On Saturday, November 21, 2015, I attended the Celebration of the Turkeys at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York. I have been a couple of times before, so I knew the routine, but I hadn’t been in the last few years because I waited too long to get a ticket. So, needless to say, I was quite excited about everything – the feeding of the turkeys, the vegan Thanksgiving dinner, the picturesque beauty of the farm, the chance to celebrate compassion with like-minded others, and, yes, the gift shop!!

This year I decided to pay attention to as much detail as I could. My observations started in the parking lot. Mostly New York State cars, but I saw license plates from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts and even one from California. The barn building where we all signed in was a rustic structure with a charming vibe. On display was information about the work the Farm Sanctuary does, facts about animal agriculture abuses, a display wall of photos and quotes from celebrities in the scientific and entertainment community about human relationships with other living beings and others praising the work of Farm Sanctuary. Hot apple cider, hot tea and coffee, and healthy chips and cookies gave us sustenance for our journey to the animals.

Despite a blustery cloudy day, we set out to once again see and interact with those farm animals that most of us might pass on the road when we see cows or chickens in a field, but don’t get to look into their eyes and know them the way we do our companion animals. 

The feeding of the turkeys, of course, is the main event. We all sat on bales of hay and watched trays of cranberries, lettuce and squash being placed on the low lying tables being set for the feast. The guests were not us humans all seated around on bales of hay, but the turkeys. It always strikes me that this event is such a powerful symbolic scene. On Thanksgiving, so many turkeys are killed to provide that essential? part of the celebration. But today we were reversing that to feed the turkeys, not eat them. A new tradition of compassion witnessed by men, women and children who want to see a change in how we eat, care and live. I especially love seeing the families with young children – those children are experiencing other ways to see the farm animals and learning to treat them with respect – experiences that will travel with them into adulthood and hopefully influence their choices. 

Lastly, this event is a reinforcement for the choices that I have made – it makes my commitment stronger. Seeing 350+ people take the time to attend this event, support the Farm Sanctuary, some traveling many miles – all for the purpose of gathering to honor and share with like-minded others, the compassionate lifestyle. Seeing the enthusiasm of so many for this lifestyle gives me hope that this movement to respect the lives of farm animals and their right to not be abused and treated like commodities for human consumption will spread and prevail. 

Happy Thanksgiving!– as I celebrate with my family both vegan and non-vegan, I will take the opportunity to share some vegan approved food with everyone and be thankful for those that have taught me, helped me and supported me in my journey towards the compassionate life.

The Daily Show opens the window to the plant-based fresh air

 

 

Last night I realized that the movement toward a plant-based diet (PBD) is likely to speed up. Gene Baur, the founder of Farm Sanctuary, animal rights activist and vegan was on “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart! Mr Baur was talking about his new book, “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life: The Ultimate Guide to a Mindful, Compassionate, Animal-friendly life”. Some of their discussion was about the number of world problems that would be solved by adopting a PBD; huge amounts of grain and water are needed for animal agriculture; negative impact of their practices on the environment, human health and the humane treatment of farm animals.

Sometimes people are inspired to change their diet, but are not sure what to cook or eat and all the meat-based protein has been the staple of the Western diet for so long. Mr. Baur mentioned that there are companies specifically working to develop meat-like products from plants and calling them just another delicious form of protein rather than ‘meatless meat’ or ‘faux meat’ etc. I had also read that Bill Gates is funding this type of research and development.

A great way to start is to just consider eating plant-based one day a week. Meatless Mondays has been quite successful with more people slowly realizing how many of these food items can be tasty and provide all the essential nutrients. There is also a plan developed by Mark Bittman, the New York Times lead food writer that suggests you could wait until dinner time to eat meat products. He calls it ‘Vegan before 6’. I know several people personally who have been doing this and find it an easy way to move into the PBD groove.

I have been through this transition myself and know how hard it is to make the plunge. But now that I have been following a vegan diet for a couple of years, it just keeps getting easier and more fun. I feel that following such a diet is actually a personal commitment to participate in the solution to the issues mentioned above. I am always experimenting with new ingredients and incorporating them into old recipes or finding new recipes. There are plenty of vegan recipes on-line and in some wonderful creative cookbooks by talented compassionate chefs and cooks.  

It was interesting to listen to Jon Stewart’s side of the conversation. I think he probably represented where many people are right now regarding the PBD. His awareness has been awakened by the more open information being publicized about the issues discussed above. His and many people’s dilemma is that the transition is not easy – there are more and more vegan offerings in restaurants and grocery stores – but the prevalence and familiarity of the meat-based items makes it harder to try something unfamiliar. I am a regular viewer of ‘The Daily Show’ and I do applaud him for having Mr. Baur on his program. Jon Stewart is a very influential TV icon who so many admire and inviting him to discuss his book is a bold and compassionate act. I am hopeful that his many fans will think about what was presented and be inspired to make whatever steps they can to try the PBD.

 

http://farmsanctuary.org/living/   Farm Sanctuary Link