Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation

This week, plant-based pediatricians Dr. Reshma Shah and Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster join Jasmin to share their thoughts on how both adults and children can best transition from a standard diet to a plant-based diet, and discuss how they each made that change themselves during their medical careers. Dr. Yami shares how she got lost in a plant-based rabbit hole on her search for facts, while Dr. Shah provides insight into how veganism helped her connect to her roots. They discuss how the medical community often adopts an extreme point of view in regards to veganism, and whether this dissuades people from trying to live more plant-based. Both doctors also give their number one tip for advocating for veganism and share how we can change society as we know it if we all go vegan. Dr. Reshma Shah is a board-certified pediatrician with nearly two decades of experience caring for children and families in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a Master’s degree in Public Health and also received additional training in plant-based nutrition, leading her to write Nourish, a guide for plant-curious families who want to support their health and well-being. Also a board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster is a lifestyle medicine physician, a health and wellness coach and a passionate champion of the power of plant-based diets for the prevention of chronic disease. The founder of  VeggieFitKids,  she also hosts the podcast Veggie Doctor Radio where she explores plant-based nutrition and healthy living. This Week in Our Hen House: Why, as adults, we have to be more aware of how we behave around food in front of children Why and how we should avoid becoming too anxious about our diet Why the plant-based offerings at fast-food restaurants are a great way for people to explore plant-based diets Why both doctors are so outspoken on the issues of veganism and plant-based living Their go-to resources for up-to-date information Intuitive eating, what it is, and why Dr. Yami created her parent’s guide to intuitive eating from a plant-based standpoint Why Dr. Shah decided to sit down during a global pandemic and write a book about eating and feeding your family a vegan diet The current, inadequate role of nutrition in medical training How to use nutrition to manage your health from a lifestyle medicine perspective How we can most effectively advocate for veganism from a social justice perspective Connect with Dr. Shah and Dr. Yami: Nourish website Yami website Nourish on Facebook Yami on Facebook Reshma Shah on Instagram Yami on Instagram Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Angela Grimes, the CEO of Born Free USA, joins us for this week’s episode on a very timely and crucially important subject — the highly problematic and cruel conditions within wildlife wet markets. She and Mariann discuss the connections between these hideous markets, which are found all over the world, and human disease outbreaks, including, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela also talks about other ways in which human behavior is devastating wildlife, including poaching, trapping, trophy hunting, and roadside zoos, and tells us about Born Free’s Global Nature Recovery Investment Initiative. She reveals what she believes to be the most critical current threat to animals, but also shares with us significant progress and why she is optimistic for the future. In her role as Chief Executive Officer of Born Free USA, Angela upholds a vision of a co-existent future where humans no longer exploit wild animals. She was previously Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation and has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. “There are any number of diseases out there, which is why, simply put, the wild animals belong in the wild, they don’t belong in our homes, on our dinner plates, hanging in markets, hanging on our walls. It’s in everyone’s interest to let them live in the wild, and just stay clear.” – Angela Grimes This Week in Our Hen House: How Born Free USA started, the main focuses of the organization, and its primate sanctuary in Texas The horrors of the wild animal trade, as well as the reasons people want to own wild animals The links between the COVID-19 pandemic and wildlife wet markets all over the world and how they contribute to the spread of disease Why many wildlife markets include animals bred for sale and why their living conditions equate to a perfect storm for viral transmission Why people aren’t more concerned about the prevalence of wet markets and how we can take steps to ban them globally The most significant threats to wild animals right now The Global Nature Recovery Investment Initiative and the incentives for individuals to support the initiative Angela’s hopes for saving the wild and why she is optimistic for the future The Born Free programs in Africa and how a free mobile phone app is helping to protect wild animals The main drivers of poaching in Africa, why the ivory trade is still a huge problem, and the other species that are a part of the wild animal trade Eastern traditional medicine and its role as a driver in the trade in exotic wild animals Issues that Born Free focuses on in the USA including trapping on public land, trophy hunting, and roadside zoos Fighting the fur trade, the connection between mink and COVID-19, and how it has impacted the fur industry Connect with Angela Grimes: Born Free USA Website Angela Grimes on LinkedIn Born Free USA on Facebook Born Free USA on Instagram Born Free USA on Twitter Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

This week, we have such a powerhouse interview! Newly elected New York State Senator Jabari Brisport joins us to explain how he successfully showcased his strong support for animal rights and veganism (yup!) while running for election. In fact, he points out, it actually created a platform for discussing all of the social justice issues he is passionate about. He shares his thoughts on why people want to pit human rights against animal rights, and how and why they so often fail to realize that animal agriculture deeply harms marginalized communities. Perhaps best of all, Senator Brisport tells us why he believes we are at a watershed moment — older mindsets are shifting fast, and we are on the cusp of making real progress for both human and non-human animals. Senator Brisport is a third-generation Caribbean-American Brooklynite who represents New York’s District 25 in the state senate.  His experiences as a Black LGBTQ+ man, socialist, union member, child of an immigrant father, and a former public school teacher have shaped his drive to make his community more just and equitable. As a newly elected state senator and passionate vegan, he intends to use his platform to advocate for rights, dignity, and protection by the law for all living beings and create a state where humans and animals can safely coexist without exploitation and abuse. “Whenever we don’t fight for the most marginalized, we end up harming ourselves.” – Senator Jabari Brisport This Week in Our Hen House: Why Senator Brisport ran for the New York State Senate How he first became involved with animal activism, why he became a vegan, and the moment he decided to make a stand against cruelty Why Senator Brisport is so proud to support Black Vegfest, to center Black voices, and why he jumped at the chance to discuss the intersectionality of animal rights and human rights Whether Senator Brisport expects the Democratic Socialist Party to expand their thinking regarding justice for animals, why the Left—in general—has been rather slow to champion the cause of animals, and whether the tide is turning How his fight for same-sex marriage in New York and his ongoing efforts to defend the LGBTQ+ community and, particularly, queer people of color, relate to his fighting for animal equality Why he feels he is the right person to tackle issues of over-policing that emerged from the housing crisis and a lack of well-funded education Senator Brisport’s legislative priorities regarding animals, both short and near term, including current proposed legislation that would encourage people to adopt, not shop How he managed to become part of the State Senate Agriculture Committee and what he expects to accomplish there Why there is now a real possibility of ending the dairy industry while still providing a safe landing for dairy farmers How Senator Brisport, a former public school teacher, frames his strong support of humane education in schools and his thoughts on the best ways to introduce children to the reality of how we treat animals Connect with Senator Brisport: Senator Brisport website Senator Brisport on Facebook Senator Brisport on Instagram Senator Brisport on Twitter Email Senator Brisport Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Kim Stallwood is truly one of the founders of the modern animal rights movement, and we are thrilled to have him join us this week on the podcast. He and Mariann discuss the long term history of the movement, the recent extraordinary acquisition of Kim’s collection of books and artifacts by the British Library, and what the Library selected to preserve for posterity. He shares some of his past heroes and some of the characters throughout history, such as Topsy the elephant, who was electrocuted on Coney Island for not being kinder to the humans who brutally exploited him. Kim also emphasizes why it is essential not only for the humans in the animal rights movement, but also for the animals themselves, to preserve and safeguard historical materials. Vegan for more than 40 years, Kim is not only an animal rights advocate, but an animal rights theorist who has worked with or alongside some of the world’s foremost animal advocacy organizations. He is a speaker, independent scholar, and author of Growl: Life Lessons, Hard Truths, and Bold Strategies from an Animal Advocate. Kim is on the board of directors for Culture and Animals Foundation and, as noted, recently worked with the British Library to curate a collection on the history of the animal rights movement. “It’s important that we know our history, because how else can we understand where we are now, and where we want to go in the future? ” – Kim Stallwood This Week in Our Hen House: How Kim’s quirk of collecting information pertaining to the animal rights movement began What Kim has in his collection, including pamphlets dating back to the 1800s and original reel to reel footage, the often weird and wonderful places he has found historical information, and why he has preserved it so carefully for so long Inspirational figures in the early animal rights movement, including Frances Power-Cobbe and Anna Kingsford, influential anti-vivisectionists of the Victorian era Kim’s favorite pieces, including a model belonging to the globe-trotting vet who founded World Animal Protection Why reflecting on the past gives him hope for the future for animals Why Kim is inspired to write a biography of Topsy the elephant and how he hopes it will shine a light on how we treat animals today Kim’s hush-hush negotiations with a second institution about building a library for the history of the animal rights movement The things that are currently giving Kim genuine hope for the future of our relationship with animals Connect with Kim Stallwood: Kim Stallwood Website Growl: Life Lessons, Hard Truths, and Bold Strategies from an Animal Advocate by Kim Stallwood Kim Stallwood on LinkedIn Kim Stallwood on Facebook Kim Stallwood on Instagram Kim Stallwood on Twitter Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Michelle Graham joins the podcast today and we love this conversation! Michelle is the Executive Director of Wild Animal Initiative (WAI), where she focuses encouraging and facilitating research on wild animal welfare. We talk to Michelle about why we must focus on wild animal welfare, even when so many domesticated animals continue to suffer at the hands of humans. She also discusses the inherent problems in weighing welfare against beauty and how we must balance the trade-offs necessary to being responsible humans. Among the questions she examines in her work are how to ensure we are not doing more harm than good in the natural world as animal activists, and what steps researchers can take to develop and support safe interventions. In addition to her work at WAI, Michelle is a Ph.D. student in engineering mechanics at Virginia Tech. Her research brings data together to tell the story of the jumping and gliding locomotion of flying snakes and their relatives, ultimately focusing on the physical requirements and different approaches to navigating their arboreal habitats. In addition to her research, Michelle, an avid vegan, has worked with animals in shelters, veterinary offices, farms, and zoos. “I am not only a wild animal welfare advocate. I am not only an animal advocate. I am not only any one thing. I care about realizing the best possible world that we can achieve and that world does not have racism in it.” – Michelle Graham This Week in Our Hen House: How to consider the perspectives of wild animals The kinds of research that can show us how to better help wild animals How we can extend whole species’ protections to individual wild animals Whether extinction in and of itself is a problem System-level consequences, what they are, and why the WAI is looking at long- and short-term research into them Interventions that can be implemented right now to protect individual animals What whitetail deer and pigeons have in common How to develop safe interventions and avoid destructive ones, and the activities we can engage in to safely improve wild animal welfare How Michelle’s Ph.D. in engineering mechanics relates to her animal advocacy work and how she reconciles her research with animal ethics principles The link between welfare for wild animals and farmed animals and how advocates can learn from continued collaboration Why Michelle is spearheading efforts of diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in the animal advocacy space Effective altruism and how it relates to animal rights Connect with Michelle Graham: Wild Animal Initiative Website How Racism in Animal Advocacy and Effective Altruism Hinders Our Mission by Michelle Graham Michelle Graham on LinkedIn Wild Animal Initiative on Facebook Wild Animal Initiative on Twitter Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

The incredible Chef Cola joins the podcast from Zimbabwe this week and we couldn’t be more excited. Nicola “Chef Cola” Kagoro founded African Vegan On A Budget in 2016 to raise awareness about plant-based eating and to inspire people to incorporate vegan meals into their diet everyday. She teamed up with the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) to establish a vegan camp kitchen in the bush for the Akashinga Rangers, an all-woman team protecting wild animals from poaching.  Chef Cola is also the founder of the grassroots movement Back to Black Roots, an initiative that spreads awareness of the beauty of African vegan culture and cuisine. Chef Cola joins Mariann today to share the steps and strategies that she takes to ensure she is not only feeding the anti-poaching rangers healthy, nourishing, and delicious meals, but also encouraging them to teach their families about the benefits of a plant-based diet and helping them carry the movement out into their communities. She explains why she is so passionate about spreading the word about the vegan diet and shares why  it’s important to incorporate nutritional education in schools and clinics. She also talks about how she works to counter the idea that veganism is a luxury Western diet rather than the very basis of traditional African cuisine. “We now know that meat is not right for us, and we now know that meat is a form of exploitation.” – Chef Cola This Week in Our Hen House: How Chef Cola approaches educating the community, and the key process of “unlearning” the prestige of eating meat How she managed to show the Akashinga warriors that plant-based eating can be delicious and healthy The negative effects of the introduction of factory farming in Africa and whether Chef Cola feels that traditional diets are under threat from the availability of cheap meat Impact of colonialism on the African diet as a whole, and why that continues to be a problem for Black, Indigenous, and people of color How the IAPF has helped spread the philosophy of animal rights Why more light needs to be shed on the issue of climate change and its connection to what we eat Chef Cola’s thoughts on how the vegan movement and the Black Lives Matter movement intersect How Chef Cola connected with the IAPF and why she is passionate about looking to history to inform her present role as an ambassador for returning to a traditional African diet Connect with Chef Cola: International Anti-Poaching Foundation Website Back to Black Roots on Facebook African Vegan on a Budget on Facebook African Vegan on a Budget on Instagram Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Caryn Ginsberg of Priority Visions joins us today to discuss her transition from the business sector into the animal protection arena and how she helps advocacy groups become more effective with their strategic planning to ensure they use their resources in the most effective way possible. She explains her new Corona to Collaboration, Innovation to Inclusion: Issues and Opportunities in Farmed Animal Advocacy report, how she gives a 1,000 foot high view, and why she felt the report was needed. Caryn also shares how she compiled the information, including how she personalized interview questions by whittling down the key themes, takeaways, and trends that came out of the report that reveal possibilities and opportunities in the vegan community. Caryn works with organizations including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Humane Society of the United States, PetSmart Charities, and Farm Sanctuary, ultimately helping animal protection advocates use strategy and marketing approaches to get better results. Caryn is also the author of Animal Impact: Secrets Proven to Achieve Results and Move the World (she is offering a free digital version to our listeners on Smashwords using code RT32W). Caryn holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, an A.B. in economics/mathematics from Dartmouth College, and an advanced certificate in marketing design from Sessions College for Professional Design. “The purpose of strategic planning is to help animal advocacy groups to utilize their resources in the best ways to get the most impact for what they have—strategic planning takes both an outward look and an inward look and then [we] choose what’s most important and promising to do.” – Caryn Ginsberg This Week in Our Hen House: How advocates must respect their own authenticity and be true to their own needs in order to stay in the movement for the long-run How nonprofits can leverage new food products to spread the message about veganism COVID-19 and climate change and how they have created receptivity in savvy businesses and politicians to alternatives to factory farming Are people more open to collaboration with different advocacy movements because of these strange and challenging times? Diversity, equity and inclusion in the advocacy movement, and what can we do to shine a spotlight on them to enact change The most controversial finding in the report and why Caryn was so surprised by it The ideas suggested in the report that Caryn felt were the most promising and why Why Caryn favors internationalization in animal advocacy, how we achieve it, and what it will bring to the movement on a political level How the animal protection movement can use data to be more effective Caryn’s advice for someone who wants to understand animal advocacy through a business lens How Caryn drives home her message with visuals, and what she learned from the International Forum for Visual Practitioners Resources: Corona to Collaboration, Innovation to Inclusion: Issues and Opportunities in Farmed Animal Advocacy (report summary) Animal Impact: Secrets Proven to Achieve Results and Move the World – Get your free digital version at Smashwords using code RT32W Faunalytics (email signup at the upper or lower right):A Summary Of Faunalytics’ Study Of Current And Former Vegetarians And Vegans The Impact Of Replacing Animal Products COVID-19 & Animals: What The Public Does And Doesn’t Know Request customized notifications of new studies based on your area(s) of interest Institute for Humane Education (discussed in the bonus content for flock members to be released Tuesday) Visual Thinking Resources (you do not need to be an artist or become a full-time visual practitioner to benefit from these resources):Doodling is Thinking!: 21 Doodle Days: A Visual Learning Workbook  The Idea Shapers: the power of putting your thinking into your own hands The Graphic Facilitator’s Guide: How to use your listening, thinking and drawing skills to make meaning Connect with Caryn Ginsberg: Priority Visions Website Caryn Ginsberg on LinkedIn Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Becky Jenkins, who is the Executive Director of the Aquatic Life Institute, joins us on Our Hen House to explain why aquatic animals should be a primary focus of the animal protection movement and why the Institute decided to focus on the fish farming aspect of animal agriculture. She also provides a brief overview of this far-too-little-known but huge industry, including why fish farming is not only hideously cruel, but is not the sustainable business it is reputed to be. Becky also reflects on whether there is a disconnect between the advocates of effective altruism and other animal activist groups, and how the Aquatic Life Institute promotes improved welfare for aquatic animals without condoning animal exploitation. Becky has a passion for holistic, international, and pro-intersectional approaches to animal issues. She has spoken at conferences and been published in academic journals worldwide and is currently co-authoring a textbook on aquatic animal law. Becky studied at the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative at the Center for Animal Law Studies in Portland, Oregon, and also holds a law degree from Trinity College Dublin and a Master’s degree in Animal Law from Lewis & Clark Law School. “Our mission is to accelerate activities that positively improve aquatic animal lives, focusing on farmed fish as they are the greatest in number.” – Becky Jenkins This Week in Our Hen House: The coalitions the Institute is building, including the Aquatic Animal Alliance, and the shared projects they are currently involved in with their partners Why horribly inhumane slaughter methods are still used in aquatic animal farming and how the Aquatic Life Institute hopes to impact the industry A brief look at current research on the consciousness of fishes and what the evidence shows us about their realities How the program at Lewis and Clark Law School on aquatic animals and her studies with Kathy Hessler influenced Becky Why seafood certifications often aren’t what they seem How we know that fishes have the capacity to have pleasurable and positive experiences and how they play and interact with each other, according to Professor Rebecca Franks’ recent research What the future holds for aquatic animal agriculture Becky’s hopes for what the Aquatic Life Institute can achieve in the short and medium-term with their program of humane education How can we engender the same level of compassion and empathy for aquatic animals that land animals receive How Becky first connected with Our Hen House and Mariann and why the show has significantly influenced her life Connect with Becky Jenkins: Aquatic Life Institute Website Becky Jenkins on LinkedIn Aquatic Life Institute on Facebook Aquatic Life Institute on Instagram Aquatic Life Institute on Twitter Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Amy Quichiz joins Our Hen House podcast co-host Jasmin Singer in this episode to tell us about an extraordinary collective she co-founded, Veggie Mijas, and how it started and how it has since grown. Amy was inspired to found this vibrant community, which has since expanded well beyond its original home on Instagram, because she wanted to show the Latinx community how they could access healthier foods, talk about their rights within the food industry, and bring their perspectives to the issues of animal liberation and environmental justice. As a woman of color from Jackson Heights, New York, Amy has witnessed the environmental racism that has given rise to a lack of resources and opportunity in Latinx communities, and is committed to forging social change. Amy shares why veganism is a vital part of her worldview and heritage, and how white vegans can better center and include vegans (and prospective vegans) of color. Amy also discusses how the movement has changed and developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, how she and her colleagues prioritize their own mental health to continue supporting their community, and her hopes for the future. Amy feels that the work of Veggie Mijas as a social movement has the potential to inspire communities to organize for profound social change while maintaining the authenticity of Latinx culture. In this week’s “Our Hen House Supports Vegan Businesses,” we’re supporting Maxine’s Heavenly, a vegan cookie company, and Veltree, a plant-based soul food restaurant located in Charlotte, North Carolina.  “It’s always about finding your voice, finding your passion and finding what you want to change in the world.” – Amy Quichiz This Week in Our Hen House: How the Veggie Mijas collective expanded and grew, and the unique perspective that draws people to join them What “decolonizing your diet” means and why what you eat isn’t necessarily an independent choice How Veggie Mijas’ potlucks have been successful in building community, Amy’s favorite potluck thus far, and how the potlucks double as a safe place for vegans of color to be open and honest How Amy has steered Veggie Mijas during the pandemic How Veggies Mijas plans to move forward with advocacy and events post-pandemic The internal work that Veggie Mijas coordinators are doing to ensure they can continue to serve their communities, and the personal and collective goals the group is focusing on Why the collective is addressing veganism through a feminist, queer, leftist lens How the plant-based lifestyle aligns with food justice and provokes meaningful conversations Connect with Amy Quichiz: Veggie Mijas Website Veggie Mijas Cookbook Veggie Mijas on Facebook Veggie Mijas on Instagram Amy Quichiz on Instagram Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

This week’s guest is Gina Lynn, founder of New Life Animal Sanctuary, and we couldn’t be more excited. Gina has dedicated her entire life to animal advocacy and activism. After years of organizing protests, conferences, marches, etc., co-producing an internationally distributed grassroots animal rights magazine, and enduring the stress of government harassment, Gina sought a gentler approach to getting the message out. She founded New Life Animal Sanctuary in 2008 to rescue and rehabilitate animals no longer used in laboratories. Gina joins us on the podcast today to tell us how the sanctuary finds and obtains possession of these animals and how she and her fellow caretakers heal them, rehabilitate them, and enrich the remainder of their lives. She explains her strategies in persuading labs to surrender animals rather than killing them and how she conducts her own independent research to see if labs are interested in rehoming their animals to a sanctuary. Gina also shares how she navigates the delicate balance between staying true to her animal advocacy work while maintaining a productive relationship with the research community. In this week’s “Our Hen House Supports Vegan Businesses” program, we’re showing some love to Zoe’s Vegan Delight and Rebel Cheese. Zoe’s Vegan Delight is a Black women-owned, vegan catering business in Greenbelt, MD. Rebel Cheese is a vegan deli, located in Austin, TX known for their vegan cheese baskets. Do you have a vegan business that you want us to shout out? Click here to let us know!  “We’re able to save lives, and that’s all that matters to me.”  – Gina Lynn This Week in Our Hen House: The low-down on who currently lives at the sanctuary, the lives of their newest residents, and what it’s like caring for rescued animals The complexities of the relationship between the animal rights community and the research community and how relations are thawing little by little How the movement to rescue laboratory animals can grow and how rescue organizations are coming together to rehome animals in need How the animals can sometimes be challenging and need extra special care to thrive in sanctuaries, plus why Gina is absolutely OK with her gorgeous dogs releasing their anxiety at home with her Gina’s hopes about future federal funding for the sanctuary and others like it Some of the projects the sanctuary is working toward, including the possibility of taking care of primates and the barriers they have to overcome Whether sanctuaries are papering over the cracks of animal abuse in labs and the reality of how many animals are still suffering for each animal saved The debate around vivisection, why animals deserve a great life post-research, and why Gina tries to meet people where they are by finding common ground Poor conditions that animals endure in labs and Gina’s opinion on why more money and care is not put into enriching animals’ lives The behavioral and physical changes rescued animals face, and why it can take a long time for them to recover from their previous experiences Gina’s new project helping wild animals who have ended up at laboratories and why it’s a race against time to rehabilitate them The critical things that people can do to help animals in laboratories and support animal sanctuaries Connect with Gina Lynn: New Life Animal Sanctuary Website Gina Lynn on LinkedIn New Life Animal Sanctuary on Facebook New Life Animal Sanctuary on Instagram New Life Animal Sanctuary on Twitter Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.