You could use some good news, so we’re taking you back to 2010 in this special Throwback Thursday post! Let yourself be surprised (and delighted) all over again at the great guests, news, and banter of these episodes from year one of Our Hen House! Episode 15, featuring Gene Baur Episode 21, featuring an “undercover investigator” Episode 24, featuring Josh Hooten and …
Throwback Thursdays
For the Love of Otis: Owning Your Journey and Fueling the Fire for Change
Laura Handzel is certainly not the only kid to have their first “go-vegan” spark of inspiration from their local 4-H club, and will most likely not be the last. That’s why we’re excited to re-publish her article today for #ThrowbackThursday! This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on April 1, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us …
How to Host a Vegan “Wine” & Cheese Tasting (BONUS: Recipe for Vegan Aged Garlic-Rosemary Cheese!)
Over a year later and we’re still impressed by our Media Coordinator’s organization of a vegan wine and cheese tasting on her college campus–so much so that today we’re re-publishing Alessandra Seiter‘s guide to hosting your very own fancy vegan-stravaganza for #ThrowbackThursday. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 26, 2014. If you’d like to see a certain OHH …
Using social psychology research as a tool to change the world for animals is becoming increasingly common, and we’re excited to have published Helen Kinsel‘s example of such use before it was gaining widespread attention. So here it is again on #ThrowbackThursday! This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 24, 2014. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article …
In today’s #ThrowbackThursday article from the always thought-provoking mind of Piper Hoffman, we can see how empathy is really the key factor driving animal activism. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 19, 2014. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. *** How do you know that hens in battery cages …
Whether you’re a newbie vegan or seasoned animal advocate, it’s always a great idea to expand your repertoire of activism. In this #ThrowbackThursday article, Alison Mercer shares how she did just that by participating in her first protest. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 17, 2014. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] …
Seeing Things Differently: Reflections On My Recent Trip to a Stockyard
Today on #ThrowbackThursday we’re excited to once again feature a profound article from visual arts professor Keri Cronin on her unforgettable trip to a stockyard. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 14, 2014. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. *** I had been to a stockyard before, but …
Making Vegan Friends
Here at Our Hen House, one of the things that we pride ourselves on is providing a supportive community base for vegans to strengthen their commitment to changing the world for animals. Today’s #ThrowbackThursday post from Nicole Feuerstein highlights the importance of building just such community, and provides tips for how to do it. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House …
Does Your Smile Mean the Same as Mine? Thoughts from the Bottom of the World
Back in February we re-featured the first installment of Eliza Muirhead‘s stories from aboard the Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin, and today we’re thrilled to once again bring you the second for #ThrowbackThursday. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 6, 2014. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. *** Last …
Even as veganism makes its way further and further into the mainstream, fish are still seen as vegetables and eaten by self-proclaimed vegetarians. That’s why the work of Mary Finelli continues to be so important, and why we’re highlighting her past article today on #ThrowbackThursday. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on February 26, 2014. If you’d like to see a …
“You’re Lucky to Love What You Do”: My Journeys On and Off the Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin
We’ve had the immense pleasure of highlighting a number of Sea Shepherd activists over the years here at OHH — most recently we published a recipe from Raffaella Tolicetti’s vegan cookbook Think! Act! Eat! A Sea Shepherd Chef’s Vegan Recipes — and we’re excited to once again share the organization’s incredible work on #ThrowbackThursday, this time from Eliza Muirhead. This article’s originally appeared on …
Colleges and universities continue to serve as hubs of animal activism, no doubt thanks to the incredible work and diligence of students like Azucena Lucatero, the author of today’s #ThrowbackThursday. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on November 4, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. *** If you’re like …
On today’s #ThrowbackThursday we’re featuring a continually profound and relevant article from power vegan activist Justin Van Kleeck, who since the article’s original publication has been at the forefront of the microsanctuary movement with the Triangle Chance for All microsanctuary in North Carolina. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on October 28, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article …
Two years later and the scientific arguments against vivisection are still as strong as ever! Brush up on your anti-animal testing knowledge with Dr. Theodora Capaldo on today’s #ThrowbackThursday. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on October 22, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. *** It’s always fascinating for …
How does the world of science fiction have the potential to drastically alter human perceptions of non-human animals? Vegan digital media freelancer Ian McDonald shares his views on today’s edition of #ThrowbackThursday! This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House on September 30, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. *** Science fiction …
On this edition of Throwback Thursday (which just so happens to concide with Thanksgiving, so have yourself a fabulous turkey-friendly meal!), we feature the story of one of our very favorite Vegan Mos — none other than Ethan Ciment — as he uses his post-surgery experience as an opportunity to empathize with non-human animals. This article’s originally appeared on Our Hen House …
The Skinny on Feed-Ins, Restaurant Outreach, & Vegan Cooking Classes (Q&A With Compassionate Action for Animals)
Food-related community outreach remains a cornerstone of vegan advocacy, so for today’s #ThrowbackThursday we’re reminding you of some quite useful tips from Compassionate Action for Animals‘ Unny Namburdiripad for hosting feed-ins and vegan cooking classes, and working with restaurants. We originally divided our interview with Unny into two installments, but we’ve compiled them for you today. These articles originally appeared on Our Hen …
Touching the Future: How My Experience Volunteering as a Humane Educator Made Me a More Optimistic Person
Children are the future, so it’s of huge importance that we nurture their innate propensities for compassion, generosity, and creativity. That’s exactly what humane educator Jennifer Gannett does in her classroom, and we’re excited to feature her teaching experiences once again on #ThrowbackThursday! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on August 5, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article …
In Recovery from Farming
We’ve featured a number of farmers-turned-animal activists here on Our Hen House over the years — Bob Comis and Renee King-Sonnen, to name a few — and we’re excited to once again highlight our first — Jim Mason — today on #ThrowbackThursday. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on August 6, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, …
Remember when that small, purple book burst into the animal rights literary canon in a big, purple way? (We’re talking about Lantern’s Defiant Daughters, here.) We like to relive that moment as much as possible, so #ThrowbackThursdays seem like a great time to do so! This articles originally appeared on Our Hen House on April 17, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain …
Here at Our Hen House, we’re enormous fans of using art as a medium for activism. In this #ThrowbackThursday post, visual arts professor Keri Cronin reflects upon the possibilities for curated spaces like museums, galleries, and exhibitions to help in changing the world for animals. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on June 12, 2013. If you’d like to see a …
Peanut butter: the ultimate timeless food. Whether it’s #ThrowbackThursday, a holiday, or basically any old day of the week, you’re sure to find us Hens with a spoonful of PB in our mouths. And thanks to Ginny Messina and JL Fields, we know exactly why that spoonful will nourish our bodies inside and out! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 12, 2013. If …
Book Review: “Green Is the New Red: An Insider’s Account of a Social Movement Under Siege” by Will Potter
Sadly, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) and other forms of governmental targeting of animal rights and environmental activists still provide significant barriers to our movements, but today there’s more activism than ever aimed at stopping them! Get an important overview of such activism today on #ThrowbackThursday. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on December 3, 2012. If you’d like …
From Cat Lover to Animal Activist
We’re sure that many of you can relate to the story of how Piper Hoffman became vegan — it all started with some cats. Celebrate the cat ladies in all of us with today’s #ThrowbackThursday article! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on December 8, 2012. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. …
Video: A Vegan Taste of Toronto
Our Hen House has certainly made its way around the world in its 5 years of operation, from Basel, Switzerland to Portland, Oregon and beyond. In this video — which we’re bringing back for #ThrowbackThursday — the Hens take on the great (and delicious) city of Toronto! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on December 2, 2011. If you’d like …
“Sue Coe: Art of the Animal”
The amazing work of activist-artist Sue Coe never fades in its immense profundity. If you ever need a kick in the pants to remind you about why you’re striving to change the world for animals, Sue Coe’s work will do the trick. That’s exactly why we’re so thrilled to feature her in this Art of the Animal video once again on #ThrowbackThursday! …
If you were awestruck at the visionary work of Zoe Weil while watching Episode 30 of the Our Hen House TV show back in March, then you’ll want to be sure to check out Lisa Rimmert’s review of her book Most Good, Least Harm — brought to you once again for #ThrowbackThursday! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on October 4, …
The Planet of the Apes film series has certainly gotten its fair share of coverage here on Our Hen House (did you listen to Noah Gittell’s podcast interview or watch him on the TV show?), and for good reason! Remind yourself of the reasons why these movies are important for the animal rights movement with activist Loredana Loy today on #ThrowbackThursday. This article originally …
Back in 2010 when we first published this spotlight on the fabulous Ella Nemcova, her company The Regal Vegan had only just launched with a couple of animal-free pates, including her infamous Faux Gras. Since then, Ella has expanded her product line, begun to offer catering and nutrition workshops, and even appeared on the very first episode of the Our Hen …
Waaaaay back in 2010 we featured this interview with Josh Hooten of the Herbivore Clothing Company; five years later and that man is still going strong (with more clever t-shirts than ever), along with his powerhouse activist of a wife Michelle Schwegmann. Reintroduce yourself to Josh’s work today on #ThrowbackThursday! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on June 15, …
Animals as the Victims of Militarism: “In wars, not of their making” (-Linda Bodicoat)
War certainly claims a multiplicity of lives, and has a sinister habit of rendering invisible those deaths. In this Throwback Thursday article, U.K.-based activist Kirsten Bayes sheds light on one group commonly forgotten as the victims of war: non-human animals exploited to test weapons and other equipment. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on February 12, 2014. If you’d like to see …
Are Vegans Just Childish Dreamers?
While we can’t (and really shouldn’t) mess with the natural violence animals exhibit in the wild, we can make a difference in the lives of the domesticated animals exploited for food, clothing, entertainment, and more. That’s why Piper Hoffman argues against non-vegan arguments that vegans are just “childish dreamers” on this #ThrowbackThursday article. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on April 22, 2013. If …
Sprout it Out: You Don’t Need a Green Thumb to Grow Green Things (BONUS: Easy Raw Vegan Soup Recipe)
Our Hen House Advisory Board member Liz Dee has got our mouth watering with her scrumptious (and oh-so nutritious!) sprout soup recipe on today’s #ThrowbackThursday — so much so that we just might follow her advice (two years after its original publication, but hey, better late than never) and start sprouting up some seeds ourselves. This article originally appeared on Our Hen …
How to Argue Against Vivisection in the 21st Century (by Ray Greek, M.D.)
Two years later and we still find ourselves returning to the arguments presented below by Dr. Ray Greek to refute proponents of vivisection. With this #ThrowbackThursday article, you’ll never again have to worry about having the upper-hand in a discussion on why animal experimentation shouldn’t exist! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on May 27, 2013. If you’d like to see a …
In the wake of Blackfish and its immense success in deeply marring the reputation of SeaWorld, we thought it appropriate to bring back this article by Piper Hoffman on animals exploited for the purposes of human entertainment. Let’s hope that we’ll see more Blackfish-like successes in the future, and that everything that Piper is saying here will be rendered moot! This article …
The thought of handing out information on a subject we’re passionate about to a crowd of strangers is certainly enough to inspire fear in the heart of even the most devoted activists, as vegan candy connoisseur Liz Dee attests in the #ThrowbackThursday article below. Luckily, though, Liz realized the powerful impact that leafleting can have, practiced to become a powerhouse leafleter, and …
Just as Keri Cronin unearths centuries-old artwork that informs her activism, we unearth her years-old article in the hopes of informing your own activism on this edition of #ThrowbackThursday! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 18, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. *** One of the things that makes …
The Church of Veganism
Over the years we’ve featured a number of articles on the connections between various religions and veganism, most recently Lauren Ng’s two articles on veganism and Christianity. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to Lauren’s two pieces, we thought we’d bring you more on the subject for this #ThrowbackThursday! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on February 7, 2013. If …
Veganism is About More Than Food
On this #ThrowbackThursday, the ever-eloquent Piper Hoffman offers up six tips for making sure that those around you understand that your veganism extends far beyond what you put into your mouth. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on January 24, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info [at] ourhenhouse [dot] org. *** The …
Moving Beyond the Scale for a Happy Healthy Life (BONUS Recipe: Vegan Cinnamon and Walnut Banana Bread)
Our love for The Vegan R.D Ginny Messina and activist extraordinaire JL Fields never wavers, especially when there’s banana bread in the mix! Oh, and of course pragmatic, non-dogmatic health advice, of which these powerhouse women provide plenty in today’s #ThrowbackThursday article. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on January 15, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, …
Who to Tattoo? Thoughts on Body Art, Challenging Misperceptions, and Flying Away
“To appreciate pigeons, to celebrate their lives, is to see the world in a particular way.” Wise words from our very own Mariann Sullivan, who since the publication of this #ThrowbackThursday article has lived in the company of a pigeon tattoo on her left shoulderblade. Read on to see why. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on December 9, …
When Vegans Have Children
The population is still growing, most of it still isn’t made up of vegans, and people are still having babies. So, on this #ThrowbackThursday, we wanted to bring back the ruminations of one of our favorite pundits Piper Hoffman on the subject of deciding to have children as a vegan. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on December 17, 2012. If you’d …
Three years after Mia penned the letter below and we’re STILL blown away by the thoughtfulness, articulateness, and activist drive of this young lady. Just try not to tear up a little when you read it on this #ThrowbackThursday…we dare you. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on May 23, 2012. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article …
Animal Stories in Film: Inherently Exploitative? Potentially Eye-Opening?
With more and more animal-centric movies coming onto the big screen these days (especially according to vegan film critic Noah Gittell on the Our Hen House TV show), thinking about non-human animals’ role in film continues to be of the utmost relevance. So let’s continue to think about it on this #ThrowbackThursday, shall we? This article originally appeared on Our Hen House …
Demonstrations as Street Theatre
Tired of your usual activism endeavors? Bored of leafleting? Cringing at the notion of making one more vegan dish to bring to a non-vegan potluck? Nick Lacetti swoops in to spice up your advocacy on this #ThrowbackThursday! His answer? Introduce some theatrics into the mix. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on May 4, 2011. If you’d like to see a certain …
We find that so often our animal activist efforts center on encouraging others to go vegan (which is great!), while we unthinkingly neglect activism that challenges other forms of animal exploitation. In this fabulous #ThrowbackThursday article, The Discerning Brute himself Joshua Katcher provides a handful of super helpful tips for engaging in anti-fur activism – a great endeavor to try out as the …
Convenient Untruths
In this profound article, author Anat Pick reflects upon how an early childhood experience influenced her life’s work through to today, and in doing so connects the past to the present and beyond. Just as Anat brings back the past in this article, we’re bringing back Anat’s artful writing in celebration of #ThrowbackThursday! This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on …
For a vegan – someone frequently accused of being unable to take a joke – talented writer and teacher Katrina Donovan Fleming sure has some insightful thoughts on humor. Because we’re always looking for a good laugh – we think this is a perfect piece to resurrect for #ThrowbackThursday. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on June 11, 2013. If you’d like to see …
New to Veganism? Read This! Inspirational Quotes From More Than 30 Long-Time Vegans
Some advice – like “live without regret” and “don’t eat yellow snow” – never wanes in its wisdom. Indeed, even two years later, all of the gems of advice from over 30 long-time animal rights activists ring very loudly true. Curated by none other than Farm Sanctuary superhero Bruce Friedrich, this collection of advice is a perfect contribution to our growing trove of #ThrowbackThursday …
Have you ever prefaced your request for animal-free options with: “Sorry, I’m vegan”? To encourage the non-vegans around us to view veganism not as a sacrifice or burden, we need to stop apologizing for our ethical actions. We’re happy to bring back this reminder for #ThrowbackThursday. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on September 20, 2012. If you’d like to see …
The age-old question: what should I do with my life? We at Our Hen House suspect that the (rather vague) answer for many of us lies in a combination of something self-fulfilling yet concurrently altruistic – and for many OHH followers specifically, something on behalf of animals. Discovering one’s true calling is certainly a long, shaky process, but in honor of the weekly …
Whether you identify as an activist or not, there’s a world of ways to change the world for animals. It doesn’t really matter what you call yourself as long as you’re doing at least one of them. With our recent publishing of our exciting new page – “100 Ways to Change the World for Animals” – we’d like to underscore this point with the article …
VIDEO: “The Truth Will Set Them Free: An Evening With James E. McWilliams”
Since we first created this video, our love for professor, writer, and powerhouse activist James McWilliams has only expanded. I mean, have you seen him on the TV show? A veritable love fest. Because we really can’t get enough of the guy, we’re re-introducing you to James by way of his talk at an event in NYC that we hosted way back …
With the world of food blogs growing at a seemingly unstoppable rate, there exist ever more venues for vegan activism. One word: comments. Rather than dismissing those non-vegan food sites, search around them for veganizeable recipes, make ’em, then comment on the recipe and let readers know how easily they can make the dish animal-friendly! We can’t thank activist extraordinaire Gary Loewenthal …
Judging from the positive responses we received to Lauren Ng’s recent article on the re-imagined church potluck, the links between religion and animal rights resonate with many of you. So, to give the people what they want, we’re excited to bring back this piece by Nick Lacetti on how to awaken a vegan consciousness in your own religious community. Happy #ThrowbackThursday! This article originally …
We all know that feeling; the one when you get asked, “where do you get your protein?” or “what if you were on a desert island?” and you contemplate your response. We suspect this is still a prevalent feeling among vegans, and that’s why we’re re-publishing this article on how to respond to those questions and more: listen. This article originally appeared on …
How an Activist Headed toward Burnout Can Change Course: Four Ways to Cope with Compassion Fatigue
Not only do we at Our Hen House aim to help you find your way to change the world for animals, but we aim to help you do so for life. This dedication to long-term struggle absolutely must be accompanied by acts of self-care – described below by the ever-insightful Piper Hoffman in a piece rejuvenated for #ThrowbackThursday – in order to prevent …
The fabulous Liz Dee devotes most of her time these days to her candy company (you just might have heard of it…), but we still adore her and her invaluable insights about animal activism. In this piece, dusted off in celebration of #ThrowbackThursday, Liz shares her insightful advice about how to be the “deal-breaker” at non-vegan restaurants. This article originally appeared on …
Untold Testimony: #1389
We were thrilled in late 2012/early 2013 to bring you a three-part series by Katie Gillespie that featured testimonies of the stories of three animals – and we simply NEEDED to republish Katie’s final piece of the series for #ThrowbackThursday. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on March 11, 2013. If you’d like to see a certain OHH article resurrected, email us at info …
For social movements of any kind, it is important to reflect upon the struggle’s history in order to help shape its future. This article by Dr. Ramona Ilea – which we’ve happily resurrected for #ThrowbackThursday – does just that; summarizing in accessible terms the development of philosophy surrounding animals. This article originally appeared on Our Hen House on February 4, 2013. If you’d like to …