Disrupting the global food system is one of the most pressing issues of our lifetimes—and it’s no small lift. Today, we welcome two powerhouses working to help the world shift to a kinder, plant-based food system. David Meyer and Galina Hale serve as the CEO and Chief Research Officer, respectively, of Food System Innovations (FSI). They join us this week to …
Dr. Krista Hiddema stayed on the line following episode 685 this week to dive deeper into our discussion about what she believes activists can do to make a difference. During the conversation, she gets vulnerable about her past health-related struggles and how she felt, at the time, about their relation to veganism. And finally, she lets us know where it is …
Why do women in the institutional animal rights movement often feel unable to speak up? Why are animal rights organizations losing too much talent to burnout because of negative employment experiences? Dr. Krista Hiddema joins us to discuss her doctoral research on women’s experiences working professionally within the animal rights movement and the factors that, she asserts, too often drive them …
Elan Abrell, author of Saving Animals: Multispecies Ecology of Rescue and Care, kept talking with us this week after his appearance on episode 684. He treats us to some advice on how individuals can be more effective with their personal altruism, discusses tactics to convince people to change, and shares how his own awakening regarding animals came about. Check it out! …
Sometimes it is easy for all of us who care about animals to forget what an extraordinary contribution sanctuaries make to our understanding of the animals we try to serve. Elan Abrell joins us this week to remind us never to take sanctuaries for granted. Elan is a cultural anthropologist who’s dedicated himself to animal studies and, recently, to a close …
We are over the moon that Josh & Wendy Smith of Odd Man Inn stayed on the line with us after joining us for episode 683. They stick around to dive deeper into their incredible stories by telling us about their backgrounds, how they fell in love over several rounds of vegan education, and what they hope to see happen in …
When Josh and Wendy Smith adopted Roswell, the dog, they didn’t imagine caring for him would lead them to start their very own animal sanctuary. We’re thrilled to welcome Josh and Wendy to the podcast this week to hear this and more inspiring stories about their sanctuary, Odd Man Inn, their animal advocacy work, and their recent move across the country. …
The two-for-one continues in this week’s bonus content, as we are joined for two separate bonus interviews by the two stellar activists, Gwenna Hunter & Sue Fischer, who were our guests on episode 682. First, Gwenna shares what foods were available when she lived in a food desert, what her favorite foods are right now, and what’s next for her vegan …
You’re in for not one but two interviews with incredible activists in this episode! We’re thrilled to welcome both Gwenna Hunter and Sue Fischer back to the podcast for updates. First, we catch up with Gwenna about her newest project, the Vegans of LA Food Bank. Gwenna tells us how she turned a longtime dream into a reality after partnering with …
This week we are so happy to have had the opportunity to keep chatting with Scott & Kat Blais of Global Sanctuary for Elephants, who were our guests on episode 681. These heroes for elephants tell their individual stories of how they came to know and love elephants, share what gives them the drive to keep going, and finish up with …
This one just might move you to tears. Why? Because it’s about ELEPHANTS! Need we say more? Scott and Kat Blais have dedicated their careers to helping captive elephants live out the rest of their lives the way nature intended. This week they join the podcast from rural Brazil, home to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, a project by the organization they founded, …
Join us for our extended conversation, from episode 680, with Shannon Falconer, CEO and co-founder of Because Animals. Shannon tells us why she believes making real meat options available (hold the animal suffering) is the best way to change animal agriculture. She also shares why she considered leaving science at one point and what gives her hope (or not). You won’t …
What if you could feed your companion animals real meat without ever having to slaughter an animal? Because Animals is working to make this dream a reality, and the CEO and co-founder, Shannon Falconer, Ph.D., joins the podcast this week to tell us how they’re doing it. Traditional companion animal foods are made with byproducts of animal agriculture, including meat found …
We are so grateful to Linda Ncube, our guest from episode 679 and founder of Humane Africa Trust, for staying on the line with us for this extra special chat. Linda shares a bit more about growing up in Zimbabwe and explains her view on human and non-human equality. She then gives us details about her children and their life pursuits, …
We love hearing from fellow animal advocates in different parts of the world, and this week we are thrilled to welcome Linda Ncube for an exceptional conversation about animal activism in rural Zimbabwe. Linda is the founder of Humane Africa Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a “compassionate, healthy, and just environment” for animals. She joins us to explain how she’s …
For your bonus content this week, we stayed on the line with Christine Benson, our guest from episode 678 and author of Marrying Myself. Christine talks about her path to writing, which took her from doubt, through law school, and into self-discovery. We also find out how she manages to balance a “live and let live” mentality with her activism and …
How annoying is it when you are just getting into a good book, starting to identify with, or at least sympathize with, the protagonist, and then get thoroughly turned off when they sit down to enthusiastically eat a dead animal? Today, author Christine Melanie Benson joins us for a conversation about her recently published debut novel, Marrying Myself, in which, happily, …
We are overjoyed that Nabaasa Innocent Kashobera, our guest on episode 677, stayed on the line with us for an extended chat. First Nabaasa discusses the particular animals she formed a special bond with in her youth that led her to her current path. Then she shares more about the road that she took to get where she is in her …
Have you been wondering about the state of veganism and animal rights in Uganda? Well, we’ve got you covered! Nabaasa Innocent Kashobera, founder of the Uganda Vegan Society and a passionate advocate for animals, joins us this week and fills us in on the state of veganism and, on the other hand, the growth of factory farming, in Uganda and Africa …
This week we are so thrilled to bring you an extended conversation with Camille DeAngelis, author of Bones and All, who joined us on episode 676. Camille talks growing up in New Jersey and the process of transformation, both creative and personal. The author also digs into the world-changing potential she sees in middle-grade fiction that causes her to focus in …
Wow! Camille DeAngelis visits the podcast this week and does she have a story to tell!! She is, of course, the author of Bones and All, an inverted fairy tale with a sympathetic girl monster protagonist that has since been turned into an award-winning film starring Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell. At heart, though it may not be obvious at first …
We are so grateful to have Ryuji Chua, our guest from episode 675, stay on the line with us for this week’s bonus content. Ryuji shares more about his background in film, reminds us that our individual messages will never be for everyone and also explains why he leaves the word sentience out of his activism. You don’t want to miss …
We’re thrilled to welcome filmmaker Ryuji Chua to the podcast this week. You may already be familiar with Ryuji, and his animal rights-focused work, thanks to his appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah earlier this year. In our conversation, Ryuji tells us why it’s important for humans to shift our messaging from broad generalizations, such as saving a species, …
This week we keep the conversation going with activist Nirva Patel, who joined us on episode 674. Listen in as Nirva shares how she helps her children navigate the world while maintaining their compassion, talks about her (mis)adventures collecting signatures for a petition outside of her local dump and recounts a moving story about her most compassionate role model- her father. …
We’re delighted to welcome Nirva Patel to the podcast this week for a wide-ranging conversation about the different ways she’s working to make the world a better place for animals. We begin by discussing Nirva’s background in Jainism, how the religion informs her beliefs regarding the treatment of non-human animals, and the work she has done in that realm to create …
Join us this week for our extended conversation with author and professor of Environmental Studies Peter Alagona, who was our guest on episode 673. Peter digs further into other animals that are succeeding in our urban ecosystems, including the remarkable, and much maligned, coyote. Then, we get into how settler colonialism and white supremacy are oftentimes the cornerstone to conflicts between …
Author Peter Alagona, PhD, joins us on the podcast this week for an illuminating conversation about the wild creatures that coexist alongside humans as part of the fabric of city life, as well as the habitat the city itself creates for these animals. Since World War II, populations of wild animals have increased in urban areas largely due to, as Peter …
This week we stay on the line with artist and activist Weronika Kolinska, who joined us on episode 672, for our bonus content. Weronika gives us the scoop on Amsterdam’s vegan scene, shares some of the traditional Polish foods she grew up eating and tells us of her friendly competition to veganize a food that seems wholly unveganizable! Join us in …
Artist and Our Hen House’s own beloved graphic designer Weronika Kolinska joins us this week for a conversation about the ways in which art can be a means to help bring people’s attention to what is happening to animals. Weronika, who specializes in t-shirt design, tells us why she believes wearable art is a particularly effective form of activism and how …
Listen in on this week’s bonus conversation with the amazing Altamush Saeed who is changing the face of social activism in Pakistan and was our guest on episode 671. Altamush shares how he got involved in social justice and how the arrival of a stray cat at his door introduced him to animal issues. He also shares the incredible story of …
Welcome to this special holiday presentation of Sanctuary: A Radio Play, an annual Thanksgiving tradition at Our Hen House! This performance marked the world premiere of John Yunker’s Sanctuary at New York City’s Symphony Space during the Culture & Animals Foundation’s Compassion Arts Festival. We were thrilled to have been a part of this witty, engaging, and incisive production that portrays …
We are joined this week by Altamush Saeed for a conversation about the critical disaster relief work he’s spearheading in response to the devastating floods that occurred in Pakistan earlier this year. Altamush updates us on the current status of the floods and the effects this climate disaster has had on both the human and animal populations within the country. The …
This week we are joined by Liz Ross, founder of Rethink Your Food and our guest from episode 670, for a bonus conversation. First, Liz explains what the heck agro-ecology even is. Then she also touches on speciesism in the food justice movement and discusses her thoughts on having conversations around domination in traditions. You don’t want to miss this insight! …
Liz Ross has made it her mission to help people of Caribbean heritage embrace vegan living. She joins us on the podcast to discuss how Rethink Your Food, the nonprofit she founded, is helping her reach Caribbean people, in the islands and beyond, to promote the benefits of a plant-based food system. Liz discusses how she hopes to engage, not only …
This week’s bonus content brings further thoughts from Karthik Sekar, our guest on episode 669 and the author of After Meat. Listen in as Karthik talks about why it’s important to be an exemplary vegan out in the world, the difference every minute can make when shifting to a vegan world, and the greatest change we can make to improve and …
Karthik Sekar, PhD wants to see the world move beyond an unsustainable, inefficient animal-based food system. He joins us on the podcast this week for a conversation about his recent book, After Meat, which details why animals are an outdated “production technology,” as the agricultural industry calls them. We discuss why plant- and microbial-based foods are far superior to their animal …
Lisa Dumas, our guest from episode 668 and founder of Black, Brown, and Divers Plant-Based People for Equity, stayed on with us to dive a bit further into her life for this week’s bonus content. Lisa talks about growing up with an international family, finding veganism and why she thinks Black veganism is growing so quickly. Don’t miss it! Join us …
Lisa Dumas is on a mission to make the world a better place. This week she joins us on the podcast for a conversation about how she’s working toward expanding access to plant-based food options to those in need. Not only is she increasing accessibility for healthy alternatives, Lisa is also helping underserved communities access critical educational information on making informed …
This week we are joined by German-born artist Hartmut Kiewert, our guest from episode 667. Listen in as Hartmut shares why he believes it is unfair to expect the next generation to change the world as well as his journey to rediscovering critical thinking as it relates to animals. We hope you love it as much as we do! Head to …
Imagine a world where cows, chickens, pigs and humans not only coexist, but live and flourish amongst each other within the same communities. For vegan artist Hartmut Kiewert, this is the definition of utopia, and he joins us on the podcast this week for a conversation about his truly unique artwork. Hartmut’s Animal Utopia series, which depicts animals and humans thriving …
This week’s bonus content comes from episode 666 with Jessica Bridgers and James Yeates of The World Federation for Animals (WFA)! They join us to continue the riveting conversation about international collaboration, providing insights about recognizing the importance of the movement coming together, ways in which technology has helped the process, and more. Check it out! Click on over to the …
The World Federation for Animals (WFA) is a new membership organization that seeks to harness the collective strength of the animal protection movement to advocate for the inclusion of animals in global policy making. This week, CEO Dr. James Yeates and Policy Director Jessica Bridgers join us on the podcast for a conversation about how the organization is spearheading this global …
We were so honored to be joined on episode 665 by the incredible mother and daughter activist duo Zoe & Sherstin Rosenberg and are equally as thrilled to bring you this bonus content! First we hear from Sherstin about Happy Hen‘s dip into the world of NFTs through a chicken’s art. Then, we hear from both activists how they hold onto …
Zoe and Sherstin Rosenberg are an unstoppable mother-daughter activist duo, and we’re thrilled they’re joining us on the podcast this week. You may remember Zoe as the brave activist who chained herself to the goalpost during a Memphis Grizzlies NBA game earlier this year in protest of the cruel use of ventilation shutdown on the team owner’s factory egg farm. Zoe …
Join us for this week’s bonus track featuring award-winning journalist Marina Bolotnikova, our guest on episode 664. Listen in as Marina tells us what she would really like to write about next, shares her opinion on religious views of human supremacy and attempts to answer the question, “Why do good people continue to eat animals?” You don’t want to miss it! …
Award-winning journalist Marina Bolotnikova is writing the story to change the way mainstream media covers farmed animals. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the podcast this week for a conversation about her eye-opening work to alert people to the horrifying reality of animal agriculture. Marina discusses her thoughts on objectivity and integrity within journalism and why she chooses to free-lance with …
Listen in this week as we hear a little bit more from Torre Washington who joined us on episode 663. Torre discusses his love of the simple vegetable, gives us the scoop on how his calorie intake shifts according to his competition schedule and shares his experience of advocating for the animals as a bodybuilder. Join us in the flock Facebook …
Torre Washington has caused quite a stir in the world of professional bodybuilding with his plant-powered, all natural approach to the sport. This week, he joins the podcast to discuss his personal journey to veganism through Rastafari and the Ital diet, as well as how and why he got into the art of bodybuilding. Torre shares his reasons for following a …
Join us for this moving bonus clip from our interview with Amy Luebbert of VegLife DesMoines from episode 662. Listen in as Amy explains how meeting one person changed her life trajectory, talks about connecting the dots between social norms and white supremacy, and shares how the murder of Michael Brown touched her spirit and urged her to continue working for …
Amy Luebbert is the definition of a community powerhouse, and this week she joins us for a conversation about Des Moines, Iowa’s growing vegan scene and the importance of approaching activism through an antiracist lens. Amy, a founding member and the President of VegLife Des Moines, tells us about the nonprofit’s commitment to fostering community and connecting vegans—and the vegan-curious—to resources. …
This week’s bonus content from episode 661 takes a turn away from state and county fairs to discuss other happenings with Woodstock Farm Sanctuary and some of their employees and volunteers. First, Hervé shares his experience traveling to help not only the people of Ukraine, but also animals injured by the war. Then Rachel fills us in about Molly of Great …
Summers in the United States are often synonymous with state and county fairs. Advertised as idyllic family fun, these fairs are replete with animal exploitation and the horrors of animal cruelty. Rachel McCrystal and Hervé Breuil of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary join the podcast this week to talk about what really happens to animals at such events. They outline the cruel realities …
This very special extra episode is a compilation of interviews we have conducted over the years with our dear friend and passionate animal advocate Sherry Colb, who, as you may know, died last month. These interviews range from our first encounter with Sherry, when she came on to talk about her book, Mind if I Order the Cheeseburger? And Other Questions …
This week for episode 660 we were joined by the incomparable Tamara Human of Every Animal, a vegan advocacy organization in Ukraine. We are thrilled that Tamara was able to talk to the flock about her discovery of veganism, which was sparked by undercover footage of pigs. Tamara also discusses the journey the organization has taken to find the right form …
Tamara Human is the definition of a fearless, compassionate leader and activist, and this week she joins the podcast from Kyiv, Ukraine. Tamara is the force behind Every Animal, a Ukraine-based NGO founded in 2019 committed to mobilizing the vegan movement among Ukrainians. In our conversation, the founder shares how Every Animal is supporting vegan soldiers on the frontlines of the …
This week’s bonus content from episode 659 with karol orzechowski gives us a sneak peek into upcoming image content from Faunalytics. We also hear from karol about where he finds hope in the current state of things and he shares how you can view his film Maximum Tolerated Dose. We can’t wait for you to hear it! Click on over to …
The brilliant karol orzechowski joins the podcast this week, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! karol currently serves as the Content Director for Faunalytics, a nonprofit whose mission is to empower animal advocates with access to thorough, reliable data. While Faunalytics is best known for using research and statistics to strengthen pro-animal, anti-suffering activism, the organization is now also producing visual …
We are back again with more amazing bonus content! Check out the extra conversation from episode 658 with Andrew Rowan, DPhil in which he talks about the changes he has seen take place over his 40+ year career, how attitude changes toward animal care have applied to farmed animals, and centering the climate crisis to encourage people to adopt plant-exclusive diets. …
We’re honored to welcome Andrew Rowan, DPhil, to the podcast this week for a critical conversation about companion dogs and poverty. Dr. Rowan has a long tenure in the animal protection movement and is currently the President of WellBeing International, an NGO dedicated to achieving optimal wellbeing for animals, people, and the environment. He joins us today for a discussion about …
Tune into this week’s bonus content from episode 657 with founder of Apex Advocacy Christopher Soul Eubanks. Christopher gives us a glimpse into his youth, connecting the dots between veganism and other social justice movements and his mission-affirming experience of meeting a full grown adult pig for the very first time. You don’t want to miss this! Let us know what you think about this content, recent …