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A week of inspiration and action: Reflecting on CAA’s Veg Week festivities
April 29, 2024
Veg Week is a week-long celebration of compassionate living that CAA has hosted since 2004. Over the course of a week, we focus on events that educate the public on compassionate food choices and inspire respect for farmed animals. This year, Veg Week took place from April 14-20. It saw hundreds participating in a variety of inspirational and educational activities. Festivities included a movie and social action event, talks, cooking classes, potlucks, outreach, and even the premiere of a new online vegan series!
The Earth Day connection
Since 2015, the event has taken place around Earth Day – a great reminder that a plant-based diet is one of the most impactful things individuals can do to make a difference for the climate. Fittingly, on the first and last days of Veg Week this year, there were events focused on the environmental impact of our food choices. We started with a screening of the movie The Smell of Money and on the last day, we had an outreach event at the Eden Prairie Eco Expo.
Book and movie recommendations to help cultivate compassion
by Hannah Milos, as appeared in Minnesota Veg Living, Issue 10
April 29, 2024
Empathy is a skill that requires stepping into someone else’s place — be it in shoes, hooves, scales, or feathers — and truly understanding their feelings. Here are some books and movies that do a good job in helping us find our empathy for animals.
Books
What a Fish Knows – Jonathan Balcombe
Did you know fish can think, feel, socialize, and plan? Dive into the mind of a fish and learn all about the hidden lives of our aquatic friends.
Allowed to Grow Old: Portraits of Elderly Animals from Farm Sanctuaries – Isa Leshko
Most farmed animals are killed before their first birthdays, never given the opportunity to live out their natural lifespans. This collection of intimate portraits shows us what the faces of those animals look like when allowed to age.
Beyond Food: Twin Cities Veg Fest as a Catalyst for Societal Change
by Lydia Green, as appeared in Minnesota Veg Living, Issue 10
April 29, 2024
I did not know what to expect when I volunteered to be co-chair for the 2023 Twin Cities Veg Fest, but knew I wanted to increase my involvement in the vegan/plant-based movement. In the end, it’s a role I’m glad I took on. The 2023 festival wasn’t just a celebration of veganism; it was a testament to our work building an inclusive community and increasing awareness of the difference a plant-based lifestyle can have on the world around us.
Welcoming Exhibitors and Attendees of Color
All of us on the committee put effort into welcoming exhibitors and attendees of color. The once homogenous sea of faces has transformed into a vibrant tapestry representing a multitude of cultures and backgrounds. It was heartening to contribute to this evolution. Forty-two exhibitors, over 40% of the total, identified as Black, Indigenous, or Members of the Global Majority. From Black-owned vegan restaurants to Latinx operated food trucks, Twin Cities Veg Fest has become a platform for underrepresented voices to be heard and celebrated.
Fighting Climate Change With Students, One Meal at a Time
By Jodi Miller Gruhn, as appeared in Minnesota Veg Living, Issue 10
April 29, 2024
2023 was a big year for the acknowledgement of our food system’s role in climate change. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ National Nutrition Month highlighted sustainability in its yearly celebration of making informed food choices. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report that included the need for “balanced, sustainable healthy diets acknowledging nutritional needs” as part of the climate roadmap. Organizers of COP28, the world’s most important climate conference, committed to serving “climate-conscious” food (vegan or vegetarian) and offered its first global declaration on the need for the reduction of food-related emissions.
While leaders are finally starting to acknowledge food’s role in the climate crisis, they fall short in naming the biggest culprits: the meat and dairy industries, which account for at least 14.5% of global emissions. These Big Ag industries still have a lot of power and control over the narrative therefore limiting push back from these other organizations and leaders.
Tips and Tricks for Tasty Tofu
by Robin Asbell, as appeared in Minnesota Veg Living, Issue 10
April 29, 2024
If tofu is new to you, you may be surprised to know that it’s not new. Tofu has provided inexpensive, environmentally responsible and tasty protein for more than 2,000 years.
Cooking with tofu is easy, once you get familiar with the different types of tofu and find your favorite ways of preparing them.
Get to know the different types
You may have seen aseptic boxed silken tofu on the shelf. This is a Japanese style that is made by thickening soy milk into a smooth, silky block. This is the tofu you want for the delicate cubes that float in miso soup, or to puree for a vegan frittata, cheesecake, or creamy dressing.
From Horror to Hope: How New Policies Are Transforming Factory Farming
By Julie Knopp, as appeared in Minnesota Veg Living, Issue 10
April 29, 2024
At Farmaste Animal Sanctuary in Lindstrom, Minnesota, pig sisters Violet and Ophelia enjoy space to roam, belly rubs, and their favorite foods: watermelon and pumpkin. They lead peaceful lives, but sadly, their mother experienced some of the worst abuses imaginable.
In 2016, Ophelia and Violet’s mother was rescued — along with 1,000 other individuals — from the largest farmed animal cruelty case in the Northeastern U.S. Many of the animals had no access to food or water. Dead animals were scattered among the living, and many of the surviving animals had to be euthanized due to ill health.
Shortly after her rescue, Ophelia and Violet’s mother gave birth to her daughters. Born after rescue, they are two of the few lucky pigs in the world who will only know love their whole life long.
Soy: Myth vs. Reality
by Lauren Plunkett, RDN LD CDCES as appeared in Minnesota Veg Living, Issue 10
April 25, 2024
Soy foods such as tempeh, soy milk, soy nuts, tofu, and miso are staple items for people of all ages and cultures worldwide. Despite humans thriving on a variety of soy-based foods for centuries, misconceptions about soy are commonplace when choosing a plant-predominant diet. Even long-term ambassadors of a vegan lifestyle can feel conflicted about the benefits of soy, depending on their source of information.
Let’s explore three popular myths circulating about soy to set the record straight.
Myth 1: Soy is unhealthy.
Soybeans are an ancient food utilized in various cultures worldwide, providing a long-standing source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The earliest documentation of the therapeutic value of soybeans, as noted in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, dates back over 2000 years.
Nourishing Foods for Self, Planet and the Community | May 2024 | Vegan Recipe Club
April 24, 2024
The cookbook for the month is Living Lively(2020) by Haile Thomas
Download recipes here.
On May 21 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm join us on zoom for our May meeting of the Vegan Recipe Club.
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.
What is the focus of this cookbook?
The publisher describes the book as:
“By a superstar nineteen-year-old activist and motivational speaker, a unique cookbook and inspiring guide that combines 80 delicious, wholesome, super-powered plant-based recipes with a “7 points of power” manifesto to inspire the next generation of leaders toward self-reflection, critical thinking, and unlearning toxic ideas….
Allison Gamble: Embracing compassion and community by volunteering with CAA
April 22, 2024
Here’s your chance to get to know Allison Gamble, a dedicated CAA volunteer. Allison discovered us at the 2023 banquet, where she was captivated by our mission to end factory farming. The warm, accepting community also impressed her immediately, prompting her to get involved.
Volunteer roles and contributions
Allison has taken on a couple of significant volunteer assignments over the past 10 months. She served on the organizing committees for the 2023 Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge and the 2024 CAA Banquet. She was drawn to these positions because she knew her professional skills could be valuable contributions. She also appreciated the opportunities to connect with like-minded volunteers.
Tenth Anniversary issue of Minnesota Veg Living Now Available! Get a Dose of Inspiration and Information
April 15, 2024
The latest edition of CAA’s annual Veg Living magazine is now out, and it’s a special one – it marks the tenth anniversary of this publication! The issue is packed with articles that aim to inspire and inform you about various aspects of compassionate living, all designed to support you on your veg journey.
How we selected our topics
Our team carefully selected the topics for this milestone issue based on feedback from our community. We discovered that many of you were keen to learn about the connection between diet and climate change, as well as our efforts to introduce more plant-based meals into schools through our Wholesome Minnesota program. Additionally, there was a strong interest in understanding how to maintain a healthy plant-based diet. The magazine addresses these topics and more, offering many insights from our experts.
In this edition, you’ll also find inspiring stories. One is about the impact of our popular Twin Cities Veg Fest as a catalyst for societal change. We also delve into how new policies are reshaping factory farming and the pivotal role CAA plays in this transformation. For those always on the lookout for great places to enjoy vegan food, as well as book and movie recommendations, and of course, recipes, we’ve got you covered too with a variety of fun and informative articles.