Flock Exclusive Content

In this bonus conversation, Jordi Casamitjana — vegan zoologist, author of Ethical Vegan and Why Vegans Don’t, and the man behind the UK’s landmark legal protection of ethical veganism — goes deeper with Jasmin and Mariann on the practices that keep him going. Drawing on decades of animal behavior research, he shares how studying creatures from wasps to foxes cemented his…

In this Flock Friday bonus Q&A, Rose Patterson — Director of Animal Rising in the UK and activist recently acquitted for rescuing beagles from MBR Acres — joins Jasmin and Mariann for an intimate conversation with Our Hen House’s paying members. Rose opens up about finding joy amid high-stakes activism, her relationship with her husband Wayne Hsiung, and their shared commitment…

In this bonus conversation, Mariann Sullivan sits down with Good Food Institute founder Bruce Friedrich to explore the surprising intersections of religion, ethics, and animal advocacy — from Pope Francis’s landmark encyclical on animal souls to whether faith traditions can be called upon to challenge industrial animal farming. Bruce draws on his new book Meat to discuss why human nature, not…

In this week’s bonus content, Mariann reads her latest Substack piece — a thought experiment about a targeted boycott campaign she’s been mulling over. Drawing inspiration from the successful boycott veal movement of the 1980s, she proposes that consumers withhold purchasing cow’s milk until legislation requires dairy calves to remain with their mothers for at least six months after birth. She…

In this bonus conversation, Mariann Sullivan is joined by Penimah Tehilah of the Animal Activism Collective and Suzie Stork of the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade for an extended discussion on campaign strategy — including whether awareness campaigns with unachievable goals can still be worth pursuing, how grassroots activists are plugging into corporate welfare campaigns around cage-free eggs and shrimp…

Join Jasmin and Mariann as they dive into a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Zach Burns and Dr. Michael Klaper about the transformative power of plant-based diets to reverse diseases. This episode explores Dr. Klaper’s upcoming book, Moving Medicine Forward, and the challenges of whole foods, plant-based eating in the context of health and nutrition. The discussion touches on fat phobia, the…

In this exclusive bonus content, Captain Paul Watson and Sarah Levy delve into the powerful role of direct action in marine conservation. They discuss the interconnectedness of environmental, animal, and Indigenous rights, highlighting how diverse movements can lead to impactful change. Paul and Sarah also explore the challenges of enforcing conservation laws on land and at sea, emphasizing the importance of…

In this exclusive bonus content for our flock, Mariann and Jasmin dive into the latest gut health trend: fiber layering. They discuss its implications for vegans and its potential as an advocacy tool, especially in contrast to the protein craze. With humorous asides about personal obsessions and canine companions, this episode is both informative and entertaining. Thank you to our flock…

In this exclusive bonus content, Cameron Harsh shares their journey into animal advocacy, from focusing on sustainable food systems to tackling the cruelty of factory farming and the pet bird industry. Discover how their calm, grounded approach supports their advocacy efforts, and explore the powerful connections between grassroots movements and animal protection. Cameron also highlights the importance of diverse voices and…

In this exclusive bonus content, Ben Williamson of Animal Outlook answers flock members’ questions about investigative strategies, farm transition programs, and the challenges of creating meaningful change for animals. From discussing how drone technology is revolutionizing investigations to explaining why family farms remain in failing dairy businesses, Ben provides insightful perspectives on the evolving landscape of animal advocacy. Thank you to…

In this exclusive bonus content, Jan Dutkiewicz and Gabriel Rosenberg continue their insightful conversation about Feed the People, focusing on labor issues in the food system. They discuss how they approached veganism in their book for a general audience, share Gabriel’s radicalizing moment discovering the shocking reality of child labor in agriculture, and explore how tipping culture represents a broader pattern of…

In this exclusive flock-only bonus segment, Jasmin and Mariann explore the evolution of environmental and animal rights messaging. Discussing an article titled Is Environmentalism Out of Ideas?, they examine how traditional crisis-focused activism compares with more relationship-centered approaches like those in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. The conversation weaves through personal anecdotes about coalition building challenges, the effectiveness of different persuasion…

In this intimate flock-exclusive conversation, Laura Lee Cascada shares her personal journey to sea animal advocacy, including her surprising connection to mermaiding and free diving. With the ability to hold her breath underwater for 3.5 minutes, Cascada brings a unique perspective to ocean conservation that goes beyond research. She reveals how her investigation of an octopus farm in Hawaii led to…

In this illuminating bonus segment, Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka explore the critical role emotions play in animal politics—both our reluctance to attribute complex emotions to animals and our failure to recognize how deeply emotional human politics actually is. The conversation reveals how emotional bonds like trust, solidarity, and belonging are fundamental to political communities across species, challenging the notion that…

In this exclusive bonus episode for flock members, Wayne Hsiung discusses his nuanced views on vegan activism, emphasizing that while individual veganism is morally important, lasting change requires collective action and shifting social norms. Wayne explains why veganism is challenging for many people (despite being easy for activists), highlighting the powerful influence of social pressure and conformity. He shares insights on…

In this intimate bonus conversation, Matthew Dominguez shares how his childhood experiences on his grandmother’s 1,200-acre cattle ranch in California profoundly shaped his path to animal advocacy. Matthew recalls forming deep connections with individual animals like Plummy, a cow raised with horses who “thought she was a horse,” and how these early experiences planted seeds that would later blossom when he…

In this second exclusive bonus segment, Melanie Kaplan takes us deeper into both the legal landscape of animal testing and her personal journey as a writer. She shares invaluable insights from her fellowship at Vermont Law School, where she gained critical understanding of the Animal Welfare Act’s limitations under the guidance of Delci Winders. Melanie discusses her vision for restorative justice…

In this heartfelt bonus segment, Melanie Kaplan delves deeper into the profound emotional bonds we form with our animal companions. She shares how Hammy’s trauma initially sparked her caregiving instincts, creating a foundation for their extraordinary connection. The conversation explores the unique intimacy of human-animal relationships, the psychological barriers faced by compassionate individuals entering veterinary medicine, and the continuing challenges of…

In this exclusive bonus content, John and Midge share behind-the-scenes insights into their creative process, discussing how they manage multiple writing projects simultaneously and their different approaches to animal advocacy. They reveal the challenges of writing about vegans as sympathetic characters, explore effective social media strategies for animal advocacy, and debate whether graphic imagery or gentle storytelling is more effective in…

In this heartwarming bonus episode, our guests Jodi Gruhn, Judy Wolf, and Brenna Anderst share touching reflections on how their childhood selves would view their current animal advocacy work. From Brenna’s early dreams of becoming a veterinarian to Jodi’s emotional response to Bambi that foreshadowed her future path, these advocates reveal how their innate empathy for animals ultimately led them to…

In this exclusive flock content, Jasmin and Mariann finally bring to life their long-abandoned idea of “The Vegan Whine” – a candid, unfiltered conversation about the cognitive dissonance that defines the holiday season. Pour yourself a glass (as they did!) and join them for this raw discussion about navigating Thanksgiving as vegans, the frustration of watching people celebrate gratitude while consuming…

In this exclusive bonus content for our Flock members, Jasmin and Mariann continue the conversation with Seth Green from Stanford’s Humane and Sustainable Food Lab and Benny Smith from Allied Scholars for Animal Protection. The discussion delves deeper into their professional backgrounds, the intricacies of their research, and explores thought-provoking questions about vegan advocacy, movement tensions, and what makes behavior change…

In this candid bonus session, filmmakers Annie Laurie Medonis and Tracy Cring share the bittersweet breaking news that Bloodroot will officially close on December 21st after 48 remarkable years. From revealing their musical challenges (including a 10-hour first edit!) to discussing the unexpected influence of homeopathy on the founders’ philosophy – this behind-the-scenes conversation captures both the heartbreak of losing a…

In this heartwarming bonus segment, Mariann Sullivan invites our guests to share their personal journeys to veganism and animal advocacy. Amit Dhuleshia reveals how his pandemic connection with his dog helped bridge his lifelong vegetarian background to veganism, while Brian Hackett discusses how his innate childhood discomfort with eating animals and his grandmother’s greyhound rescue work shaped his path. Hannah Truxell…