March 1, 2023

There is something for everyone in CAA’s Auction this year! You can bid to take home one of the over 50 donated items. You get something you really want and CAA gets funds to help spare more animals from lives of suffering.

Log into the auction website to see photos, read descriptions and place your bids. Once you bid you will get notices if someone outbids you. Looking at the great choices, it seems we may get some fun bidding wars going on! So bid early and often.

Here is just a taste of the tantalizing items on offer:

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by Jodi Miller Gruhn, Wholesome Minnesota Director, February 22, 2023

My visit to Armstrong High school was one of my favorite days working for Wholesome Minnesota. The FACS (Family and Consumer Science) teachers had promoted my “vegan” visit and the students in the seven classes I visited were incredibly curious. Some because they are interested in plant-based eating, others because they thought it was unbelievable that someone would choose a plant-based lifestyle. These two curiosities made for interesting conversations and a real dialogue between myself and the students.

I shared a short presentation about  the power of our plates in terms of health, the environment, animals and inclusivity. The most powerful moment of the day occurred when a Muslim student approached me upset that they couldn’t make or eat the sausage I’d brought because of their religion. After I explained the sausage was entirely made from plants, and that I would never bring food that one cultural group couldn’t eat, a larger conversation including the entire class occurred. We talked about the power of inclusivity and what it feels like to be excluded due to dietary reasons. The student who’d raised the issue left the class beaming.

We made pancakes with oat and chickpea flour focused on the importance of fiber and easy ways to up the protein in almost any recipe. I shared substitutes for eggs like aquafaba, applesauce, and flax and chia seeds. 

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Kelso Anderson was introduced to CAA in the summer of 2022 at a video outreach event. He wasn’t planning to alter his “health-motivated” vegetarian diet. Still, his view of animals changed significantly after seeing the video. That summer, he read Dominion by Matthew Scully. Shortly after, he attended his first Veg Fest and joined the University of Minnesota’s CAA student group. He went vegan to mark the occasion of his 21st birthday.

Kelso reveled in the community support he found at CAA and the Veg Fest. Spending time with like-minded people accelerated his dietary changes and made transitioning to a plant-based diet feel effortless. Because of the support he received, he was inspired to start volunteering and help others discover that living in alignment with their principles is achievable. 

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After a pandemic break we came back with a bang for the 12th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off! 170 people joined us to sample and rate great vegan chili. The constant refrain from taste-testers was, “I’m so glad I came, all of the chilis were great and so different!”

Much thanks to our talented, professional contestants: The Howe Daily Kitchen, Vegan Byy Nature, The Herbivorous Butcher/J. Selby’s and H.E.A.L. Minneapolis. Each of the contestants showed their passion and skills through their delicious chilis.

After the ratings were tabulated, first time competitor The Howe Daily Kitchen won first place and the coveted Chicken Statue! The animals were the true winners though as many people were exposed to how tasty vegan food can be! 

Participants went home with a new appreciation for vegan food and our vibrant community. Comments included: “I liked the chili and everyone was super-friendly,”  “It was fun to learn about new restaurants,”  and “This was my first CAA event and I liked seeing different ways to eat vegan.”

A guest blog by Chicken Run Rescue

Monique was our 1209th rescue who arrived last August. Like most, her story started with an email: 

“Hi…a hen wandered into our garage last night.  Neighbors said they’ve seen it wandering around for a few days so I don’t think it will find its way home.  Has infected eye and maybe something wrong with it’s beak. What should I do with it? We can’t keep it.” Neighbors had been chasing her out of their yards and into the street. As always for stray reports, I asked for pictures of the bird and of where they were at the moment. I wept when I saw the extent of her eye infection to think of her wandering about with no food or protection and knew her options were non-existent if we didn’t step in. The event of bird flu had just resurfaced and was now considered to be endemic- here to stay- so we had to be be on high biosecurity alert to keep our residents safe. It would take some time and networking to find her a safe place to be fostered and vet care arranged.

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February 6, 2022

39 readers of our weekly CAA newsletter responded to our recent survey. We appreciate each of you who took the time to respond. We want to share the results and how we’re using them to shape newsletter content.

In general, readers were very positive. They especially appreciated the brief, positive, and welcoming content. Details are reported below. You will see that readers said that the newsletter helped increase their knowledge in targeted areas. We plan to adjust our content to improve on these metrics.

We also asked for readers’ general likes and suggestions. Readers are primarily interested in information on upcoming events. They also like profiles on individuals and of the sanctuary animals that motivate us. In addition, they like information on how to take action for animals. They appreciate gaining knowledge in key areas.

Some representative quotes:

• I am reminded through the emails that there is a community of people advocating and spreading awareness
• I like that it manages to update you on all the events and current actions but is still brief
• I like hearing about vegan news and events that are local to me and different ways veganism are/can be incorporated in the community!

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This past year saw the addition of a chapter in the Duluth area! Prior to the pandemic, there was a large vegan recipe group that met in the Duluth area. They had a plant-based food and cooking discussion. Sheri Olson, was interested in reviving something similar but with a more specific focus of partnering with CAA. She had recently moved from the Twin Cities where she had been a CAA volunteer. She reached out to CAA Executive Director Laura Matanah and got support for starting a new chapter. 

Read below for Sheri’s responses to some questions we sent her. Learn more about this exciting new chapter which is helping to serve the needs of the veg curious in the North Shore area:

Interview with Sheri Olson, CAA Duluth Chapter

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A guest blog by Michael Willemsen, CAA Chapter coordinator

The St. Cloud area has had a long history of environmental and animal rights advocacy. I met Zach Ewald many years ago at St. Cloud State University through a student group called Advocates for Animals and the Environment. We received guidance and materials from non-profit groups such as Compassionate Action for Animals and Vegan Outreach. Shannon Kimball came up to St. Cloud and gave some unforgettable presentations to both SCSU and SCTCC students through the Bridges of Respect program. We happily volunteered to help! Fast forward to 2014 when Zach started Food Not Bombs in St. Cloud and we formed the unofficial Central Minnesota Vegan Association (CMVA). We hosted film showings, did leafleting outreach, and participated in some tabling events. My personal favorite was when our group had a free food giveaway at St. Cloud Pride in the Park.

In the Spring of 2021, I approached Zach with an idea of getting more involved for animal rights in our local community. The CMVA group had long since disbanded. We communicated online and reached out to Laura Matanah (CAA’s Executive Director). She was supportive of our idea to start a local chapter and provided us with logistical support. After meeting with Zach and others for some vegan grilling at a local park, our St. Cloud Chapter was officially recognized in June of 2021.

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Vegan/Vegetarian Diet-Related

Veganuary—January

International Vegan Cuisine Month—February 

Plant Power Day—March 7

National Eat your Vegetables Day–June 17 

Independence from Meat Day –July 4

World Plant Milk Day—August 22 

Hug a Vegetarian Day —September 23

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