Compassionate Action for Animals is hosting Their Lives, Our Voices 2014, our fifth animal advocacy conference on Saturday, September 27th on the University of Minnesota campus at Hanson Memorial Hall.

This inclusive, hands-on conference empowers activists in their efforts to help farm animals. Two tracks of informative lectures and facilitated discussions showcase diverse topics and perspectives within our movement. In addition, the conference offers attendees the opportunity to network with other activists from both the local and national scene. Visiting speakers include Erica Meier from Compassion Over Killing and Paul Shapiro from The Humane Society of the United States.

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Do you want to help get the word out about the importance of going veg but don’t have much free time to volunteer? I know how you feel. I used to leaflet at outreach events for Compassionate Action for Animals but became busy with other activities. I didn’t have as much time to volunteer but still wanted to help in some way.

Then, while walking near downtown one sunny day, I encountered a news stand stocked with Vegetarian Starter Guides and was curious to know who stocked it. I asked around and discovered that CAA volunteers distributed these guides throughout the city. Aha! Here was something I could easily jump into doing.

Dropping off literature at coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, and other locations can be a convenient way to volunteer. Most us pass by these places during our daily commutes. When we take a moment to leave some outreach literature at these locations, we make it possible for others to learn about the benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Research has shown that most people care about the well-being of farm animals. Seeing a Vegetarian Starter Guide is a visible reminder of farm animal issues and only reinforces these shared values. Additionally, research has shown that 12 million people in the United States are very interested in moving towards a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian Starter Guides equip people with the basic information needed to go veg confidently and effectively.

I’ve been dropping off this kind of literature at co-ops, news stands, and coffee shops for several years now. Often, the pamphlets disappear in a few weeks before I revisit the location. Someone once even contacted CAA office requesting that more guides be dropped off since they had run out. This person had wanted to share the Vegetarian Starter Guides with friends. Clearly, our community wants this information.

Feeling strongly about this outreach method, I’ve been recruiting others to be a part of it. If you are passionate about creating a more veg-friendly community right here in Minnesota, you can join our Lit Distribution Team. Email me at [email protected], and I’ll give you the lowdown on how to get started. Together, we can take compassionate action for animals!

CAA volunteer and vegan powerhouse AmyLeo Barankovich is leading a cooking class at Valley Natural Foods on Tuesday, August 19th at 6:00 pm. AmyLeo will show you why veggies need not be gulped down as a boring side dish. These amazing gifts from nature offer up everything from B vitamins to protein. Yes, protein is plentiful in vegetables! Be prepared to experience something new and delightful. You will even get to eat veggies for dessert. Samples will be served, and you won’t leave hungry!

Very Vital, Versatile Veggies

Tuesday, August 19th

6:00 – 8:00 pm

Valley Natural Foods

13750 County Road 11

Burnsville, MN 55337

952-891-1212

$10 (co-op member-owners) and for $15 (for non-members)

Register in advance!

Is it just me or are salads sometimes a double-edged sword for vegans? On one hand, you’ve got the restaurant where the only vegan option is a very basic garden salad and those unfamiliar with veganism assume that you only eat salads. On the other hand, you have Terry Hope Romero’s Salad Samurai: 100 Cutting-Edge, Ultra-Healthy Easy-To-Make Salads You Don’t Have To Be Vegan To Love, in which flavor, texture, and visual appeal meld in delicious dishes like Fiery Fruit & Quinoa Salad or my personal favorite, the Tempeh Reubenesque Salad. Romero hits a home run with her newest cookbook, which offers a hundred recipes that can be mixed and matched to make countless meals that will make even the most reluctant a fan of salads.

Salad Samurai offers recipes by season and supplies the basic building blocks for you to choose-your-own-adventure with dressings, proteins, and salad toppers. (Homemade croutons are the way to go!) She encourages you to pick a day of the week to prep a bunch of options to have at the ready for salads all week long. Throughout the book, beautiful, full-color photos of the dishes will make your mouth water. While the salads certainly have you covered for lunch and dinner, the final chapter includes sweet and savory breakfast options like Overnight Oats with Mexican Chocolate Creme and Avocado & Tofu Breakfast Bowl with Carrot Ginger Dressing.

With most recipes, Romero includes cooking tips under the heading “The Spin” and variations labeled as “Samurai Stylings.” Of the seven variations for the loyal standby ranch dressing, my favorites included maple “bacon” and creamy sriracha. Romero also does a great job of labeling recipes as raw or gluten-free for those looking for those options.

Romero is an expert with flavor and technique, but she shows restraint with her gourmet prowess and provides recipes that even novices in the kitchen can execute. I tried the Relaxed Shredded Kale, a simple side salad recipe. I gobbled it up and made a mental note to add it to the weekly rotation. Following her recipe guidance and using a standard blender, I whipped up an ultra-creamy Herbed Pea Ricotta and served it on a bed of sliced tomatoes. (Try the leftover ricotta on pasta — so good!) I made the tangy, creamy Galapagos Island Dressing with the smoky-sweet Tempeh Bacon Bites and rye Classic Croutons and had a dinner party of omnivores raving for the Reubenesque Salad. What a clever take on the classic Reuben! The dressings and salad toppers often made more than needed for a recipe, but I didn’t mind. I could use the leftover ingredients to create quick salads while on the go, and I would enjoy the intensely tasty 5-spice Tamari Almonds on their own as a protein-packed snack.

If you love flavor and want some help creating healthy, mostly non-processed meals that will satisfy your taste buds and fill your tummy, check out Salad Samurai.

Have you ever wondered what kind of person reduces their meat consumption, becomes vegetarian, or becomes vegan? And why do they do it? And why do some of them return to their carnivorous ways? Nick Cooney’s new book, Veganomics: The Surprising Science on What Motivates Vegetarians, from the Breakfast Table to the Bedroom, offers some possible answers to these questions.

I met Nick when he spoke at Their Lives, Our Voices in 2010. He talked about the need to use psychology to influence human behavior. Soon after TLOV, he wrote his first book, Change of Heart, which applied this kind of scientific research to his recommendations for activists.

Veganomics is an excellent follow-up. In preparation for writing this book, Nick thoroughly reviewed dozens of surveys that documented why different groups of people did or did not consume animal products. While the steady flow of statistics may have a mind-numbing effect, the conclusions are ultimately illuminating. For example, the surveys unanimously show that animal suffering and human health are the primary motivating factors to reduce meat consumption, but that environmental devastation and world hunger are much less influential.

Unfortunately, even the best research on which the book was based could be much better. Many of the surveys are old, have a small sample size, and limit the conversation to diet, not exploring other forms of activism, such as sharing videos, volunteering, or donating funds. With this in mind, we can assume that these conclusions are not completely accurate, comprehensive, or current.

All in all, the book furthers the conversation about how we can use science to improve our strategy for helping animals. Nick provides clear recommendations for the demographics we should target and the messages that we should send in order to have the most far-reaching effect. Along with that, the survey findings are often amusing or fascinating.

This book is an excellent read for anyone involved in the animal protection movement. I highly recommend it as a useful resource that may take our work for the animals to the next level.