Photo: Farm Sanctuary
Now that it’s July, I have finally started to grasp the fact that summer is indeed here. In fact, it was one year ago, almost to the day, when Mariann and I left for our cross-country adventure to Portland, OR, where Mariann was a visiting professor of Animal Law at Lewis & Clark Law School’s Center for Animal Law Studies. Though that was, without question, the trip of a lifetime, we did find ourselves longing for some of our usual East Coast animal rights-related happenings. Summer is such a hotbed of activity for animal advocates. There are VegFests, conferences, and sanctuary events galore. Do you ever just wish you could take off the summer entirely and travel from event to event?
Well, that ain’t happening. But, this is happening: For those of you who will be at Farm Sanctuary’s Country Hoe Down in Watkins Glen, NY on August 3 and 4, I have exciting news from Our Hen House! Mariann and I will be there, microphones in hand! We are bringing the Our Hen House podcast to the Hoe Down, and covering all of the festivities for our show!
And what a celebration it will be. This year’s line-up includes Gene Baur, former undercover investigator Cody Carlson, Compassion Over Killing’s Erica Meier, and vegan cookbook author Melissa Costello — to name just a few (the full line-up is impressive). As always, it will also include delicious vegan meals, an optional yoga session, camping (there are also motels in town for those of us — eh-hem — who need our blow-dryers close at hand), a party on Saturday night that will have you mooing for more, and, most of all, an opportunity to visit with some of the sweetest, coolest, most amazing animals on the planet.
There’s really nothing like the Hoe Down. We’ve both been lucky enough to speak at these in the past, and let me tell you, even more exciting than the evening party is the morning solace. Waking up at (or near) the sanctuary, with these glorious animal ambassadors dotting the horizon, is the stuff vegan dreams are made of. And the talks and presentations throughout the weekend are always top-notch — engaging, enlightening, inspiring, and thought-provoking. I encourage you to register for this one-of-a-kind event, and fast (since it has been known to sell out).
In addition to interviewing all of the speakers, we will be thrusting our mics in your faces, too! So look out for us, because we’ll want to hear your stories, and broadcast them to our devoted listeners. The Hoe Down themed Our Hen House podcast episode will air on the Saturday following the festivities — that’s Saturday, August 10. You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, or listen directly on our online magazine.It’s summer. Get out your two-pieces. Stuff your bag with leaflets. Make your reservation for the Hoe Down and some of the other AR happenings around town. Be prepared to change the world.