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May 31, 2023

On March 27, over 20 folks from CAA joined Farmaste staff and regular volunteers for a day of hard work and fun. To keep a farm sanctuary of this size running smoothly and its residents happy there is a lot that needs to be done. This weekend we helped with some regular tasks and special jobs that needed doing. Together, we unloaded and stacked 228 bales of straw, installed 15 fence posts, cleaned 2 barns, and cleared pathways!

With many hands the work went quickly and allowed for great conversations. And the occasional animal greeting helped keep us inspired. Afterwards we collapsed happy and tired for a fantastic picnic. Burgers and brats were supplied by CAA and supplemented by delicious salads, snacks and drinks supplied by both CAA and Work Day participants.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we combined taking care of animals with essential self-care. Healthy exercise, vitamin D (sun exposure!), and social connection can help us manage our mental health. Sanctuary volunteering provided all of them! At the same time, we helped provide an environment that supports the animal residents’ mental and physical health. In this spirit we started our work day with a guided breathing meditation. One participant, Cari put it this way: “It was a great way to stave off compassion fatigue and burnout.”

Farmaste Animal Sanctuary founder Kelly Tope told the gathered volunteers that farm sanctuaries do important work for their residents and to raise awareness, but don’t have capacity to care for even 1% of the animals currently slaughtered each year. Upcoming CAA outreach events are important, easy ways to share information about animal agriculture practices with other Minnesotans to help change our society as a whole! Video outreach reduces participants’ average meat consumption, and changes their attitudes towards meat and animal products. 

Saturday, June 10: CAA @ Explore West St Paul Days: Information | SignUp 

Saturday-Sunday, June 24-25: CAA @ Twin Cities Pride Festival: Information | SignUp 

Farmaste rescues abused, neglected, and unwanted farm animals and provides them with a safe sanctuary. Residents are respected as someone, not treated as something. Farmaste is located in Lindstrom, MN, less than an hour north of the Twin Cities, near Stacy and North Branch.

P.S. One of the participants, David Smith, took time after pitching in for work day to use his artistic talents to capture an image of Phoebe and the farm. He generously donated the painting to Farmaste and it will be featured in their November auction.

May 26, 2023

Taylor was searching for animal advocacy groups in Minnesota in 2015. Researching online, she discovered the Twin Cities Veg Fest and CAA.  Since then, she has attended CAA events and volunteered at several, including: 

• CAA student group events at the University of MN
• Twin Cities Veg Fest
• The Vegan ThanksLiving Potluck
• The Vegan Chili Cook-off
• And currently, the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge

She loves how friendly and welcoming the CAA community is. Taylor also appreciates the shared passion for ending animal abuse and the slaughter of farmed animals. Attending local events makes it easy for her to connect with others and continue being a voice for animals.

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May 19, 2023

A year ago we reported that Spring Farm Sanctuary was in transition. It’s founders, Robin Johnson and Buck Weber had decided to retire and move the resident animals to Odd Man Inn sanctuary in Tennessee.

They began the transition last summer and moved the pigs and the goats to Odd Man Inn. In the process they have had a change of heart and decided to continue the sanctuary on a smaller scale. As you will read below, they still have their cows and birds. And have even added a couple!

Robin and Buck have shared the following with us and on the Spring Farm social media:

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The CAA Vegan Recipe Club cookbook selection for June is The Herbivorous Butcher Cookbook by Aubry & Kale Walch. Join us online on Tuesday, June 20, from 6:30 — 7:30 PM to discuss some recipes.

If you are curious about vegan cooking, this club is for you! Participants make three recipes from popular cookbooks each month and then share their reflections with the group. Novice to expert cooks are welcome, as are interested non-cooks. Registration not required.

The publisher’s description of this month’s cookbook: “From the Guamanian brother-sister duo (Aubry and Kale Walch) behind the acclaimed and beloved vegan butcher shop, The Herbivorous Butcher, here are 75 innovative recipes for plant-based meats and standout vegan dishes.  The Herbivorous Butcher Cookbook offers achievable recipes for making meat substitutes at home, as well as recipes for delicious dishes using those homemade meat substitutes (or store-bought substitutes if you’re in a pinch!).”

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May 2, 2023

On April 28, a protest against cruel kitten experiments was held at the University of Minnesota. CAA’s University of Minnesota student leaders, Lady Freethinker, The Animal Rights Coalition, Feline Rescue, and other concerned community members made their voices heard. They delivered over 37,000 petition signatures to the University of Minnesota.

A hardy bunch of protesters chanted their way from the student union to the president’s office. They were inspired by student leaders who outlined the horrific experiments. Protestors were able to deliver the large stack of petitions to staff to convey to the absent president. View the recording of the live Facebook feed or Instagram feed to experience the event as it happened!

Marchers encountered many prospective students and visiting families on tours. Visitors had an opportunity to hear about issues they might then raise with the University. The high visibility from the protest along with the power of those 37,000 voices could have a positive impact. 

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 May 1, 2023

Over the past year, CAA’s Wholesome Minnesota program has focused on working with student environmental groups.  The education, support and empowerment we offer has helped jumpstart great progress! Plant-based school meals are being instituted and students are educating their peers on the issue. 

Wholesome Minnesota began meeting with environmental groups at two Bloomington High Schools. Discussions have covered the environment, inclusivity and the connection to plant-based eating.

The students have been particularly interested in plant-based nutrition and cooking. Wholesome MN and Support and Feed partnered to provide their meetings with vegan food.  This included meals from The Herbivorous Butcher, J. Selby’s and HEAL.

Students have dedicated themselves to educating other students about plant-based foods. They presented their “Inclusive Lunch Proposal” to the Bloomington Public Schools School Board. The students’ voices were heard! Kennedy High School now has black bean burgers on the menu three times a week and a salad bar every day. 

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CAA celebrated VegWeek 2023 (April 14-24) with a variety of events and opportunities. The cornerstone was the Veg Pledge which supported 184 people in trying a veg lifestyle or reaching out to invite friends to try one. In addition, we hosted 12 events at locations in the Twin Cities as well as planned events in Duluth and St. Cloud. Virtual offerings were available to people throughout the state. 

There were a variety of events to meet every interest. We had a food giveaway, dine outs, potlucks, cooking classes, speakers and a film. We started and ended on particularly high notes. The food giveaway at the University of Minnesota attracted over 588 passers-by.  They got tasty vegan food and conversations on the need for plant-based eating. We ended with a speaker from Israel. Rabbi Gersh addressed a crowd of around 40 people on the support for veganism in Judaism.

Those who participated in the VegPledge got a discount at six plant-based restaurants in the Twin Cities.  To take part, people pledged to go vegetarian or vegan for a week. Or, if they were already vegan, they could refer two people and snag the discount card.  Participating restaurants:

• Coconut Whisk Cafe
• Francis Burger Joint
• The Herbivorous Butcher
• J. Selby’s
• Reverie Cafe+Bar
• SEED Cafe

Those who signed up or referred folks also got a series of supportive emails during VegWeek. They were filled with tips and inspiration to assist them in their veg journey. Check out our blog page to see what we shared.

by Tamuno Imbu, Compassionate Action for Animals Community Organizer

April 24, 2022

Cookie Cart now has vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is your call to go – run…don’t walk to get this tasty treat! Go visit them in North Minneapolis, East St. Paul or online. 

This is their second venture into vegan cookies. After conducting vegan cooking classes for them in my role as CAA’s Community organizer, Cookie Cart first ventured into making vegan sugar cookies. It was a short term flavor but its success and their continued involvement with CAA led them to offer this new cookie. It has been very well received to date.

What makes these cookies extra sweet is the mission and heart behind every purchase. With a yellow bowl and a wooden spoon, Sister Jean Thuerauf, the founder of Cookie Cart partnered with young people to create a space for building community and eating a sweet treat. They would talk about school, celebrate birthdays and make plans for selling cookies to the neighbors. Keeping love at the center, Cookie Cart has evolved and grown to employ thousands of teens in the past 30 years. 

While working in the bakery, teens learn about food safety and food handler workplace standards. They also learn about working as a team and build relationships with each other, their managers, and the many volunteers that come to network and help out cookie operations. 

Let’s do our part to support this premier youth employer and go eat some Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies! Order 1 dozen, 10 dozen or 200 dozen for home and/or to share at a special event. 

April 21, 2023

Hilary Bullock has been following CAA for a few years. She recognized her need for community and in-person engagement with like-minded people. In early 2023, she decided to get involved.

Her first foray into volunteer work was writing. She’s written two Volunteer Profiles for CAA’s newsletter and blog. And yes, she is writing her third one about herself, as requested.

CAA  mentioned the need for 2023 Twin Cities Veg Fest volunteers. Hilary agreed to join the effort and is on the small but mighty TCVF Social Media Committee. Fellow members include Theresa Zingery, Julie Knopp, and Joscelyn Sturm. It is exciting to leverage CAA’s social media platforms and spread the word about TCVF 2023 far and wide. Hilary is focusing on Facebook and Linked In.

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