Andrew Hamilton joins the board of CAA with a big heart for animals. He’s been a dedicated volunteer and board member at the Animal Rights Coalition for over fifteen years, where he’s led vegan cooking classes, hosted waffle parties, and organized nearly one hundred Meetups at all-vegan restaurants.
By day, Andrew is a public school teacher in the city, and during his winter, spring, and summer breaks, he loves exploring museums, visiting gay bars, and trying out all-vegan eateries. He shares his home with a happy senior rescue dog and lives in Minnetonka.
Meet Mitch Bermel, a new CAA board member who’s passionate about our mission to promote empathy for animals and encourage plant-based diets. Mitch, a dedicated volunteer and donor, believes CAA holds untapped potential and is eager to shape its future, especially through strategic planning.
Mitch brings nonprofit experience from his work at Legal Assistance of Dakota County. He began volunteering with CAA in January 2021 and was active on the Development Committee. He appreciates CAA’s community focus and aims to help expand its outreach efforts, such as we did with the cornhole tournament in Summer 2022, which he helped organize.
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The reviews are pouring in, and they are filled with positivity! With over 5,000 attendees, Twin Cities Veg Fest 2023 was a huge hit. Survey responses are overflowing with praise for the wide array of activities and booths. People loved everything – from the fantastic vendors with delicious food to the fun activities, tasty food demonstrations, and exciting giveaways. The music and speakers were a hit too, making sure there was something enjoyable for everyone. And who could forget the excitement of our surprise celebrity guest, Ms. Tabitha Brown, who generously took time to visit with vendors and attendees and even posted a reel about it on her Instagram account!
But it’s not just about the fun; the event also made a significant impact for the animals. Over 50% of attendees were not yet vegan. We were excited to see that the vast majority of them expressed their commitment to taking steps toward a more compassionate lifestyle. Many said they would cut down on dairy and/or eggs, while others pledged to reduce their purchases of products made from animals. Almost everyone indicated their intention to share this newfound information with others.
Jesse has been a dedicated Twin Cities Veg Fest volunteer for over four years. This year, his role was coordinator of our Zero Waste efforts. He also helped plan the first Twin Cities Plant-Based Bike Crawl on August 12th. At the event he was a lead biker to guide folks on the route! In addition, he helps the Tech Team maintain CAA’s websites.
Twin Cities Veg Fest started in 2012 and was held at the University of Minnesota. This is when Jesse discovered and started attending Veg Fest. He enjoys volunteering and wants to continue inspiring folks to try plant-based eating. He views it as a great way to benefit the planet, animals, and our health.
Grand Prize winner: Tori Ramen’s delicious Vegan Birria Ramen
This August, as part of the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge, nineteen local restaurants competed to make the best new vegan dish in the Cities. For a month, they added a new vegan dish to their menus, and diners at the restaurant tried it and cast their votes. Over a thousand diners, of varying diets, participated in trying and giving feedback on new dishes.
Social media posts about the dishes, including both restaurant offerings and facts about the benefits of vegan eating, reached over 20k Minnesotans, and media coverage further extended the challenge’s reach.
Restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines, and ranging from vegan restaurants to those with no vegan entrees, experimented with new dishes and benefited from new publicity and detailed diner feedback. Winners were determined based on restaurant ratings as well as other diner feedback on the dishes.
The cookbook selection for October is Plants Only Kitchen (2020) by Gaz Oakley. Join us for the Vegan Recipe Club online meeting Tuesday, October 17 from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm.
If you are curious about vegan cooking, this club is for you! Each month participants make three recipes from popular cookbooks then share their reflections with the group. Novice to expert cooks are welcome, as are interested non-cooks. Registration not required.
The publisher of this month’s featured cookbook says: “Plants-Only Kitchen offers an explosion of flavour, with more than 70 vegan recipes that work around your lifestyle. With symbols flagging whether recipes are high-protein, take less than 15 minutes, are gluten-free, one-pot or are suitable for meal prep, Plants-Only Kitchen explains how best to make a vegan diet work for you. No fuss, no fancy ingredients – just fantastic food using plants, only. Gaz Oakley (aka @avantgardevegan) has amassed well over a million followers on social media with his exciting vegan dishes, which emphasize that a plant-based diet doesn’t mean missing out on taste. In Plants-Only Kitchen, Gaz’s recipes are easier than ever before – following his step-by-step instructions, tips and advice, anyone can cook great vegan food.”
Thanks to our sponsor, VegFund, we have an exciting day lined up for you at the VegFund Mainstage. Get ready for cooking demonstrations featuring talented chefs from two beloved local vegan restaurants: Hi! Flora and Reverie Cafe + Bar. You’ll discover the secrets to adding that extra flair to your home vegan cooking!
But that’s not all; we have some informative talks in store for you. Dr. Joanne Kong will delve into the social damage caused by factory farms, shedding light on the extensive harm they inflict beyond animal cruelty. Factory farm workers face physical injuries, psychological trauma, and harsh conditions that often lead to domestic violence, PTSD, and substance abuse, creating a widespread cycle of cruelty that affects society as a whole. She will explain how embracing veganism is a powerful step towards a kinder world.
Are you ready for an amazing experience at the Twin Cities Veg Fest? While delicious vegan food and drinks are understandably big draws, there’s so much more to explore among our 100+ exhibitors. Whether you’re seeking compassionate products, intriguing organizations, or inspiring info, you’re in for a treat!
While we can’t list them all, here are some exhibitors to pique your curiosity.
Kristen came to Farmaste September 1, 2017. She spent the first half of her life as a dairy goat, being repeatedly impregnated and milked. Rather than be sent to slaughter once her milking days were done, she was given the chance to retire to Farmaste with her best friends, Beata and Clarice. Kristen spent almost exactly 6 years living her best life at Farmaste before passing due to cancer at 13 1/2 years old on Aug 29, 2023
Kristen loved sanctuary life. When she arrived, she was the top goat in her herd and enjoyed keeping her friends in line when needed, which Kristen thought was often! She was also the “representative” of her herd with the other species. She was often spotted interacting with Gertie, Moolan, and even the pigs. Kristen was a tough girl, and she was certain she could take on a competitor of any size! She had to let the animals know she was in charge first and then she would love on them forever. She was friendly with everyone she met, animals and humans.
Wholesome Minnesota Director, Jodi Gruhn with co-presenter Eva Breiland (left)
I attended the Minnesota School Food Association Conference (MSNA) for the first time in 2022. During the conference I noted many opportunities to educate school food professionals about the power of the plant-based plate in school food. After attending in 2022, I created a personal and professional goal that I would earn a speaking slot for the MSNA Conference 2023. I achieved this goal on August 8th!
Wholesome Minnesota’s presentation, “The Power of the Plant-Based Plate”, was built upon leveraging and creating partnerships and relationships. Let me explain…
Knowing that I wanted to immediately capture the attention of our attendees, like any good vegan, I started with food.
A few weeks before the conference I connected with Bobbi Jo Lamar Brunson of Sweet Troo Vi who after a short email exchange agreed we were mission aligned. Sweet Troo Vi donates a portion of their proceeds to benefit local causes with the greatest need throughout the Twin Cities with emphasis on youth programs and aid. They generously donated samples of their AMAZING cookies (seriously if you haven’t had one, your life will not be complete until you do). They were the perfect partner. I heard over and over from the audience- “this is vegan?” Just the point I was trying to make.
It gets better. I did not present alone. In fact, I presented with the most perfect co-presenter I could have ever asked for. This year I partnered with Eva Breiland, a student from Breck School who partnered with Wholesome Minnesota for her Advanced Mathematics Research Project, a final project for her senior year.
