Episode 194: “The cows of the rich eat the food of the poor.”

Justin Van Kleeck

Welcome to the 194^th episode of Our Hen House, featuring Justin Van Kleeck [transcript] and Gretchen Primack. 
On today’s episode, we come to you from Harrisonburg and Staunton, Virginia, where we gave two talks on veganism. We’ll tell you about our time here in Virginia, including our appearances on the evening news, the takeaways from our talks, and some of the vegan grub we enjoyed along the way. We’ll also ruminate on the demise of feminism, the importance of coming out (not just that kind of coming out…), and our thoughts on moral inconsistencies.
Joining us today is Justin Van Kleeck, PhD, an activist and writer in Harrisonburg, who is also the force behind Vegan Night Out – the event that got us down here in the first place. Justin will chat with us about how to implement the good parts of “locavorism” into animal advocacy, while doing away with the nonsensical pieces; he’ll talk to us about how growing up on food stamps has helped inform his advocacy today; he’ll explain the role that Buddhism has played in his evolution; and he’ll talk about the importance of grassroots tactics.
Then, joining us is poet Gretchen Primack, who just set out on a Midwest book tour for her poetry book, Kind, which goes inside the world of animal rights in a unique and moving way. Gretchen will share with us three of her poems, and talk about the role that poetry plays in animal advocacy.
All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights.
For a list of the news items we discuss in today’s episode, and then some, take a look at the breaking news ticker at the top of the page, and also check out our list of archived news items.
You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). And here’s an extra, exciting incentive — ALL donations, including flock memberships, between now and December 31 will be matched by our Barnyard Benefactors! Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Lastly, we are excited to be able to offer you written transcriptions of our podcast interviews (beginning with Episode 188). Thank you for helping us to create quality content, and for helping us to bring you a new podcast episode each week!
“The cows of the rich eat the food of the poor.” -Gandhi