The Vegan Winter 2007

MEET THE VEGAN SOCIETY STAFF LIVESTOCK’S LONG SHADOW NEW CATERING BOOKLET FOR HOSPITALS AND CARE HOMES GOLDFINGER LEAD SINGER, JOHN FELDMANN MEET THE SKINNY BITCHES ISSN 0307−4811 04

9 770307 481000

in this issue 2

NEWS

World Vegan Day and

5

SHOPAROUND

managed to spread the word a little. Please

8

OUT & ABOUT

send me details and

11

VEGAN SOUNDS

photos of any activities you

13

THE SKINNY BITCHES

any other time for that

15

AUTUMN 2007 HIGHLIGHTS

matter, and I will try to

16

GROW VEGAN

18

MEET THE STAFF

stunt organised and performed by Vegan Society

20

ELDERLY NUTRITION

staff outside the Birmingham Bull Ring.

22

VEGGIE HUMANISM

In this issue you can meet the staff, many of whom are

24

RECIPES

fairly new. Now that we are up to full staff

26

LIVESTOCK’S LONG SHADOW

27

VEGAN FOOD IN HOSPITALS & CARE HOMES

members: thank you all very much!

28

JOHN FELDMANN: ROCK STAR VEGAN

Please find our new Vegan Catering Guide for Hospitals

30

POSTBAG

and Care Homes enclosed in this magazine. I hope you

31

MEGAN THE VEGAN

the vegan food could be improved, or if you know

33

REACH: ANIMAL TESTING

someone who is, please get in touch with us and

34

REVIEWS

we will send them a copy. For more details about Elderly Nutrition, Hospitals and Care Homes please

36

CURIOUS VEGETABLES

see pages 20, 21 and 27.

38

YOUTH PAGES

41

EVENTS

beings; I hope you enjoy your Winter Festival or

42

NETWORK CONTACTS

Christmas celebrations.

44

LISTINGS

Rosamund Raha

45

CLASSIFIEDS

Editor

48

CROSSWORD COMPETITION

I hope you enjoyed

took part in on the day, or at

feature them in the Spring Vegan magazine. You will also be able to read about the ‘Belching Brenda’

complement you will see on our Highlights page that we are getting increasingly more done. But we couldn’t do any of it without the support of our

like it! If you are in a hospital or a care home where

We approach the Season of Goodwill to all sentient

The Vegan Society

l

Donald Watson House

Local rate 0845 45 88244 Editor Rosamund Raha Design www.doughnutdesign.co.uk Printed by Cambrian Printers on Recycled paper YOUth pages Design Johanna Best Front cover photo Alan Crosthwaite

l

l

Tel. 0121 523 1730

21 Hylton Street l

l

Hockley

Fax. 0121 523 1749

l

l

Birmingham

l

B18 6HJ

l

UK

e-mail: info@vegansociety.com

© The Vegan Society Registered Charity no. 279228 The views expressed in The Vegan do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Vegan Society Council.

Nothing printed should be construed to be Vegan Society policy unless so stated. The Society accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements (including inserts) does not imply endorsement.

The inclusion of product information should not be construed as constituting official Vegan Society approval for the product, its intended use, or its manufacturer/distributor. Contributions intended for publication are welcomed, but unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a SAE.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

1

News n FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

n ECOVER

Preparations for the AGM are well underway and this year it will be held in the centre of Birmingham, not far from our office. Anyone who is a member of the Vegan Society is welcome to attend the AGM. You will have the opportunity to meet the staff and full members can vote on important proposals.

I would encourage you to attend and participate in forming the Society policies. If you are unable to attend you can appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. Please read the AGM documents carefully and make use of your vote. Being a charity we are governed by Trustees who decide our policies but it is you, the members, who choose the Trustees and so you ultimately control our policy.

In August 2007, the Vegan Society and Ecover mutually agreed that Ecover should no longer display the Vegan Society sunflower logo on their products. This was a very unusual event, so we think it deserves a mention in The Vegan.

This year our main theme is highlighting the environmental damage caused by eating animal products, taking advantage of the general interest in climate change. I spoke at the Green Party Annual Conference in Liverpool and asked the question: ‘Are your meals costing the Earth?’ This was followed by a lively question and answer session. We need to get environmentalists to recognise they cannot eat animal products if they really care about our planet and one of our aims for the year is to persuade Friends of the Earth to adopt a pro-vegan policy.

The UN report, Livestock’s Long Shadow, provides us with a wealth of independent facts to quote so we must all keep making the point that the livestock sector produces more greenhouse gases than all transport put together.

The Vegan Society has very strict criteria concerning animal ingredients and animal testing. This is an imperfect world, and the entire issue of using animals for ingredients testing is very complex. For example, almost all ingredients have been tested on animals at some point in their development, and companies which do not test finished products on animals may still test the component ingredients on animals.

However, we aim to ensure our sunflower logo is the most far-reaching and trustworthy indication of a product being genuinely animal-friendly.

The important issues that resulted in Ecover no longer displaying our trademark are integral to our values: we do not approve of the ‘five-year rolling rule’ approach to animal testing; we discourage the use of any animal products in safety testing for products that are for use by people; and we respect all animal life, including water fleas, for its inherent value and independent purpose on the planet.

We respect the fact that Ecover are motivated primarily for ecological reasons, but we have mutually agreed that their definition of an ‘animal’ and their ingredients testing are not compatible with the Vegan Society trademark criteria.

However, we are hopeful that we will be able to work together again in the future when Ecover pursue completely non-animal testing methods.

n VEGAN WINS NY ‘BEST VENDOR’ Thiru “Dosa Man” Kumar from NY Dosas, Washington Square South and Sullivan Street who serves “Sri Lankan-style vegan fare” has been crowned New York City’s Best Street Food Vendor at this year’s Vendy awards. The awards, in their third year, honour New York’s best street food vendor in a city where every corner seems home to a taco truck or halal cart. ... This was Kumar’s third time at the Vendy’s but his first win of the much coveted silver Vendy cup. http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/oct/03/travelnews.newyork?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront Well done Thiru!

2

The Vegan l Winter 2007

n VEGAN FITNESS

by Karen Woodhams Vegan runners have been successful with Fiona Oakes winning the Halstead marathon, and Jenny Kinnaird competing in the White Peak and Windermere marathons on successive days! Well done Michelle Quaid for further successes with a silver (3000m) and gold (1500m) in June at her Sussex school championships, and for her personal best performances at the Midhurst 10km and 5km road races. Congratulations to James Meldrum for his second place finish at the Lancaster half marathon which he completed in 1 hour 13 minutes, and also for coming first in the Wavertree Mystery 5k race.

In powerlifting, recognition goes to Joanna Perkins for her debut at the NW Open powerlifting competition with outstanding performances on all three lifts.

Congratulations to Pat Reeves who won the world title in Italy recently. Karen Woodhams obtained four British records for her class at the British Unequipped Championships in Birmingham with the British Weightlifting Association.

In Strongman, a wonderful example of vegan power was made by Ian Plews who qualified second for the UK’s Strongest Man competition at the UK Scottish Qualifier in Dumfries in July, and subsequently competed at the UK’s Strongest Man competition in Belfast in August.

Also congratulations to vegan novice strongmen Jonathan Robinson and Brian Cuninghame who competed at Northern Isles Strongest Man Competition on Shetland Island in August, and also at Dumfries Strongman competition in September where they were joined by fellow vegans Joni Purmonem and Chris Trewartha, and where Jonathan claimed third place against stiff competition.

In martial arts, Mac Danzig, a vegan professional mixed martial artist, was selected to compete in the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality martial arts show.

The third annual veganfitness.net week was held in Amsterdam, Holland in August.

Over twenty participants from several different European countries and from various levels of sports experience took part in a wide range of activities, from strength sports to running, martial arts to spinning, and from circuit training to quintessential table tennis. Accommodation and meals were shared communally. All instructors were vegan and volunteered their time, including Weia Reinboud, a World Masters Olympic record holder in various track and field sports and a vegan of twenty five years. The plans are to build on the success of the previous three activity weeks, and have the biggest vegan sports event ever next year. Details will be published in future issues of The Vegan.

n VEG 1 VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT The taste of the current batch of Veg 1 (sold exclusively by The Vegan Society) is not up to normal standards. If you have purchased a tub and find it unpalatable, please contact our sales department and we will provide you with a credit note: sales@vegansociety.com 0121 523 1731.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

3

n PRISON CONFERENCE

n TAKE THE VEGAN PLEDGE

Friday 28th September saw a prison conference in London to which the Vegan Society and Vegan Prisoners Support Group were invited.

Vegan Campaigns are looking for volunteers to go vegan for one month in the New Year.

The volunteers will be invited to an event at the beginning and end of the month where they will receive health checks, hopefully showing an improvement in health at the end of the month. They will also work out the number of animals saved and the reduction in the volunteers’ carbon footprint. Of course, we hope the volunteers will see how healthy, ethical and delicious a vegan diet is and stay vegan!

The event was arranged especially for companies who wish to tender for the prison shop contract beginning in 2008. This included several major UK suppliers.

Prison shops exist so that prisoners can purchase goods (usually once a week) to supplement the basic prison provisions. They are notoriously under-stocked with vegan products which has resulted in ongoing difficulties for vegans. Most vegan prisoners have limited access to basic day-to-day items such as: n Hygiene/Body Care: shower gel, hair conditioner and moisturiser and sometimes even toothpaste and shampoo. n Foods: tofu, soya desserts, chocolate and biscuits.

The VPSG has campaigned on the prison shop issue for several years outlining the case for equal opportunities for vegans and fortunately the Prison Service has finally taken on board the problems currently encountered by vegans. Companies have now been asked to provide details of how they will cater for vegans should they be awarded the new prison shop contract.

So if you know of any non-vegan who would be prepared to go vegan for a month, please contact: Vegan Campaigns, BM 2300, London WC1N 3XX 07960 036044 www.vegancampaigns.org.uk info@vegancampaigns.org.uk

n WHY DON’T DEFRA TEST LIVESTOCK FOR MRSA? If you don’t test for the antibiotic-resistant superbug MRSA in ‘Livestock’ then you won’t have to face the fact that the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock presents a serious health risk for human and non-human animals.

Research in the Netherlands has shown that 21% of chicken, 20% of pork and 3% of beef is infected with MRSA. Both the Soil Association and the September Ecologist magazine have pointed out that the routine use of antibiotics in livestock farming has led to an increase in the presence of this life-threatening bug, which can so easily be passed to humans.

It is likely that the same problem exists in all countries, but we can’t prove that it is widespread in the UK because neither DEFRA nor the Food Standards Agency are routinely testing for it - very convenient!

Alex Bourke from The Vegan Society spoke to the conference outlining the main products that we and the VPSG would like to see in prison shops. The recommendations are based on feedback which comes regularly from vegan prisoners.

Our presence led to a number of the companies present contacting us for information after the event and it is good to finally see commitment to ensure equal opportunities for vegans in prison shops. We look forward to next year when vegan products should start to appear in prison shops in the public sector.

4

The Vegan l Winter 2007

n SUPER SUPERMARKET Well done to Sainsbury’s for having a special feature about vegan food on their website! http://www.sainsburys. co.uk/food/specialdiets/

C

Shoparound Johanna Best and Verity Hunt-Sheppard

n VEGETALIA New products from Vegetalia include convenient ready-to-eat seaweed - natural seaweed packed into jars and tins in fresh seawater – and delicious drinks. Their organic red rose elixir can be mixed with sparkling wine or champagne to create a refreshing aperitif, while the organic pomegranate juice offers a tasty dose of antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients.

Also included in the Vegetalia range are gluten-free patés, meat substitutes and pasta, which can be ordered on-line from www.vegetalia.co.uk or by calling 07810 882802. Why not pass on the details to your local health food store, so others can enjoy their products too!

Organic red rose elixir and organic pomegranate juice each cost £1.99 The seaweed range costs between £3.75 and £4.49

n AQUADOS – CLEAN AND GREEN WASHING DETERGENTS We love it when products make it easier to live green and vegan by being effective and easily available. As well as being said to wash as effectively as other leading detergents, Simply Active (biological) and Simply Sensitive (non biological) SoftTabs are also the first UK washing detergents to be granted an EU Eco-Label licence.

They are also conveniently stocked by selected Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s and Coop branches.

The Simply Dishwash range is also easy on the planet, and leaves you with sparkling dishes with its special 6 in 1 formulation, which includes rinse aid, glass protection and a water softening agent.

Both products can be bought on line at www.simplywashing.com, where you will also find a handy store locator.

Simply Laundry 30 SoftTab packs sell for around £2.99 Simply Dishwash 30 SoftTab packs sell for around £4.99

n VITALITE Remember Vitalite when you where young?

The singing sunflower advert which told you all about its sunflower goodness. Well, you can enjoy Vitalite all over again as Vitalite is now soyafree, dairy-free and suitable for vegans! Vitalite is found in all major supermarkets meaning that vegan shopping just gets easier and easier. Rich in vitamin E and containing no hydrogenated fats Vitalite is perfect on a bit of toast or for use in cooking and baking.

Vitalite is priced at 86p.

n FUNK BUBBLE Free from animal products, petro-chemicals and perfumes the Funk Bubble range of toiletries and gifts are a great way to funk up your bath time as well as your bathroom. The range of deliciously and naturally scented biodegradable hair and skin care products contain only the highest quality natural oils and pure fruit and plant extracts, and come in wonderfully funky packaging. How can you resist, for example, organic chocolate shower wash or a cute bag of rose mini fizzy bath bombs?

Organic chocolate shower wash costs £6.15 for 250ml Rose mini fizzy bath bombs cost £6.75 www.funkbubble.co.uk or call 07775 89 88 89

n ALTERNATIVE SOLES Alternative Soles don’t just stock a great range of affordable shoes & boots but many other essential vegan items too such as handbags (essential to some!), cosmetics, toiletries, vitamins and sweet treats. To keep your feet all snug and warm over the winter months Alternative Soles have extended their footwear range, and now have a great selection of breathable women’s winter boots. Alternative Soles also stock a range of vegan ballet, dance & tap shoes. Time to get dancing in the streets!

Give away!

Alternative Soles are giving away three £50 footwear vouchers to Vegan Society members. To enter simply visit www.alternativesoles.com/vegansociety & enter your name & e-mail address. Closing date 1st February 2008.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

5

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

n BUTE ISLAND FOODS

n THE LONGCROFT SOAP COMPANY

The super guys from Bute Island foods www.buteisland.com are on the look out for some cool Sheesey vegan recipes that they can share with the world.

The best five recipes will win the whole range of Sheeses: that’s fourteen different ones to try including cheddar and chives, mozzarella, creamy scheese and Mexican style! So it doesn’t matter whether it’s something easy, challenging, savory or sweet; as long as it’s a Sheesy vegan recipe, you could be one of the winners!

Not only does Elizabeth Carnahan make beautiful hand-made soaps, scrubs, balms and body butters, she also gives her creations wonderful names such as A Wee Choccy Poke Bath Soak and Cheer up Lemonhead. In the Rainforest with Lula soap, for example, contains a base of rich cocoa butter & avocado and is sensuously scented with white ginger, lily, myrrh, & star fruit. In addition to this loveliness, 100% of the profit from this soap is donated to the World Land Trust.

Also in the range is Minty Vegan Lip Butter, a superbly rich and tasty lip balm, which provides moisture and helps protect your lips from the chilly elements.

Available from www.longcroftsoap.co.uk or by calling 01324 411 587. You can also buy them in person from Stirling Farmers’ Market on the second Saturday of every month.

Soaps cost £3.50 for 120g Wee Choccy Poke Bath Soak costs £2.50

Reader offer!

The Longcroft Soap Company also have 3 vegan gift boxes to give away.

To enter contact: The Vegan Society, Longcroft Soap Giveaway 21 Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18 6HJ.

Competition!

Please send your entry to: Vegan Society competition Bute Island Foods 14 Craigmore Road Rothesay Isle of Bute PA20 9LB

n VEGANLINE Veganline www.veganline.com have some fantastic new boots to see you through the winter (or put them aside and show them off at the summer festivals!) For camo fans Veganline’s Jungle Boots are just the ticket. Inspired by the posters advertising the Camouflage Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London they feature a water resistant breathable top and Solovair soles which mould to and cushion your feet. Their unisex Xcap boot has an external steel toecap and tough rubber sole. Made from breathable microfibre, these 10-hole lace-ups are said to keep your feet safe whatever vegan adventures you get up to.

Both the Xcap and Jungle boots are made in the U.K. Jungle Boot, size 8-13 £64 Xcap, Size 6-13 £55

Entries to the Vegan Society office by the 1st of February 2008.

n JUNGLE DRINK FORMULAS These blends of natural plant powders and superfoods are an easy way of boosting the goodness of your juices, shakes or smoothies. Choose from Jungle Detox Plus with purple corn to cleanse and fortify; Jungle Energy Boost with guarana to uplift and energize your day, and Jungle Gym Drink Formula with suma, which is said to enhance muscle growth.

Also available is Jungle Love Drink Formula with cacao to kick up the heat in the bedroom, and Jungle Super Energy Boost Drink Formula with acai for instant and long-lasting energy. The Guaraná Company also stocks superfoods and other interesting products.

Jungle Drink Formulas cost from £5.99 for 50g Order from www.guaranaco.com or call 01273 621406. You can also visit their store in Brighton.

6

The Vegan l Winter 2007

n AWARD WINNING ENGLISH WINE Located near Devizes in Wiltshire, a’Beckett’s Vineyard produces wonderful vegan English wines, many of which have been awarded gold and silver medals in various competitions.

Their range of delicious wine includes rosé, white, red and sparkling varieties.

The gold medal winning a’Beckett’s 2005 Estate Blend costs £8.50 a bottle.

Available in selected outlets; a’Beckett’s wine can also be bought at the vineyard or by contacting them on www.abecketts.co.uk, E-mail: abeckettswine@aol.com or tel: 01380 816669 / 07971 608446.

Stockists can be found on their website.

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

n ESSENTIALLY NATURAL Essentially Natural are a small, ethical, family-run business that make gorgeous natural, organic soaps and skincare products using traditional methods. Everything is made by hand from start to finish ensuring that you get perfect quality products. Essentially Natural state that all raw materials are organically grown and from sustainable sources wherever possible. They are said to be kind on even the most sensitive skin.

Reader offer!

Essentially Natural are offering all readers of The Vegan 5% off their orders and the exclusive opportunity to win a specially prepared Vegan Christmas Hamper, packed with scrumptious soaps and skincare products. All you have to do is order from Essentially Natural before 17th December and they will enter you into the prize draw.

Use coupon code ‘vegan’ to get your 5% discount when ordering.

n ETHICALLY PRODUCED, VEGAN SHOES FOR KIDS!

n REDWOOD’S ‘CHEATIN’ RANGE To celebrate the launch of their delicious new Cheatin’ Chorizo, Beanfeast Pâté, Greek Style ‘cheese’ and Cheatin’ Instant Vegan Gravy Powder, Redwood’s are giving five lucky readers the chance to win a mini food parcel.

To enter, simply e-mail your name, Reader offer! address and phone number (so they can arrange delivery) to marketing@redwoodfoods.co.uk. Don’t forget to mention the words ‘Vegan Society Offer’ in your e-mail. Alternatively, send your name, address, phone number (and e-mail address if you have one) on a postcard to: Vegan Society offer, The Redwood Company, 60 Burkitt Road, Earlstrees Industrial Estate, Corby, Northants NN17 4DT. Closing date 14th December. The first five names out of the hat will each win a mini food parcel.

n SIMPLY SOAPS Dark winter nights are the perfect nights for a pampering session. Don’t be fooled by the name Simply Soaps, they make more than just soap and have a 100% natural range of luscious body & skin care products (visit www.simplysoaps.com to see their full range). Run yourself a hot bath and pop in one of their Chill-Out or De-Stress herbal bath bags. Then scrub yourself clean with Queen of Sheba rose wash grains and finally slaver yourself with Rosa Passionata Night Butter. Had a hard day?

Then massage in some Aaag de-stressing body oil. Bliss.

Queen of Sheba wash grains £3.50 Aaag body oil £10

n CLINELL RANGE

Jingas www.jingashop.com are so comfortable your kids will love them. Their flat soles give children a natural posture and walking position.

They’re available in a great range of colours from Classic Black and White through to Bright Brazil inspired blues and yellows. Cool and stylish you can wash them in the machine at thirty degrees when they get grubby!

Jingas still make adult shoes too! Jingas are sweatshop-free, machine washable, and ‘feel like slippers’. Jingas also provide funds for social projects in Brazil which means you can be funky and ethical all at the same time. Wear your Jingas with pride!

Kids Jingas £28 Adult Jingas £35

No-one wants to come down with nasty bugs so keep your hands and work surfaces clean and disinfected with the Clinell range of products. Their range includes a disinfectant spray, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes that have a special non-bleach formula that’s safe to use in food preparation areas. Clinell products are said to be fast acting and are said to kill 99.999% of bacteria including MRSA and Bird Flu. Disinfect everything from your refrigerator to your office items without any smell or taint, while the hand cleaner is a great way to clean your hands when (vegan) soap and water are not available. The whole range can be purchased through their website www.orderhealthcare.com Clinell are giving away a year’s supply of their amazing Clinell wipes Give away! to one lucky winner and a year’s supply of hand sanitizers. Entries to us by 1st of February 2008.

To enter contact: The Vegan Society, Clinell Competition, 21 Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18 6HJ

The Vegan l Winter 2007

7

OUT AND ABOUT WITH OUR VEGAN CAMPAIGNERS For complete listings of Vegan Society Local Contacts and Local Groups, see pages 42-44

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

THE LONDON VEGAN FESTIVAL The 10th London Vegan Festival really was full to the brim in every sense. Full of excellent stalls selling everything a vegan could wish for, full of enlightening talks, musicians and entertainers and of course full of people!

The festival is extremely popular and rightly so, with so many good things going on it’s very difficult to pick a highlight.

Talks covered a wide range of topics from vegan nutrition to ‘Peace for Animals.’ There was an amazing array of foods provided by Veggies, Shambhu’s Kitchen, House of Life, Rainforest Café and more, and let’s not forget the amazing vegan sherry trifles available from the Animal Protection Agency stall.

With ninety stalls in attendance there was ample opportunity to shop till you dropped, while stall-holders were more than happy to chat to people about their causes.

If all this activity left you needing a break there were Indian head massages on offer and a nicely stocked bar!

Looking forward to next year!

8

The Vegan l Winter 2007

ety’s 33rd the North American Vegetarian Soci In July I was one of 580 people at lvania with nsy Pen e on a university campus in annual Summerfest, which took plac mmodation. acco llent exce and recreational facilities marvellous conference, catering and talks the all and n vega was ring n: all cate The emphasis throughout was vega onstrations, dem ery cook , talks of ty varie e hug a focussed on veganism. There was kers were of over the four days. Many of the spea entertainment and social activities an.

Lym ard How and er Greg is, Dr Michael international repute, e.g. Brenda Dav in Prague to the reading it I shall have given a talk Between my writing this and you Czech Veg*an Society.

Talks have not yet pean Vegetarian Union AGM and Arrangements for next year’s Euro kend in May wee first cted to take place over the been finalized but the event is expe on see EVU newsletters in Zürich, Switzerland. You can ys worth a wsletter.php. The IVU website is alwa s/ne new /en/ lang www.euroveg.eu/ when see can org/members/ivu-life.html you look too: for instance on www.ivu. the Vegan of k wor hard and ks to the persistence various societies were founded. Than vegan. is ts even IVU and EVU all at all catering Society’s former International Contact th the to attend the 38 Conference of I hope this will also encourage you hundred years one 8, 200 July in y man Dresden, Ger International Vegetarian Union in us to use ng urgi held there. The organizers are after the first such gathering was any other than e mor g doin vegans we are already overland travel if at all possible. As ent plac com be not t mus we but ll footprint sma group to keep our environmental about the eco-cost of air travel. in Australia, te: “It continues to perplex us here A contact in Australia recently wro fruit & veges is ongoing drought, that the price of where we are experiencing severe t, which takes mea of ght conditions yet the price continually driven upwards by drou .” cted never seems to be affe so much more water to produce, n Vegetarian that the catering at the Third Asia Recently I expressed disappointment exclusively be not ld an, in early November wou Congress at Kaohsiung City, Taiw n Vegetarian Asia the of n rma chai the reply of the vegan. The following extract from “You know lly: ty of veganizing to do internationa Union shows that there is still plen vegan with start you If to promote vegetarian. that promoting vegan we first have ian is etar Veg n Asia old. s year is more than 100 people may not be convinced. IVU than er bett ince people that vegetarian food is only 7 years old. We have to conv vegan food is that them tell you d ince conv are non-veg food, then after the people better than vegetarian food.” l Outreach Fund, set up Contributions to the Internationa developing world, are still to help the vegan movement in the the office but please to or me to welcome and can be sent donation to go to this make it clear that you want your used to help local vegans, special fund. All contributions are ers. tern not to subsidize travel by Wes you at the AGM in I look forward to seeing many of er and at Christmas emb Birmingham on Saturday 24 Nov 2 December. day Sun on on without Cruelty in Lond ator Patricia Tricker, International Coordin

UNSUNG HEROES’ PRIZE Sophie Fenwick-Paul, Network Contacts Coordinator

Let’s celebrate those we rarely hear about who are doing great stuff for veganism in their community. Redwood Foods and ActiVeg.org have teamed up to give an annual Unsung Network Heroes’ Prize. We need you to nominate one or two Network Contacts or groups you think deserve credit and tell us why.

What if you don’t know any contacts? Now is the time to get in touch with some. See page 38. You can ask for help or simply be friendly and supportive: both they and you may well gain from knowing each other and you could even put them up for the prize.

Whatever feedback you’ve got on the Network, contact Sophie. Any prize nominations should be submitted by New Year’s Day so we can present the awards at the North-West Vegan Festival on 26th January.

Thanks to Redwood Foods of Cheezly and Vegideli fame, we’ve got a £50 first and a £25 second prize in wonderful mail order gift vouchers, so winners can choose their favourite products and have them sent to their home.

WANT TO GET ACTIVE? Anyone can get out there and do a bit of positive veganising. You don’t need our say so!

The ActiVeg.org website is chock full of ideas and the latest vegan news, including what the Society is up to.

E-mail Sophie if you would like to be on the ActiVeg news and action alerts list. Plus you can ask the office for our excellent leaflets and booklets to give out.

Come along to the activists meet-up at the Vegan Society AGM if you’d like to say hello in person!

We’ve got a good network but welcome more coverage in the following areas: all of Ireland including Northern

Ireland, Highland & Island Scotland, the Borders, Suffolk, the South-West, Pembrokeshire, and northwest Wales plus anyone who’s on for talking to local media. We’re particularly keen to hear from members wanting to set up veggie groups and/or get really active: just ask Sophie for further information and support.

WORLD VEGAN DAY, VEGAN WEEK AND VEGAN MONTH This is always a fantastically active time to veganise, and the Contacts Network has done us proud again. There’s been the amazing vegan hot dog eating competition in Sheffield to highlight the huge impact of livestock farming on global hunger and climate change. Talks, food stalls, library displays and meals out have happened here there and everywhere, and even a Cruelty-free Food Festival by Vegan Campaigns in London. Thanks everyone everywhere for raising the profile of veganism and why it is so good for people, the planet and the animals as well as jolly tasty too! Tell Sophie how you celebrated World Vegan Day and she will put it up at: http://www.activeg.org/events/111.html WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT? Thank you for all feedback and requests for help as a result of the vegan parenting piece in the Summer issue. Tell us what else you would like to read about the network, activism and support.

WHO TO CONTACT: For all the above contact Sophie if you are not on-line. Get in there or phone s! nomination prize your fast with NATIONAL CLIMATE RALLY AND MARCH Let’s join together to support the National Climate Rally and th March - Global Day of Action in London on 8 December.

Let’s help people learn about eating vegan food to reduce climate change. Details on the Events page.

SEPTEMBER 2007 THE NATURAL AND ORGANIC PRODUCTS SHOW, HARROGATE 23RD & 24TH for three consecutive years, the Vegan Having attended the Natural and Organic Products show in London Yorkshire. As well as being an North te, Society paid our first visit to its sister event in beautiful Harroga one of our own trademark holders, by d (designe posters rk tradema opportunity to unveil our new promotional new Trademark Assistant, Sandrine.

Excellart) the event was also the in-at-the-deep-end debut of our several hundred companies attending, providing Despite being a smaller event than the London show, there were still as well as members of the public. a great opportunity to meet both current and potential trademark holders, g the Society, helping us to develop our corporate presence and increasin Attending events like these is important to the long-term growth of events. such attend to us allows ity generos whose rs membe our of the strength of our trademark. We greatly appreciate the support

The Vegan l Winter 2007

9

ANY OCCASION ANY EXCUSE - LET'S MEET AT CHAI PANI....

WINNER OF THE BEST VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT 2007 AT PAT CHAPMAN’S GOOD CURRY AWARDS

VEGAN SOUNDS Ben Ovingham

And finally, what did you enjoy most about the festival?

K

D Lang once famously said ‘We all love animals. Why do we call some “pets” and others “dinner?”, and the singer/songwriter’s sentiment has been echoed by many other musicians over the years. Now there is a new crop of musicians who are spreading the vegan message. I spoke to K. Anderson, Samantha Kearney and Robb Johnson recently about their involvement in the London Vegan Festival, and what it means to them to be vegan.

When did you decide to become vegan?

KA: There was a phase at high school where everyone wanted to become a vegetarian, and I was always wary of that because people were throwing themselves into it without properly researching the subject and then making themselves sick. About four years ago I attended a course at Brahma Kumaris that not only demonstrated the reason why they felt a vegan diet was best, but gave you the knowledge of how to ensure that you still got enough nutrients in your diet.

SK: The first time I decided to go vegan was about 4 years ago after I had been doing some reading on factory farming and it really affected me.

RJ: 1989. I became a vegetarian in ‘87, after reading Gandhi’s autobiography and seeing the Attenborough film. Gandhi helped define how I wanted to live with minimum cruelty. Then I discovered how exploitative the intensive dairy farming industry is, and how it essentially supports the meat industry, so although there is NO substitute for stilton cheese, I decided it was a better idea to become a vegan.

KA: I’m a terrible cook, so I loved the food stalls.

K. Anderson

SK: Being in a room with people who share the same values is something I love, feeling that energy and then having the chance to give out some of mine as a performer. It was an honour to be a part of it all.

How hard did you find it to become vegan?

KA: No one in my house eats meat, even though my flatmate still gets cravings for bacon every now and then. But I’m not that into meat, to be honest, so I never had any problems giving it up. The hardest thing for me was giving up jelly sweets.

I know deep down that they are evil and wrong, but they are just so appealing!

All that sugar and brightly coloured packaging!

Do you think it has influenced your work at all?

RJ: Well, I think it is more a part of what I do. I get labelled a political writer, which is sort of true but which, I think, rather misrepresents and oversimplifies my work. Yes, many of my songs in one way or another support compassion and oppose oppression, and veganism seems to me to complement that position.

Certainly the people who oppress people are often the same people who are responsible for industrial oppression of animals - and they treat people pretty much like they treat animals, as economic units rather than living creatures.

Do you find it especially hard to maintain your diet when you are on tour?

SK: It’s one of the main factors why I have drifted in and out of veganism. When travelling, most pre-packed veggie options are cheese or egg and with me being highly unorganised sometimes I have just had to grab something. It comes with a lot of guilt though. It’s my own fault; it would be so much easier if I planned things first.

Samantha Kearney RJ: Spending time with the sort of people who reassure you that humans are pretty much OK, rather than the doomed collection of Daily Mail guzzling, celebrity consuming, McDonald’s worshipping, two-legged, four-wheel drive, no brain dinosaurs our oppressors would like us to believe we are.

The London Vegan Festival was held on 19th August 2007, at Kensington Town Hall. Information on future events can be found at www.vegancampaigns.org.uk Details of the artists featured in this article – K. Anderson (www.myspace.com/kandersonmusic), Sam Kearney (www.myspace.com/folkon) and Robb Johnson (www.robbjohnson.co.uk).

Robb Johnson (photo: Guy Smallman)

The Vegan l Winter 2007

11

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, keen on the non-exploitation of animals and the environment, an appropriate Overseas Aid Charity to support is

VEGFAM

Registered Charity No.232208 Inland Revenue Ref. XN8555 & XAD67AG (Gift Aid) VEGFAM “FEEDS THE HUNGRY WITHOUT EXPLOITING ANIMALS”

The Fragile Environment cannot support TWO populations – Humans and their Food Animals.

Since 1963, VEGFAM has been raising funds to alleviate hunger, thirst, malnutrition and starvation, helping people in over 40 countries, by financing sustainable, self-supporting plant food projects and safe water supplies.

VEGFAM helps people to help themselves by providing funds for seeds and tools for vegetable growing projects, fruit & nut tree planting, irrigation and water wells.

Emergency feeding in times of crisis and disaster.

Food security prevents malnutrition and starvation. Using plant foods is a far more efficient and sustainable way of addressing hunger overseas.

VEGFAM is professionally operated, entirely by volunteers, so as much as possible is spent on famine relief projects.

GENERAL DONATIONS paid into a/c No. 65023307 00 will be apportioned between: Projects (90%) Administration Expenses (9%) Office Building (1%) The Co-Operative Bank plc, 242 High Street, EXETER, EX4 3QB Sort Code 08-92-90 SUPPORTERS ARE INVITED TO PAY DONATIONS DIRECT INTO THE ABOVE BANK ACCOUNT, ONLINE, OR BY POST TO THE ADDRESS BELOW. For more information (Project News, Bankers Orders, Gift Aid, Legacies), please send an SAE to: VEGFAM, c/o Cwm Cottage, Cwmynys, Cilycwm, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, SA20 0EU. Telephone 01550 721197 Facsimile by arrangement.

Online Giving: http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/vegfam Website: www.vegfamcharity.org.uk Thank you for your support.

INTERVIEW WITH THE SKINNY BITCHES Verity Hunt-Sheppard

Skinny Bitch is an international bestseller in paperback.

Verity Hunt-Sheppard puts a few questions to its writers Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.

When Skinny Bitch was first published in 2005 did you envision the widespread impact that it would have?

We wrote Skinny Bitch because we wanted to change the world and end the torture and slaughter of animals; we hoped, dreamed and believed it would be a success.

We knew all along, it would just take one celebrity sighting to get things moving.

Did we imagine it would be Victoria Beckham when she was most in the spotlight because she was moving from the UK to the US? No, in terms of public visibility, we (and the animals) couldn’t have asked for a better advertisement.

Yes, profanity can be offensive, and we regret that some people will lose the message of the book because they’re hung up on the language. But isn’t what’s being done to animals much more offensive than a few four-letter words?

What are some of your favourite personal stories which non-vegans have shared with you after reading the book?

To single out one or two would be impossible. We’ve received countless e-mails from all over the world: men and women swearing to lay off animal products for the rest of their lives after reading Skinny Bitch. As animal rights activists, there’s nothing more gratifying and we’re entirely hopeful that a vegan planet is not only possible, but imminent.

“Over time, our vegetarian

diets evolved into vegan diets.

Today, we both regard our

decision to go vegan as the

best choice we’ve ever made

Skinny Bitch advocates a wholefood vegan diet, how did you both come to be vegan?

(the second best decision was

Your Second book Skinny Bitch in the Kitch is due out later this year, what are some of your favourite recipes from it?

writing Skinny Bitch).”

Even though we were both ’animal lovers’ our whole lives, we never thought about cows, chickens, and pigs, and how they went from living, feeling animals to meat. Until one day, when we stumbled upon a magazine that showed graphic pictures and descriptions of typical factory farms and slaughterhouses. After seeing those images and learning what really went on, we didn’t feel like animal lovers, we felt like hypocrites. We immediately vowed never to eat animals again. Over time, our vegetarian diets evolved into vegan diets. Today, we both regard our decision to go vegan as the best choice we’ve ever made (the second best decision was writing Skinny Bitch).

The entire book speaks in a no-nonsense tough love style involving lots of strong language; do you ever speak like that in real life?

Much to the chagrin of our parents, we both swear like sailors, especially when it’s a topic we’re passionate about.

Oh my goodness, we really love them all. But we go crazy for the pecan-crusted French toast, ‘ham’ and cheese puff pockets, Philly ‘cheesesteak’, macaroni and four cheeses, penne with butternut squash and sage pesto, and all the cookies and cakes and brownies. All the recipes are entirely vegan and insanely good!

What can you tell me about your 3rd project Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven? (Due out in 2008).

Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven is a how-to-eat guide for pregnant women. Like Skinny Bitch, it’s fun, easy to read, and well researched. Readers can expect the same tone and crass sense of humor, but the profanity has been toned down a bit.

What else do you do between all this writing?

We’re currently in discussions to develop a Skinny Bitch TV show and product line. We’ll keep you posted.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

13

VEGAN SOCIETY AUTUMN 2007 HIGHLIGHTS NEW WEB PAGES

MEDIA

The Vegan Society has a web page on the government’s Year of Food and Farming website: www.yearoffoodandfarming.org.uk, and the NEC Education Show website: www.education-show.com.

The Vegan Society Chief Executive, Nigel Winter, was featured in the Birmingham Post ‘Weekend’ section, as part of a series of ‘notable Birmingham figures’ on Saturday 29th September. It was a double-page spread, and he was able to explain about his time working as a VSO volunteer in Zambia and put the case against sending ‘livestock’ to Africa from first-hand experience.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE SPEAKS AT GREEN PARTY CONFERENCE The Vegan Society Chief Executive, Nigel Winter, spoke at the Green Party Conference about the impact that eating animal products has on the environment. He pointed out that the average vegan diet is much less environmentally damaging than the average omnivorous diet.

A letter was published on 17th October in The Guardian, “Fat is a Food Industry Issue”: http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2192524,00.html.

E-BULLETINS E-bulletins went out about various topics including World Vegan Day. If you have an email address, but currently aren’t receiving e-bulletins and would like to receive them, please contact us at: info@vegansociety.com.

SCHOOL SPEAKER TRAINING

VEGGIE GUIDES

The first ever Vegan Society School Speaker Training day took place on Saturday 20th October. Feedback suggests that it was a great success.

Soon, speakers will be going into schools to spread the vegan message.

We contributed to a vegetarian/vegan guide produced by Independence Educational Publishers and used by educational establishments. It will be used for GCSE, A level and other courses. Many public libraries also stock this series.

SOCIAL NETWORKING Have you got a Facebook profile?

The Vegan Society now has a group set up on Facebook that provides us with another way of keeping in touch with vegans, helping new vegans along the way, and reaching out to anyone else who might be interested but needs that little extra push.

There are facilities for discussions, events listings, news output, pictures and videos. Why not join us and help to make this a real thriving community? http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4694002972 Vegan Society pages have also been set up on other Social Networking Sites: LiveJournal, OneClimate.Net and Care2Connect. Watch out for them!

Don’t forget we also have a Myspace page!

MEDIA RELEASES n Celebrate National Curry Week with a Clear Conscience, Indian Food is Great for Vegans. n Cow Loose in Birmingham Town Centre (to highlight the Vegan Society World Vegan Day Stunt: more details in the Spring Vegan). n Vegan Society Chief Executive Speaks at Green Party Conference. n Cook Yourself Thin - Tackle both Obesity and Climate Change

by Going Vegan. n Celebrate World Vegan Day. MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS Our nutrition booklet went out to organisations that produce databases for medical professionals to use. These included: www.gpnotebook.co.uk, the PRODGY system, which is a government database, and www.doctors.net.uk. They have been made aware of our publications and fact sheets, and an offer has been made to act as a source of information to those with vegan patients.

CATERING BOOKLET FOR HOSPITALS AND CARE HOMES PRODUCED Free copy enclosed.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

15

GROW VEGAN Sue Morris

LE GUERRAT

O

h dear, what a living cliché! Sitting here with a cat on my lap, at the oak kitchen table, by the wood-burning stove….with apples, onions and potatoes in store for the winter and the nights drawing in, one is tempted to start waxing lyrical. When we first came here 12 years ago, it was to do what many have done before us, but with a twist. We had been vegetarian town-dwellers (Brighton) since forever, but with a move to the deep countryside of the French Pyrenees, we decided to give up the guilt and try to go vegan.

The premise was always that if it was too difficult, we would at least have tried.

Not knowing one end of a tomato plant from another (I have video evidence to prove it), we set about learning: inspired by such classics as Living the Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, The Natural Way of Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka, and Gardening without Work by Ruth Stout, we started tentatively buying seeds and sowing them. The instructions never seem quite complete though, and looking back I am embarrassed by some early mistakes: trying to grow carrots in trays, over-watering plants for fear of under-watering them, letting tomatoes trail along the ground as it was more ‘natural’………….we learnt the hard way, but by doing this we also proved that you don’t have to have a PhD in chemistry to grow your own vegetables, vegan-organically.

Our inspiration also came from a deep desire to ‘do the right thing’, i.e. to grow food sustainably over and above producing higher yields. This has of course now become the word on everyone’s lips, but back in 1997 when I eventually signed up for a french farming course, the emphasis was definitely on crop yields, and how to achieve them. We were looked upon as eccentrics, with our vegan-organic deepstraw mulch system, but luckily for us the local paysans (meaning ‘peasants’, but without the pejorative overtones) were

16

The Vegan l Winter 2007

very tolerant, and liked to see people who were willing to work: the countryside had fallen into disuse, and was neglected.

This also gave us an incredible energy, as we saw ourselves, I suppose, as nouveau pioneers.

It was not until we moved to the country that I realised so many of those old clichés that were in everyday parlance, came from agriculture: ‘reap what you

sow’, ‘make hay while the sun shines’, ‘don’t put all your eggs (!) in one basket’, ‘it’s an ill-wind…..…’ etc. If I had to mention one character trait which you have to learn more than any other, it is patience. This is worth dwelling on for a moment: I was the most impatient, hyped-up, fast-moving city-dweller that had ever hit this neck of the woods, and like the proverbial tortoise and the hare, there were lessons to be learned.

No matter how much you try to bend nature to fit your schedule, no matter how much you stand over something with a stopwatch, the natural rhythm of things is not only going to win, but by golly you had better respect it.

This is what I now think of when I see the way humans are using and abusing the planet and its natural resources: impatient like me at the beginning, but are we going to learn in time? Do we really need all those shopping malls for the next Olympics, paving over fields and digging up woods?

Do we really have to have the next fastest gizmo to fill every last second of our lives?

When was the last time you just sat on your back doorstep with a cup of tea and watched the sky? Try it, I recommend it.

Linked to all of these philosophical musings are serious worries: we have now, over the years become pretty adept at providing enough food for ourselves and our vegan guest-house, with enough left over to bottle-up and to sell on. We have not tried to do this against nature, but rather have watched and learnt and been humbled.

But how much of the food that we eat today is grown sustainably? How much of the food provided by that mega-store just round the corner (how convenient!) has been grown in such a way that there is enough fertility in the soil to start again?

Very little, I would bet. So if one thinks of the future, one must think not only of leaving behind the packaging, the shrinkwrap and the special offers, but of starting ourselves to grow vegan-organically. As many recent books will advise, you can grow quite a quantity in pots in a sunny window-sill, so if anyone has a small balcony, a tiny garden, or even gets to rent an allotment, the future will start to look, feel and smell much more positive.

And it is empowering, gradually growing your own food: removing reliance on shops, removing dependence on others; this is a feeling which is hard to describe, but I highly recommend it. Become a producer, not just a consumer. An excellent new book will help start you off: Growing Green, by Jenny Hall and Iain Tolhurst and joining the Vegan-Organic Network will provide lots of further inspiration.

One final thought: our interest in sustainable farming has recently taken us to stay with local families in Africa: Tanzania to be precise. I recall when we first went there, steeling myself for some shocking sights and emotional moments: and what did we find?

“...it is empowering, gradually growing your own food: removing reliance on shops, removing dependence on others; this is a feeling which is hard to describe, but I highly recommend it.

Become a producer, not just a consumer.”

Poverty, yes, but a humanity and a generosity of spirit which led everyone we met to share his/her time and food with us, hearty infectious laughter, deep, prolonged smiles……..when was the last time you Contributions welcomed, saw that on to thePostbag 0757 toare Victoria?

I setbut to accepted on the they may wondering why,understanding and have onlythat partially figured it out to date, but it is something to do with what they have got, and what we have lost, with our fast-living, urban lifestyles, our glossy magazines and our consumerism. When you don’t have the pressure on you to consume all the time, you will end up with time to sit on your back doorstep and smile a little.

To visit Sue and Trevor on their vegan-organic farm, contact leguerrat@aol.com Joining The Vegan-Organic Network is the best move for the vegan-organic gardener.

Vegans, remember there is a world of difference between vegan-organic (stockfree organic) and conventional organic. Join VON and help get real vegan-grown food in the shops and learn how to grow your own healthy produce.

VON publishes the book Growing Green by Jenny Hall and Iain Tolhurst and operates a Student Bursary Fund to encourage people to study stockfree-organic growing at the Welsh College of Horticulture. You can make a donation to the fund and if you are interested in studying yourself, please contact the college.

For details of VON write to: VON, 80 Annable Rd, Lower Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2DF phone 0845 223 5232 (local rate, 10am to 8pm any day) or e-mail info@veganorganic.net Visit the VON website and join online at www.veganorganic.net Other useful websites: www.mclveganway.org.uk (lots of sustainable gardening information) www.spiralseed.co.uk (for vegan permaculture ideas) www.pfaf.org (for details of perennial food plants) www.wcoh.ac.uk (Welsh College of Horticulture, for details of Stockfree-Organic courses) The winner of the Autumn Grow Vegan Puzzler is: Helen Kirby from Newport.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

17

?

MEET THE STAFF EXECUT F E I H C

IVE

I am Nigel the Chief Executive. My aim is to make the Vegan Society a major charity that everyone is familiar with. I want a happy team of staff who can concentrate on promoting veganism and make best use of our resources. Then I can look forward to retirement in a vegan world.

NIGEL

MARKET

ING AND I.T.

I’m Dave and I’m the Head of Marketing and IT and I’ve worked here about four years or so. Before I joined the Society, I was with several different Animal Rights groups as my motivation for becoming vegan was to reduce the amount of animal suffering and exploitation done in my name and thence to reduce the suffering and exploitation overall. My role here – helping people lead a vegan lifestyle – is very fulfilling as every time a vegan purchase is made, an animal hasn’t suffered.

DAVE My name is Paul.

I help process the orders and I also send out the membership packs. The funds generated by the orders and membership help fund projects like the interactive CD ROM for schools. I’ve been working at the Vegan Society for a couple of months now and there’s a great dedicated group of people working here at an important time for the Society.

PAUL

I’m Colm and I’m the Business Development Officer, which basically means I try to bring more money into the Society while raising the profile of vegan products and businesses. I like Nick Cave, I like vegans with a sense of humour, and I think Marmite is disgusting.

colm I’m Sandrine and I’m the Trademark Assistant.

I don’t like having to mention what I like but.... Depeche Mode lift my spirits, I like any dish with garlic in it and my bags and clothes are covered with vegan and animal rights badges, which I often lose.

SANDRI

NE

18

The Vegan l Winter 2007

INFORMAT

ION DEPA RTMENT

I’m Rosamund (Roz for short). I’m the Vegan Society’s Head of Information and I also edit The Vegan magazine. I’ve worked for the Vegan Society for two years and I love working for an organisation I care about with other people who care about the same things as me! If you see me at a vegan festival, please come up and say hello, as I love to chat to other vegans.

I’m Amanda, and I’ve been working on PR for the Vegan Society since August 2007. This includes research for media releases and updates to the website. It’s fascinating to ‘dig the dirt’ on how the global livestock industry is damaging our planet - and inspiring to share planet-friendly plant-based food with so many people.

ROZ

AMANDA

ROB

I’m Rob. I’m the Education Officer, responsible for organising the Society’s new School-Speaker Project. Before I came to the Society in March I worked and studied at the Welsh College of Horticulture, which runs one of the UK’s first certified Stockfree-Organic farms. I was also an active member of the Vegan-Organic Network and have given talks on the subject. For now I’m loving doing a job I’m proud of and spreading knowledge of ethical lifestyles, but one day I hope to live in, or found, a vegan community.

I am Verity and I have been working as an Information Officer for the Vegan Society since May. I am very proud to be working for the world’s oldest Vegan Society; it’s wonderful to be around other passionate vegans all day. I mainly deal with queries and research vegan issues to ensure all of the information we give to people is up to date.

I love working at the fairs too and chatting to other vegans. With the Society expanding I feel very positive about the future. I would like to thank members for all their support and helping the Vegan Society to take veganism into the mainstream.

CLARE

VERITY

I’m Clare, I work in the Information Department where I answer a variety of queries and update literature. I also undertake advocacy work to help ensure that vegans in prisons, hospitals and care homes are able to receive a vegan meal (and not just jacket spud and beans!). The thought of animals being exploited is what drives me.

I am hugely inspired by anyone who campaigns against animal cruelty whether it be on a grass roots level, national level or simply by voting every day with their knife and fork by eating a vegan diet. One of the best assets of the vegan movement is the ability for everyone to work together and I support other local and national campaigns whenever I can.

FINANCE I am Fiona, Finance Officer and Office Manager. I joined the Society in May when it relocated to my home city of Birmingham. I became vegetarian at the age of 12 and evolved to veganism (as we all should). I am very lucky to work in an office where people have the same beliefs as me and actually want to do something about it.

We have lots of exciting plans for the future and I am proud to be a part of it.

I am vegan because I believe it is wrong to kill or exploit animals for any reason.

FIONA

The Vegan Vegan ll Winter Winter 2007 2003 The

19 19

ELDERLY

NUTRITION Sandra Hood, Dietitian

A

balanced vegan diet is important for all stages of life, but at various times during our lifetime we need to concentrate on different nutrients. For example, during childhood, at a time of rapid growth and development, infants have a higher requirement for energy, protein, iron and calcium. So what about when we approach our latter years? The need for a balanced, healthy diet remains unchanged, and there is no doubt that good nutrition contributes to our health as we age. This article intends to explore the various areas of interest with regard to advancing years and the nutrient needs of the older vegan.

Energy requirements The decline in energy requirements as we get older is relatively small, but significant.

As we age it is natural to start eating less – the taste buds in the mouth decrease, there is decreased motor function and muscle tone in the intestine, and all these changes in the gastrointestinal tract work together to cause a reduction in a person’s appetite (Gariballa & Sinclair 1998). Gut microflora also changes, and keeping a gut healthy by eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to protect against both colon cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases.

What is old age?

The older population is the fastest growing section of the population, with the UK having more people aged over 60 than under 16. There are now an estimated 11 million pensioners in the UK (20% of the population). In the UK we generally describe anyone who is over 65 years of age as ‘elderly’.

Ageing is a normal process, involving a range of biological and physiological changes to all parts of the body, but it is also driven by the efficiency of the body to repair itself. The ageing process is malleable. It has been suggested that genes account for about 25% of the determinants of longevity (British Nutrition Foundation 2003), so this leaves around 75% being due to other factors. These factors include lifestyle, chance, the environment, and last but not least, nutrition. We can influence these factors by our lifestyle choices, and as vegans we can build on our already healthy nutritional choices, with our higher intake of complex carbohydrates, fibre, fruit and vegetables, and lower intake of saturated fat, compared with our meat-eating peers. Unfortunately there has been little research concerning the health of elderly vegans, but it is well documented that plant-based diets help to prevent the development of many chronic diseases (Thomas 2007), and could beneficially affect the ageing process.

20

The Vegan l Winter 2003

Lean body tissue (muscle) decreases, and this leads to a fall in basal metabolic rate (the energy expenditure of a person lying at physical and mental rest). Older people also tend to be less active.

However, it is still important that enough is eaten to cover energy requirements, maintain a good body weight and to keep active. Vegans tend to be leaner and lighter than meat eaters, which aids mobility and means less pressure on joints. However, weight should be kept at a healthy level because being underweight (a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.5kg/m2)* can increase the risk of osteoporosis.

So as we get older, it is natural to start eating less, therefore food quality is important to ensure all those essential nutrients are included (see the Vegan Society information sheets for vegan sources of key nutrients). It is also important that older people continue to enjoy their food and keep active in order to maintain mobility and a good appetite (British Nutrition Foundation 2004). Activity helps to retain muscle mass and is important for bone health and mental well-being.

Eyesight Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that affects the retina and the central visual field, and which can lead to visual impairment and

even blindness. Risk factors include hypertension, smoking and a positive family history of the disease. Cataracts, a degeneration of the lens of the eye, affects approximately 60% of the elderly population. Studies suggest that a high intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of AMD and protection against cataracts. Vegans tend to have excellent intakes of antioxidants which protect against free radical damage. Nutrients and foods particularly recommended include vitamin E (found widely in vegetables, wheat germ, nuts, seeds and grains), and carotenes (found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, pumpkin, sweet potato, watercress, carrots, and yellow fruits such as papaya, mango, apricots and peaches). Supplementation of long chain omega 3 fatty acids (a vegan form can be found in some algae supplements) may benefit those at risk of AMD (Desmettre et al 2004), but further research is needed.

Osteoporosis and fractures Osteoporosis is a major health issue for older people, particularly women. This is where bone density reduces and so the risk of fractures increases.

An adequate calcium intake is essential for bone health, irrespective of whether one is a vegan or a meat eater (Appleby et al 2007). Food sources include fortified non-dairy milks, tahini, figs, almonds, green leafy vegetables, soya beans and tofu prepared with calcium sulphate.

Like calcium, vitamin K is important for bone health in the regulation of calcium – sources include green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and parsley and pumpkin seeds and seaweeds.

Vitamin D keeps blood calcium at optimal levels and stimulates the absorption of calcium from the intestine. Vegan food sources of vitamin D (D2) include fortified breakfast cereals, non-dairy milks and margarines. We get most of our vitamin D from the effect of sunlight on our skin (transformed to pre-vitamin D3). As we get older, we have a reduced efficiency of its synthesis in the skin.

If you are over 65 and not having regular exposure to sunlight, a daily supplement of 10mcg is recommended.

Other dietary factors reported to be beneficial to bone health include vitamin B12 and phytoestrogens e.g. isoflavones in soya (British Nutrition Foundation 2003), reducing salt intake and ensuring plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Vitamins and minerals There is a lack of specific recommendations for older people for many of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), although it is known that the ability to digest, absorb, metabolise and excrete nutrients changes with age. An example of this is vitamin B12, where the output of either acid or intrinsic factor by the stomach is reduced, which reduces the availability of this vitamin (absorption is decreased because the intrinsic factor needed for its absorption is thought to decrease with age). Vegans should ensure a reliable, regular source of this vitamin – daily recommendations are 3mcg from fortified foods such as nondairy milk, breakfast cereal, textured vegetable protein and yeast extract, or a 10mcg supplement.

As we get older we may require less iron, but our iron absorption may not be as efficient. Iron from plants is less well absorbed than from meat, but ascorbic acid (the active form of vitamin C) increases absorption, and vegan diets are generally rich in this vitamin, so that iron deficiency anaemia is uncommon.

Nevertheless it is prudent to eat plenty of iron-rich foods to keep up the body’s store of iron - pulses (such as peas, beans and lentils), bread, green vegetables, and fortified breakfast cereals. Fruit, especially citrus fruits, green vegetables, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are all good sources of vitamin C. Add a small glass of fruit juice to a meal. It’s a good idea to avoid drinking tea or coffee with iron-rich meals because this might affect how much iron the body absorbs from food.

Folic acid/folate is a B vitamin that is important for good health in older age.

Sources include green vegetables, pulses and nuts. Folate status was found to be poor in elderly meat eaters (National Diet & Nutrition Survey 1998) – these people could reduce the risk of stroke, thrombosis and heart disease if they consumed three times the recommended levels of folic acid, research suggested.

Vegan diets are rich in folates. These measures – which amount to eating ten to fifteen portions of fruit and vegetables per day – would reduce the level of homocysteine, an amino-acid which can bring on heart disease, say researchers (Rydlewicz et al. 2002). High dose folic acid supplements are not recommended for elderly people (because folic acid supplements can mask B12 deficiency).

Elevated homocysteine levels have been recorded in vegans who do not ensure an adequate intake of vitamin B12.

It has been suggested that elderly people may be at risk of poor conversion of the short chain essential fatty acid (alphalinolenic acid) found in linseed, hempseed and walnuts, to the long chain omega 3 fatty acids. Therefore a direct source of this fatty acid (found in some bluegreen algae) may be beneficial (Davis & Melina 2000). However, there is no direct evidence that this is the case, and more work is needed to clarify and update current UK recommendations.

Fluid intake Although fluid requirement reduces with old age (from 35ml/kg body weight to 30ml/kg/body weight), our sensitivity to thirst decreases, and it is very easy to become dehydrated. Our skin becomes thinner and so more water is lost via this route. In addition, the kidneys are not able to concentrate urine to the same degree.

Conclusion Hopefully the above will encourage you to feel positive about continuing your vegan lifestyle well into your twilight years. We can take inspiration from many of the early vegan pioneers Arthur Ling (founder of Plamil Foods), Eva Batt (author of the first vegan cookbook), Kathleen Jannaway (founder of Movement for Compassionate Living) and Donald Watson (founder of the Vegan Society) to name but a few, who lived fit and healthy lives well into their 80s - Donald Watson continued to walk and climb mountains in his 90s! These early members of the Vegan Society following its formation in 1944 had no experience to draw upon. But they were upheld by their faith and as a result of their courage and steadfastness, wellinformed veganism is now established as a fully adequate diet of the 21st century and beyond. They are a testament to a healthy and happy old age, but there are various health issues that need to be focused on as we get older, and being aware of these and making some small dietary changes are important to ensure people continue to enjoy a happy and healthy life.

The Vegan Society is working hard to improve standards of catering for elderly vegans in hospitals and care homes. Our new booklet A Vegan Catering Guide for Hospitals and Care Homes is included in this magazine.

The effects of dehydration can be severe. Although vegans tend to have improved bowel regularity, constipation can still be a problem if adequate fluid is not taken. Extra fluid should not be required if the recommended daily intake of 6-8 cups (1.5-2 litres) is taken.

* Body mass index (BMI) = weight kg (height m)2 References

Summary

British Nutrition Foundation (2003). Holding Back the Years.

n Ensure a varied vegan diet.

n Keep active: 30 minutes of daily exercise recommended. n Adequate calcium intake is essential for bone health.

n If you don’t have regular exposure to sunlight, a vitamin D supplement of 10mcg per day is recommended. n Take a reliable, regular source of vitamin B12: 3mcg from fortified foods or a 10mcg supplement daily. n Drink 6-8 cups (1.5-2 litres) of fluid per day.

Appleby P., Roddam A., Allen N., Key T. Sponsorship:The EPIC-Oxford study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication, 7 February 2007.

Davis B. and Melina V. (2000). Becoming Vegan.

The complete guide to adopting a healthy plantbased diet, Book Publishing Company.

Desmettre T., Lecerf J. M. , Souied E. H. (2004).

Nutrition and age-related macular degeneration, J Fr Ophtalmol Nov 27 (9Pt 2) 3S38-56.

Gariballa S. E. and Sinclair A. J. (1998). “Nutrition, ageing and ill health”, British Journal of Nutrition 80 7-23.

Rydlewicz et al. (2002). “The effect of folic acid supplementation on plasma homocysteine in an elderly population”, Quarterly J. of Medicine 95 (1) 27-35.

National Diet & Nutrition Survey (1998), People Aged 65 years and over. Volume 1: Report of the Diet & Nutrition Survey London, The Stationery Office.

Thomas B. and Bishop J. (2007). “Vegetarianism and Veganism” pp383, Manual of dietetic practice 4th edition, Blackwell Publishing.

The Vegan l Winter 2003

21

VEGGIE HUMANISM T

he Veggie Humanist group was set up by Chris Clayton this year and has a new website: www.humanist.veggroup.org designed and maintained by Stephen Fenwick-Paul. They jointly produce a regular newsletter, which can be e-mailed or sent by post. Stephen is vegan and Chris is a strict vegetarian. Rosamund Raha puts some questions to them.

What is humanism?

CC: The basic definition given by the British Humanist Association (BHA) is: ’Humanism is the belief that we can live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs.’ Humanists make sense of life using reason, experience and shared human values. We have based the Humanist Vegetarian Group (HVG) on the definitions provided by the BHA and the Vegetarian Society as a starting point. The word humanism has a variety of different meanings so for greater clarity some people add ‘secular’, ‘scientific’, ‘Darwinian’.

Secular Humanism is perhaps the most common expression used.

What is the aim of the humanist veggie group?

CC: The Humanist Vegetarian Group aims to promote humanism among vegetarians/vegans and vegetarianism/veganism among humanists. It aims to show that humanist ethics can point in the direction of vegetarianism/veganism.

It also aims to provide vegetarians/vegans with an alternative to a religious or supernatural approach to life, and a community of fellow vegetarians/vegans who seek to base their life on reason and evidence.

22

The Vegan l Winter 2007

“Veganism is the accumulation of many non-adaptive changes and it transpires there are many other traits that share the same supposedly evolutionary ‘weakness’.

The closest being that of adoption, followed by charity, anti-slavery, antiracism, anti-sexism, anti-speciesism, music, literature and science itself.”

What do you see as the philosophical link between humanism and vegetarianism/veganism?

CC: Secular humanism is about trying to lead a good life based on reason.

Veganism perhaps more fully than vegetarianism is an approach to a good life in regard to our relationship with other animals. The HVG seeks to expand on an idea which already exists, that the concerns of humanism extend beyond our own species to all other animals.

Humanist moral philosopher Peter Singer has made the case for extending the concept of utilitarianism, ‘the greatest good is the greatest happiness of the greatest number’, to all species.

SFP: 17 years after my concerns for dolphins being caught in tuna nets led me to veganism, I’ve started to wonder why I was concerned for those dolphins in the first place. Reading Richard Dawkins’ and Stephen Pinker’s work on evolutionary biology and psychology and their attempts to understand compassion within humans (which is the basis for humanism), raised for me the awkward question of why one species should be compassionate towards another? From a harsh evolutionary perspective any activity that does not improve the odds of passing on one’s genes either sexually or by access to resources such as food seems a pretty dumb thing to do and should have been selected out of the population.

We are then left with the choice of either rejecting evolution as being a nasty theory that does not fit in with our world view or attempting to understand the theory more deeply.

Veganism is the accumulation of many non-adaptive changes and it transpires there are many other traits that share the same supposedly evolutionary ‘weakness’.

The closest being that of adoption, followed by charity, anti-slavery, antiracism, anti-sexism, anti-speciesism, music, literature and science itself. All these are side-effects of adaptations that were useful to early man in his initial environment. Our richness of nonadaptive traits is what makes us human.

“Campaigning is going to be on the agenda, either by

What kind of issues do you discuss on the Humanist Veggie website?

supporting existing

SFP: The site is new so we will be ‘finding our way’ for some time I expect. In general any issues or topics relevant to vegetarianism/veganism and to humanism/secularism may be discussed but I hope we will be able to develop our own distinctive style which concentrates on issues which COMBINE humanist and vegetarian interests rather than duplicating what might be found elsewhere.

campaigns or

Examples, of topics we hope to feature (or currently feature) on the site, include: n The treatment of non-human animals by different religions and the humanist/secular response to that.

n Should religious vegetarians/vegans and secular vegetarians/vegans try to work together? n Political, law-making and business implications of humanist vegetarianism/veganism.

n The different motivations humanists might have for being vegetarian/vegan.

n How best to promote vegetarianism/veganism to humanists and humanism to vegetarian/vegans? n A discussion of prominent secular vegetarians today and in the past.

What does the group plan to do to promote humanism and an animalfree lifestyle? Will there be meetings, outings or events?

CC: In the first year our efforts are being focused on developing our internet presence and networking with other humanist/secular and vegetarian/vegan organisations.

launching our own.

Areas of likely interest include science, health and the environmental as well as ethical issues.”

Links have already been established with the new Humanist Science Group for example. What happens next will depend largely on member preferences as numbers grow but vegetarian/vegan organisations do rather lend themselves to gatherings centered around eating (and talking) so we expect there will at least be informal meetings at vegetarian restaurants; there are some areas where this would already be a realistic possibility. It is likely that HVG will contribute to other humanist/secular and vegetarian/vegan events which as well as being more practical for us fits in with our wish to be supportive of other groups and in no way competing with them.

If membership grows significantly a greater variety of activities will become appropriate and realistic.

Campaigning is going to be on the agenda, either by supporting existing campaigns or launching our own.

Areas of likely interest include science, health and the environmental as well as ethical issues. We also intend to consider how we can involve people who do not use the internet as a major means of communication.

How does one join the group?

CC: At present simply by sending a request and an explanation of why you are interested directly or indirectly to me, Chris Clayton. There is no subscription fee or formal application form. HVG is established as a Special Interest Group of the British Humanist Association but although membership of the BHA is encouraged you do not have to be a member, nor does it confer membership of the BHA for which there is a subscription fee.

Membership of the Vegetarian Society and/or the Vegan Society is also encouraged. It is intended that this informal open approach will be reviewed after about a year of operation, in readiness for the start of 2008.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

23

RECIPES Helen Edwards

ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Cut the squash lengthways into quarters, and scoop out the seeds.

Serves 4 Score lines into the flesh of the squash with a sharp knife, nearly all the way 1 butternut squash 10g fresh root ginger, finely diced 6 cloves garlic, finely diced one half red pepper, finely diced

through the fruit but not through the skin, about 1cm apart, making a diamond pattern. Place the squash quarters in a baking dish, and prepare the filling.

Mix the ginger, garlic and red pepper in a bowl, with 2 dsp of olive oil.

Spoon the filling into the hollow left by the seeds, in each quarter of squash.

4 dsp olive oil Drizzle 2 dsp of olive oil over the squash.

Bake in an oven, preheated to 160ËšC, for about 45 minutes, until the flesh of the squash is tender. Serve immediately.

24

The Vegan l Winter 2007

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BURGER Serves 4 1 lime 1 tsp tamari soy sauce 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped 1 tsp olive oil 4 large portobello mushrooms Squeeze the lime, and place the juice in a large bowl (or food bag) with the tamari, garlic, ginger and olive oil, and mix well.

Wipe the mushrooms clean, and place them in the bowl or bag with the marinade.

Leave in the fridge for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally to ensure all of the mushrooms come into contact with the marinade.

Once the mushrooms have finished marinating, place them, gill and stem side up, on a grill tray. Pour any remaining marinade onto the mushrooms, along with all of the garlic and ginger. Place under a hot grill for 8-12 minutes, until the mushroom is tender throughout. Serve immediately.

SWEET CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE â „2 tomato

1

1 medium red chilli 100g white wine vinegar 10g fresh root ginger 4 cloves garlic 180g sugar 100g water Remove the skin and seeds of the tomatoes, and place in a blender.

Slice the chilli in half and scoop out, and discard, the seeds. Place the deseeded chilli in the blender with the tomatoes.

Add the vinegar, ginger and garlic to the blender, and blend well.

Place the blended mixture in a saucepan with the water and the sugar.

Bring the mixture to the boil, and then reduce the heat. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-35 minutes.

Allow to cool before serving.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

25

LIVESTOCK’S LONG SHADOW

Page 153 “In most geographical areas the livestock sector should be considered as the major driver for the trend of increasing water pollution.”

T

he United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow”, is a great new resource that vegans can use when arguing that adopting a plant-based diet significantly shrinks your ecological footprint.

Biodiversity

Here are some quotes from the report to use when talking to friends, writing to the media, contacting your MP or when giving a radio interview: Climate Change Page xxi “The livestock sector is a major player, responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent.

This is a higher share than transport.”

Page 188 “By the year 2010 cattle are projected to be grazing on some 24 million hectares of neotropical land that was forest in 2000.”

Water Scarcity Page 167 “On average 990 litres of water are required to produce one litre of milk.”

Page 182 “Livestock play an important role in the current biodiversity crisis, as they contribute directly or indirectly to all these drivers of biodiversity loss at the local and global level.”

Environment Page xx “The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.”

Land Use Page 16 “The booming poultry industry will pose feed demands that will far exceed current supplies.”

You can calculate your own Ecological Footprint at: www.earthday.net/footprint or http://footprint.wwf.org.uk

Water Pollution Page xxii “The livestock sector…is probably the largest sectoral source of water pollution.”

26

The Vegan l Winter 2007

VEGAN FOOD IN HOSPITALS AND CARE HOMES

W

e would like to express thanks to everyone who filled in the questionnaire about food in hospitals and care homes. We still welcome information about any hospital or care home experience, so please contact us for a questionnaire if you would like to share your experiences with us.

We are starting to build up a picture on the standard of vegan food on offer in hospitals and care homes.

Completed questionnaires from vegan patients and hospitals themselves indicate that vegan food varies dramatically according to the establishment.

While some hospitals have a dedicated vegan menu and may even offer vegan cheese, many have little more to offer than jacket potato and beans. Vegan margarine and soya milk are rarely available.

This shortfall exists partly because some hospitals and care homes are inexperienced at catering for vegans.

A respondent to our questionnaire advised, ‘Let them know you are coming if possible. Previous experience shows that if they know they will prepare.’

Another respondent continued, ‘If you are unable to advise the hospital or care home in advance, ask to see someone from the kitchen about your needs as soon as possible.’

The feedback provided by questionnaire-respondents has been a great help in the production of our new fact sheet: Vegans in Hospitals and Care Homes – A Guide. As well as tips on achieving a vegan diet, the factsheet includes information about vegan nutritional products, liquid food drips and putting in a complaint. If you would like a copy please contact the Information Department.

At last we have produced the perfect tool for helping hospitals and care homes cater for vegans. Our new catering guide is available free of charge to hospital and care home catering staff who need practical advice to help them ensure that menus are vegan, well balanced and tasty. It includes recipes, a weekly sample menu sheet, advice on adapting food for vegans, nutritional guidance and a list of wholesale stockists. Please see the copy enclosed in this magazine.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

27

JOHN FELDMANN:

“I ALWAYS SAY YES TO THE ANIMALS” Shari Black Velvet

J

ohn Feldmann is a well-known figure in both the rock music world and the animal rights world, often combining the two. With his band Goldfinger he has written animal rights based songs, protested while on tour, informed fans of his beliefs while onstage and offstage and set up benefit concerts to fund animal welfare and fight against cruelty. As a music producer he has influenced many of the bands he has worked with into giving up meat, and to join him in his stance. Members of Good Charlotte, The Used, Story Of The Year, Mest and more have become either vegetarian or vegan since knowing the mighty Mr Feldmann. Feldmann supports all animal rights organisations and causes and graciously took time out of his hectic schedule to talk to The Vegan Society.

J

ohn became vegetarian at the age of twenty nine. Veganism followed two years later. When asked if he wished he’d become vegan earlier he replies “Yeah absolutely”. But he believes that the path that everyone takes as far as animal rights goes has its own life.

His sister had been vegan for many years but it wasn’t until he watched the movie Babe that a chord struck within.

“If someone would’ve forced me or guilted me or said ‘what are you doing?’

I would have been turned off it. When I was a kid and my sister was vegan when I was in high school, I would eat meat in front of her, not knowing the atrocities that went on in factory farming. It didn’t click in my mind until it was time.”

When watching the movie Babe John began questioning “why do I pet my dog and eat a pig?” A year later he began doing more research and discovered some factory farming footage online.

Since then, Feldmann has almost become a household name in the lives of animal rights activists. John has been awarded both a humanitarian award and ‘Musician Of The Year’ award by PETA, and more recently a celebrity award at the Animal Rights 2007 National Conference.

24 28

The Vegan Vegan l l Winter Winter 2007 2007 The

“ ...it’s an absolute honour to be, I guess, recognised for my work, but in the end it’s not work, it’s sort of like what your soul tells you to do.

You just know animal exploitation is wrong.”

John says, “It’s one of those things where it’s an absolute honour to be, I guess, recognised for my work, but in the end it’s not work, it’s sort of like what your soul tells you to do. You just know animal exploitation is wrong.”

John has the ability to inspire fans.

When looking on his MySpace page you’ll see many messages from fans declaring that they’ve become vegetarian or vegan because of John and the bands he’s worked with no doubt feel the same. “Pretty much every artist that I’ve ever worked with, within two or three days of working with them, I’ll play them Free Me or Meet Your Meat. I try to explain to them that there’s no meat allowed in my house. I kinda say ‘this is why…’. I’m subtly trying to educate them and turn them veggie, telling them my intention is ‘Oh, I’m just explaining myself’ when my intentions really are for them to see the atrocities and maybe make the right decision. The right decision is to stop supporting factory farms.

That’s really my goal, and so yeah, whether it’s Ashlee Simpson or Story Of The Year or The Used or The Matches or Atreyu, every band I’ve

ever worked with I’ve shown this footage to. It’s funny because I’m saying this story now, with Lostprophets, I’ve actually only shown two of the guys the footage and I think Mike and Jamie are vegetarians now. We had a long talk one night after my birthday.

We went to Madeleine Bistro, a vegetarian restaurant out here.”

Every album Goldfinger has released since John has been meat-free has included an animal rights track. On 2005’s Disconnection Notice one of the highlights was Behind The Mask, a song that featured samples of PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk. “We won’t lose our lives if we speak out against animal wrongs wherever we see them, but the animals do lose theirs if we don’t, so we must” is one of John’s favorite quotes used in the song.

“We had probably 10-15 hours of audio conference CDs. We listened to them all over the course of two months and that one just really stuck out to me.”

She asked me to do this so of course...

I think the movie is amazing, I think it’s so inspiring. She did such an amazing job and I’m so glad I’m a part of it.”

Behind The Mask also became the title of an animal liberation documentary filmed by Shannon Keith, that Feldmann later appeared in. “I’ve known Shannon from all the home demonstrations that I’ve done. She’d always be at these protests and we became friends through protesting. She came to a couple of Goldfinger shows and did some tabling and just asked me to be in the movie and I said of course I would. I’ll say yes to anything that’s feasible. If I’m on the road, if I’m in Europe or Australia then there are some things that I can’t do, but I always say yes to the animals.

John was quoted at the turn of the century as saying that he dreams of opening a fast-food vegetarian/vegan restaurant. When I ask if that’s still a goal of his he responds: “It’s been a goal for a long time and there was actually one point where we put together a business plan and we got talking to John Paul Mitchell about funding it and whatnot, but the more research I did the more I realised that it would be a fulltime job. I could do that or I could be in a band and produce records. But some day… I’d like to do just a small drivethru that has vegan burgers and vegan tacos and vegan milkshakes, something fastfoody, something good.”

Visit John Feldmann’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/feldygf for more information. The official Goldfinger website is at www.goldfingermusic.com

The Vegan Vegan ll Winter Winter 2007 2007 The

29 29

POSTBAG It’s not often I find anything to disagree with in The Vegan, but I’m afraid I’ll have to make an exception in the case of Stephen Fenwick-Paul’s article, ‘Nature tells us nothing about veganism’ (Autumn 2007).

Arguing that ‘we’re not designed to eat meat’ does not make one a fundamentalist/ creationist – it’s just a bit of shorthand to make a point about the observable mechanics of the human organism.

Even secular scientists occasionally let the ‘D-word’ slip when describing the inner workings of living entities. Undoubtedly, they’d be horrified to be labeled as creationists as a result.

Whether or not the human body was literally ‘designed’ makes no difference to the crucial observation that it is physiologically similar to that of a frugivore/plant-eater rather than a carnivore. Indeed, it is hard to imagine what actual physical characteristics could be ‘cherry-picked’ to make an argument for homo sapiens as a meateater.

Mr Fenwick-Paul makes the usual error of employing the theory of evolution as an established fact rather than the unproven hypothesis that it is. (Many perfectly respectable scientists have rejected it purely on empirical grounds.) His article exhibits the same circular reasoning that he derides at the outset – notably with the gem: ‘We know that a species has evolved to do something because it can do it!’

Bringing evolutionary theory into the meat vs veg debate just muddies the water. It can be, and often is, used to justify virtually anything hence the tiresome old chestnut from meat-eaters: ‘I didn’t climb all the way up the evolutionary tree just to live on rabbit food!’

Response Dear John, I’m glad you read the article and it has stirred you into thought and action.

Evolution is one of the crowning glories of science alongside Relativity and Quantum Theory. It is the cornerstone of modern biology. It is far from unproven and leading creationist scientists such as Michael Behe have been humiliated in the US courts. You appear to reject both Evolution and Creationism so I am at a loss to see the basis of your objections.

Proponents of a carnivorous human theory will cherry-pick binocular vision, canine teeth, a liking for the taste of meat, B12 requirements, no fermenting sac, etc. We are omnivores and there’s no getting around it but then again there is no reason to and that was the point of the article. Confusing biological categories such as frugivore or herbivore with ideologies such as vegetarianism does the movement no favours in understanding the power of the vegan argument.

The point of the sentence you quote from the article was not to comment on non-functional attributes of a species, but to focus on more complex capabilities of an organism. Those very capabilities which to a creationist bespeak evidence of ‘intelligent design’ are interpreted by an evolutionary scientist (correctly in my opinion and that of the overwhelming majority of scientists) to be evidence of selection pressure during the evolution and maintenance of that capacity.

Yours sincerely,

John Camp Royston, Herts.

Stephen

Good Morning. I just wanted to say how I enjoyed the article: So you think you’re vegan?!

I have been attempting to be vegan for around 18 months. This article was well balanced and helped me over my guilty feelings. I’ve been vegetarian for many years but have always felt that it wasn’t enough but at the same time it was impossible to be completely vegan in our modern society. You would have to go and live naked on top of a mountain!

I call myself a strict vegetarian when asked because although I do my best to avoid animal products, it isn’t always possible. The dinner party scenario mentioned in the article has happened to me several times and I always take the second option mentioned.

I have rescued hens in my garden and I do eat their eggs but no other eggs. I’ve been keeping them for years and they are allowed to live out their natural life span with me. Unfortunately this often isn’t long due no doubt to the first horrific 18 months-2 years that they live in cages.

So I was uplifted to feel that I can allow myself to feel that I am in essence a vegan because I do my utmost to ‘reduce the exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals’.

I also enjoyed ‘nature tells us nothing about veganism’, again an informative and interesting article.

Thank you.

Jo Austin Norway

30

The Vegan l Winter 2007

RE: Never Mind the Biofuel in the Autumn Vegan.

It is important not to confuse the deplorable use of crops for fuel for cars with the vision promoted by the Vegan Society in its 1984 film Time for a Change, when we sponsored the first biofuel machine at the Centre for Alternative Technology and filmed Professor David Hall of London University. This film advocated releasing upland now used for sheep pasture to broad-leafed woodland to provide coppiced biofuel (as is happening in the Powys village of Llanwddyn whose heating is from local woodchips).

Millions of acres of highland Britain would be enhanced if such bio-fuel coppicing encouraged the return of native trees instead of sheep.

Coppiced biofuel is a sustainable source of renewable energy that can be stored for use when needed (unlike wind). Native woodlands also provide habitats for wildlife (while wind turbines kill), protect and enhance soil fertility, oxygenate the air and produce fruits and nuts.

Timber can be used for long-term construction purposes.

Laurence Main Machynlleth Editor Response Thank you Laurence for pointing out that biofuel could be other than the bioethanol or biodiesel, which is currently produced to run cars and other machinery. Your vision is very interesting, but of course it would need to be part of a package that included significant changes to our modern way of life: sounds good to me!

The Vegan l Winter 2007

31

REACHING FOR CLARITY ON

CHEMICALS AND ANIMAL TESTING Amanda Baker

On 1st June 2007 the European Union (EU) brought into force new rules aiming to ‘manage the risks posed by chemicals’. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has been set up to put this ‘Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals’ (REACH) into practice, and answer questions from the public.

REACH is intended to improve public health and environmental protection.

The EU has said that it hopes that REACH will reduce testing on vertebrate animals, because they have ruled that companies must share any information from those tests. The ECHA says that it wants animal testing to be ‘kept to a strict minimum’, and to ‘encourage the use of alternative testing methods’.

These are praiseworthy aspirations but the question vegans are asking is: does REACH mean all household products will now be tested on animals?

The EU has brought in REACH without banning tests on vertebrate and other animals, in other words without making animal-free testing compulsory.

The EU has not made sure that humane testing methods are ready before REACH testing begins.

“If the information required by REACH is not available, and

safety information already exists on the substances they use. If the information required by REACH is not available, and new tests are required, vegan companies will face a stark choice: reformulate their products, or break the law by refusing to use animals to test their ingredients.

new tests are required, vegan companies will face a stark choice: reformulate their products, or break the law by refusing to use animals to test their ingredients.”

So, in practice, REACH means that potentially millions of animals will be used in new tests on up to 30,000 substances.

REACH does not require animal testing in principle, but because animal-free tests are not being developed quickly enough, REACH makes all our products subject to possible animal testing.

At the moment, ingredient companies, household product manufacturers and retailers are finding out just how much

This means that products that have been used safely by humans, sometimes for more than thirty years, will be tested (usually on animals). Because REACH is now EU law, it is almost impossible for consumers and voters to directly influence how it is put into action. To voice your concerns, you can talk to your MP and MEPs - write to your MP c/o House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA, write to your MEP c/o European Parliament, UK Office, 2 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AA or use the http://www.writetothem.com/ independent service.

Activists are also working ‘behind the scenes’ with the EU to reduce the number of animals which industry are allowed to kill. EU law on animal testing (Directive 86/609/EEC) is also under review, which may be the best way to make your voice heard to save lives and improve the quality of research. There is an on-line EU-wide petition at: http://www.endeuanimaltests.org/ launched by the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research, running until 21st December 2007.

The Vegan l Winter 2003

33

Reviews THE NO-NONSENSE GUIDE TO ANIMAL RIGHTS

By Catharine Grant Published: New Internationalist ISBN-10: 1904456405 ISBN-13: 978-1904456407 Cover price: £6.99 Reviewed by Verity Hunt-Sheppard

GREEN SEASONS COOKBOOK

By Rachel Demuth Chupi Publishing Cover price: £18 ISBN: 0-9531119-2-X Reviewed by Shari Black Velvet Green Seasons Cookbook is a beautifully illustrated book of vegetarian recipes inspired by the four seasons; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and produced

by Rachel Demuth of Demuths restaurant. Although not fully vegan, the book includes a total of 98 vegan recipes out of a total of 149 recipes. Those that aren’t vegan can be easily modified by using non-dairy ingredients instead of dairy. Each season is divided into small eats, large eats and sweets, with information on techniques and equipment at the back. Although the tasty recipes are sectioned into seasons, while perusing the cookbook you’ll no doubt feel the urge to ignore these seasonal suggestions and prepare and sample any meal at any time. In fact, just looking at the stunning accompanying photographs will start your stomach rumbling and incite your culinary skills into launch mode.

Both a quality cookbook and solid testimony for Demuths restaurant.

34

The Vegan l Winter 2007

This No-Nonsense Guide provides a solid introduction to animal rights covering the mass exploitation of animals in the arenas of farming, research, entertainment and fashion. As well as looking at the main ways in which humans exploit animals, the NoNonsense Guide also looks at ‘how hurting animals also hurts people’ and compares the treatment of animals in different countries. At the end of the book there is ‘a practical guide to reducing animal suffering’.

There is a lot of detailed information making it a useful reference text; many of the statistics are American, but there is a significant number of useful global figures too.

There is a strong pro-welfarist stance rather than a rights stance permeating the pages which lets this guide down badly considering that it is supposed to be a rights text; for example ethical and organic meat production is supported. However, there is a lot of hard-hitting information here and the condensed manner of the book makes this a good introductory guide.

RAW LIVING

By Kate Wood ISBN 1-904943-74-8 Grub Street Cover Price: £10.99 Reviewed by Shari Black Velvet More people are discovering raw food eating as a way to improve health and well-being. Author, businesswoman and mother of three, Kate Wood has now published Raw Living, an enlightening read and collection of raw food recipes and information. The book features many beneficial health tips sectioned into areas of one’s life – such as pregnancy, breast-feeding, children’s parties, husbands and superfoods. There’s even a fun and creative Aphrodisiacs section. Kate gives sample menus before the book unwinds with scores of recipes.

Each recipe has an intro prior to it and a tip or more info following it. Recipes come in the form of dips, dressings, soups, savouries, crackers, puddings, cookies and more. Even for those who think that raw food is not for them, the appetizing sound of ‘love burgers’, ‘lentil & sage sausages’ and ‘Best Ever Chocolate Pudding’ are sure to tempt and convert you. At 240 pages, Raw Living is the definitive recipe collection for everyone and anyone, and proof that we can all improve our diet and health while still eating delicious food.

THE WORLD PEACE DIET: EATING FOR SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL HARMONY

By Will Tuttle Published: Lantern Books ISBN-10: 1590560833 ISBN-13: 978-1590560839 Cover Pice: $20 US Reviewed by Verity Hunt-Sheppard Relatively few books unaffiliated to any religion discuss the spiritual aspects of our diet. The World Peace Diet is a very in-depth text that discusses a very broad range of subjects.

At its core is a discussion of the spiritual and cultural ramifications of eating animal produce. Chapter titles include Inheriting our Food Choices, The Domination of the Feminine and Profiting for Destruction. The World Peace Diet debates and presents ideas often not found in other vegan texts and includes some fascinating historical information.

Will Tuttle writes beautifully and large tracts of the text are easily quotable. The World Peace Diet is very thorough in its discussion and some readers may find the discussion unnecessarily elongated.

For those with a particular interest in spirituality, culture and alternative thinking The World Peace Diet will provide an interesting read.

STUDENT’S GO VEGAN COOKBOOK

by Carole Raymond ISBN 0-307-33653-0 Available from http://www.amazon.co.uk/StudentsGo-Vegan-CookbookRecipes/dp/0307336530 for ÂŁ6.69 plus delivery.

Reviewed by Clare Persey As soon as you open up this American cook book you are tempted by the delicious-looking recipes within: Blueberry Pancakes, Rosemary-lemon Baked Tofu, Sloppy Joes, Baby Spinach Salad with Apples and Raspberry Ripple Smoothie to name but a few.

Over 135 recipes are crammed in to the book so you are certain to find something to please.

Some look easy enough to rustle up in a few minutes while others look quite complicated and have a long list of ingredients.

Many contain ingredients that would be difficult to stretch to on a student budget.

If you are after a book which goes into vegan food basics and features tasty recipes you may be pleased with this book but if you are a student you may well be disappointed as the recipes do not look particularly cheap or quick.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

35

CURIOUS VEGETABLES: THE ONION Bill Laws

Have you checked your onions?

Here the young men wore the Breton

According to folklore, the thicker

berets and striped T shirts just as their

the onion’s autumn skin, the harder

fathers and forefathers before them.

the winter ahead. And do you ‘know your onions’? That old

And in the late summer when the onion

saying suggests that wisdom and

crops were gathered in, they would

this particular vegetable go hand in

borrow the family bike and, carrying as

hand.

many strings of onions as they could hang on the handlebars, ride down to

The French certainly know theirs: how

the fishing ports of Saint-Brieuc and

often do we see the cartoon character

Tréguier. Here they would set off on the

of a Frenchman riding a bicycle with a

journée d’Albion (Albion’s Day) the trip

string of onions across the handlebars

to England to sell early onions door-to-

and dressed in his striped, Breton vest,

door to English housewives.

sailor’s trousers and a black beret?

In Roscoff they have even dedicated a The men who created this stereotype

museum, La Maison des Johnnies,

were the Onion Johnnies, intrepid

dedicated to the history of Brittany’s

Bretons who plied their trade across

onion sellers.

southern England in the 1930s. Times were hard in Brittany l’entre-deux-

Bill Laws is the

guerres or between the wars.

author of Spade, Skirret and Parsnip -

And they were particularly hard in the

The Curious History

north west, the traditional onion-

of Vegetables

growing region around Trégor.

(Sutton Publishing).

36

The Vegan l Winter 2003

38

The Vegan l Winter 2003

The Vegan l Winter 2007

39

40

The Vegan l Winter 2007

events

Updated diaries and events information can be viewed at www.vegansociety.com

n NOVEMBER

South-West Christmas Without Cruelty: Saturday 8th December, 10am – 4.30pm

Vegan Society AGM: Saturday 24th November 2007

Exeter Corn Exchange (formerly St George’s Hall), St George

Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham.

Street, Exeter.

For more information check out: www.vegansociety.com

Animal Aid is now organising its first regional winter festival

E-mail: info@vegansociety.com

of compassionate living, as part of Animal Aid’s 30 year

T:(0121) 523 1736

celebrations. Gifts, food, music, talks and information.

For more information check out: www.animalaid.co.uk or

The Incredible Veggie Roadshow (organised by Viva!): Saturday 24th November 2007, 10am to 4pm

phone: (01732) 364546

Leeds Marriott Hotel, Trevelyan Square, Leeds (Thomas Ambler Suite).

Candle-Lit Procession for International Animal Rights Day: Sunday 9th December, starts 2.30pm

Free entry, food tastings, cookery demonstrations, talks, free

Meet at 2.30pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn, London

diet and health advice, stalls, competitions and more.

for speeches. Moving off at 4pm through central London to

E-mail: info@viva.org.uk

finish at the Houses of Parliament.

T: (0117) 944 1000

For more information check out: www.uncaged.co.uk or

www.viva.org.uk/roadshows07/leeds.html

phone: (0114) 272 2220

n DECEMBER

n JANUARY

Christmas Without Cruelty: Sunday 2nd December,

North-West Vegan Festival: Saturday 26th January

10am - 5pm

Sacha’s Hotel, Tib Street, Manchester city centre.

Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 (opposite

Cruelty -free goods, food and information.

High Street Kensington tube station).

For more information e-mail nwveganfestival@hotmail.co.uk

The huge range of cruelty-free items on offer means that you can do all your Christmas shopping in one place and eat some delicious food too!

For more information check out: www.animalaid.co.uk or phone: (01732) 364546 East Midlands Vegan Festival: Saturday 8th December The Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham.

For more information phone: Phone: 0845 458 9595 or visit: www.eastmidlandsveganfestival.co.uk National Climate March: Saturday 8th December The Campaign for Eco-Veg*nism is urging vegans to join the march and take placards and leaflets.

10.00am Cycle Protest assembles at Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

12 noon Assemble Millbank for main march (Nearest Tube is Westminster) 2.30pm Rally at US embassy.

For more information check out: http://veggieclimatemarch.50webs.com/ Why not take along some of our ‘Costing the Earth’ leaflets to give out? Contact the Vegan Society office for copies.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

41

VEGAN SOCIETY NETWORK The Vegan Society Network These people are here to help. Simply get in touch.

Please report any praise, problems or changes of details. i - for local vegan information and support F - family contact with parenting experience Y - for young vegan support G - group (social and/or active) N - New entry The interactive map & listings are available on-line at: www.activeg.org/map and these and the stylised map are produced by the technical wizardry of Local Veggie Web. Thinking of getting active or starting a group? Take a look at the wealth of advice at www.activeg.org then email Sophie vegancc@makessense.co.uk, or phone 0118 946 4858 if you don’t have Internet access. Ask to be put on the email list for news for active vegans.

Map generated by Stephen Fenwick-Paul

42

The Vegan l Winter 2007

CONTACTS

The Vegan l Winter 2007

43

LISTINGS PATRONS Freya Dinshah Maneka Gandhi Rebecca Hall Dr. Michael Klaper Moby Gordon Newman Cor Nouws Wendy Turner-Webster Benjamin Zephaniah COUNCIL Alex Bourke (Vice Chair) Chris Childe Sophie Fenwick-Paul (Network Contacts Co-ordinator) Laurence Main Ian Nicoll (Chair) Vanessa Payne Janet Pender George Rodger Subra Sivarajah Patricia Tricker (International Co-ordinator) Stephen Walsh (Treasurer) STAFF Chief Executive Officer Nigel Winter Head of Marketing & IT Dave Palmer Head of Information Services Rosamund Raha Information Officers Verity Hunt-Sheppard Clare Persey Business Development Officer Colm McBriarty Trademark Assistant Sandrine Revert Office Manager / Finance Officer Fiona Sylva Education Officer Rob Jackson PR/Media Officer Amanda Baker Sales Assistant Paul Xuereb Volunteers Michaela Altman: proof-reader Philippa Lennox: proof-reader John Davis: proof-reader Dean Bracher

44

The Vegan l Winter 2007

VEGANISM may be defined as a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. In dietary terms it refers to the practice of dispensing with all animal produce — including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, animal milks, honey, and their derivatives.

Abhorrence of the cruel practices inherent in an agricultural system based on the abuse of animals is probably the single most common reason for the adoption of veganism, but many people are drawn to it for health, ecological, resource, spiritual and other reasons.

If you would like more information on veganism a free Information Pack is available from the Vegan Society.

THE VEGAN SOCIETY was formed in England in November 1944 by a group of vegetarians who had recognised the ethical compromises implicit in lacto-vegetarianism (ie dairy dependent). Today, the Society continues to highlight the breaking of the strong maternal bond between the cow and her new-born calf within just four days; the dairy cow’s proneness to lameness and mastitis; her subjection to an intensive cycle of pregnancy and lactation; our unnatural and unhealthy taste for cow’s milk; and the de-oxygenation of river water through contamination with cattle slurry.

If you are already a vegan or vegan sympathiser, please support the Society and help increase its influence by joining. Increased membership means more resources to educate and inform.

CLASSIFIEDS (UK) HOLIDAYS CORNWALL St. Ives – Self-catering accommodation in great location. Vegan café/restaurant in same complex opening soon. Close to beaches, harbour, shops and Tate Gallery.

Tel: 01736 795255 or e-mail

LANCASHIRE CRAZI-CARROTS. DE - TOX or RELAX in Lancashire.

Healthy, creative & vegan weekends.

Yoga, massage, training, walks or just B&B. Ensuite & comfortable B&B. tel. 01204 704600 admin@wellbeingworkshopsworldwide.com

Award-winning organic vegan & vegetarian B&B in Lostwithiel, Cornwall.

Please contact

www.learnenglishincornwall.co.uk FRANCE Brittany (56) La Sittelle Vegan B&B 20E pp Enjoy a warm welcome & good food in our comfortable old farmhouse. Relax in peaceful gardens, walk/cycle in beautiful countryside, explore the many places of interest. Nearby lake for swimming, sailing; canal for canoeing.

Dinner available with vegan wine.75 mins St Malo. Vegan Soc 10% discount.

TEL: 0033 297 93 00 61 or Email hils46@yahoo.co.uk

CUMBRIA SCOTLAND

YORKSHIRE WHITBY B&B FALCON GUESTHOUSE. Vegan/vegetarian Quiet location, seven minutes’ walk from centre and harbour.

Lounge and sunny breakfast room.

Teamaking facilities. No smoking throughout. Ample breakfast, with organic fare. £20 p.p.p.n. (for couple).

Tel 01947 603507

DEVON

SUSSEX

HOLIDAYS ABROAD

Close to the village of St Claud (cafes, market & open-air pool) & within easy reach of low cost airports/TGV station, the non-smoking cottage suits couples, families or groups of friends; intimate enough for two but offering generous space for 6 adults.

Vegan Society Member’s Discount

WEST CORK- vegetarian self-catering apartments for singles, couples and families in peaceful wooded surroundings.

Organic vegetables & vegan wholefoods available. 10% discount for early booking.

Green Lodge, Trawnamadree, Ballylickey, Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland. Tel: +353 2766 146, 00353 0861955451. Email: greenlodge@eircom.net or website http://homepage.eircom.net/~greenlodge

HAMPSHIRE

Jocelyn & Trevor Bridge Le Fayard, 16450 St Claud, France Tel: 0033 545 89 03 45 E-mail: jocelyn.bridge@lefayard.com Web: www.lefayard.com

New Zealand eco house (Christchurch) available for short term let mid April – late July 2008. Contact enquiries@greenspace.co.nz or 00 64 3356 0228

DISCOUNT CARD

NEW FOREST - The Barn Vegan/Vegetarian Guest House. En Suite rooms, evening meals. Perfect for walking/cycling etc 023 8029 2531 or www.veggiebarn.net

ISLE OF WIGHT

Exclusively vegetarian & vegan luxury holiday cottage in the picturesque countryside of south-west France. Enjoy the privacy of your very own well appointed self-catering cottage; assuring you rural tranquillity and all your homely comforts.

WALES SOUTH WEST WALES tranquillity, natural beauty and friendliness. Self-catering cottages only metres from sandy beach and lovely walks. Heated outdoor swimming pool and excellent facilities.

Eco-friendly owners. Tel 01267 241654 www.innisfreeholidays.co.uk MACHYNLLETH. Vegan-Veggie, environmentally-friendly B&B. Railway 300 yards. Centre for Alternative Technology nearby. 01654 702562 www.dyfiguest.co.uk

people

Donald Watson House 21 Hylton Street Hockley Birmingham B18 6HJ

animals

environment

Tel: 0845 45 88244 Fax: 0121 523 1749 info@vegansociety.com www.vegansociety.com

THE VEGAN DISCOUNT CARD

The Vegan l Winter 2007

45

CLASSIFIEDS VEGAN VOICE magazine promotes a nonviolent lifestyle beneficial to the planet and to all animals. For the latest on veganism and animal rights, subscribe now to Vegan Voice, Australia’s celebrated and singular quarterly magazine! www.veganic.net

Your Virtual Vegan Assistant!

I offer a range of home-based services by email, post, fax or telephone, including: l Typing l report writing and formatting l Audio transcription l lobbying/PR l marketing/comms l newsletter writing l website content l research and more!

University educated vegan – over 20 years experience in public and private sector. Short or ongoing projects undertaken. Emergency and out of hours assistance available. *Discounts to readers of The Vegan* Heather Payne 07806 226508 heather.payne9@btinternet.com www.heatherpayne.co.uk

INTERNET SERVICES DIVINE FROG web services. A vegan business. Website design, implementation, development, maintenance and hosting.

Please contact Ian : Tel : 07981 057697 Email : i.nicoll@divinefrog.co.uk www.divinefrog.co.uk

ALPUJARRAS - ANDALUCIA Attractive townhouse. Sunny, roof terrace.

Excellent views, birds, walks. Wholefood shops and restaurants serving veggie food in town. Sleeps 2 - 6. £280 pw. Available all year. Tel: 01736 753555. email Andalucia - remote mountain village 40 mins sea - walking, wildlife - from £100 per week - 2 persons - £180 4 persons.

Tel 01202 431867 www.orgiva.org/alfornon Kerala & South India Vegan and vegetarian cuisine, eco-friendly resorts & hotels, beaches, backwaters, wildlife, trekking & camping.

Brochure: 01892 722440 Fax: 01892 724913 E-mail: info@keralaconnections.co.uk www.keralaconnections.co.uk

PUBLICATIONS

ORGANISATIONS “Jesus was a vegetarian” www.donoteatus.org

PERSONAL FELLOWSHIP of vegan/vegetarian Christian believers. Not a dating agency.

For details please write to VCR, 55 Long Street, Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 2AJ or email love2abba@yahoo.co.uk

VEGAN VIEWS - informal quarterly for Vegan Opinion. Sample copy £1. 4 issues £4 inc p&p. Harry Mather, Flat A15, 20 Dean Park Road, Bournemouth BH1 1JB

Single? Online dating for vegans, vegetarians, environmentalists and humanitarians. Meet your like-minded match in your local area. www.ethicalsingles.com

SUNSHINE AND SHADOW. Autobiography of Wilfred Crone, well-known vegan/fruitarian. £7.50 inc P&P. Harry Mather, Flat A15, 20 Dean Park Road, Bournemouth BH1 1JB

Vegan lady in York, 40, atheist, teetotal, non-smoker would like to meet likeminded man anywhere with possibility of a long-term relationship. Box 678

MISCELLANEOUS Vegan bodybuilding is possible, positive sporting results are too. vegan nutritional profiling can help. More details contact: The D.A.F. Clinic, 17 Inglewood Road, Rainford, St Helens, Lancashire, WA11 7QL. Or E-Mail dafclinic@hotmail.co.uk or text V-info to 07979677953

BUSINESS SERVICES Vegan PR, Marketing and Design consultancy with an ethical, eco-friendly stance. www.eurydicepr.co.uk Tel: 01440 709460

DISCOUNT CARD

This card entitles the bearer to discounts at a range of outlets, restaurants and hotels.

A full list of discounts is available from The Vegan Society.

KINDNESS UNLIMITED is a fellowship of Christian vegetarians and vegans of any denomination or none. For details please write to Kindness Unlimited, the Old Vicarage, Llangynog, Carmarthen SA33 5BS or email KindnessU@aol.com.

Veggiecalendar.com Beautiful vegan 2008 calendar out now.

An ideal holiday gift with fresh fruit and veg for every month.

DISCOUNT CARD THE VEGAN VALID FROM

NOVEMBER 2007

UNTIL

FEBRUARY 2008 REFERENCE CODE

Ref:FLG 008

We are a vegan/vegetarian family that want to move into a rural or semi rural area and live in a low impact sustainable way, growing our own produce. We are looking for other people or families that are in the position to buy somewhere jointly. We don’t want to live communally; we just want be near to like-minded people and share some resources. We have money to invest. If you’re interested or you know of something that already exist, please email me at or tel Paul on 0161 434 0491 Seeking serious business opportunities and investments supporting the vegan cause.

Contact life4all@gmx.net with proposals.

46

The Vegan l Winter 2007

Adopt a Goat For Christmas

The ideal gift for the person who has everything. We take into care those who have suffered from neglect, abuse and abandonment.

Providing a loving home for the rest of their days Buttercup Sanctuary for goats, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4JU Tel: (01622) 746410 Registered Charity: 1099627

www.Buttercups.org.uk THE VEGETARIAN CHARITY Needy young vegans up to the age of 25 years can receive grants from the charity, which also provides funds to promote vegetarianism among the young.

Donations and legacies are most welcome to ensure that we continue to satisfy the need for help.

For further information contact: The Vegetarian Charity Cobblers Cottage, Chapel Lane, Coxbank, Audlem, Cheshire CW3 OEU maggiechat@hotmail.com Registered Charity No 294767

Sanctuary In Desperate Need Hillfields Animal Sanctuary, near Bromsgrove West Midlands,has 300 mouths to feed. The owner is battling against almost impossible odds and desperately needs help, both practical and financial. Please contact Web site www.hillfields-sanctuary.co.uk

ADVERTISEMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY 11TH JANUARY 2008 FOR INCLUSION IN THE SPRING 2008 ISSUE OFTHE VEGAN

The Vegan Society trademark is the authentic international standard for vegan products.

Our logo provides an easy and trusted way to promote your crueltyfree goods and services to the growing number of vegans in the UK and worldwide.

Trademark holders benefit from instant recognition, promotion in The Vegan magazine, discounted advertising rates, and a listing on the Vegan Society website. It’s good for you, good for the Vegan Society, and good for vegans.

For more information on the trademark, contact Colm Mc Briarty on (0121) 5231733 or email trademark@vegansociety.com.

You can also read about the trademark on our website at www.vegansociety.com

PRACTITIONERS FREE YOURSELF FROM LOW ENERGY LEVELS, FATIGUE AND ILL-HEALTH! Contact Dr Gina Shaw for free information about health consultations (in-person or by telephone), fasting/detox supervision, iridology, health books and a home-study course in Natural Health on (01626) 352765 or www.vibrancyUK.com Essentials For Equilubrium; Holistic Health for animals and people. Specialising in emotional trauma, allergies, skin problems, pain management. Free newsletter. Fabulous courses; Herbs and essential oils for Animals; beginner practitioner levels. All details call Leigh 01830 520098 / www.essentialsforequilibrium.co.uk

CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE: Advertisements are accepted subject to their satisfying the condition that the products advertised are entirely free from ingredients derived from animals; that neither products nor ingredients have been tested on animals; and that the content of such ads does not promote, or appear to promote, the use of non-vegan commodities. Books, records, tapes, etc. mentioned in advertisements should not contain any material contrary to vegan principles. Advertisements may be accepted from catering establishments that are not run on exclusively vegan lines, provided that vegan meals are available and that the wording of such ads reflects this.

The Vegan l Winter 2007

47

CROSSWORD Kate Sweeney & Vega

QUICK CROSSWORD set by Kate Sweeney Across 6 7 9 10 11 14 15 17 19 21 23 24

Powdery palm starch used as a food thickener (4) Spanish omelette or Mexican flatbread (8) Find, get, receive (6) Small light basket for strawberries (6) Ecofriendly type of burial (8) Black _ _ _ _ seaweed, eaten at Chinese New Year to increase wealth (4 Beers (4) Property of soil which allows excess water to leak away; Gardenia (Anag.) (8) Discarded food (which might be put out for the birds) (6) Thick dip made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic (6) Short-stemmed plant with thick leaves and soothing mucilaginous juice (8) Underwent maturation; developed (4)

Down 1 2 3 4 5 8 12 13 16 18 20 22

Tropical grass having a hollow woody stem and edible shoots (6) Edible protein-rich seed used to make plant milk and beancurd (4) Established or accepted quality or value e.g. for stockfree organic farming (8) Sandwich in which the filling is rolled up in a soft 7 Across (4) Aromatic bark used as a spice (8) Large slender white bulbs with flat dark green leaves (5) Illnesses, conditions, sicknesses (8) Extremely poisonous white fungus (5-3) From the surrounding area (5) Protein found in wheat and other flours which provides the structure of bread (6) Might be pumpkin or sesame (4) Drinking vessels (4)

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD set by Vega Down

1 2 3 4 5 8 12 13 16 18 20 22

48

Please se nd in solu tions to ei crosswor ther d along w ith your address by name and 11th Janu ary 2008 Prizes n ext issu copies of e: the new informativ e Animals Di ary. (one for th e winner of each cr ossword)

Father surmounted yard arm initially to get tree melon (6) Tree audibly cut down (4) Hark! Boil scrambled vegetable (8) Greek character over 50 latin and others (2,2) Squash last classy feature occupying Channel Islands (8) Scandinavian 24 (5) Aromatic one scalpel chopped up (8) Banana worker in ordinary surroundings (8) Endless dinners within (5) Met gnu, oddly aromatic (6) Plum gin sounds sluggish (4) Road to National Trust is big money maker (4)

The Vegan l Winter 2007

Solution to The Vegan Prize Crossword 49 (Quick:left/Cryptic:right) The winner of the Cryptic crossword is: : Cathy Bryant The winner of the Quick Crossword is: Anna Merenyi

Across 6 7 9 10 11 14 15 17 19 21 23 24

Potassium with beer chaser may be curly (4) Sudden violent disturbance of our butts (8) Hardy partner is aromatic tree (6) Partly cheetah, partly fruit (6) Teletubbie parliamentarian takes in V & A gloopy lighting feature (4,4) Nine live in wild goat (4) Dog of the herbs (4) Modern Persians ran Sinai badly (8) Birds pine strangely on board (6) Love apple excessively around pad (6) Cabbage family orb returns before small volume of spilled oil (8) Burns vegetable with tatties (4)