Pledge to Be Veg

Amazing discount card. Cool prizes. Free food. Take the Veg Pledge to get these and more! All you have to do is pledge to be vegetarian or vegan from Tuesday, October 2, to Monday, October 8.

Participants will get a Veg Pledge care pack and Veg Pledge card, which will get you discounts at 16 local restaurants and businesses, such as Fast and Furless, Evergreen Chinese, Ecopolitan, Seward Cafe, and many more! Pizza Luce (Seward) and Tracy's Saloon are even featuring exclusive Veg Week menus! Raffle prizes include cookbooks from the U of M Bookstore and gift certificates to places like St. Martin's Table and Holy Land Deli.

Take the Veg Pledge!

Have friends who might want to take the Veg Pledge? Tell them all about it!

"Farm Sanctuary: Changing Our Hearts and Minds About Animals" with Gene Baur

By recounting the stories of rescued animals who now live in peace at Farm Sanctuary, Gene Baur (formerly Bauston) will make the case that farm animals - like all animals - have feelings and can respond to kindness. Baur will use firsthand accounts to illustrate how human and animal lives are caught in today's out-of-control factory farms. Just as cruelty to animals can lead to a broader callousness and disregard for life, empathy and compassion can awaken understanding, create hope, and give rise to greater awareness of the decisions that affect our world.

Baur is the co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, America's leading farm-animal protection organization. He holds a master's degree in agricultural economics from Cornell University and has conducted hundreds of visits to farms, stockyards, and slaughterhouses to document conditions. Baur played an important role in the passing of the first U.S. laws to prohibit cruel farming methods - including the groundbreaking Florida ban on pig gestation crates, the Arizona ban on gestation and veal crates, and the California and Chicago bans on foie gras. His efforts have been covered by leading news organizations, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and CNN.

This is a free event, open to the public. It will be followed by a free, catered reception and a chance to interact one-on-one with Baur. Anyone looking for a relaxing and intriguing evening is invited to the event.

Time: Tuesday, October 2, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Coffman Union Theater, 300 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis

Funding generously provided by: Coca-Cola Academic Initiative, MSA Diversity Education Fund

Veg Pledge Food Giveaway - Tomorrow!

Come try some delicious free vegan food at this Thursday's (tomorrow) Fourth Annual Veg Pledge Food Showcase on the West Bank Plaza and take our Veg Pledge! At this event, we will be giving away hundreds of dollars worth of tasty vegan food to demonstrate how great vegan food tastes. If you're new to vegan eating, stop by for some mouthwatering treats, including chocolate, veggie jerky, cookies, baked goods, and much, much more!

We are also in need of volunteers for this event between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. If you are interested in helping with this fun and easy opportunity, please email Cassie soon, at cassie@exploreveg.org.

Time: Thursday (tomorrow), September 20, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: West Bank Plaza (near the Washington Avenue Bridge) at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

November Book Club

The author understands that eating is a complex emotional issue influenced by culture, family, and politics - and that when food choices clash, mealtimes are not always harmonious. Adams offers practical advice to improve the quality of vegetarians' interactions with omnivores in both casual and business meal settings. The final pages of the book provide over 50 vegetarian recipes to convince even the most devout meat eaters that a vegetarian or vegan life is not one of deprivation.

This book is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Hennepin and Ramsey county libraries, as well as CAA's library.

If you would like to join CAA's book club or have questions, please contact Suzy at suzy@exploreveg.org.

Next book club meeting:

Time: Wednesday, November 7, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Common Roots Cafe, 2558 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
Book: Living Among Meat Eaters: The Vegetarian's Survival Handbook by Carol J. Adams