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!
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!).”
The May meeting of the Vegan Recipe Club will be on Tuesday, May 16 from 6:30-730pm. The cookbook selection for May is Afro-Vegan by Bryant Terry.
This cookbook was named by Bon Appetite magazine as one of the best vegetarian cookbooks of all time! In it, renowned chef and food justice activist Bryant Terry reworks classic dishes of the African Diaspora.
If you are curious about vegan cooking, this club is for you! Each month participants make three recipes from popular cookbooks then share their reflections with the group. Novice to expert cooks are welcome, as are interested non-cooks. Registration not required
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.
Students from the Student Unity Group and the Green Club of two Bloomington high schools with Wholesome Minnesota Director, Jodi Miller Gruhn.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Those of you on a pathway to a more compassionate diet already know that it is a journey of a lifetime. Sometimes challenging but always rewarding. For you, for the planet and most importantly, for the animals.
The support doesn’t stop with the end of VegWeek. Compassionate Action for Animals is in it for the long haul. We will continue to offer a variety of events, tips and resources throughout the year.
Most importantly, we are a community of like-minded individuals. All ready to enthusiastically support you in any way we can. After all, everyone of us has seen how important support is.
Cari Lombardi and friend
Cari Lombardi shared this thought: “Feel proud of yourself for doing something that is helping animals, the planet, your health, and give yourself grace as you make changes and learn more. It can sometimes feel uncomfortable to be different from the crowd, but eventually those feelings are replaced with the peace of mind that comes from having mind, heart and actions aligned. You can lend your knowledge and support to others so they too can learn how to lead a more compassionate lifestyle.”
Following are some other tips and words of inspiration from our community. Whether you are a new vegan or have long been plant-based, may they help along your veg pathway.
For continued support be sure to keep connected to CAA. We’ll automatically sign you up for our weekly newsletter if you click here to check out our upcoming events. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Take advantage of those opportunities for learning and community. They will see you through.
Whether you’re just starting out or have made a longer commitment to diet change, it’s always good to keep learning.
Join us for our screening of this film on April 22.
If you and/or your friends are interested in environmental issues we strongly recommend that you join us for our screening of Eating Our Way to Extinction on April 22 at the Trylon Cinema at 3pm. It’s a beautifully made, powerful film. And we’ll follow it with a discussion of how factory farming is impacting Minnesota’s environment.
Getting more details on animal/vegan issues may help in answering questions from friends and family. Facts are important—and they are on our side.
Luckily, there are lots of books and films out there that can provide the information you seek, and the learning can always continue. A quick internet search will bring you to lots of them. We also have other recommendations in the Resources section of our website. Below are some suggested by our community.
Make sure you are on our email list so you get notified when we have another film screening or book discussion coming up. You can sign up on our website. Following our social media on Facebook and Instagram @exploreveg will also keep you updated!
