Enewsletter

Notes from Vegan Outreach

Your Group's Logo on Why Vegan?

We will soon need to do another printing of Why Vegan? If you are interested in sponsoring a batch with your group's logo and contact information printed on the back, please e-mail jack(at)veganoutreach(dot)org by Monday, Feb 12 for pricing and details.

Products & Talk of the Week

Beth Cox: I’d like to nominate Terra Nostra’s Ricemilk Choco Bar. Once I became a vegan I accepted the end of milk chocolate and have now developed a real appreciation of dark chocolate. Still, it is great to be able to have vegan milk chocolate and the taste is amazing.

K Welsh: If anyone in the Bay Area hasn't tasted Maggie Mudd's Freestyle ice creams, you're missing out!

Also for the Bay Area, Jack Norris will be speaking on Sunday, February 11. After the Bay Area Vegetarians' famous Vegan Food Party at 3pm, Jack will be sharing his experiences and plans for saving animals and changing the world. Don't miss this opportunity -- details here.

Send your nominees for Product of the Week to product (at) veganoutreach (dot) org; previous products can be found here.

Notes from All Over

The Reality of Smithfield

Last week's eN mentioned Smithfield Farm's decision to eventually phase out gestation crates. Jeff Tietz, an investigative reporter, has published a behind-the-scenes look at Smithfield's operations. Excerpt:

"Smithfield Foods, the largest and most profitable pork processor in the world, killed 27 million hogs last year. That's a number worth considering. A slaughter-weight hog is fifty percent heavier than a person. The logistical challenge of processing that many pigs each year is roughly equivalent to butchering and boxing the entire human populations of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Columbus, Austin, Memphis, Baltimore, Fort Worth, Charlotte, El Paso, Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston, Denver, Louisville, Washington, D.C., Nashville, Las Vegas, Portland, Oklahoma City and Tucson."

A Few More 'Inconvenient Truths'

Excerpt: "The report released today by the world's leading climate scientists made no bones about it: global warming is happening in a big way and it is very likely man-made. So, if we are indeed the bulk of the problem, we ought to step up and start doing things differently. Now.
     "My last post ('Vegetarian Is the New Prius') got a lot of traction, and I think it's because there is a realization that being 'part of the solution' can be a whole lot simpler -- and cheaper -- than going out and buying a new car."

Support Vegan Businesses!

"The Vegan Chamber of Commerce is a new organization dedicated to the commerce of vegan businesses, professionals, and service providers. Our goal is to create a worldwide central directory of vegan commerce, a support network for vegan entrepreneurs, and provide education about the vegan lifestyle."

Feedback from Our Members

My road trip to Austin and Texas A&M was great, and we reached over 10,000 people. Got some good help on this fun vacation and leafleting trip from 3 others. Angelo was a riot, passing off the booklets with the behind the back pass (at right), over the shoulder, and all sorts of funny hand offs.
-Casey Constable, 2/2/07

While leafleting at the mall again today, I overheard a young woman telling her friends, "I can't look at those pictures again. I now can't eat meat anymore."
-Eugene Khutoryansky, 2/3/07

After leafleting at St. Joseph's today, Tracy, my host who works at Saint Joseph, told me that many of her students were discussing the brochures. One girl even said, "I should go vegetarian!" Hooray!
     At the University of Hartford last week, I had an interesting exchange:
     Me: Brochure against animal cruelty?
     Male student: Sure. (Takes it and walks away, reading it)
     (Another student approaches from the opposite direction)
     Male student: Hey, have you seen this? (Holds up his booklet to the other student)
     Female student: No, what is it?
     Male student: Take one from her. (Points to me; the female student takes a brochure)
     I also just found out that two people with whom I interned last summer are both going vegan. I guess all of those vegan brownie nights that I hosted and leaflets I gave to everyone I knew have paid off! Never underestimate the power of good literature, good food, and good conversation.
-Jenna Calabrese (at Yale; photo by Nick Jeanette), 1/31/07

At the University of Illinois (U-C), I handed out 550 WV. I really thought the wind chill temperature of -10 would hurt my numbers. My proper dressing (6 layers on the top half of my body, 2 layers on the bottom half) allowed me to stay out for 7 hours. Heard from no less than 20 vegetarians and 4 vegans. Talked with one student who stated he really liked my line, "Brochure on nonviolent eating?" and he related that his wife had become vegetarian as a result of getting the booklet with those magical words from me in the past.
-Joe Espinosa, 1/31/07

This was by far the coldest weather I have ever leafleted in. The wind chill was -20 F! We were dressed in many layers. I had 7 other people scheduled to leaflet with me, but 6 of them canceled (understandable!). I was able to scrape together a few other volunteers and we passed out about 1,000 leaflets! If people were hesitant, I just said "These MUST be important if I am willing to be out here in this cold passing these out for free!" Almost no one turned down the leaflets when I said that!
-Ben Acaso, CAA, 1/29/07

Vegan Outreach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the suffering of farmed animals by promoting informed, ethical eating. All donations are tax-deductible. Vegan Outreach POB 30865, Tucson, AZ 85751-0865