At last week’s inaugural Vida Vegan Bloggers Con in Portland, OR (where else would there be a vegan bloggers conference?), one of the panels I had the pleasure of being part of was Podcasting 101. With the inspiring company of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau from Vegetarian Food for Thought — also check out the recent podcast interview she did for us), Webly Bowles from Stumptown Vegans, and Erika Larsen and Jordan Lyon Mackenzie King of The Cosmopolitan Hour, this panel focused on using podcasts as a tool for social change (not to mention fun — and sometimes contentious — discussion). The Our Hen House podcast is approaching episode 86 (“Sunriiiiiiise, sunset…. sunriiiiise, sunset… Swiftly flow the years….”), and in the past year and a half (plus) since we’ve started recording, we’ve not only gained listeners, but also insight.
The Our Hen House podcast in action. Photo by Lauren Krohn.
During a recent phone conversation I had with my 87-year-old vegetarian grandmother, who was on that very same episode as Colleen (helping us out with a review of Project Nim), Grandma summed up the importance and uniqueness of, as she calls it, “audio programs.” Grandma told me that when she was a kid — before TV existed! — she and her family would crowd around the radio in “the parlour” (read: the living room), listen to a “program,” and then afterwards, have a family discussion about it, sharing with each other what they each gleaned from listening. Grandma likened that to our podcast, saying that television tends to “do the thinking for you,” while “audio programs” allow you to absorb the information presented in a deeper, more thoughtful way. From Grandma’s mouth to dog’s ears!
There are a bunch of animal rights and vegan themed podcasts out there, ready for your listening consumption. These podcasts are free, and can shed light on a variety of issues from the world of animal rights. On a selfish note, even for Mariann and me — the hosts of the Our Hen House podcast — the dozens upon dozens of guests we have had have each taught us something new, allowing us to expand our minds and be armed with the knowledge needed to go out into the world and create change for animals.
At our workshop in Portland, we presenters compiled a handy-dandy worksheet with tips for anyone interested in starting their own podcast, as well as a list of further resources and some suggested AR/vegan podcasts. We hope you check out the worksheet of Podcasting Tips (note: it’s a pdf).