There are big changes coming to Ohio farm animals. Ohioans for Humane Farms met with Ohio agriculture leaders and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland to broker a deal that will bring much needed reforms to Ohio animal agriculture. This comes on the heels of a successful signature gathering campaign that collected 500,000 signatures from Ohioans demanding change for farmed animals. Those signatures were collected for a ballot measure that will no longer be necessary as farming interests felt the ominous fight ahead and came to the negotiation table. Here’s what the animals won:

• A ban on veal crates, to be phased out within six years.
• A ban on new gestation crates in the state after December 31, 2010. Existing facilities are grandfathered, but must cease use of these crates within 15 years.
• A permanent moratorium on permits for new battery cage facilities in place immediately.
• A ban on the transport of downed cows and calves for slaughter.
• A ban on strangulation and other forms of on farm killing that are not included in euthanasia standards as outlined by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
• Enactment of legislation establishing felony-level penalties for cock fighters.

These are huge strides for farmed animals, but there is an underlying disappointment that existing battery cages for egg-laying hens will still be permitted. Battery cages confine a hen to a space the size of a sheet of paper where she can’t even extend her wings for her whole life. Imagine living your entire life in a crowded elevator and you will understand the life if a battery caged hen. These would have been banned by the ballot measure, but this deal does bring historic change to the heavily agricultural state of Ohio without the risk of losing everything at the ballot.

This victory is part of an amazing trend that is shining light on the darkest places in the abusive animal agricultural industry and showing its true colors to the world. Change is happening and the days of cruelty, violence and intensive confinement toward gentle farm animals are numbered.

We gave edible underwear a whole new meaning as In Defense of Animals joined forces with PETA, East Bay Animal Advocates and Bay Area Vegetarians to march in San Francisco’s Gay Pride Parade Extravaganza on June 27, 2010. When I arrived the morning of the parade, our huge flatbed truck/float was filled with voluminous fruits and luscious veggies. Ladies were pinning greens on skimpy bikinis. One gal had a watermelon cut in half strung on as a bikini top. I joined in the fun and sprouted kale on my mini-skirt. Most of the gals looked like they jumped in a giant salad and came out just covered in strategic places.

There was something for everyone and the more modest among us had the option of t-shirts made especially for the day that read “Vegan Pride” or a variety of costumes. There was a cow, a chicken and a few pigs that held “Please Don’t Eat Me!” signs and a carrot, stalk of celery and other veggies whose signs read, “Eat ME!”

The best part was the outreach. For a long stretch of 8 blocks on Market St., we furiously passed out an estimated 17,000 pieces of veg literature to the lively crowd while smiling, cheering, waving and dancing to Lady Gaga! A few scantly clad veggie people danced on top of the truck “whipping” each other with chard stalks. This was our opportunity to show the world that vegans are not cloudy, dark, doom and gloom types, but fun, humorous, gorgeous and healthy! You can see all the pictures from our adventure here.

We were warmly received and we all felt that this sympathetic crowd allowed us to offer our message of compassion. I hope this inspires you to want to get out, take advantage of the summer months and do some veg outreach! We can provide you with materials and support. We also have World Go Vegan Week coming up Oct. 24 – 31. Start planning your event now! Contact hope@idausa.org if you would like to participate and do some outreach in your area.

Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary/photo credit: Karla Goodson

Throughout my 20 years in the animal protection field I have admired the work of In Defense of Animals, and I’m truly honored to accept the position of President of this esteemed organization. I feel very fortunate to have inherited a solid foundation created by Dr. Elliot Katz, and look forward to building on this platform of excellence in order to expand IDA’s positive impact for animals.

More than two decades ago I realized the common thread in the network of animal cruelty – the cage. The cage represents the imprisonment and mistreatment of the animals of this world. I have focused my career on tearing down these cages in their many forms and uses.

The cage is a fundamentally flawed contraption that causes rapid emotional, social and physical decline of its inhabitants. In my experience any animal confined to a cage goes through three phases of decline; typically starting with high anxiety, leading to depression, and resulting in psychological turmoil. Putting an animal in a cage is a violation of that creature’s innate right to live naturally and without suffering. This type of confinement also forces animals to eat, sleep and defecate in a space often only a few times the size of their body. This causes human and animal health problems and can ultimately lead to death in some species.

I conceptualized and built a revolutionary cageless animal shelter that set global humane standards. I lobbied for the adoption of guardian language to change people’s ideas concerning our relationships with animals. I lead the rescue of tens of thousands of animals from puppy mills, dog and cock fighting, hoarding cases, equine farming and countless other cruel instances of confinement and mistreatment. I have liberated hundreds of thousands of animals from the confines of cages and the grip of man-made cruelty.

Throughout the centuries, humans have used cages to take non-human animals out of their natural habitats and confine them for enjoyment or financial gain. This phenomenon flows through many forms of animal cruelty. Unnatural confinement is central to puppy mills, vivisection, the dog-meat trade in South Korea, zoos, circuses, aquaria, the exotic bird trade, fur farms, and most of the other exploitative industries IDA fights against.

Puppy mills are one of the most obvious incarnations of this imprisonment. Breeding dogs are often confined to small wire cages for their entire lives, forced to live in horrific conditions while producing litter after litter. These dogs are treated more like a cash crop than living beings capable of pain, loneliness and fear. They live in feces-caked enclosures without proper veterinary care and often only feel the touch of a human hand when they are being forced to breed or their puppies are being taken from them. In this miserable existence they become one with their cages – many have never felt solid ground beneath their feet – only the hard grate of their metal enclosures. One of the most disturbing examples of this abuse I have seen was a Pekingese I rescued from a puppy mill in Arkansas. His severely matted hair had grown around the bars of his tiny cage. I actually had to cut him out of that dank prison to free him.

Another nightmarish example of the cage’s cruel impact is vivisection. Animals are held in laboratories across the country and forced to undergo unimaginable suffering in the name of science. These innocent primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, and other animals cower in the corners of their cages as rough gloved hands reach in to inflict torture. Animals in laboratories are commonly dissected, infected, gassed, burned and blinded. I don’t think that we can fully comprehend the terror of such an existence. For these animals every human interaction is filled with confusion and suffering.

The confinement of birds is perhaps the most fundamentally disturbing use of the cage. Birds are gifted with the incredible ability to soar through the air, envied by all other creatures.  Humans, on a whim, fueled by their desire for an exotic, luxurious pet, take these winged creatures from their rainforest and jungle habitats and force them to live in unnatural confines without proper enrichment. An exotic bird who would naturally fly uninhibited through the treetops is forced to live in a cage often only several times his size. This bird, born to be part of an intricate, social flock, is often forced to live in solitary misery. Some species of parrots can live close to 90 years, but inadequate care and constant confinement dramatically decrease the life expectancy of birds kept as pets.  Until humans cease the imprisonment of these regal creatures they will continue to suffer and die behind the bars of their gilt cages.

These are only three of many examples of the cruelty of confinement. But the cage itself  is not the driving force of the cruelty – it is the humans who stand to profit from the suffering. To make a significant positive impact for these victimized animals we must change the mindset of those who profit from their misery. I remain confident that we are in a position to drastically reduce animal suffering. The need to end animal suffering is great everywhere, but the power of compassion is equal to that need.

In my position as president of IDA I plan to continue that crusade to bring animals out of the darkness of caged confinement and into the safety of a more natural and fulfilling life. We can win only if we band together in a unified circle of compassion, not wavering until we realize our vision of a humane society. IDA has the tools necessary to fight this battle, but we need you every step of the way to ensure victory. I call on you as guardians of the sentient beings of this planet to do your part and continue to support IDA in our work to protect the rights, habitat and welfare of animals. On behalf of the animals who benefit from your acts of kindness, thank you.

Chipotle Roasted Corn

1/3 Cup Chipotle Salsa

2/3 Cup Vegannaise

2 Teaspoons Lime Juice

Dash of Liquid Smoke

8 Ears of Corn

Mix salsa, vegannaise, lime juice and liquid smoke.

Fold down each layer of the corn husks. Remove the silks and brush a heavy coating of the salsa mix on to each corn. Fold the husks back up to cover and seal in salsa mix.

Wrap with aluminum foil. Put on the grill for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove foil an put back on grill for 3 to 5 minutes.

Fold down the husks and season with salt and pepper to taste.

For More Recipes – You can always check out out recipes in our Vegan Campaign or order your own Vegan Starter Kit that is full of vegan recipes and tips.

The star this week : Taco Salad

A few months ago, I saw the movie Julie & Julia. Being an armchair chef, it’s surprising it took us so long to see a movie that starred food. I mean – we love food, movies, books about food that are turned into movies – so what took us so long? I admit I was charmed at first. I mean, here was a devoted, vintage-clothing-wearing, amateur foodie who wore pearls in the kitchen – one of my own personal dreams,  although in my dream, the pearls would be fake just like my “meat”. I was intrigued by finding someone who, on the surface, was a little like me.  But as you can imagine, she lost me at the infamous  “Lobster Killer” scene and I never really bounced back.

Yes, after years of meeting and knowing literally thousands of vegans from all over the world, and working at the largest animal advocacy agencies on the planet, including IDA, I can say with complete confidence that no one in the world loves food the way vegans do. We think about food constantly. We read labels with a Christmas Morning eagerness, searching for those deal breaker words: Whey, Egg Whites, Skim Milk Protein, Casein. We sit around talking about food like the gals in Sex in The City talk about shoes. We send emails to all our friends and family telling them about new products with an eagerness that can only be compared to Beatle Mania . . . or these days Bieber Mania. We love food almost as much as we love saving animals and the planet. So why not find a way to make everything vegan? All those casseroles that feed a family of four for a week, or those childhood favorites you think about from time to time when you think about mom… My husband and I are making them vegan. For as long as it takes,  we’ll be veganizing every recipe in The Betty Crocker Cookbook and sharing our tips and secrets with you. We’ve always said we can make anything fat and vegan … now we’re putting this claim to the test! Thank you, Lobster Killer, for inspiring a project that I suspect you would hate. . .

On the menu this week : Butterscotch Brownies, Herb Roasted Chicken & Vegetables, Taco Salad, Clams in White Sauce, Caramel Sticky Rolls

Some Highlights Thus Far : Garlic Cheesy Biscuits, Osso Bucco, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Turtle Cheesecake, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Cheeseburger Pie, Tuna Casserole

Please know we have kept the original names for the recipes so you can follow along in The Betty Crocker Cookbook if you would like and that all recipes are 100% Vegan! For more recipes and to follow this vegan venture, check out MeetTheShannons.net and keep checking back here at IDA’s blog. . . we’ll be sharing tips and recipes here as well!

Do something powerful for Earth Day – Go VEGAN!

I have some great news for the planet. The food and drink an average person consumes are the single largest determining factor of one’s overall ecological footprint. Why is this good news? Because knowing this, it’s easy and affordable to make important improvements in your own global impact. You don’t need to buy a hybrid or get solar panels to make the biggest impact.

Our food choices have dramatic consequences on the environment. Reducing or eliminating the consumption of animal products is one of the most powerful ways an individual reduce his or her carbon footprint. What we put into our bags at the grocery store actually has more environmental impact than whether we bring reusable shopping bag or drive a hybrid to the store. Animal agriculture is responsible for many of the world’s most serious environmental problems- global warming, water use and pollution, massive energy consumption, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and spices, as well as the deep impact of fishing on our oceans.

When it comes to global warming, farmed animals and their byproducts are responsible for 51 percent of annual worldwide human caused greenhouse gas emissions. This is according to a new report from two prominent World Bank environmental advisers. Based on their research, they conclude that replacing animal products with plant-based foods would be the best strategy for reversing climate change. They advise that this can reduce emissions even more than the actions currently taken to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.

A study by the University of Chicago found that consuming no animal products is 50 percent more effective at fighting global warming than switching from a standard car to a hybrid.

Earth Day is April 22 and events will be taking place all over the world during the month of April. This is a perfect time to educate people who care about the planet about one of the biggest contributors to the most serious environmental problems around the world, animal agriculture. Write a letter to the editor and educate your community. Please check out our Eco-Eating pages to get information on this important issue.

Reducing or eliminating the consumption of animal products is one of the most powerful ways an individual can stop harming the environment. The next time you’re assessing a food’s ecological footprint, be sure to remember: organic is important, local is good, but vegan is best.

A plant-based diet is by far the most ecological dietary choice we can make

Sweet & Sara's Vegan Peeps

Every year, millions of people dress up in their best clothes, get together with their families and friends to give out baskets of treats, hunt Easter eggs and enjoy a big meal. It is a beautiful time of year, with the flowers blooming and trees turning green again. It is easy to see why people would love Easter and now it is easier than ever to celebrate with compassion. Here are some easy tips:

• Use Colorful Plastic Eggs filled with Vegan candy for your Easter Hunt! Not only will the hidden candy be more popular with your kids by avoiding using real eggs – you are not supporting an industry that remains indifferent to the unthinkable cruelties that have become common practice on their farms- including debeaking and confinement in filthy wire battery cages so small they can’t even spread their wings.
  
• Make your Easter Basket Kid & Animal friendly! Here are just a few suggestions of Vegan alternatives to classic Easter candy favorites:
  

Peeps
Creme Eggs
Chocolate Eggs
Jelly Beans
The Chocolate Bunnies
Gummy Bunnies ( OK not a classic BUT a must try )
Caramel Eggs

• Skip the Ham this Easter! Here’s a great compassionate alternative for Easter Dinner courtesy of Turtle Island Foods.:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced very thin
1 cup dried sour cherries
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons apple cider
1 Tofurky roast

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, cherries, brown sugar and vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in mustard and apple cider, and simmer for two more minutes.
Place Tofurky roast on sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and spread with the onion mixture. Wrap roast snugly with the foil. Place in roasting pan, and place on center rack of oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover roast for last 10 minutes of baking. Slice roast, and serve with some of the pan juices spooned over it.

For more Vegan recipes – Order a FREE Vegan Starter Kit!