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

This week’s episode features a riveting interview with Michelle Rojas-Soto that was originally recorded at the Farmed Animal Conference E-summit (FACES) earlier this year. Michelle is the managing director at Encompass, a non-profit that supports animal advocates of the global majority and provides diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting to farmed animal protection organizations. She is a long-time advocate for racial justice, women’s rights, disability rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, and her past leadership roles have always focused on equity, systemic change, and community-building. Michelle was a founding member of Gender Equity in Animal Rights (GEAR), where she launched the Amplify Career Sponsorship Program for women and gender non-conforming people. We were so inspired by this interview, we wanted to air it again here on the Our Hen House podcast for all of our listeners. Michelle joins Jasmin to discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the farmed animal protection movement and why Encompass is committed to creating a sense of community for people of the global majority. Michelle also dives into how falling short of these values impacts the animal rights movement internally and externally, and how a cultural sea change could further the movement’s work. If you like this interview, you can purchase the FACE Summit Pack where you’ll receive life-time access to all 20 talks from the event. In this week’s “Our Hen House Supports Vegan Businesses’” we’re throwing some love out to Shop Like You Give A Damn, an online store, based in the Netherlands, that sells vegan clothing, jewelry, home goods and more.  “As we consider racial equity in our space, the biggest motivator is that when we achieve that, we will be talking to everyone about the movement, not just people who live and look like us.”  – Michelle Rojas-Soto This Week in Our Hen House: How Michelle’s vegan journey began Michelle’s career in healthcare and why she subsequently pivoted her focus in order to realize social change Why Michelle initially felt discouraged from working within the animal rights movement, and how that has since changed Michelle’s reaction when she was first approached to work in the animal rights movement through Better Eating (now Expanded Circle Collective) The groundbreaking work of the Encompass DEI Institute Why Michelle sees the Encompass Essays project as having the potential to change the face of racial equality in animal advocacy Michelle’s take on the lessons we can learn from George Floyd’s murder and the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on the animal rights movement What ‘Diversity, Equity, Inclusion’ (DEI) mean to Michelle both personally and for the growth of the animal rights movement How Michelle recommends challenging racism displayed by a fellow activist without allowing yourself to be distracted from your primary purpose How Michelle practices self care Connect with Encompass and Michelle Rojas-Soto: Encompass website Encompass DEI Institute Michelle Rojas-Soto on LinkedIn Encompass on Facebook Encompass on Instagram Encompass 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.

Nathalie Bibeau, who joins us this week, is a director and producer who began her career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation with the landmark series, Canada: A People’s History. An award-winning director and producer, Nathalie has since produced documentary projects such as Africa on the Move, which won a Gemini Award—presented by the Academy for Canadian Cinema and Television—for Best Documentary Series in 2011. Her work has taken her everywhere, from the sub-Arctic to Angola and the swamps of Louisiana. Nathalie has also written for the Globe and Mail and volunteered for War Child in Ethiopia. Her most recent project, the controversial documentary film The Walrus and the Whistleblower, was selected for the virtual 2020 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. Nathalie tells us why she decided to go back to the rust belt of Ontario, where she grew up, to make a film featuring Niagara Falls’ infamous MarineLand and its nemesis, Phil Demers, a former MarineLand trainer whose love for a walrus consumed his life and turned him into a passionate activist. Nathalie discusses how she set out to explore the multifaceted themes in the movie in a way that could engage a non-activist audience by striking a balance between revealing the animal cruelty behind MarineLand’s success and telling the story of her all-too-human protagonists. In this week’s “Our Hen House Supports Vegan Businesses” segment, we’re showing some love to Drop Squad Kitchen and No Bones Beach Club. Drop Squad Kitchen, Delaware’s only 100% plant-based restaurant, creates boutique style plant-based foods from scratch; every recipe on their menu reflects a story. No Bones Beach Club is a women owned vegan restaurant that started with a humble food truck in Seattle. They’re committed to a plant-based lifestyle and their goal is to spread the word that just because it’s vegan, doesn’t mean it sucks. Like so many restaurants, they have been struggling during Covid and were forced to close their beloved Portland restaurant to the dismay of so many Oregon vegans, but are still serving in Seattle.  “Any social change has to happen in waves—the paradigm doesn’t shift overnight .” – Nathalie Bibeau This Week in Our Hen House: The central theme of The Walrus and the Whistleblower and why Nathalie decided to make a film featuring her brother’s childhood friend, Phil Demers How her strong family connection to the area and the park helped and hindered her in making the documentary Why MarineLand was so keen to file multiple lawsuits and why it made her think long and hard about getting involved The turning point in her decision to make the film How Smooshi the walrus ended up in MarineLand and how Phil’s relationship with her developed Animal activism and the difficulties that activists encounter in their quest to bring injustices to light How Natalie incorporated scenes between Phil and legislators from the Senate archives and why they were so crucial to the narrative The discussion of veganism in the film and why scenes discussing the topic were so hotly debated by the production team How the movie has been received and pland for distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic Connect with Nathalie Bibeau The Walrus and the Whistleblower Website The Walrus and the Whistleblower on Facebook The Walrus and the Whistleblower on Instagram The Walrus and the Whistleblower on Twitter The Walrus and the Whistleblower on iTunes Nathalie Bibeau 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.

We’re thrilled to have Nicole Rawling join us on the podcast. Nicole has worked with fashion companies, scientists, and investors worldwide to encourage the development of alternative materials with the aim of replacing animal products. She founded Material Innovation Initiative after identifying the potential of the next-gen materials market through her her work as the Good Food Institute’s Director of International Engagement. Nicole joins us this week to discuss the role of the Material Innovation Initiative, how it finds viable alternatives to animal-product materials, and why petroleum-based vegan leather isn’t the answer. She offers her tips for avoiding fast fashion while still dressing sustainably and stylishly and shares how to find high-quality, ethical brands that you will last for years. Nicole also shares the most surprising items that have been turned into new wearable leather thus far, from apple skins to mushrooms and even waste from mangos and wine production.  “We’re making the ethical choice the easy choice.” – Nicole Rawling This Week in Our Hen House: Nicole’s response to those who say that leather is a byproduct of the meat industry and therefore sustainable The impact of the Rethink Food and Agriculture report and what its findings mean for industrial agriculture The materials in development that Nicole is most excited about The substantial environmental impact of the fashion industry Cruelty issues in the silk industry and the alternatives that the Materials Innovation Institute are exploring Ways for us each to be more ethical in our consumption Why Nicole is so hopeful for the future of alternative materials Why Nicole changed the way she advocates for animals to best use her skills How she envisions the vegan movement as a whole, and Material Innovation Initiative in particular, moving into the future Connect with Nicole Rawling: Material Innovation Initiative website Nicole Rawling on LinkedIn Material Innovation Initiative on Instagram Material Innovation Initiative on Facebook 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.

Welcome to this extraordinary holiday episode in which we present Sanctuary: A Radio Play, an annual Thanksgiving tradition at Our Hen House! This special performance marks the world premiere of John Yunker’s Sanctuary at New York City’s Symphony Space during the Culture & Animals Foundation’s 2017 Compassion Arts Festival. We were thrilled to have been a part of this fun, engaging, and critical production that demonstrates the journeys we embark on when we begin to learn about animal exploitation. Jasmin is a longtime proponent of theater as a tool for vegan advocacy; the medium serves as a lens into human behavior and allows the audience to safely explore their feelings around animal equality and why they choose to eat animals. A dark comedy, Sanctuary tells the story of Richard (John Frusciante) and Lisa (Mariann Sullivan), a happily married couple whose blissful retirement to small-town Oregon is thrown into disarray when Lisa suddenly decides to go vegan and insists on celebrating Thanksgiving without a turkey AND alongside her new friend and animal activist, Meg (Jasmin Singer). Husband Richard invites his unsuspecting buddy Charley (Michael Harren), who also happens to be the local exterminator, in the hopes of forcing Lisa to stick with the traditional meal. The resulting tensions soon push relationships over the edge. Sanctuary tells the story behind the struggles and joys of navigating vegan ethics around loved ones who don’t quite understand. (Sound effects are by Emmy winner Eric Milano.) “When we think of animal-rights activism, we often think of protests. But equally vivid conflicts are taking place over dining room tables and in restaurants and at barbecues.” – John Yunker 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’re pleased to feature Shawn Smith and Melissa Hoffman of LivingFuture Foundation. The two live on SHO Farm, a 1300-acre regenerative vegan farm in Vermont, where they farm and steward the land so that all occupants can coexist in harmony. Shawn and Melissa are passionate about the long-term viability of food-medicine agriculture and the ecosystems that support life on our delicate, yet resilient, planet. Melissa is the creative force behind SHO Farm and is a perennial, plant-based chef and educator dedicated to the relationship between living land systems and the rich traditions of global plant-based gastronomy. Shawn is an animal rights activist, a lawyer, a real estate professional, and runs the Sanctuary at SHO—home to a rescued flock of ducks. Today, Shawn and Melissa are sharing the details of their wildlife integrated approach to farming and the techniques they use to achieve their goals and further their central purpose. Highlighting the importance of understanding how ecosystems function, they discuss how we can eliminate the use of animals and still feed a growing population by redesigning the way we live and farm. Shawn also explains how SHO Farm disrupted the cycle of violence from another farm by not only rescuing ducks who were on their way to slaughter, but finding non-lethal and caring solutions when rats decided to make the duck barn their home. In this week’s segment to support vegan businesses, we’re showing some love to Renegade Food, which makes 100% plant-based organic smoked meats with the belief that eating well should be easy and taste delicious, as well as to four children’s picture books from Eifrig Publishing by 19 year old author Lotus Kay and illustrator Chey Diehl, including the very timely A Thanksgiving for the Turkeys. “There’s a movement called regenerative vegan. We’re still looking at regenerating ourselves, our communities, and the ecosystem, but we’re doing it in a way that does not use animals.” – Melissa Hoffman This Week in Our Hen House: Bringing together the worlds of homestead farms, veganic farming, and the regenerative vegan movement How sanctuary animals have become partners on SHO Farm How everyone at SHO learned to love rats Why Melissa and Shawn are expanding the types of crops they’re farming to include annuals as well as perennials Mushrooms! What Melissa is currently hard at work doing in the onsite food lab (it has something to do with mushrooms!) Plans to invite farmers to SHO to learn veganic techniques Why Shawn is working on drafting the first-of-its-kind conservation easement and how she envisions it helping other ethical vegan farmers and landowners and the animals who call their land home Connect with Melissa Hoffman and Shawn Smith: LivingFuture Foundation website SHO Farm Sanctuary website SHO Farm website Shawn Smith on LinkedIn Melissa Hoffman on LinkedIn SHO Farm on Instagram SHO Farm on Facebook 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.

At just 19 years old, Haile Thomas is already an international speaker, wellness activist, vegan advocate, and the author of Living Lively: 80 Plant-Based Recipes to Activate Your Power and Feed Your Potential.  Needless to say, we are thrilled that she is joining us on Our Hen House this week. Haile is the founder and CEO of HAPPY (Healthy, Active, Positive, Purposeful, Youth), a non-profit organization—founded when she was only 12 years old—that seeks to redefine youth empowerment through education and offers affordable peer-to-peer plant-based nutritional education. The youngest person to graduate as a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach in the United States, Haile spreads her message of empowerment and happiness from within everyday on social media with the tagline “Let’s Grow Together.” On today’s interview, Haile shares her story of how she became passionate about holistic wellness and how the foods we eat deeply affect us in so many ways. She talks about her journey thus far (including the frightening event that motivated her to research the benefits of living plant-based), and the inspiration behind HAPPY and its work to nurture and guide the next generation towards becoming happy, informed, and active world citizens. We also discuss what we mean, and what we should mean, when we talk about “self-care,” how to find ways of taking care of yourself that actually work for YOU, and ways to help you avoid succumbing when you feel overwhelmed. In this week’s “Our Hen House Supports Vegan Businesses” segment, we’re shouting out  Misha’s Kind Foods and Lily’s Vegan Pantry, both of which are open for online ordering and shipping. Misha’s is a Black-owned plant-based company that makes artisan non-dairy cheeses and cheese spreads. Lily’s Vegan Pantry is a family owned and operated business located in the heart of Chinatown, New York City. Their goal is to offer a wide range of healthy, delicious and enjoyable vegan alternatives. Formerly known as May Wah Market, it was one of Jasmin and Mariann’s favorite shopping haunts when they lived in NYC! “Veganism has been the catalyst for my spiritual growth and finding what really aligns with me. I think that is what veganism encourages and supports, really stepping into your own unique path, listening to your body, and finding what works for you.“ – Haile Thomas This Week in Our Hen House: The three keys to the HAPPY philosophy and why Haile feels they are central to her purpose Why Haile chose to be vegan and how that connects to the HAPPY philosophy How Haile sees the connection between self-actualization and authenticity and boycotting the exploitation of animals What she sees as the barriers to veganism The HAPPY Academy, its objectives, and how and why it will be expanding in 2021 How COVID-19 has impacted events and programs in 2020 Haile’s book, Living Lively, and its message of nourishing from within What it’s like to be a young person with a huge social media following and how she feels about being labeled an “influencer” Favorite recipes from the book What gives her hope during these challenging times Connect with Haile Thomas: Living Lively: 80 Plant-Based Recipies to Activate Your Power and Feed Your Potential by Haile Thomas The HAPPY Organization website Haile Thomas’ website Haile Thomas on LinkedIn The HAPPY Organization on Instagram Haile Thomas 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.

Juliet Gellatley joins the podcast today and we seriously couldn’t be more excited about this conversation. She’s the founder and director of Viva!, a campaigning charity that has been a foundational force for the advances for veganism and animal rights in the UK and elsewhere (and also kicked off Jasmin‘s career in animal rights!). Long before many others got on board, Viva! was focusing on ending the abuse of animals exploited and killed for food and promoting a vegan diet. Among other things, we discuss HOGWOOD: A Modern Horror Story, a short film that details a groundbreaking investigation of a notorious UK pig “farm” by Viva!, along with the subsequent campaign that led to the to the facility’s demise. Part of that discussion is how to overcome the fundamental problem of animal rights campaigning — what is happening to animals is so awful that people can just shut down and refuse to watch films depicting it. Perhaps most importantly, we talk about how Viva! managed to bring enormous attention to the film and the horrors it depicts, and to distribute it via the major streaming platforms. This is incredibly effective activism! Juliet also discusses why people in the UK, a country known for, and proud of, its love of animals, believe that they have much better standards for the treatment of farmed animals than most countries, why they are sadly mistaken, and how to disabuse them of that false notion. Juliet directs all aspects of Viva!, from campaigning, to writing articles, to giving public talks, and organizing fundraising events. She also founded and directs its health arm, Viva!Health, which concentrates on campaigning on health and nutrition. She has investigated many farms, revealing devastating animal cruelty, and is also the author of several books, including the The Livewire Guide to Going, Being and Staying Veggie, Born to be Wild: The Livewire Guide to Saving Animals, and, along with Tony Wardle, The Silent Ark. In this week’s “Our Hen House Supports Vegan Businesses” segment, we’re shouting out Fineapple Vegan and its Liquid Gold Vegan Cheese Sauce, as well as, just in time for the holidays, Vegan Gift Shop, an online store with cruelty-free & eco-friendly vegan gift ideas plus everyday vegan grocery items! “The truth is that because people are so brainwashed into thinking that it’s normal to consume animals, they are much more uncomfortable with confronting what happens to those animals because they are part and parcel of that cruelty.” – Juliet Gellatley This Week in Our Hen House: Why Viva! chose to focus on campaigning for animals raised for food and why it was important to Juliet to start a charity that could connect with people individually to raise the issue of animal equality The aftermath of the Hogwood investigation and what a major British supermarket did with the information Viva! brought them Why The Truth About Vegans was made to discredit Viva! and how it had completely the opposite effect Exploring the role of agricultural veterinarians in factory farming Whether Juliet thinks that there will still be a move towards a vegan lifestyle by increasing numbers of people despite a move towards reform in animal agriculture Why campaigning matters and why it is so important to educate people on the climatic effects of choosing a vegan diet The growth of veganism in the UK How factory farms contribute to the spread of viruses Connect with Juliet Gellatley: Viva! – The Vegan Charity Website Juliet Gellatley on LinkedIn Viva! – The Vegan Charity on Facebook Viva! – The Vegan Charity on Instagram Viva! – The Vegan Charity on Twitter Viva! – The Vegan Charity on YouTube 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.

It’s Jasmin’s birthday and also the beginning of Our Hen House’s end of year fundraising! Between now and December 31 our Barnyard Benefactors will donate $20,000, IF (and it’s a big if) that amount is matched by our listeners. Also, this year we’re thrilled announce that there’s a separate anonymous donor who’s willing to match ANOTHER $20,000. This means that, if we meet our $20,000 goal from out listeners, every dollar that comes in will be TRIPLED! So if you want to show your support for responsible, pro-animal, women-run, vegan media, now is a great time to donate. In this week’s Our Hen House Supports Vegan Businesses, we’re shouting out Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats and Fare Well Diner, amazing vegan dining spots in Washington, DC launched by Doron Petersan. We also celebrate Simply Pure, a Black-owned vegan cafe in Las Vegas, and White Rhino, a vegan leather bag and accessory company, also Black-owned. Robbie Lockie is on the podcast today. He co-founded the incredibly valuable online platform Plant Based News to publish news important to those who care about animals and veganism, and recently received the Compassionate Business Award from PETA. He has been involved in several online animal equality campaigns, including Move Your Money, a charity that helps to raise awareness about ethical banking, and coproducing the documentary SWINE for Viva! Robbie joins us today to discuss why so many of our current problems are rooted in animal agriculture and how to get people to understand the links among animal suffering, health, the environment and what they eat. He shares why he was inspired to found Plant Based News, how it works to spread the news important to vegans and why Plant Based News is a “trojan horse,” using all the tactics of modern media to plant ideas into people’s minds about the joy of conscious living and a plant-based lifestyle in a way that draws people in rather than turns them off. “Every single sentient being on this world is unique, everyone has their own life with their own thoughts, with their own dreams, with their own feelings of fear and loneliness and every single beautiful being is a gift from our universe. Each of us emerges from the void precious in our nature and as human beings we are meant to be custodians of this beautiful world.” – Robbie Lockie This Week in Our Hen House: The biggest challenges that Plant Based News faces and how they are working to overcome them How to spread the word about the benefits of a vegan diet, particularly for those who suffer from chronic conditions What Plant Based News’ financial model is and how it balances good business practices, ethics, and giving back to the community How PBN makes sure the vegan lifestyle message is accessible to everyone, regardless of gender and race Tips on how to draw attention to YouTube content affordably with Facebook and Instagram ads Why Plant Based News decided to focus its efforts on World Plant Milk Day and how the campaign has developed What Robbie is most proud of in his media advocacy work Robbie’s vision for the future of the vegan movement and where Plant Based News will place itself Connect with Robbie Lockie: Plant Based News Website Plant Based News Podcast Robbie Lockie on LinkedIn Plant Based News on Facebook Plant Based News on Instagram Plant Based News on Twitter Plant Based News on YouTube 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 sponsored by Forager Project,  an organic, plant-based family-owned and operated food company creating innovative, delicious tasting products sourced from nature’s finest ingredients – nuts, seeds, ancient grains, fruits and vegetables. Crafted in its own unique purpose-built creamery – the only 100% organic, plant-based facility of its kind – Forager Project’s family of foods includes  100% vegan yogurts, nut milks, sour cream, kefirs, shakes and butter. About Forager Project’s Vote Campaign: Forager ​is committed to helping cultivate democracy. During the next month, Forager Project​ will be shifting packaging on its yogurts, kefirs, and milks to encourage consumers nationwide to get involved and vote this November and launching a broader effort to encourage everyone to vote this November 3rd. Visit ForagerProject.com/vote to check on your voting status and/or register! __________________________ This episode is also 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.

Renowned wildlife photographer Jo-Anne McArthur discusses her new book 'Hidden' which explores the lives of animals. They also talk about feral pigs in Texas, supporting black-owned vegan businesses, and the importance of documenting animal treatment. They highlight the organization's projects and initiatives in animal advocacy and discuss the Encompass Essays, which aim to centralize anti-racism in the animal rights movement.

Jasmin and Mariann start off the show with a report from Jasmin on her disturbing discovery from a Facebook group that a local dairy farm is endorsing The Three Percenters, a far right militia group. Yikes! She also tells us about her efforts to educate folks about the enthusiasm of white supremacists for the dairy industry. In this week’s featured vegan businesses include Maya’s Cookies, a San Diego based vegan cookie company that ships nationwide, and VegeTaryn, a vegan ethically made fair-trade clothing company. Today’s guest, Stephanie Boyles Griffin, has worked with federal and state agencies, non-governmental agencies, businesses, and communities for over 20 years to develop and implement humane, sustainable wildlife management programs and policies. She currently serves as the Senior Scientist for the Wildlife Protection Department at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and is the Science & Policy Director of the Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control. She is committed to finding workable solutions that allow wildlife and human communities to exist alongside one another. Stephanie and Mariann discuss what it means when people say a certain species, whether elephants, or kangaroos, or pigeons or wild horses or white tail deer, or whoever, is “overpopulated” and why it is so important, and very often entirely possible, to not only minimize the conflicts between humans and the animals they live alongside but to learn to live in peace with them in a humane, sustainable, effective way. Even when real problems do appear, non-lethal solutions exist and can be used, even for animals often referred to as “pests” or “vermin.” Stephanie shares why it is so important for individuals to learn how to identify the “problems” with wildlife in their community and how to work with wildlife organizations to find the best solutions. Stephanie also discusses the use of contraceptives for controlling populations of wild animals, including the ethical conflicts that arise when those contraceptives are based on animal products. “Animals are responding to an invitation; they’re responding to landscape changes that make our communities overwhelmingly wonderful places for them to live. There’s just a little bit of effort needed on our part to want to share the world with them.” – Stephanie Boyles Griffin This Week in Our Hen House: An update on whitetail deer fertility control, including where it is being used and how is it working Why it is critical to learn to co-exist with our wild neighbors Open systems vs. closed systems and how they each function in terms of fertility control The steps a community can take to identify and resolve their wildlife problems Why we have to be clear about what constitutes a wild animal ‘problem’ and understand that human behavior may be the real problem The risks to wild animals presented by fertility control and how wildlife organizations ensure they maintain a viable breeding pool Attitudes to brumbies and other non-native animals in Australia The attitude shift from utilitarianism to mutualism and how the America Wildlife Values Project has mapped it Strategies for feral non-surgical sterilization and disease prevention The best ways to manage the urban rat population Connect with Stephanie Boyles Griffin: Humane Society of the United States website Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control website Stephanie Boyles Griffin 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 sponsored by Forager Project,  an organic, plant-based family-owned and operated food company creating innovative, delicious tasting products sourced from nature’s finest ingredients – nuts, seeds, ancient grains, fruits and vegetables. Crafted in its own unique purpose-built creamery – the only 100% organic, plant-based facility of its kind – Forager Project’s family of foods includes  100% vegan yogurts, nut milks, sour cream, kefirs, shakes and butter. About Forager Project’s Vote Campaign: Forager ​is committed to helping cultivate democracy. During the next month, Forager Project​ will be shifting packaging on its yogurts, kefirs, and milks to encourage consumers nationwide to get involved and vote this November and launching a broader effort to encourage everyone to vote this November 3rd. Visit ForagerProject.com/vote to check on your voting status and/or register! __________________________ This episode is also 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.