In the days leading up to the holidays, newspapers that are widely read in New York City buzzed with vegan and vegetarian articles, and I find it both encouraging and exciting! Take a look at what the New York Times and New York Daily News showcased about going vegan or vegetarian, and how this is not only better for our health, but is also kinder to our animal friends and the planet.
The New York Times recently featured a series of pieces:
1) An Op-Ed entitled “Animal, Vegetable, Miserable” by Gary Steiner, a staunch ethical vegan, professor of philosophy at Bucknell University, and author of “Animals and the Moral Community: Mental Life, Moral Status and Kinship” at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/opinion/22steiner.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=vegan&st=cse
2) An informative article on the vegan community and dining out on Long Island:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/nyregion/29dineli.html?em
3) A whole slew of vegetarian recipes for Thanksgiving, many of which can easily be used for your Christmas festivities, too:
http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch?date_select=full&query=vegetarian+thanksgiving&type=nyt&x=11&y=9
In addition, the New York Daily News featured an article on how reducing your meat consumption is healthier for you, and will help protect the Earth and prevent damaging climate change at
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/11/27/2009-11-27_becoming_vegetarian_will_help_save_the_planet_study.html
Check out the articles! There’s some serious (veggie) food for thought in them, so let us know what you think!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Chicken Swinging
Chicken Swinging
Even though I’ve been working with CAS for almost a year and a half, first as a volunteer and currently as Outreach Director, I had never formally taken part in a rescue until last week. When my colleague Julie told me that I needed to go to Brooklyn to pick up a chicken that had been found wandering the streets, I was mostly filled with excitement over knowing that I would have a tiny role in giving this critter a new and better life.
However, this excitement was punctuated with intermittent periods of anxiety, as my dormant, long-standing, and totally unreasonable fear of birds started to rear its ugly head. As a kid and well into adulthood, I’d always had this nagging fear that birds in my vicinity would peck or claw me to death. I attribute that ridiculous mindset to two distinct incidents from childhood: cowering helplessly as seagulls descended on my sisters and me as we ate our lobster rolls on a seaside pier in Montauk, New York, and then on a couple of family vacations to the Philippines, watching in horror as chickens squawked, flapped, and ran for their lives from cleaver-wielding relatives who owned tiny farms in the countryside. Believe me, I know that this fear is utterly silly, but childhood moments that like can leave lasting impressions.
Anyway, so I arrive at the cat and dog rescue group in Williamsburg to pick up the chicken, and the wonderful woman who is on early morning cat duty introduces me to “Chickie” who had been camping out in a large rabbit hutch. The woman retells the story about how a local resident had found Chickie wandering the streets, after she had likely escaped from a group of chickens awaiting slaughter as part of the Orthodox Jewish ritual of Kapparot during Yom Kippur.
Kapparot involves waving or swinging a live chicken above a person’s head three times, in the belief that the person’s sins will be transferred to the bird, and that the “swinger” will escape divine punishment. The chicken is then slaughtered. As a recent NPR story reports, this ancient practice has been getting more popular in recent years, but it's also divided the Orthodox Jewish community. There have been numerous documented cases of extreme cruelty and neglect, where chickens are found filthy and emaciated, stuffed in cramped crates and left exposed to the harsh elements, and sometimes completely abandoned after the holiday passes: http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=113179433. In the past, CAS has actually welcomed dozens of chickens rescued from such horrible circumstances.
After we got Chickie plopped down on a comfy bed of shredded paper in a large cat carrier, the chicken and I hit the road for CAS. She rattled around in the carrier a few times, and clucked intermittently on the 2-hour drive north, perhaps expressing her dismay at my selection of music, or maybe she was just asking “Are we there yet?” When we arrived at the farm, Abby Rogers, CAS’s Animal Care Director, and I got her settled in a spacious cage with lots of hay. Abby explained that while Chickie looked fairly healthy at first glance, she’d have to stay in temporary isolation while they conducted a thorough physical exam. As I looked into Chickie’s eyes, I soon realized that she needed a new name – something that conveyed strength and regalness. I decided on “Hatshepsut”, one of the few female pharaohs of Egypt; during her long reign, Egypt enjoyed much prosperity and good fortune. I’ve wanted to name an animal friend that for a long time.
Later that day, as Hatshepsut began to acclimate to her new surroundings and did all the cool things that chickens like to do, we discovered that she is actually a boy. He is sweet, gentle, and beautiful. So, his name is now Cheyenne, named after the Native Americans with present-day communities in Montana and Oklahoma, and who figured prominently in the resistance by Plains Indians to white settlers in the 18th century.
Thanks to Cheyenne, and my other feathered friends at CAS, I think I can finally put to rest that pesky and irrational childhood fear.
Even though I’ve been working with CAS for almost a year and a half, first as a volunteer and currently as Outreach Director, I had never formally taken part in a rescue until last week. When my colleague Julie told me that I needed to go to Brooklyn to pick up a chicken that had been found wandering the streets, I was mostly filled with excitement over knowing that I would have a tiny role in giving this critter a new and better life.
However, this excitement was punctuated with intermittent periods of anxiety, as my dormant, long-standing, and totally unreasonable fear of birds started to rear its ugly head. As a kid and well into adulthood, I’d always had this nagging fear that birds in my vicinity would peck or claw me to death. I attribute that ridiculous mindset to two distinct incidents from childhood: cowering helplessly as seagulls descended on my sisters and me as we ate our lobster rolls on a seaside pier in Montauk, New York, and then on a couple of family vacations to the Philippines, watching in horror as chickens squawked, flapped, and ran for their lives from cleaver-wielding relatives who owned tiny farms in the countryside. Believe me, I know that this fear is utterly silly, but childhood moments that like can leave lasting impressions.
Anyway, so I arrive at the cat and dog rescue group in Williamsburg to pick up the chicken, and the wonderful woman who is on early morning cat duty introduces me to “Chickie” who had been camping out in a large rabbit hutch. The woman retells the story about how a local resident had found Chickie wandering the streets, after she had likely escaped from a group of chickens awaiting slaughter as part of the Orthodox Jewish ritual of Kapparot during Yom Kippur.
Kapparot involves waving or swinging a live chicken above a person’s head three times, in the belief that the person’s sins will be transferred to the bird, and that the “swinger” will escape divine punishment. The chicken is then slaughtered. As a recent NPR story reports, this ancient practice has been getting more popular in recent years, but it's also divided the Orthodox Jewish community. There have been numerous documented cases of extreme cruelty and neglect, where chickens are found filthy and emaciated, stuffed in cramped crates and left exposed to the harsh elements, and sometimes completely abandoned after the holiday passes: http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=113179433. In the past, CAS has actually welcomed dozens of chickens rescued from such horrible circumstances.
After we got Chickie plopped down on a comfy bed of shredded paper in a large cat carrier, the chicken and I hit the road for CAS. She rattled around in the carrier a few times, and clucked intermittently on the 2-hour drive north, perhaps expressing her dismay at my selection of music, or maybe she was just asking “Are we there yet?” When we arrived at the farm, Abby Rogers, CAS’s Animal Care Director, and I got her settled in a spacious cage with lots of hay. Abby explained that while Chickie looked fairly healthy at first glance, she’d have to stay in temporary isolation while they conducted a thorough physical exam. As I looked into Chickie’s eyes, I soon realized that she needed a new name – something that conveyed strength and regalness. I decided on “Hatshepsut”, one of the few female pharaohs of Egypt; during her long reign, Egypt enjoyed much prosperity and good fortune. I’ve wanted to name an animal friend that for a long time.
Later that day, as Hatshepsut began to acclimate to her new surroundings and did all the cool things that chickens like to do, we discovered that she is actually a boy. He is sweet, gentle, and beautiful. So, his name is now Cheyenne, named after the Native Americans with present-day communities in Montana and Oklahoma, and who figured prominently in the resistance by Plains Indians to white settlers in the 18th century.
Thanks to Cheyenne, and my other feathered friends at CAS, I think I can finally put to rest that pesky and irrational childhood fear.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Carnivorous Consumption and Climate Change
Carnivorous Consumption and Climate Change
Last week, The New York Times reported on how Sweden is experimenting with a labeling system for grocery store and restaurant items that indicates the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of certain foods, ranging from hamburgers to pasta (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/world/europe/23degrees.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=sweden,%20climate&st=cse). The Swedish National Food Administration is trying to encourage people to think more deeply about how nutrition and the environment are inextricably linked, and has, for example, recommended that people limit their fish intake because Europe’s stocks are dangerously depleted, and that individuals eat less red meat, due to the heavy greenhouse gas emissions associated with raising cattle.
I recently attended a very informative panel discussion here in NYC called “Food and Climate Change: The Meat of the Matter,” with speakers from Kind Green Planet, Brighter Green, and Farm Sanctuary. The crux of the presentation echoed several of the serious concerns at the heart of the Swedish effort – mainly that factory farming is the number one contributor of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Fifty-six billion (yes, 56 billion with a “B”) farm animals are slaughtered worldwide each year and, according to a 2006 United Nations report, the livestock sector contributes a staggering 18% of global greenhouse gases, which includes emissions from burning fossil fuels to operate the processing plants and to transport the meat, methane from the animals’ digestive processes, and nitrous oxide from manure. (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20772&Cr=global&Cr1=environment). To help put things in perspective, the global transportation sector (cars, trucks, planes, trains, etc.) contributes 14% of worldwide greenhouse gases. To make matters worse, the livestock business is responsible for other critical stresses on the environment, including land degradation (from overgrazing, erosion, etc.), desertification, water scarcity, and water pollution.
While the Swedish food guidelines, which are being circulated across the European Union for comment, have been met with mixed reviews by its citizens and attacked by players in the meat and fishing industries, the sales of climate-friendly items have risen 20 percent in Sweden, and some business leaders have voluntarily hired consultants to calculate their carbon footprints. Some experts say that if the guidelines were faithfully followed, Sweden could cut its emissions from food production by 20-50%.
So, what can the average person who cares about further reducing their impact on the planet, or is moved by the misery and suffering inflicted on farm animals, or both, do with this information? For one thing, Carnegie Mellon researchers estimate that by eliminating meat from your diet just ONE DAY PER WEEK, you would reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as driving 1,000 miles less per year. If you go even further, they say that going entirely vegan would reduce the same amount of emissions as driving 8,000 miles less per year. http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/environment/2009/winter/wheres-the-beef.shtml
Are you up to the challenge?
Last week, The New York Times reported on how Sweden is experimenting with a labeling system for grocery store and restaurant items that indicates the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of certain foods, ranging from hamburgers to pasta (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/world/europe/23degrees.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=sweden,%20climate&st=cse). The Swedish National Food Administration is trying to encourage people to think more deeply about how nutrition and the environment are inextricably linked, and has, for example, recommended that people limit their fish intake because Europe’s stocks are dangerously depleted, and that individuals eat less red meat, due to the heavy greenhouse gas emissions associated with raising cattle.
I recently attended a very informative panel discussion here in NYC called “Food and Climate Change: The Meat of the Matter,” with speakers from Kind Green Planet, Brighter Green, and Farm Sanctuary. The crux of the presentation echoed several of the serious concerns at the heart of the Swedish effort – mainly that factory farming is the number one contributor of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Fifty-six billion (yes, 56 billion with a “B”) farm animals are slaughtered worldwide each year and, according to a 2006 United Nations report, the livestock sector contributes a staggering 18% of global greenhouse gases, which includes emissions from burning fossil fuels to operate the processing plants and to transport the meat, methane from the animals’ digestive processes, and nitrous oxide from manure. (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20772&Cr=global&Cr1=environment). To help put things in perspective, the global transportation sector (cars, trucks, planes, trains, etc.) contributes 14% of worldwide greenhouse gases. To make matters worse, the livestock business is responsible for other critical stresses on the environment, including land degradation (from overgrazing, erosion, etc.), desertification, water scarcity, and water pollution.
While the Swedish food guidelines, which are being circulated across the European Union for comment, have been met with mixed reviews by its citizens and attacked by players in the meat and fishing industries, the sales of climate-friendly items have risen 20 percent in Sweden, and some business leaders have voluntarily hired consultants to calculate their carbon footprints. Some experts say that if the guidelines were faithfully followed, Sweden could cut its emissions from food production by 20-50%.
So, what can the average person who cares about further reducing their impact on the planet, or is moved by the misery and suffering inflicted on farm animals, or both, do with this information? For one thing, Carnegie Mellon researchers estimate that by eliminating meat from your diet just ONE DAY PER WEEK, you would reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as driving 1,000 miles less per year. If you go even further, they say that going entirely vegan would reduce the same amount of emissions as driving 8,000 miles less per year. http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/environment/2009/winter/wheres-the-beef.shtml
Are you up to the challenge?
Monday, October 19, 2009
IRON CHEF goes Vegan
I just bought my ticket to Veggie Conquest’s November event, the NYC-based vegan version of the Food Network’s popular show “Iron Chef.”
Each month, amateur chefs sign up to compete, and they must prepare an appetizer, main course, or dessert containing a secret ingredient that is unveiled just days before the competition. The event is usually held at a funky, hip loft space, and is set up like a large dinner party. Foodies of all orientations buy either “taster” or “judge” tickets, bring lots of booze, and then hang out and chat while sampling the dishes. Everyone gets to vote by secret ballot for their favorite dish, and the victor is crowned amidst much applause and adulation. Tasters get to leave with full bellies, and cool door prizes, if they’re lucky.
Kathy Stevens came all the way down from Saugerties for the October event, and we had a blast. The secret ingredient was squash, and over an awesome bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, we enjoyed tasty creations like squash dip with home-made potato chips and roasted mushrooms stuffed with squash. But the dish that really bowled us over, and the rest of the crowd agreed, was the squash blossoms stuffed with nut cheese, lightly dipped in a chili-laced batter, then deep fried. I could have eaten an entire tray, and went snooping in the kitchen for more!
Luck was on our side that night, and my ticket number came up for one of the best door prizes – vegan baking chocolate imported from Israel. As Kathy and I imagined all the delicious desserts that could be made with this precious commodity, we soon realized that neither of us possesses much talent in the kitchen, and eventually gave it away to a woman who lives to bake, and bakes to live.
Do I dare compete someday?
Each month, amateur chefs sign up to compete, and they must prepare an appetizer, main course, or dessert containing a secret ingredient that is unveiled just days before the competition. The event is usually held at a funky, hip loft space, and is set up like a large dinner party. Foodies of all orientations buy either “taster” or “judge” tickets, bring lots of booze, and then hang out and chat while sampling the dishes. Everyone gets to vote by secret ballot for their favorite dish, and the victor is crowned amidst much applause and adulation. Tasters get to leave with full bellies, and cool door prizes, if they’re lucky.
Kathy Stevens came all the way down from Saugerties for the October event, and we had a blast. The secret ingredient was squash, and over an awesome bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, we enjoyed tasty creations like squash dip with home-made potato chips and roasted mushrooms stuffed with squash. But the dish that really bowled us over, and the rest of the crowd agreed, was the squash blossoms stuffed with nut cheese, lightly dipped in a chili-laced batter, then deep fried. I could have eaten an entire tray, and went snooping in the kitchen for more!
Luck was on our side that night, and my ticket number came up for one of the best door prizes – vegan baking chocolate imported from Israel. As Kathy and I imagined all the delicious desserts that could be made with this precious commodity, we soon realized that neither of us possesses much talent in the kitchen, and eventually gave it away to a woman who lives to bake, and bakes to live.
Do I dare compete someday?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Dr. Michael Greger on Vegan Nutrition
As a new vegan, I often feel like a giant sponge that is constantly soaking up huge amounts of information on how to eat a healthy and balanced plant based diet. There’s a massive amount of information on the web, and everywhere I turn, someone new is giving me advice on what’s good and bad – it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused!
I recently attended an amazing lecture on nutrition given by Dr. Michael Greger, a physician, author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on public health issues, who currently serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States. Dr. Greger’s talk was presented in a lively, interactive, and entertaining game show format where the audience answered questions on nutrition and competed for prizes.
Thank goodness I decided to go vegan! According to Dr. Greger, foods like processed meats and canned tuna have been shown to alter our DNA and increase the aging process, and that the vast majority of mass-marketed beef, chicken and fish (the most common cause of food poisoning) are infected with all sorts of nasty things like parasites and fecal matter. Moreover, cooked meat contains high levels of carcinogenic elements. As a gym nut, I used to rely heavily on eggs as a protein source, and I learned that certain levels of egg consumption are associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
I frequent a lot of natural food market salad bars these days (Lifethyme Natural Market in Greenwich Village has awesome vegan sandwiches and desserts), and it was helpful to get confirmation that some of the things I already love are uber-healthy, including garlic, spinach, raddichio, and beets. Also, since raw mushrooms have certain toxins in them, it’s better to eat cooked ones, and if you love potatoes, sweet ones are better than the white kind. When asked if buying organic (which is often more expensive) is critical, Dr. Greger replied that it depends on what you’re buying since certain things like broccoli is typically low in pesticides, while grapes, strawberries, and bell peppers are often high in pesticides.
Many people wondered about wheat gluten and tofu, which sometimes get a bad rap. Wheat gluten is actually a very high quality protein, unless of course, you fall into that small segment of the population that has celiac disease, and can’t tolerate gluten. In addition, Dr. Greger indicated that eating tofu does not, contrary to some sources, lower sperm count in men, and actually has been linked to higher cognition! Cool.
Feeling nutty? Nuts are one of the best sources of good fats, and walnuts have been shown to aid in keeping arteries healthy. Got a sweet tooth? Add cocoa (a good cancer fighter) to your smoothies, and throw in some ground flax seed. To sweeten the deal, Dr. Greger suggests tossing in some black molasses or date sugar.
In closing, Dr. Greger reported that a vegan diet is a great way to avoid heart disease, and that 90-95 percent of a person’s risk for certain types of cancer is related to diet and environmental factors. Studies also show that a vegan diet, combined with regular exercise, boosts telomeres (a section of our DNA strands) which are crucial for cell longevity and anti-aging.
Want to learn more? Dr. Greger has a series of clinical nutrition DVDs, and all proceeds are donated to charity.
I recently attended an amazing lecture on nutrition given by Dr. Michael Greger, a physician, author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on public health issues, who currently serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States. Dr. Greger’s talk was presented in a lively, interactive, and entertaining game show format where the audience answered questions on nutrition and competed for prizes.
Thank goodness I decided to go vegan! According to Dr. Greger, foods like processed meats and canned tuna have been shown to alter our DNA and increase the aging process, and that the vast majority of mass-marketed beef, chicken and fish (the most common cause of food poisoning) are infected with all sorts of nasty things like parasites and fecal matter. Moreover, cooked meat contains high levels of carcinogenic elements. As a gym nut, I used to rely heavily on eggs as a protein source, and I learned that certain levels of egg consumption are associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
I frequent a lot of natural food market salad bars these days (Lifethyme Natural Market in Greenwich Village has awesome vegan sandwiches and desserts), and it was helpful to get confirmation that some of the things I already love are uber-healthy, including garlic, spinach, raddichio, and beets. Also, since raw mushrooms have certain toxins in them, it’s better to eat cooked ones, and if you love potatoes, sweet ones are better than the white kind. When asked if buying organic (which is often more expensive) is critical, Dr. Greger replied that it depends on what you’re buying since certain things like broccoli is typically low in pesticides, while grapes, strawberries, and bell peppers are often high in pesticides.
Many people wondered about wheat gluten and tofu, which sometimes get a bad rap. Wheat gluten is actually a very high quality protein, unless of course, you fall into that small segment of the population that has celiac disease, and can’t tolerate gluten. In addition, Dr. Greger indicated that eating tofu does not, contrary to some sources, lower sperm count in men, and actually has been linked to higher cognition! Cool.
Feeling nutty? Nuts are one of the best sources of good fats, and walnuts have been shown to aid in keeping arteries healthy. Got a sweet tooth? Add cocoa (a good cancer fighter) to your smoothies, and throw in some ground flax seed. To sweeten the deal, Dr. Greger suggests tossing in some black molasses or date sugar.
In closing, Dr. Greger reported that a vegan diet is a great way to avoid heart disease, and that 90-95 percent of a person’s risk for certain types of cancer is related to diet and environmental factors. Studies also show that a vegan diet, combined with regular exercise, boosts telomeres (a section of our DNA strands) which are crucial for cell longevity and anti-aging.
Want to learn more? Dr. Greger has a series of clinical nutrition DVDs, and all proceeds are donated to charity.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
City Mice Venture into the Country
Recently, CAS hosted a farm chores work party for volunteers, and I convinced a bunch of my city mice friends and vegan acquaintances to road trip up to the farm for the day and roll up their sleeves and get dirty. We were also fortunate to be joined by a couple of long-time members and supporters of CAS.
Our marching orders consisted of demolishing the old dilapidated chicken house, painting portions of the main barn and the newly finished pig barn, and clearing out invasive rose bushes and other vegetation that were strangling the fences around one of the horse pastures. Armed with our pitchforks, paint brushes, weed whips, anvil loppers, ladders, and sledgehammers, we were a lean and mean army on a mission.
The day was truly stunning! It was 70 degrees and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The leaves hadn’t started to turn yet as we had hoped, but we happily soaked up the sun, and the fresh, quiet air was a welcome respite from the concrete and congestion of NYC. After lunch, Kathy Stevens gave the volunteer crew a wonderful tour of the barn, and folks got to hug and kiss many of the animals and hear about their heart-wrenching stories of suffering and abuse, and triumphant healing and recovery. Rambo and Hannah the sheep, and Wilbur the pig, were our special escorts.
Several hours later, most of the barn walls and doors were a polished and hearty forest green, the rickety chicken house was razed, and a significant portion of fence line was nicely groomed. I keep telling my gym friends, who I kick box and study samurai sword fighting with, that farm chores are the ultimate test in endurance and strength, and that there are few things more physically satisfying than working in the barn and out in the fields, and I think I have a few believers now.
The day was not without its funny mishaps. Some folks are still a bit itchy from close encounters with poison ivy, despite Troy’s (our operations manager) lecture on how to identify and avoid it. Then, Jen managed to get whipped in the face with a few rose bush branches that Shelli was cutting, and got thorns stuck in her tongue. Also, Daisy, while scrubbing an exterior barn wall with a broom to prepare it for painting, got a fist full of debris in the eyes, and managed to coax a spider to crawl down her shirt. Even as a seasoned weed whipper, I managed to break open a few giant blisters on my hands. But hey, it’s all in a hard day’s work.
I think the city mice did a pretty good job that day, and we’re so grateful for their energy and enthusiasm. I hope the animals approve!
Our marching orders consisted of demolishing the old dilapidated chicken house, painting portions of the main barn and the newly finished pig barn, and clearing out invasive rose bushes and other vegetation that were strangling the fences around one of the horse pastures. Armed with our pitchforks, paint brushes, weed whips, anvil loppers, ladders, and sledgehammers, we were a lean and mean army on a mission.
The day was truly stunning! It was 70 degrees and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The leaves hadn’t started to turn yet as we had hoped, but we happily soaked up the sun, and the fresh, quiet air was a welcome respite from the concrete and congestion of NYC. After lunch, Kathy Stevens gave the volunteer crew a wonderful tour of the barn, and folks got to hug and kiss many of the animals and hear about their heart-wrenching stories of suffering and abuse, and triumphant healing and recovery. Rambo and Hannah the sheep, and Wilbur the pig, were our special escorts.
Several hours later, most of the barn walls and doors were a polished and hearty forest green, the rickety chicken house was razed, and a significant portion of fence line was nicely groomed. I keep telling my gym friends, who I kick box and study samurai sword fighting with, that farm chores are the ultimate test in endurance and strength, and that there are few things more physically satisfying than working in the barn and out in the fields, and I think I have a few believers now.
The day was not without its funny mishaps. Some folks are still a bit itchy from close encounters with poison ivy, despite Troy’s (our operations manager) lecture on how to identify and avoid it. Then, Jen managed to get whipped in the face with a few rose bush branches that Shelli was cutting, and got thorns stuck in her tongue. Also, Daisy, while scrubbing an exterior barn wall with a broom to prepare it for painting, got a fist full of debris in the eyes, and managed to coax a spider to crawl down her shirt. Even as a seasoned weed whipper, I managed to break open a few giant blisters on my hands. But hey, it’s all in a hard day’s work.
I think the city mice did a pretty good job that day, and we’re so grateful for their energy and enthusiasm. I hope the animals approve!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Turned 40 and became vegan.....
It's been exactly 5 weeks since I became vegan, and I feel amazing!
I’m so excited to launch Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s “Seitan in the City” blog! As CAS’s Director of Outreach based in New York City, I hope you’ll enjoy, and find useful, the brief highlights of my vegan adventures as I travel the five boroughs in search of delicious vegan/vegetarian restaurants and grocery stores, educational films, informative panel discussions, cruelty-free retailers, and cool health and wellness centers.
Seriously, I feel more energetic, bright, and alert, and my heart and mind feel more peaceful, knowing that I'm being kinder to my animal friends. I happily gave up eating land animals two years ago, but in all honesty, I thought giving up seafood (there was a stool with my name on it at an oyster bar in Chelsea) and cheese (my second home was a wine bar with a vast cheese selection in the West Village) would be a herculean effort. Instead, it has been an exciting adventure exploring a whole new world of ingredients, textures, spices/herbs, and ways of cooking.
Going vegan does not mean you have to give up delicious food! Now, to be fair, I have an advantage being vegan in NYC -- there are countless restaurants, bakeries, and cafes that serve up innovative and tasty vegan creations ("SuperVegan" maps vegan-friendly establishments by neighborhood and is indispensable). Some of my favorite joints so far include: Counter in the East Village (the grilled artichokes with vegan rosemary aioli are excellent), Peacefood Cafe on the Upper West Side (the chickpea fries are divine), and Quintessence (a raw food restaurant with fabulous vegan bean tacos topped with cashew cheese and sour cream) on the Lower East Side. Butif you don’t have dozens of vegan restaurants at your doorstep and/or prefer cooking at home, I’m told that “Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” is a must-have, among others. Buying it is at the top of my to-do list.
I'm also grateful that there are thousands of vegans and vegetarians in NYC that, like me, love to stuff their faces and throw back a few vegan cocktails at dinner ("Barnivore" is a useful guide to vegan friendly drinks). I’ve already met dozens of wonderful and amazing people through a bunch of Meet Up groups, and I learn something new from them every day.
But the ones who led me to even contemplate embarking on this fulfilling, and sometimes challenging, journey are the animals and people of CAS. These innocent and beautiful animals, like countless others across the planet, who have endured unspeakable cruelty and misery, but have managed to trust again and live joyfully, are my deepest inspiration. And Kathy Stevens, the Founder and Director of CAS, is my true heroine. I’m forever grateful for everything they teach me.
I’m so excited to launch Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s “Seitan in the City” blog! As CAS’s Director of Outreach based in New York City, I hope you’ll enjoy, and find useful, the brief highlights of my vegan adventures as I travel the five boroughs in search of delicious vegan/vegetarian restaurants and grocery stores, educational films, informative panel discussions, cruelty-free retailers, and cool health and wellness centers.
Seriously, I feel more energetic, bright, and alert, and my heart and mind feel more peaceful, knowing that I'm being kinder to my animal friends. I happily gave up eating land animals two years ago, but in all honesty, I thought giving up seafood (there was a stool with my name on it at an oyster bar in Chelsea) and cheese (my second home was a wine bar with a vast cheese selection in the West Village) would be a herculean effort. Instead, it has been an exciting adventure exploring a whole new world of ingredients, textures, spices/herbs, and ways of cooking.
Going vegan does not mean you have to give up delicious food! Now, to be fair, I have an advantage being vegan in NYC -- there are countless restaurants, bakeries, and cafes that serve up innovative and tasty vegan creations ("SuperVegan" maps vegan-friendly establishments by neighborhood and is indispensable). Some of my favorite joints so far include: Counter in the East Village (the grilled artichokes with vegan rosemary aioli are excellent), Peacefood Cafe on the Upper West Side (the chickpea fries are divine), and Quintessence (a raw food restaurant with fabulous vegan bean tacos topped with cashew cheese and sour cream) on the Lower East Side. Butif you don’t have dozens of vegan restaurants at your doorstep and/or prefer cooking at home, I’m told that “Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” is a must-have, among others. Buying it is at the top of my to-do list.
I'm also grateful that there are thousands of vegans and vegetarians in NYC that, like me, love to stuff their faces and throw back a few vegan cocktails at dinner ("Barnivore" is a useful guide to vegan friendly drinks). I’ve already met dozens of wonderful and amazing people through a bunch of Meet Up groups, and I learn something new from them every day.
But the ones who led me to even contemplate embarking on this fulfilling, and sometimes challenging, journey are the animals and people of CAS. These innocent and beautiful animals, like countless others across the planet, who have endured unspeakable cruelty and misery, but have managed to trust again and live joyfully, are my deepest inspiration. And Kathy Stevens, the Founder and Director of CAS, is my true heroine. I’m forever grateful for everything they teach me.
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