like these. Premium Chocolatiers’ 30-truffle boxes feature classic, decadent flavors such as “milk” fudge, coffee, Grand Marnier, raspberry, and salted caramel made with the company’s own soymilk-based pareve chocolate. Whether you’re spending the evening hosting a dinner party or simply relaxing at home, you will want these luxurious truffles by your side. (five winners)

The theme of this year’s conference is one that I’m particularly excited about, as it’s so darn apt, and getting apter every day: Standing Up for Animals: Can a Bad Economy Inspire Greater Goodness?

Well, can it? CAN IT? I guess we’ll find out in October…

The talk that Mariann and I will be giving is called “Enough Already: DO Something for Animals!” You can read more about that workshop and the rest of the truly inspiring, invigorating workshops and panels on their impressive program page.

For those of you who are law students, ALDF is offering travel grants to active Student ALDF chapters to help members attend (email Nicole Pallotta at npallotta[at]aldf [dot]org for more info on the grants). Since you law students are probably still wondering how on earth you’re going to pay off your student loans, that seems like an A-okay opportunity to me. For those of you who are not SALDF members but are still interested in attending this truly one-of-a-kind conference, early-bird rates are available through September 9, and remember to act fast, because it sells out every year.