On September 23, Michael Dorf, Joyce Tischler and Madeline Bernstein will be discussing Deconstructing US v Stevens: Animal Cruelty and Freedom of Speech. This 90 minute program starts at 1 PM EST.

On September 28, Temple Grandin, Cheryl Leahy and Craig Pease will be speaking about Animal Rights and the Public’s Right to Know: Farmed Animal Welfare and Consumer Labeling Issues. This program is also 90 minutes and starts at 11 AM EST. I will be moderating, and I have to say I am pretty darn excited.

If you are thinking of attending, or know someone who might be interested, please register ASAP, since the programs will only go forward if they have sufficient registrants two weeks ahead of time. Hope to “see” you there.

Photo: Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

Photo at top of blog courtesy Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Durham, NC — a.k.a. “Bull City” — is said to be known for its diverse culinary selection, but vegan selections are sparse to nil. Yet, the Triangle Vegan Thanksgiving brings in between 600-800 people each year, and recurring Durham vegan brunches typically serve 100 people within the first hour. For those reasons — as well as a keen yearning for more vegan food (a yearning we can all certainly understand) — Eleni and Shirlé founded the Bull City Vegan Challenge. During the month of October, they are recruiting top Durham chefs to create a vegan entree in one or more of five categories: appetizer, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. To avoid your run-of-the-mill hummus and pita dish (delicious, yes, but boooring!), they have certain rules that the chefs must abide by (like, no hummus or veggie burgers).

The winning dishes will be voted upon by the public, and the restaurants with winning dishes will win a Bull City Vegan Challenge certificate for display, as well as a copy of the cookbook, Great Chefs Cook Vegan.

Um, can someone say GENIUS? We are ga-ga for the Bull City Vegan Challenge, partly because it’s a totally positive, win-win endeavor, which makes veganism look cool (which we all know it is, but some folks still need persuading) — but also because it is effectively bringing veganism to the mainstream and winning people’s hearts and minds by way of their stomachs!

We recently spoke with BC/VC co-founder, Eleni Vlachos, all about what prompted this brilliant project, the hopes for what will come of it, and how Anyone Anyname from Anywhere, USA can embark on their own Vegan Challenge.

***

Our Hen House: What was the impetus for this project?

Bull City Vegan Challenge: Durham is such a progressive town in so many ways. When I moved from Seattle, home of the 15+ vegan restaurants, to Durham, home of 0 [vegan restaurants], I was surprised since there were so many other forward-thinking movements in the town. At one point between tours last year, I contacted a chef about adding a vegan breakfast/brunch item to their menu, and was surprised to learn she was ‘fooling around’ with tofu. It gave me hope that change within the existing structure was possible.

My friend, Chef Shirle, took it to a whole new (and more fun) level when she invented the idea of making it a chef challenge rather than simply asking them for vegan options. It creates awareness and incorporates fun all in one fell (hopefully delicious!) swoop. She also began monthly vegan brunches and recently transfered it to other chefs. Last month, there was a line of 163 people within the first 30 minutes.

OHH: Durham isn’t necessarily known for being veg-friendly, but it’s quite the “foodie” town. What kind of reactions do you anticipate from the community?

BC/VC:  Durham is up for most anything.  As long as it is quirky and accommodating, it’s Durham. I anticipate some people will not participate, but based on turnout for the vegan brunches, I’d say a large number of flexitarians will be playing along in addition to the huge veg population.

OHH: Can you describe what you hope the community of Durham — both restauranteurs, press, and the general pubic — will come away with after the Challenge?

BC/VC: Chefs have a varying familiarity with good vegan cuisine. I brought around marinated homemade seitan to expose them to a non-tofu protein. Many had not heard of it. I am hoping that Chefs will further discover the delicious adventures of vegan cooking and add more options to their menus. In turn, we hope the public will request and support these options and eventually have access to a wider variety of creative vegan dishes. In the end, I want it to be easier for people to make vegan choices. Convenience and tasty vegan options equals less suffering. Ultimately, no matter what happens with the menus of Durham restaurants, we have created awareness about the need for good vegan options.

OHH: Have you encountered any hostility while approaching restaurants and asking them to take part in the Vegan Challenge? How have you handled that?

BC/VC: Only two restaurants so far have not wanted to participate. One was a well-established old restaurant with a chef who said vegan cooking was not “in my flavor profile.” Another said my seitan ‘tastes like chicken’ but then showed us his chicken and said, “what’s the point?” This is from a chef who reported that the veggie burger was the NUMBER 2 seller on his menu! In this case, it might be a matter of fear of not doing well in the contest. Rather than get upset, we thanked this chef for considering the contest. It only hurts animals, in the end, if we get angry or negative with the chefs who are not interested. Better to leave a good impression for future dealings.

OHH: How can people start this kind of Vegan Challenge in their own communities?

BC/VC: That is a wonderful idea and one I hoped would happen. They are of course welcome to contact us for ideas, at bullcityveganchallenge@gmail.com, but on my to-do is to create a DIY ‘kit’ for activists. I think, in this case, it was very important that my BC/VC partner, Chef Shirle, is a patron of most of these restaurants and knows many of the chefs. Working with a non-veg advocate who is an enthusiastic supporter of veg cuisine is a great way to ensure the chefs are more likely to participate. Short of that, make sure you do eat at the establishments you are approaching, or at least have some familiarity. Even if the vegan food they currently offer is not great, you will at least create a relationship or base for your future request.

The theme for this year’s Women’s Studies Annual Conference is “outsider feminisms.” Chris, who teaches women’s studies, saw the theme as a way to get a room full of feminists talking and reflecting about the many connections between animal rights and feminism. Here is her proposal description, which she kindly shared with us:

In this paper, using the work of bell hooks as a theoretical foundation, I explore and call for a new perspective called inclusionism. What is an inclusionist? An inclusionist recognizes the intersections of multiple perspectives and resists all bigotry and discrimination. Inclusionists are ethical vegans who reject speciesism, ableism, sexism, ageism, racism, heterosexism, and other forms of bigotry and discrimination. Inclusionists work for social justice, equal rights and equal treatment, the inclusion of all species. Inclusionists reject hierarchies of marginalization and recognize that no human can be free while members of any species are othered, oppressed, or ostracized.  The inclusionist perspective is built on the idea that theory for the sake of theory does not work, that theory must be applicable and that all forms of discrimination are connected. Inclusionists recognize that the othering of nonhuman animals is directly connected to the othering of human beings and work to educate and raise awareness regarding the same. I recognize that such a perspective is an “outsider feminism” as it asks human beings to lift the veil regarding the idea that human beings are more valuable than other species. This perspective is both reflective and reflexive in that inclusionism demands that human beings work to reflect on and eliminate cognitive blocks regarding the use and ownership of nonhuman animals and reflect on (include) the connections to the abuse, discrimination, and domination to othered human beings.

If you are an academic, a professor, teacher, or student, whenever you can bring up animal issues within the context of your studies, papers, or presentations, do! Given the many bridges between social justice issues, there are thousands of ways in.

If the connections between women’s studies and animal rights is something that intrigues you, there are tons of essays and books written about it (start here), and Mariann and I actually discussed this topic when we were interviewed for women’s history month.

Photo: Courtesy Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

Photo: Strut Your Mutt

Today, we’re back home in NYC. Mariann’s animal law classes have started, and Jasmin has given up coffee. We also have some exciting announcements from here in Our Hen House!

Joining us today is long-time animal law guru, Steve Wise, who will talk to us all about the Non-Human Rights Project.

Henrietta by David Mamet, Illustrated by Elizabeth Dahlie

In our review section, we’ll be reviewing the book Henrietta, by David Mamet – which follows the story of a pig who wants to go to law school.

All that, some vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights.

This week’s news items include:

• “Where’s the Beet?” from Time Magazine
• “Weekday Vegetarians” from Time Magazine
• “Food Fight” from Utne Reader
• “Vegan Anyone?” from NPR

“The question is not, “Can they reason?” nor, “Can they talk?” but rather, “Can they suffer?” -Jeremy Bentham

You can listen to our podcast directly on our blog (below!) or you can subscribe on iTunes. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Thanks!

Picture from Henrietta by David Mamet, Illustrated by Elizabeth Dahlie

With our new status as a 501(c)(3), we’d like to announce our absolutely amazing advisory board. Join us as we welcome to our flock Carol Leifer, Dan Piraro, and Ari Solomon. Carol, Dan, and Ari are the soy crème de la soy crème of animal activism. Each of them bring experience and expertise to our vegan coop! The rest of our flock gleefully welcome our new advisory board to Our Hen House. We think it’s clucking awesome that you’ve joined our family.

Read more about Carol, Dan, and Ari:

Carol Leifer, Advisory Board

Carol Leifer is an accomplished stand-up comedian and an Emmy-winning writer and producer for her work on such television shows as Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live and The Academy Awards.  She has starred in several of her own comedy specials, which have aired on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central. Carol’s book, entitled When You Lie About Your Age, the Terrorists Win is a bestseller. In promoting her book, Carol recently appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, The View, The Today Show, Real Time with Bill Maher, Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR, and The Howard Stern Show on Sirius/XM. Carol recently guest starred on Curb Your Enthusiasm as the “Lemonade Mom.” She was one of the writers for this year’s Oscars with hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin and for her work on that, she was just nominated for an Emmy.

Dan Piraro, Advisory Board

Dan Piraro, creator of the BIZARRO cartoons, was raised in Oklahoma in the late 1900s and escaped as soon as possible. In addition to 13 collections of BIZARRO cartoons, Piraro has published two books of prose, including “Bizarro Among the Savages” (Andrews McMeel, 1998), and a political satire disguised as a children’s book recounting the Bush administration’s foray into Iraq called, “The Three Little Pigs Buy the White House” (St. Martins, 2004). BIZARRO has won an unprecedented three consecutive “Best Cartoon Panel of the Year” awards from the National Cartoonists Society, and in 2010 was given their highest award, “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.” Piraro regularly speaks and performs comedy across the country, and works as an animal rights and environmental activist. For his animal rights-themed cartoons, he has won numerous awards from the Humane Society of the United States. He also writes a monthly humor column for VegNews Magazine. Since 2002, Piraro has sporadically toured the U.S. with his one-man stand-up comedy show called “The Bizarro Boloney Show.” Piraro has appeared on CNN and “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross on NPR. In 2007, Dan Piraro reached the self-proclaimed pinnacle of his career thus far when he and BIZARRO appeared as a clue on the popular game show, “Jeopardy!” and was included as a clue in a New York Times crossword puzzle.

Ari Solomon, Advisory Board

Ari Solomon is the President and co-creator of the celebrated vegan candle line A Scent of Scandal®. After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Ari first worked as an actor in New York and Los Angeles, and later hosted the wildly popular ARI’S HOLLYWOOD UPDATE on Miami’s Y-100FM. Now a prolific activist and writer for animal and human rights, Ari’s letters have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Miami Herald, and The Advocate. He regularly blogs for The Huffington Post.

All too often, it can seem so unattainable to translate a brilliant idea into a successful business, but Ella proves that with some creative thinking, it’s possible. She’s a regal vegan who took her talent, then added some training, ingenuity and old-fashioned elbow grease (plus a little help from her friends on Facebook), and voilà, her activism became her career, one compassionate bite at a time.

Plus, how can you go wrong with something called faux gras? It’s a cruelty-free alternative to foie gras, which literally means “fat liver” — no kidding! — and is made by force-feeding geese and ducks through a tube.

The Regal Vegan herself agreed to share her story with us.

***

Our Hen House: When did you become vegan, and can you tell us a bit about your journey getting there?

Ella Nemcova: My journey to become vegan started with an actual journey. In 2005, I left my career for a year-long, Eat Pray Love-style trip around the world. When I returned, I underwent a strict gluten-free vegan cleanse. I had seen so much of the world thrive without eating animals, it suddenly seemed possible. I was exposed to so many amazing dishes that were animal-free; in India, Asia, even in Russia and Italy. Then on my cleanse I cut out everything except fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and seeds. I cooked and experimented till I had a book full of amazing recipes inspired by my travels. I was also doing lots of yoga and really felt that mind/body connection. I felt great and thought, why would I eat any other way again?

I soon went through training as a Holistic Health Counselor, and started doing workshops about healthy eating. I teach people from all walks of life how easy (and economical) it is to eat healthy. Essentially, I was presenting a “plant-based diet” but not calling it vegan, which is the acme of this diet.

OHH: Did you always know you wanted to work veganism into your career? What other jobs did you have before The Regal Vegan?

EN: I used to work in advertising – I watched how big business sold horrible, artificial things to people and thought, wow — if only we could use our persuasive powers to do good instead of selling corn syrup, chemicals, and false “good ingredients.” I knew I needed to do something with a conscience, but I didn’t know what yet.

OHH: When did you first get involved in vegan activism?

EN: It’s funny, Rory Freedman is the sister of one of my dearest friends, and we would hang out and cook together because, naturally, the three of us love to eat. She was the first person I ever veganized my recipes for. I remember hearing her rant about veganism and thinking it was so extreme. I was eating organic, very low on the food chain, and had started doing vegan cleanses a few times a year, but I couldn’t quite go all the way. When I did that cleanse after returning from my soul-seeking journey, something clicked. A lot of what Rory said resonated. For one thing — you feel SO GOOD eating this way! (Especially when you stick to non-GMO soy and whole foods). Not only in the body, but in your conscience. The concept of Ahimsa became clear to me. Hurting people is violence. And eating animals is violence. To boot, it is severely violent to our one, precious planet.

I knew that my path to vegan activism had to come from a different place than most activists. Preaching ascetism wouldn’t work for the majority, and we need as many people as possible to stop abusing, torturing and eating animals. My marketing background had showed me that to get converts, you had to build a bridge to non-vegans. A delicious bridge. My mission became to make vegan food not only more accessible, but ridiculously delicious. Honor people and their palates. Then give them a pamphlet.

www.theregalvegan.com

OHH: How did you get the idea for Faux Gras? Why did you choose this name for the product?

EN: I had been making this “walnut lentil paté” based on ones I had tried, and I started to experiment. I wanted to make something more akin to the kinds of foods I ate growing up in a Russian-Jewish household. I was running the Regal Vegan catering business, so I got to experiment all the time. I  started making this paté as part of an elegant 3-course dish called “The Anastasia,” which is a Russian-Princess-inspired dish. My clients raved about it, and got me thinking that I needed to make this available to more people. The name choosing was a modern-day phenomenon; I asked a bunch of friends on Facebook to help me come up with a name. When I saw the words “Faux Gras,” I knew we were done.

OHH: Please tell us how you brought this product to market. Many of us have good ideas for products or services, but it seems too complicated and expensive to actually make it happen.

EN: Since I was already catering, I was familiar with some of the requirements of the food business. However, food manufacturing is quite different. So, I took classes, read articles, asked everyone I knew, and read everything I could. I went to a few shops in my neighborhood where I was a regular customer, and asked if they would be interested in selling it. Also, I shared tables with other food manufacturer friends at food markets just to see how it would sell. Once I saw the reaction, I booked a shift in an incubator kitchen and made a big batch. I brought it to stores, followed up, and started exhausting my credit card to cover the start-up costs.

OHH: What plans do you have for The Regal Vegan in the future?

EN: I’m developing a killer new spread for now (should be out by Christmastime!) and am laying the plans to bring a whole line of decadent vegan foods to market. I keep toying with the idea of a storefront, but in the meantime, more Regal Vegan products are coming your way. I’ll be looking for royal tasters too, if anyone is interested.

Thanks, Ella. And, yes, we are interested!

***

The shirt I wore to the 2008 MENY march.

A few years ago, I had a similar idea. My friend, Marisa and I took part in that same march and wore our favorite vegan t-shirts. Of course, there were only us two — hardly the scene MFA will make with their flurry of gay rights and animal rights advocates, but still. It’s a nice reminder that when you’re speaking up for other social justice movements in any capacity, you can always try to work in the animal theme somehow. You can do this through veganizing the food at the event (if that’s in your control), handing out vegan-themed leaflets when possible, and, at the very least, wearing vegan messagewear.

Here’s a super-short video we made for the (Broadway-)star-studded event, Broadway Barks, brought to you by the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals. It’s just a teaser, really, which is sometimes all you need to create a wider awareness about your event. Then, go viral.

Craigslist is a powerful place, and don’t I know it. Activist Darius Fullmer knows it too, which is why he decided to tell us all about Take 5 Save 5 — which is perhaps the most genius grassroots effort I’ve heard of this year. By posting ads to the “Free Stuff” section of Craigslist offering free vegetarian starter kits, like Darius, you will soon be deluged with people coming to you for information on going vegan. Genius.

Take 5 Save 5 even makes the already insanely easy process ridiculously easy, by offering a semi-automatic way of managing the whole thing. According to a guest blog that Darius wrote over at FoodFight’s blog:

The entire process of posting an offer takes just a couple minutes. First hit the “Pick Me A Craigslist” button and you will be directed to a listing from somewhere in the country. You will need a Craigslist account to post. If you don’t aleady have one, don’t worry. It’s free and takes only minutes to set up. You’ll be glad you did.

There is sample text for the subject line and body of the ad on the Take5Save5.com page. You can cut and copy from there if you want. Or, just make up slightly different variations. For the subject, you could use…

Vegetarian Starter Kit booklet
Free Vegetarian Starter Kit Booklets!
Vegetarian Info & Recipe Booklets

…or a million other variations. Changing it up a little is important because if you try to post multiple listings, Craigslist will block the repeat post. But minor changes will allow you to post as many listings as you want. The same goes for the body.

As a bonus, I like to include a picture, as it draws more attention to the posting. For ideas, just put “vegetarian” into Google Images. Try a few different ones and see what gets the best response.

Once you have posted your ad the fun begins. Requests for booklets will start popping up in your inbox. After years of trying to give out information on veganism to people, what an awesome feeling to have them coming to you!

You don’t need to send them anything yourself. Remember, I promised it wouldn’t cost you a cent. Just go back to the Take5Save5.com website and hit the “Click Here to Enter Past Orders” button. Then simply cut and paste their name and address into the fields provided, and magical vegan elves in the North Pole will mail them one. (I’m not sure where they actually come from, but I like to think that it’s elves.)

Easy? Yes. Effective? Yupper!

Even if you’ve never had the roommate/nightstand/date experience that I’ve had with Craigslist, Take 5 Save 5 should give you a whole new perspective on the power of Craigslist. There is seriously no excuse to not do this.

Photo: Courtesy Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, photo by Derek Goodwin

On today’s episode, we come to you from Sag Harbor, where we’re grateful that we have family right by the beach. Joining us today is animal rights lawyer Carter Dillard, who will talk to us about everything from the organization he co-founded – Four Feet Forward — to litigating on behalf of animals, to human overpopulation.

In our review section, we’ll be discussing a new animal rights themed novel called The Tourist Trail, by John Yunker. If you’re like us, you’ll want to eat this book up, which is fine, since it’s vegan.

All that, some vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights.

This week’s news items include:

• “Eat an Apple (Doctor’s Orders)”
• “The Ugliest Catch”
• “Eggs Recalled After Outbreaks”
• “Vegans ‘Significantly Less Polluted’”

“The squirrel that you kill in jest, dies in earnest.” -Henry David Thoreau

You can listen to our podcast directly on our blog (below!) or you can subscribe on iTunes. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Thanks!

Photo: The Tourist Trail

But book clubs aren’t just for Oprah’s picks anymore. Not that I have anything at all against books like The Lovely Bones (in fact, I quite enjoyed that).

Activist Adam Weissman from Global Justice for Animals and the Environment has a slightly different vision for his book club, called Animal Ethics Reading and Discussion Group. From the title, you get the gist. The goals of his NYC-based book club include exploring animal ethics through reading and discussion, and clarifying ideas in order to become a better spokesperson for the movement. According to Adam, upcoming selections for the book club possibly include:

The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity * Animals, Men, and Morals * In Defense of Animals (1st Edition) * In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave * The Feminist Care Tradition in Animal Ethics: A Reader * Ethics and Animals *Animal Rights: A Symposium * Political Theory and Animal Rights * Animal Rights: The Changing Debate * Animal Ethics Reader * Beyond Animal Rights: A Feminist Caring Ethic for Animals *Animal Rights and Human Obligations (1st & 2nd Editions) * On the Fifth Day: Animal Rights and Human Ethics * and more! [Read their full book list.]

I’ve heard of book clubs like this one existing elsewhere, and I think they’re just ducky. What better way to hone your own thinking, learn about other points of view in a safe space, and have a community of peers with whom you can explore ideas and talking points.

And for those of you reading this who might be involved with a non-AR book club (Mom, are you listening?), why not suggest an animal rights themed book for your group? The goal there would obviously be to expose new people to animal issues, and during the discussion portion, you would have the chance to clearly and communicatively advocate on behalf of animals. Sounds like  a win-win.

Alternatively, because of the Internet, another option would be to start a virtual AR book club. The book can be discussed in a chat room during a particular time-frame, or — as a less-structured model — perhaps even in an online forum.

And if you’re not interested in purchasing the book, need I remind you that most libraries will happily supply you with all your AR-reading needs. I cannot lie — I like free books.

Photo: Used with permission via Creative Commons.

According to the press release, “Art for Pitties is a NYC-based fundraising initiative that has partnered with pit bull lovers and artists alike to create an animal friendly art show and raise awareness of the pit bulls’ plight! Tote-bags/carry-alls and more have been recreated as unique artworks and will be auctioned off online.” Read more info about Saturday’s event, and learn more about Art for Pitties.

And if you heart HEART as much as we heart it, check out our recent podcast interview with Meena Alagappan, their lovely Executive Director.

Photo: Used with permission with a Creative Commons License.

And now, Four Feet Forward is seeking a president:

Four Feet Forward helps small animal advocacy organizations with their legal and media campaigns by offering professional services at no cost. The organization is made up of a group of people dedicated to advocating for animals in the courtroom and the broader public sphere. Our network of professional consultants volunteer their time to help non-profits achieve their goals in support of animal welfare. Four Feet Forward is seeking a qualified, highly motivated president to help run and grow our organization.  The president will work in close collaboration with our project manager, and will be responsible for communicating regularly with the board. This is a volunteer position and requires a commitment of 5-10 hours a week. A background in fundraising and managerial experience is preferred. Above all, the president must have the passion and time to help grow this animal advocacy organization into a significant force.

Intrigued by this incredible organization? Be sure to tune in to our podcast this weekend where we will be interviewing animal rights lawyer and Four Feet Forward co-founder, Carter Dillard.

Every Living Being: Representations of Nonhuman Animals in the Exploration of Human Well Being, by Canadian scholar Marie-France Boissonneault, sounds like a in might be a new take, with some original insights, on the human animal relationship.

Boissonneault, who is, among other things, an observer of pop culture, examines how certain animals have been portrayed in literature and art, as well as in contemporary mass media, as healers and contributors to human wellness, and compares that treatment to that of other animals who are used for consumption without any regard at all.

While we haven’t seen it yet, and can’t recommend it outright, it certainly sounds like an interesting read.

On today’s episode, we come to you from Big Sur, California where we are searching for good food, breathless from the scenery, and trying to weed out an offensive word from Jasmin’s vocabulary.

Joining us today is animal and environmental lawyer, David Cassuto, who will talk to us about some of the intersections between those overlapping areas.

In our review section, Kyle Knies – a California boy himself – will give us the skinny on faux gras (and we really mean faux gras).

All that, some vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights.

This week’s news items include:

• “Inside the Minds of Animals” – Time Magazine
• “Farmers Lean to Truce on Animals’ Close Quarters” – The New York Times

“California, California… such a wonder that I think I’ll stay in bed.” –Rufus Wainwright

You can listen to our podcast directly on our blog (below!) or you can subscribe on iTunes. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Thanks!

What I like best about this series is that Joanne Rose is taking a fresh approach to advocating for animals. This is the first vegan web series I know of, and it’s “LOL factor” combined with Joanne’s popularity (the show was prominently featured on Will Ferrell’s website, Funny or Die) is a creative activism A+.

We all want the police and prosecutors to take animal abuse more seriously and enforce the laws against it as vigorously as any other crime. But the fact is that sometimes they need a helping hand — especially in understanding when an animal has been abused and in dealing with the animal victims after an arrest. Building the relationships that allow the police to accept that help is not only useful activism in the here and now, it can help build a culture that starts to take animal abuse more seriously.

“As well as being a vegetarian business, we also strive to be a socially responsible small business. We like the challenge of thinking of social, environmental, and ethical solutions to the challenges owning a business presents. Examples of ways in which we are proud to be a socially responsible business include:

• As much of the produce as possible is from local farms and not large corporatized health food conglomerates. This not only supports a local economy and community, but it also saves fossil fuels (because food is not shipped as far) and supports independent small farmers. We believe eating local (first) and organic (second) is the single best political action we can take, as it’s a way of voting with our dollars several times a day.
• By using reusable food storage containers (which are sterilized every week), we save the waste accumulated from disposable take-out containers.
• Each week’s menu sheet is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. We can also e-mail you your menu sheet instead of putting a copy in your bag.
• We advertise in progressive and local publications, like Inside Out (The Hudson Valley’s gay and lesbian magazine), and The Nation (we love The Nation!).
• All paper products and cleaning products are recycled, biodegradable and/or all natural.
• All kitchen scraps are composted (we love our Earth Machine!), and all leftover food is fed to hungry musician friends, never thrown away.
• All kitchen towels are washed in my bicycle-powered washing machine.
• We believe that by actively striving to authentically cook the food of many peoples from around the world we are combating the isolationist politics that so often grips our country. Seriously!”

The service is run by Lagusta herself (and yes, that’s her real name). This might’ve been my favorite part of the website: “I went to cooking school (the Natural Gourmet Cookery School Chef’s Training Program in New York City), but hierarchical restaurant world is a little too much for a feministy woman like me.”

Oh, Lagusta, it’s like I know you…

If you’re in New York (parts of upstate as well as the city), you might want to ask for Lagusta Luscious for your next birthday gift.

(Actually, my birthday is October 30, if anyone is feeling generous…)

And if you’re not in New York, well first of all, why the heck not?, and second of all, starting a vegan meal delivery service like this one may just be the sine qua non of foodtivism.

That’s why it’s always interesting to see lawyers try to find a way to confront that roadblock.  Pennsylvania is a state where advocates have had some success on this front because of their system of having court appointed humane society police officers with state-wide jurisdiction. One of those officers has recently brought a petition for a writ of mandamus against a Berks County district attorney who asked the court to dismiss the charges she had brought against a local pigeon shoot. The lawsuit is supported by SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness). It will be interesting to see how this one comes out.

Photo: Used with permission from Puamella’s Flickr page via a Creative Commons License.

In today’s episode, we come to you from the City by the Bay, San Francisco. We’ll start by telling you about our vegan adventures and misadventures, including some a tale of delicious cruelty-free Japanese food, and a rather disturbing  stuffed animal story.

We will be joined today by Zoe Weil from the Institute for Humane Education. Zoe, who was just inducted into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame, will talk all about humane education, as well as what it really means to do the most good and least harm.

In our news section, we will tell you about a group of cattlemen who are having some issues with a recent audit of their spending.  We’ll also discuss why conflicted meat-eaters deny that animals have the capacity to suffer. And we’ll discuss the vegan fare at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding.

In our review section, we will give you our impressions of the new film, Chow Down, which follows three people with severe heart disease who have decided to make some serious and necessary lifestyle changes. And trust me, you’ll be batting for them.

You can listen to our podcast directly on our blog (below!) or you can subscribe on iTunes. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Thanks!

Photo: Used with permission (http2007) through a Creative Commons License.

Chow Down is exactly the kind of thing that has mainstream appeal. Since heart disease is so prevalent right now, it’s pretty easy to picture film screenings in Anywhere, U.S.A. being sold out. So pick up a copy of the DVD and contact your local community center/YMCA/library/health food store/college so that you can host your own screening of this vegan-minded film.

And stay tuned for this weekend’s podcast for a full review of Chow Down.

This new find has pretty broad submission guidelines, and you can submit anything from a vegan food find to a vegan resource to a vegan celeb story. It’s almost like a user-driven aggregator. Or, a vegragator.

brodysbakery.com

Turns out that’s the only word I could use to describe it. I emailed Katie Olson, the founder and baker, saying that, on the off-chance that she was up for it, I’d love to meet her and take some photos of her bakery for my blog. Katie returned my email with a phone call only moments later. After being awestruck and flattered that she follows Our Hen House (that always feels good), I learned that the woman behind Brody’s Bakery is just as sweet as Lynn said her concoctions were. Katie told me that she doesn’t have a storefront so there was nothing really for me to photograph (they do most of their business either online or at local K.C.-area establishments), but, she asked, would it be okay if she dropped off some baked goods for me and my family?

WOULD IT BE OKAY?! Why yes, we can manage that, no problem. (OMG!!!!!!)

The next day, Katie and her mom, Sally, brought us a smorgasbord of vegan deliciousness. I soon learned that Lynn was right: the food was delectable.

brodysbakery.com

The pistachio cupcakes (left) were the overall winner.  They had a dollop of icing, complete with a cherry on top, and their moistness was unmatched by any other baked good I’ve had.

The twinkies (pictured above) had me skeptical at first, since they were gluten-free, and I’ve had my share of icky, tasteless, GF foods. But Katie’s little yellow creme-filled cake proved my assumptions wrong. Though they weren’t a complete throw-back to my 1985-twinkie-craze, they were scrumptious in their own right.

Giving the pistachio cupcakes a run for their sugar were the rocky road cookies. The only unfortunate part about these cookies are that I don’t have them in front of me RIGHT THIS MINUTE. Unlike my comments about the twinkies, the cookies were indeed a blast from the past. I suddenly remembered many-a-day when I’d sink into rocky road ice cream. In cookie form — and in vegan form! — Brody’s Bakery rocky road cookies are a must if you are planning an order. Which I hope you are, because 1)you have got to try these for yourself, and 2)Katie is a remarkable individual who has devoted her life to making the world a better place, one compassionate concoction at a time.

In addition to the satisfaction that comes from indulging in a healthier, delicious sweet snack like the ones from Brody’s Bakery, the satisfaction that comes from knowing it is ethically-sourced, cruelty-free, and brought to you by a small, family-run operation feels pretty good. And, hats off to Katie Olson for making delicious vegan food widely available. Food activism is a delicious thing. Furthermore, products from Brody’s Bakery are available at several chain grocery stories in the Kansas City area, as well as at an amusement park.

10 brownie points for Kansas City. And 10 more since the brownies are vegan.

Photo pictured at top of blog: Courtesy Lynn Chen and The Actor’s Diet