The Vegan Autumn 2011

Featuring

Moby on art and veganism Vegan Permaculture Good health on a vegan diet

Naturally delicious, naturally meat & dairy free

r u o k Chec for te i s b e w ts s i k c o st

www.createagoodlife.co.uk www.facebook.com/joinourrevolution

in this issue Our Chief Executive (CEO) of over four years, Nigel Winter, left The Vegan Society at the end of June.

As well as being the public face of The Vegan Society and raising our profile at conferences and with public and private sector organisations, during his time here Nigel massively improved internal procedures and processes. He enhanced our IT systems and introduced a new and improved website: thank you Nigel. As a temporary measure I am looking after the office and doing most of the CEO duties as well as my own job as Head of Information.

However, this is only until 5 September when our new CEO, Jasmijn de Boo, will join The Vegan Society.

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Some of you may know Jasmijn already as she has been very active in the vegan movement over many years and she already seems to have ideas for taking The Vegan Society forward. I feel confident that Jasmijn will be a great asset to The Vegan Society and build on the excellent work done

by Nigel. Jasmijn will introduce herself in the winter magazine, but before then you will notice that she already features prominently in this issue (although not in her capacity as CEO yet).

Looking ahead to World Vegan Month (starting 1 November), if you would like ideas for activities to raise the profile of veganism please take a look at: www.worldveganday.org or contact Amanda on 0121 523 1737 as soon as possible (it can never be too soon). As well as advising you on activities Amanda will be able to provide you with free copies of our literature including our new leaflet A Right to Life and Freedom which is included as an insert in this magazine.

Rosamund Raha Editor

The Vegan Society

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Highlights From the CEO News and Information From the Chair International News Active Vegans Good Health on a Vegan Diet Vegan Advocacy What Goes Around, Comes Around Fresh Salads in the Wilderness?

Megan the Vegan Vegan Permaculture Reviews Youth and Education Recipe for Vegetable Sushi Speaker in the Spotlight Moby: The Odd Life Shoparound Guinea Pig Care Postbag / Nutrition Guidelines Vegan Runners Grow Vegan Events Local Contacts List Staff and Council Listings Classifieds Membership Form Crosswords

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Local rate 0845 45 88244 l Tel. 0121 523 1730 l Fax. 0121 523 1749 l e-mail: info@vegansociety.com l www.vegansociety.com Editor Rosamund Raha Design www.doughnutdesign.co.uk Printed on Recycled paper Cover Photo: Compliments of the Siam Carving Academy: www.siamcarvingacademy.com

© The Vegan Society Registered Charity no. 279228 Company Registration no. 1468880 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. Contributions will usually be edited.

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highlights BRISTOL VEGFEST A great annual event, VegFestUK, known previously as Bristol Vegan Fair, then Bristol Eco-Veggie Fair, has been a date on many vegans’ calendar since 2003.

Right in the centre of Bristol, the fair takes over much of Harbourside, forming a vegan oasis for the last weekend in May. The Vegan Society was one of the event sponsors and our stand received lots of interest from members of the public. We answered many questions from individuals wanting to take on a vegan lifestyle but struggling to overcome one or two obstacles for them. Over 650 booklets on vegan nutrition were given out at the fair, supporting healthy, happy vegans. We are confident the presence of our stand with our friendly and knowledgeable staff meant that more vegans left VegFestUK at the end of the day than walked into the event.

We also supported many existing vegans over the weekend with information and merchandise. In particular, the new orange-flavoured Veg1 multivitamin supplement proved to be a popular alternative to the original blackcurrant-flavour.

VEGAN SOCIETY CHAIR OF COUNCIL IN THE NEWS Your local newspapers, radio stations, magazines and TV programmes can be a valuable way to share your passion for healthy vegan lifestyles. Our Chair of Trustees, George Rodger, was interviewed in his capacity as a Local Contact during UK National Vegetarian Week by the Scottish newspaper, The Herald. This was for Go green in your golden years – an article on older vegetarians/vegans.

Concern for the planet was the motivation for George Rodger going vegan. The interview was a great opportunity for George to highlight how vegans meet their nutritional needs.

He was quoted as saying: “I take a supplement with B12 but apart from that, I try to get it from natural sources. The soya milk that I use is reinforced with calcium and B12 so I get enough of these two things from the soya milk, plus green vegetables.” George said that he also eats more whole grains, pulses, vegetables and fruit than he did before he was vegan.

Would you like your local media to share the benefits of veganism with their readers or listeners? It can happen.

Look and listen out for a local reporter who is interested in related issues like global climate change, food security, farmer poverty, ‘animal welfare’, healthy eating or creative recipes.

Get in touch with our Media Officer, Amanda Baker: media@vegansociety.com with the name of the journalist, and she will help you.

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VEGAN SOCIETY CEO INTERVIEWED FOR DAIRY 2020 PROJECT The Vegan Society CEO at the time of this interview, Nigel Winter, was interviewed on the future of the dairy industry for the Dairy 2020 project which aims to answer: “what does a sustainable dairy industry look like, and what contribution can it make to a sustainable world?” The steering group includes Forum for the Future, Volac, First Milk, DairyCo, Dairy UK, NFU and Asda. They will then run workshops with 40 people to design a number of scenarios for the dairy industry in 2020. The results should be made available in October/November. Nigel was given the opportunity to present our vision for the future and explain how that could be achieved. He was told he could be as bold as he wanted, so he explained why we do not need a dairy industry at all.

MAKING THE CONNECTION Nearly 30,000 people have viewed The Vegan Society film (made with Environment Films) Making the Connection online.

Over 8,000 of these were referrals from the site: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/making-connection/

BEST VEGAN FRIENDLY MAGAZINE The Vegan magazine has won the 2011 VegfestUK Award. Full details can be found on the website: http://bristol.vegfest.co.uk/current-results Thank you to all those who nominated us.

BACK-ISSUES OF THE VEGAN There are now back-issues of the The Vegan magazine up on our website: www.vegansociety.com/ resources/magazine/Back -issues.aspx Re-Launch of Vegan Socie ty Awards

Anat opened the debate by pleading for a paradigm shift away from the conventional animal use and animals as objects or resources arguments, towards a world in which we recognise that all sentient beings deserve respect and should be granted equivalent rights to humans. We share this world with other forms of life and are not superior to other beings.

While Ian Redmond is actively involved in (endangered) animal conservation, through work with the Born Free Foundation, which proposes compassionate conservation, and other initiatives, he believes that the discussion on rights will divide a room of people. However, talking about compassion, respect, increased protection and improved enforcement of existing laws and international conventions will unite people to take action, he said.

The hunter, Peter Carr, admitted he had killed about 30-40 elephants. He said he loved animals and was a champion for elephants. He claimed that hunting has a place in wildlife management, and that the money raised through this would go straight back into communities. Jasmijn argued that this was not sustainable and that while local communities need support, this could be achieved through sustainable ecotourism and other ways.

JASMIJN ON TV Jasmijn de Boo, (soon to be our CEO) was asked by the BBC to participate in The Big Questions live TV show on Sunday 1 May to discuss the question of whether endangered animals need rights. Along with Anat Pick, philosopher and lecturer at the University of East London, Jasmijn defended the proposition. Opposing the need for rights were primatologist Ian Redmond and the editor of Sporting Rifle magazine, and trophy hunter, Peter Carr.

Jasmijn said that conservation experts believe we are currently in the sixth mass extinction since fossil records began; a situation which is unacceptable and unethical. She also mentioned that a European Commission report in 2008 had estimated that by not taking action, the loss in ecosystem services such as arable land, potable water, sustainable use of resources such as medicinal herbs and plants, and recreational use, could cost up to 14 trillion euros. We cannot afford inaction and have to invest in biodiversity now. The current wildlife conventions do not go far enough and do not adequately protect animals. We need to send a stronger message to the world: animals need rights!

from the CEO Nigel Winter

Since our new website was launched in November 2009 there has been a steady increase in the number of visitors. Two very popular sections are the Trademark search and the Animal Free Shopper search. We have now launched improved search functions for both of these and we hope you will find them even more useful.

If you know of a caterer that provides great vegan food please encourage them to apply for the trademark.

There is also a new section for trademarked caterers. We hope that the number of caterers applying for our trademark will increase so that this section will become a comprehensive list of restaurants, cafes, outside caterers and holiday providers.

Our familiar sunflower symbol is now a registered trademark in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and India. It not only makes it easier for vegans to find vegan products it also raises the profile of veganism.

Products that are registered for our trademark have had their ingredients checked by our staff to ensure they meet our criteria and sample menus have been checked in the case of caterers.

Many non-vegans also find the symbol reassuring when purchasing products for their vegan friends and family. It is also great to see so many non-vegan companies recognising the importance of the trademark and the value of the vegan market.

I have been Chief Executive (CEO) for just over four years but by the time you read this I will have moved on to new adventures.

I wish the new CEO every success and look forward to reading about exciting developments in future issues of The Vegan.

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news and info New Noticeboard for VfL’s website Vegetarian for Life, the charity which campaigns to improve the lot of older vegetarians and vegans, is pleased to report that it is introducing a new Noticeboard section to its busy website to help older vegetarians and vegans seeking personal carers or meal providers find appropriate support. The new section has come about as the charity is aware that there are a few people out there who are dedicated vegetarians or vegans and willing to care for older folk and also older vegetarians/ vegans seeking such support and/ or meals but it is often difficult for the two groups to find out about each other.

The Noticeboard section will also take other relevant information relating to the care of older vegetarians but it is not paid advertising and VfL is only interested in those willing to give proper support with dignity to senior citizens in the vegetarian/ vegan world.

Tina Fox says “with the advent of personal budgets many older people are now more free as to who they engage for personal care, meals at home etc and we want to be able to help them to find someone suitable to provide that service”. The noticeboard will be open to anyone seeking help in this way or anyone providing such a service so if any readers know of someone who fits either category please encourage them to email Tina or call at the email/ phone below.

For further information contact Tina on 01683 220888 or via email admin@vegetarianforlife.org.uk

Pogo Needs You Pogo Café in Hackney, London is an autonomous, nonhierarchical 100% vegan space run completely by volunteers.

Pogo aims to encourage veganism and animal liberation by providing delicious, affordable food and useful information to the local community and beyond. They host regular film nights, plus one-off gourmet dinners, raw food parties, poetry nights etc… they are always looking for new volunteers.

You may not have visited Pogo yet, but they are in the middle of a crisis. There is a shortage of people to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the cafe, coupled with a gaping hole in the finances, threatening to force Pogo to close once and for all.

Now, more than ever, Pogo needs you!

Please tell your friends in London.

If you would like to get involved in this exciting, unique café please get in touch with them. www.veggies.org.uk/2011/06/pogo-cafe-needs-yoursupport/

vegan society members survey: update Matthew Cole

The survey of current members launched this spring has been a huge success, so much so that it is taking us longer to analyse the results than we first anticipated: over 1600 surveys were received, which represents nearly 44% of members at the time the survey was conducted, a phenomenal response! A huge thank-you to everyone who took part and congratulations to the lucky winners of the prize draw (the draw was conducted in April, and the winners notified shortly afterwards).

In the Spring 2011 issue of The Vegan (p.17) we anticipated producing a full report on the survey for this issue, but the terrific response has meant that a lot more time has been needed to enter the data before we could begin to analyse it. Data analysis is now underway, so we will be able to produce a full report of the results in the Winter 2011 issue of The Vegan. On the whole the survey responses appear to be very positive, with strong evidence of support for the work and approach of The Vegan Society, although there were certainly constructively critical comments and suggestions. We will take these on board and use them to inform our efforts to improve our work.

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from the chair of the council George D Rodger

The shock news is that our CEO, Nigel Winter, has left the Society’s employment after more than four hectic years’ service. During this time, Nigel has seen the staff complement of the Society almost double - from seven to thirteen.

Also during this time, Nigel has dragged the Society into the twentyfirst century, ensuring that we satisfy all the rules and regulations that apply even to a small charity like The Vegan Society.

Typically, Nigel gave rather more notice than he was contractually required to do, leaving at the end of the Society’s financial year, and he has written copious handover notes for his successor. He leaves the Society in good heart, with all posts filled, and on a good financial footing.

This is partly due to excellent work by our business development team particularly on the trademark scheme, partly due to some generous donations and large legacies, for which we are very grateful, and partly due to Nigel’s good management.

He will be a hard act to follow!

Thank you, Nigel!

Since Nigel’s bombshell, the trustees on Vegan Society Council have been busily engaged in choosing his successor.

We advertised the position on our own website, in The Guardian newspaper, on Guardian Jobs on-line, and on the Charity Jobs website. The vacancy attracted a lot of interest, with 73 requests for application packs!

We had eight applicants, from which we chose a shortlist of five very strong candidates for interview. Just in time for this issue of The Vegan, we appointed Jasmijn de Boo as the new CEO, and she starts work for us on 5 September.

Originally from the Netherlands, Jasmijn has been living and working in the UK for seven years. Among other activities, she worked for WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) for four years, and in 2006 she founded the political party, Animals Count, and was its leader for several years.

There’s an article by Jasmijn elsewhere in this issue, also a report of a TV programme in which she took part.

There are also more changes on Council.

On the plus side, Dr Matthew Cole, who resigned earlier this year, agreed to be co-opted back onto Council, so that he could assist with CEO recruitment.

On the minus side, our two Londonbased trustees, Louise Wallis and Graham Neale, have both (independently) resigned, due to pressure of other activities. So Council remains at six, with six vacancies. As cooptees, Nicola Martin and Matthew Cole cease to be trustees at the AGM; but both are entitled to stand for re-election.

I hope we shall also have some new blood coming on at this year’s AGM. By the time you read this, nominations will have closed; if you are a member of the Society, you will see details of all nominees in your AGM papers.

I hope to see many of you at the AGM on 19 November at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff – the first time it has been in Wales for many years.

Best wishes George D Rodger

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international news I had hoped that this column would be all good news for once, but it has turned out to be the usual curate’s egg substitute with both good and bad coming in right up to the last minute.

In Austria, at least, the news is all good. Following continuous worldwide protest and a long, expensive and farcical prosecution, the attempt to brand vegan animal protection activists as terrorists collapsed in ruins with the acquittal of all the defendants and some very harsh words from the judge about the behaviour of the police. It must also have been galling for the prosecutors to see the defendants go straight on to discuss legal reform with the minister of justice, address parliament on the evils of farrowing crates and run a highly successful two-day vegan festival in Vienna where a recordbreaking 110-metre chocolate roulade attracted attention from press and public alike. See www.vgt.at for news in English as well as German.

The collapse of the Austrian trial might have been expected to put an end to such antics in modern democratic Europe, but within just a few weeks the Spanish authorities were up to the same tricks. More charges of “conspiracy”, more homes invaded, belongings seized, occupants consigned to prison cells.

In some cases the victims’ mothers had their homes raided as well. Demonstrations followed in 22 countries, most of the prisoners were released on bail and the three still in custody are now getting vegan food. See http://thespanish12.wordpress.com/about for further news and an international petition. Spain is also following France’s move to have bullfighting listed by UNESCO as “intangible world heritage”. Yet the majority of the population would be happy to see it banned. See http://animalaidabroad.org/campaignspetitions/387-bullfighting Meanwhile, in a referendum in Ecuador the population voted unequivocally to ban bullfighting and were warmly applauded at the International Vegan Festival in Spain.

So what is the difference between a vegan festival and a world veg congress, given that all these events are vegan nowadays?

Both bring together people from all over the world and last for about a week, with a wide variety of talks, workshops, entertainments and excursions and (hopefully) an equally good variety of delicious vegan food. Thinking back to the Maltese VegFest where we all went on an excursion every afternoon, the festival in the far north of Denmark where the outside world seemed a distant noisy memory, and this year’s event in Spain where the beach was literally on the doorstep, my most enduring impression is that the festivals are more fun, more intimate, more friendly, especially for newcomers and families.

Not that the world congresses are unfriendly – some of my best friends were met at these amazing events – they just tend to be very much bigger, with so many simultaneous talks it is tempting to choose those that reflect one’s existing priorities and propensities rather than venturing into pastures new.

At the festivals there is usually room for everyone to stay at the festival venue and just one programme, so most everyone goes to most everything (give or take the lure of the beach or the shops). The pace is more relaxed, too, with more time to get to know a much smaller number of people, so that seasoned activists and newcomers become part of one (relatively) big happy family. At one point in Spain it did sound as though there was a fight going on, but it turned out to be the French Vegan Society president making brioche in the traditional somewhat violent way. Olympic marathon runner Sally Eastall was a big hit, too, explaining how much vegan food she took to Barcelona, where she finished just ten minutes behind the gold medallist. Stephen Walsh had the unenviable task of chairing the sessions and trying to keep things on track in a part of the world where timekeeping is traditionally a challenge while the Jain Vegans team spread compassion and harmony wherever they went. Last but not least, very many thanks to Francisco Martin, founder of the Spanish Vegan Society, for organising such a friendly, fun-filled event.

The next Big One is the world congress in San Francisco next year, and there are plans for week-long festivals in Holland and perhaps even Greece, so how about taking the plunge if you’ve never been to one before? In the meantime, many Vegan Society members will be attending the Paris vegan days on 1 and 2 October as well as the London vegan festival on 21 August.

With good wishes to all, and I’m hoping to meet as many of you as possible at one or other of these events.

Vanessa Clarke

THE VEGAN PASSPORT The Vegan Passport is available from The Vegan Society for just £4.99. It is a pocket-sized book, with a simple message explaining what vegans do and don't eat, and why in seventythree different languages.

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s n a g e V e v i t Ac Friendly Vegan Society Skills Sharing In May, we hosted a Local Contacts Skills Share in Birmingham, and ran workshops at the Bristol VegFest.

Amanda Baker, photo by Iain Broadley

We looked at vegan outreach achievements and challenges, which raised key questions on finances, attracting new members, and supporting ‘vegan-curious’ people. We can work in teams for motivation and spreading the workload, or work alone, to act quickly and avoid disagreements. It helps to keep positive – have fun, thank one another, and be constructive.

A good ‘team facilitator’ can match tasks to interests, and keep expectations realistic.

Dean Bracher led a workshop on events. A celebratory pot-luck meal can build friendships, while eating out supports local veganfriendly caterers and helps new vegans.

Plan large events six months ahead to get grant funding, the best venues, and time to comply with requirements like HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) for food.

Good publicity before and after, with photographs, can take your positive vegan message to many more people.

Budget carefully and use small events, such as a free food fair, to raise funds, with a voluntary donations box – sell vegan cakes, run a tombola with donated prizes. For a larger festival, make a small charge for stalls. Survey your visitors: how many nonvegans? Will they go vegan? This can help you get a grant next time, too.

Rob Jackson led a workshop on public speaking – which many fear more than death! But fear is normal. Actively calm yourself with deep breathing, and re-frame your nerves as excitement. You were invited, so your audience will want to hear you.

Be organised. Practise out loud, from brief notes not a script.

Bring your talk alive – build rapport with the audience, use your own story, and don’t be too technical. Suggest what we 'can' do; no one likes to be told what they ‘should’ do!

Ask local gardening, environmental and other groups, which may like talks on vegan cookery or nutrition, global issues, animal ethics or going vegan. Local Contacts are meeting people through sites such as Facebook, community networks like Transition Towns, word-of-mouth through friends, and letters pages in local newspapers.

Email Amanda: media@vegansociety.com if you’d like to join a Local Contacts Skills Share.

COVENTRY VEGAN FAIR event held at St John the Baptist The Coventry Vegan Fair was a free vegan food ised by Vegan Society supporter Church Hall in March. The fair was jointly organ Group), and Green Garden Cafe and l organisations Midlands Vegan Campaigns (Loca a voluntary effort with a much as rs) holde ard Fairfoods (Vegan Sunflower Stand appreciated Vegan Society grant. practical vegan food, while many The organisers showed off delicious, varied and samples of their products. free ling appea sent Vegan Trademark companies a storm, as did their pancakes, Green Garden Cafe’s all-day breakfast went down spicy bean wraps and drinks. rs by the end. Volunteers gave out The hall was busy all day, with around 500 visito and vegan guide with recipes, food tasters and leaflets, including a special local of those who were not already vegan 40 visitors who filled in a survey, nearly 90% From 0). /lYrD1 addresses and tips (see: http://bit.ly the day as good or excellent. vegan food in their diet. Nearly everyone rated said they would either go vegan or include more s.

Vegan ntry joining Coventry Animal Alliance or Cove Over half of those surveyed were interested in , please email Local Contact Clare on vegan food fair like this in your nearest town For tips on how to organise a successful free

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Vegan Meals Week at The University of Gloucestershire Staff and students at The University of Gloucestershire enjoyed an imaginative range of vegan meals this spring. VeggieGlos (The Student Union's Veg*n Society) created Vegan Meals Week alongside the University Caterers, the Sustainability Team and Carbon Strategy, and the Chaplaincy ‘meat-free week in Lent’.

Families with Young Vegans Lee Anne writes, “I really wanted to meet other vegans / like-minded families and for my daughter to get to know other vegan children … so in April 2009 I set up the vegan families group in Brighton.”

Lee Anne wanted to create a friendly community group (for vegans and the vegan-curious) for support, socialising, information and a collective voice to promote vegan alternatives in the wider community.

She adds, “The long-term aim was also to inspire others to set up family groups around the country.”

The group met up monthly in a hired hall, bringing tasty food to share and enjoying art and play with the youngsters.

“We had picnics, meet-ups at local vegan cafes, and organized a mini bus to the open day of Hugletts Wood Vegan Farm Animal Sanctuary in Dallington, East Sussex. This was a really good day - what an amazing place!” Lee Anne also organized talks on nutrition for children and natural parenting.

At Francis Close Hall refectory, each Vegan Meals day had a different theme: European, Mexican, Asian, Arabian and English.

Nam of VeggieGlos says the event was fun and they got great feedback. She especially thanks the FCH catering manager, Erika of Baxter Storey, and her supportive, friendly staff, Cathy Green of The Sustainability Team and everyone who tried the vegan meal.

You can read more on the VeggieGlos blog: http://veggieglos.blogspot.com/2011/04/success-of-vegan-mealweek.html

Would you like your college or school to feature delicious vegan options? Email Nam on to ask how they did it.

Don’t forget to send your nominations for ‘Best Vegan Catering in Education’ before The Vegan Society Awards 2011 close on Wednesday 31 August.

“I think the group’s been especially helpful for those with very young children. Although the group’s been inactive for a while … there are plans to re-ignite the group, so please get in touch if you would like to get involved.”

For inspiration, or to find out more about Brighton Vegan Families & Friends, email Lee Anne on

Arabian platter and VeggieGlos info stand.

Photos by Dan Jocelyn, John Ryan and VeggieGlos

Veggie Awareness Day Shane Jordan is a vegan chef from Bristol who organised a Veggie Awareness Day at the Bethesda Methodist Church in Bristol with generous sponsors including Redwoods, Fry’s and Bute Island Foods. Shane’s team made wonderful food for the event and Kerry McCarthy (MP of St George) came down and contributed to the event which raised sixty pounds for sanctuaries and raised awareness of veganism. They had a raffle, plant sale, food and a masseuse (who donated products from Lush). Shane even dressed up in a pig and cow costume and ran around the shopping centre – which the cars and the children liked very much. The event made the Evening Post and Kerry McCarthy’s website too.

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INTERNATIONAL VEGAN FESTIVAL

CORK VEGANS “My name is Bronwyn Slater and I set up the Cork Vegans group on 14 February 2011 on the meetup.com site [www.meetup.com/CorkVegans]. Since then we have had an average of three new members every fortnight.

We advertised our group in the local health and wholefood stores, and we set up a Facebook page where we post vegan-related information for the Cork area.

We meet every three weeks or so for a meal in a restaurant.

We contact the restaurant first to ensure that they know what ‘vegan’ means and to ask if they would provide some vegan options for us. So far, we’ve been to a Thai restaurant, a Mexican restaurant and even a ‘grill’ where we had a choice of two tempeh main courses, a starter and soya cappuccinos!

Dozens of vegans from 24 countries converged on Málaga, Spain, for the 13th International Vegan Festival in June. Distinguished delegates included Dr Susianto Tseng, President of The Vegan Society of Indonesia and tempeh expert, who was recently profiled by The Jakarta Post: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/21/born-be-avegan.html The festival aimed to promote vegan lifestyles as healthy, ethical and ecologically responsible. Festival-goers enjoyed up to 60 events over eight days – from early morning yoga, to talks such as ‘Veganism and Athletic Performance’ by vegan marathon runner Sally Eastall, and musical evening entertainment including Spanish Flamenco.

Bill Palethorpe says, “All in all, a thought-provoking and uplifting festival.

The trip to the stunning caves of Nerja put human beings into perspective.”

Dr Susianto Tseng, photo by Marly Winkler

The Exploits of Vegan Lincs THE VEGAN LINCS INDOOR PICNIC 2011 Saturday 21 May vegan or Picnic this year was Linda Wardale’s A major highlight of the Vegan Lincs Indo ganLincs heVe ser/T om/u recreated at: www.youtube.c cookery demonstration – which you can see e, coffe and tea s, cake as well as age rolls, pizzas, Other attractions included burgers, saus 130 st almo cted attra c picni The ola. a tomb plus a Vegan Lincs information stall and year! last as y man as twice over – ckers picni THE DARK SIDE OF FARMING Thursday 23 June Linda Wardale was an invited panellist at The Dark Side of Farming public meeting, coorganised by the Soil Association and the Pig Business group to help stop a new ‘pig factory’ in Foston, Derbyshire.

We’ve also been doing a bit of vegan outreach.

We leafleted our local university in April where we handed out hundreds of Vegan Society flyers and booklets, and we’re trying to get a Vegan Society started in the college. We also handed out leaflets in Cork city centre.

Our next challenge will be to acquire some funding to print our own leaflets, as we plan to put them in letterboxes in thousands of homes.”

Email Local Contact Bronwyn Slater on to find out more.

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There was a good turnout, with sentatives from Friends of the Earth and around 60 people from the area, and repre s newspaper also covered the event: Derbyshire Animal Rights. The Derby Time ters-advised-seek-national-focus/storywww.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Pig-farm-protes 12827581-detail/story.html cil lopments to pay attention to local coun Linda advises anyone fighting such deve ‘animal on n icatio allowed to turn down an appl documents. Planners are not currently 2010-14 for plan local the But legal requirements. welfare’ grounds if the farm meets UK to live place good a is area their that think yshire to states that it wants "all people in Derb them make ld wou object to a development which and work". So Derbyshire residents can and/or work. feel their area is not a good place to live To find out more, contact Local Contact

Linda Wardale by email:

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THE LONDON VEGAN PLED

Campaigns 1 organized by London Vegan The London Vegan Pledge 201 by eating als anim nd usa tho a ost saved alm attracted 66 Londoners, who vegan for a month. a leaflet or me through word-of-mouth, from Most Pledgers found the sche tried had and the Pledgers were vegetarian online. Almost two-thirds of becoming vegan before. buddy’ for met their experienced ‘vegan the first workshop, each Pledger ds gave a foo Fair s Sunflower Standard-caterer the month. Clare from Vegan king the ‘Ma , film our d che and the group wat vegan cookery demonstration buffet – h lunc The t. llen exce or d rated goo Connection’ – which everyone Ms Cupcake an Sunflower Standard-holder Veg by ated don s cake cup including – was even more popular.

Sandra Hood Cullimore, Registered Dietician Vegan health advisors GP Dr Josh wered ans lsh Wa kesperson Dr Stephen and Vegan Society nutrition spo checks for lth hea ran and n t-based nutritio questions, explained healthy plan ng out eati ut Vegetarian Guides talked abo the Pledgers. Alex Bourke from as a vegan. rds of Pledgers weeks later, more than two-thi At the closing workshop four expected. ’d t finding it easier than they had decided to stay vegan, mos hen Step ls, mea an to prepare quick veg Chef Liz Hughes showed how ck. che lth hea ther ano had , and Pledgers Liz Hughes cookery demo Walsh hosted a nutrition quiz ed at the look en Gre Lisa and d, save y lives the group had Kelly Slade estimated how man and vegan chocolate.

After another delicious lunch, the day with donated goodies off d nde rou e ryon Eve an. veg g bein of environmental benefits erol had improved by the who started with high cholest gers Pled e thre of two and – Pledgers were generally healthy second health check. tions and advice from talking and inspiring. The simple sugges ing ivat mot very d!” was it ge, pled to eat vegan have been remove One Pledger said, “I loved the the most – all my reasons not me ed help e hav t wha are with the group and buddies an Society for a grant. to learn more. ryone involved including The Veg eve ks than ns paig Cam an London Veg paigns.org.uk or phone cam gan @ve info il ema .uk, See www.vegancampaigns.org

ton Vegan Fayre Taun .

In May the second Taunton Vegan Fayre attracted around 150 mostly non-vegan visitors. The volunteers gave away a wide range of vegan foods – from cake to samples of Fry’s products – and laid on live music too.

Volunteer leafletter Tess Handoll says some passers-by were ‘shocked’ by the variety of vegan food on offer. One visitor described the food as 'exquisite'. Another visitor had been a lonely vegan for 10 years he is now getting actively involved in the group.

Tushie Garstang led the preparations for this inspiring event, which was funded by donations from smaller Taunton Vegans catered events, where people are asked to leave whatever they feel the food is worth. Tess says, “A lot of people leave a lot more than we would ever think to charge – which is great!”

Ask Local Contact Clare how Taunton Vegans got started, by email:

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good health on a vegan diet Stephen Walsh

T

here is good evidence that a vegan diet can support excellent health. The longest living group of people in the world are US Seventh Day Adventists. US Adventist vegetarians who drink milk live about two years longer than non-vegetarians while US Adventist vegans (no animal products at all) do slightly better than other vegetarians. On average, vegans in the USA and the UK have lower levels of overweight and obesity than people eating animal products and have lower cholesterol levels.

However, not all vegan diets are healthy.

A vegan diet based on chips, white bread, margarine and soft drinks will not be healthy. A diet based entirely on fruit would be deficient in protein and sodium.

As with any diet making healthy choices is important. Importantly, the potential weaknesses in a vegan diet can be different from those of a conventional diet.

The vast majority of our nutritional needs are readily met through ordinary everyday foods. The few exceptions come when our environment has moved away from what is natural to humans and other great apes:

n eating sanitised foods purged of bacteria and insects so that we lose a key natural source of vitamin B12;

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n having spread across the world into areas where the soil, and hence the plants growing on the soil, has undesirably low levels of iodine and selenium.

Vitamin B12 This article aims to highlight the most effective ways of restoring a natural balance and stacking the odds in favour of good health.

Foundations of a healthy diet The starting point for good health is to eat a wide variety of whole, lightly processed foods including plenty (ideally 500 grams per day or more) of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, such as oranges, berries, apricots, cherries, nectarines, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, beetroot, carrots, sweet potatoes…

n mass agriculture and food distribution favouring storage and shelf life and thereby shifting our diet from its natural balance of about 2:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids to more like 10:1 and shifting the balance of potassium to sodium from about 10:1 to about 1:1;

We should also eat regular small amounts (about 25-50 grams per day) of nuts and oils, preferably those rich in monounsaturates, such as almonds, cashews, hazel nuts and macadamias, and olive and rapeseed oil.

(Use more of these foods if you tend to be underweight.)

n living far from the equator so that for part of the year our skin cannot produce vitamin D and many fruits and vegetables will not grow;

Limit use of highly processed foods, particularly those containing trans fats (from partial hydrogenation) or a lot of salt.

The Vegan l Autumn 2011

Most processed foods offer less support to health than alternatives. Many are based on white flour and contain excessive sugar or salt.

Lightly processed foods such as soya milk and tofu contain most of the nutrients from the original beans and can be a useful part of a vegan diet.

The Vegan Society recommends 3 micrograms per day of vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Many foods are now fortified with vitamin B12. These include many breakfast cereals, yeast extracts and plant milks. Often there is no price premium between the fortified and unfortified products making such products a sensible choice if you would use them anyway. Given a choice between fortified and unfortified versions of foods which you would buy anyway and no price premium, choosing the fortified version is a wise move.

If there are no fortified foods available that you would normally use in sufficient amounts to obtain about three micrograms of vitamin B12 a day, then the most economical route will generally be to take a supplement. There are two basic alternatives available: taking a low dose supplement (10 to 100 micrograms) daily or taking about 2000 micrograms (mcg) per week using high dose supplements (500 to 1000 micrograms).

Vitamin D

Taking a supplement daily allows much better absorption, so that a much smaller amount is sufficient to meet your needs than if a supplement is taken less frequently.

B12 supplements should be chewed to maximise absorption.

Omega-3 fatty acids Vegan diets are generally healthfully low in saturated fats but often include too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3 fatty acids.

Excessive omega-6s can be avoided without reducing overall fat intake by emphasising foods high in monounsaturated fats. Olive oil and the cheaper rapeseed oil are both mostly monounsaturates as are avocados, hazelnuts, macadamias, cashews and almonds. In contrast sunflower, safflower, grape and corn oil are all very high in omega-6 fats while coconut and palm oil are high in saturated fats. Peanuts and Brazil nuts fall in the middle.

The most natural (and cheapest) way to get vitamin D is to get out in the sun when the sun is high enough in the sky for the required radiation to reach the ground (your shadow should not be much longer than you are).

Frequent short exposures once a day for about a third the duration that would lead to slight reddening of the skin are ideal. Exposing just face and hands for this time will produce about 15 micrograms of vitamin D, while exposing the whole body would produce about 150 micrograms. Unfortunately, for those us living in the British Isles or similar latitudes, the sun is too low in the sky for much of the Winter to produce vitamin D and it is too cold in early Spring to want to expose much skin. For this period we must rely on stores of vitamin D or on dietary intake. For many people, a dietary source during the Winter months could be helpful.

The second key step to restoring balance is to add about 2 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids.

For most people, either flaxseed or rapeseed will provide the most economical method to achieve this.

If you use a significant amount of vegetable oil in baking or cooking then using rapeseed oil as the main oil will provide omega-3s without entailing extra cost (rapeseed oil is usually the cheapest vegetable oil). Each litre of rapeseed oil provides about 100 grams of omega-3s, so about 2 dessertspoons a day will provide 2 grams of omega-3s, with most of the fat being healthy monounsaturates. Rapeseed oil is not suitable for deep frying, but is fine for other forms of cooking including shallow frying. Some margarines use mainly olive oil or rapeseed oil. If the nutritional composition shows that around half the fat is monounsaturated and olive oil is not listed as an ingredient then it is likely that rapeseed oil is being used, even if the ingredients just say “vegetable oil”.

There is no advantage in using a “balanced blend” or “balanced oil” rather than flaxseed as what matters is restoring balance in the overall diet in which omega-6 fats are generally abundant.

There are many supplements in the UK which contain vitamin D but most of these contain vitamin D3, derived from animal skins or wool.

Neither “synthetic” D3 (derived from cholesterol) nor vegetarian D3 (derived from wool) are suitable for vegans. D2 in tablets is also often prepared from a gelatine-based preparation.

D2 in liquid form, such as the Abidec drops for children, is generally vegan. The Vegan Society’s VEG 1 supplement contains 10 micrograms of D2.

True kelp usually contains 3 to 4 micrograms of iodine per milligram so just 50 milligrams a day provides the entire required intake. The simplest way to consume the small amounts required is to grind about 5 to 10 grams at a time (coffee grinders work well) and to add a pinch at a time to stews, cereals or home-made bread.

If you find grinding and handling these small amounts of kelp inconvenient, then powdered kelp is widely available in tablets which can be crushed by hand and used as above or eaten directly.

Just two kelp tablets a week with a declared iodine content of 150 to 250 micrograms per tablet is appropriate as some supplements have been found to contain more than the declared amount of iodine. A multi-vitamin tablet containing iodine gives a more consistent amount of iodine. The Vegan Society’s VEG 1 supplement provides 150 micrograms of iodine.

Selenium Like iodine, selenium levels in soil and hence in plants varies widely from region to region. The ideal intake of selenium is less well defined than for iodine. Just 15 micrograms per day is sufficient to prevent a special form of childhood heart disease known as Keshan disease and found in some parts of China.

No more than 80 micrograms per day is needed to maximise antioxidant activity, while up to 200 micrograms per day may reduce risk of certain cancers.

Average vegan intakes in the UK are probably about 40 micrograms. Brazil nuts are the richest natural source of selenium, providing about 20 micrograms per gram. About ten Brazil nuts a week (35 grams) would therefore add about 100 micrograms a day to selenium intake, taking intakes into the optimal range. VEG 1 contains 60 micrograms of selenium.

Iodine Conclusion Iodine deficiency is a major global health problem tackled worldwide by iodising salt for human consumption (eg North America) or by relying on iodisation of animal feeds (eg the UK). The recommended iodine intake for adults is about 150 micrograms a day with half this being sufficient for children. Kelp is a good source for vegans.

I hope this article makes clear that while ideal nutrition cannot be simply left to accident or a “balanced diet”, it need not be expensive or difficult.

Further information can also be obtained from Plant Based Nutrition and Health published by the Society and from www.vegansociety.com.

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vegan advocacy Rebecca Henderson

Medication As discussed in the previous issue of The Vegan, it can sometimes be very difficult to know whether a particular medication contains animal ingredients. This is why the news from Astellas Pharma that their Flomaxtra product will now be labelled as being free from animal ingredients is so exciting. This is a new and very welcome development in the marketing of pharmaceutical products. Astellas Pharma have spoken of their desire to promote their other animal free medications.

Until more drugs are labelled in this way, you will need to satisfy yourself as to their animal free status. If you are able to access the internet, the process is relatively straightforward. The website www.medicines.org.uk is extremely helpful. It contains information on prescription medications licenced for use in the UK, including their patient information leaflets.

Once you are on the site, search for the medicine that you have been prescribed. When you have found it, look at the patient information leaflet, which will contain a full ingredients listing. You may have been prescribed a generic (a type of medicine, of which there are many different individual brands). If this is the case, a search for the generic will bring up several different individual brands (the individual name given to a particular product by its manufacturer). If there are several different brands of the medicine that you have been prescribed, there is then a greater chance that one of them will not contain animal ingredients.

After you have accessed the patient information leaflet, or leaflets, you can then check whether the product contains animal ingredients.

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Obvious ones to look out for are gelatine, lactose, shellac and beeswax, but there are others. We have a glossary of animal substances on our website http://vegansociety.com/lifestyle/animalsubstances.aspx and we can also email you the list as a word document, or send you a paper copy.

If you are unable to tell from the list of ingredients whether the product contains animal substances, then contact the manufacturer to ask.

By doing so, you will not only find out whether the product is free of animal ingredients, but you will also show manufacturers that there is a demand for such products. This will not only encourage them to improve their labelling, but also to look for animal free alternatives.

If you do not have access to the internet, it is possible that your initial research may take a little longer, but you can still find out if your medicine is animal free by contacting a pharmacist. Pharmacists hold lists of ingredients for medicines and ought to be able to advise you. If the first one you consult is unable to give you the required information, it is worth approaching another one who may prove to be more helpful.

Hopefully, your research will result in you finding a version of your medication that does not contain animal ingredients. Once you have found such a product, why not contact the manufacturer to tell them that this is the reason why you have chosen that product rather than one of the alternatives? You can find contact details for the manufacturer on the patient information leaflet that comes with your medication. Writing an email, or short letter, to their customer services department will only take a few minutes of your time, but can be an extremely effective way to channel vegan concerns to manufacturers.

Vegan Care Homes for the Elderly A message from The Vegan Society

Recently a couple of vegans have suggested that The Vegan Society might fund a vegan care home or other residential complex. We have commented on this issue several times in The Vegan magazine but we would like to make this further response.

Some readers may be unfamiliar with the history of The Vegetarian Housing Association (VHA) homes in Hastings and one in Rhos-on-Sea North Wales.

Both homes were comprised of selfcontained flats in large houses, with a lunchtime meal provided. Both had 10 – 12 self-contained flats and at the time of closure both only had 3 – 4 flats occupied. Many vegetarians and vegans liked the idea of the homes, but they were not prepared or able to leave family, friends and support networks behind to relocate to them. These were vegetarian care homes and not exclusively vegan.

The VHA costs in running the homes were substantial, including council tax on the empty flats, heating, administration costs and costs associated with trustee meetings. With such a small number of residents, it was difficult to get staff to cook the lunchtime meal and live on the premises and still be economically viable. Had the VHA been providing the type of care associated with a care home, their costs would have been much greater.

After extensive consideration and consultation the trustees decided that, rather than helping six residents in these homes, it would be wiser to spend money in ways that would benefit many vegetarians and vegans.

The Vegan Society has been given £63,988 to help elderly vegans.

The Vegan Society is using the money in ways that will help many thousands of vegans and we will continue to report on progress in The Vegan magazine.

In his letter, Paul Appleby says that The Vegan Society might use the money from the fund to give grants to individual elderly vegans. However we can confirm that The Vegan Society will not be making any grants to individual vegans.

We have not used any of the money yet but will be using the funds in ways that will improve the lives of many elderly vegans, both in their own homes and in care. We plan to start to spend some of the money soon on doing more work with lunch clubs for the elderly including producing an information pack which we hope to post out to lunch clubs.

Without using the funds we have produced a 22 page Vegan Catering Guide for Hospitals and Care Homes, which The National Association of Care Caterers and the Hospital Caterers Association have also helped to circulate.

They have also put our information on their websites. We have contacted individual care homes regarding vegan provision and how they can best meet the needs of vegan residents. We have also prepared information for vegans

who are choosing a care home. We have contributed material on veganism to a training course for care home staff.

We are lobbying for changes to care curricula, so that staff working within the sector understand not only vegan diets, but also the reasons that people become vegan. We have organised a Catering for Diversity event where medical professionals, pharmacists, dieticians, caterers and care home managers were brought together.

Our Advocacy Officer Rebecca Henderson has attended care events and spoken to care home organisations, product manufacturers and care publications. We are exploring the possibility of having stalls and giving talks at such an event ourselves.

Rebecca also attended the Westminster Forum on Improving Nutrition- in hospitals, in social care and in the community, and has written a piece on vegan nutrition for the briefing document.

The majority of older people do not enter a care home or residential facility, but instead remain living in their own homes.

We have contacted every local authority in the UK for details of the community meal provision available to older people in their area. This includes lunch clubs, day centres and home delivered meal services. This has allowed us to determine which existing services have the greatest reach and where we should direct our efforts in order to benefit the greatest number of elderly vegans.

We have contacted lunch clubs and day centre providers as well as manufacturers of ready meals operating within the sector. The companies that supply preprepared meals for home delivered meals services also supply care homes and hospitals. Expansion of their vegan ranges and improved labelling of their existing vegan options has the potential to bring great benefit to large numbers of elderly vegans.

In our work with older vegans, we aim to use our resources in ways that will provide a substantial continuing benefit; not just assisting a small number of vegans now, but helping many older vegans now and in the future.

What Goes Around, Comes Around Peter Aladjem

Trog was not in a joking mood. So when Plithtard came to make his report about the unhappy humans, Trog was not amused.

“Sir,” said Plithtard with as much diplomacy as possible.

“They’re really upset.”

“Plithtard!” Trog interrupted. They’re just humans, right?

And we eat humans, right? It’s just the natural order of things in the whole galaxy. If it wasn’t, then why did the Great Creator endow us with these here harvesters?”

“Who?” Trog asked, “Zeltonians from Zelton 5?”

“But, Sir, they do have some feelings..”

“No,” corrected Plithtard. “The humans. They’re really, really upset.”

“Plithtard!” shouted Trog. "Feelings, shmeelings. A food chain is a food chain is a food chain. Now, if we don’t harvest the entire planet by 1800 hours, I’ll be in big trouble with Zelton 5. Capiche? Now, get to it. Right away. That’s an order!”

“They’re really, really upset are they?” mimicked Trog.

“I suppose they are complaining about being eaten.

I suppose they are organizing delegations and passing resolutions and convening their national and international bodies to object. I suppose they are trying to muster their puny armies and their pathetic nuclear arsenals. Mr. Plithtard, I am growing quite tired of your equivocations. They are just humans, Plithtard. They are a part of our food chain just as sure as a jumping fish is a part of theirs.”

“But Sir, their request to have just 5 years of time to live out their lives is...”

“Right, Sir.” Plithtard conceded and withdrew to carry out his obviously unpleasant responsibilities.

Meanwhile, way off in space, even further than the Zeltonian ship, was a massive space cruiser from Nircon. The captain of the Nircon ship smiled when he located the Zeltonian ship in his viewfinder.

“Bingo!” he cried to himself. “A Zeltonian ship! I just love those Zeltonians. They are so tasty.”

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Fresh salads in the wilderness?

Jasmijn de Boo

“I’m sure this was your idea,” I moaned, as my foot sank deeper in the wet mud. My once grey boots had become black-brown by day 6 of our long distance trail adventure in Tasmania. Because I’d injured myself on the 3rd morning, every wrong move still hurt. My backpack had not really become any lighter since Day 1, and still weighed approximately fifteen kilos. I carried our (unused) tent, stove, cooking equipment, Andrew’s sleeping mat and all my own gear.

“I’m convinced this was your idea,” grinned Andrew, who seemingly enjoyed the mud, and was delighted that his pack had lost at least 5 kilos since Day 1. He carried most of our food, and had adopted an aggressive eating plan.

On Day 6 we were actually enjoying beautiful Pine Valley — a side trip to another hut from where we would climb the fearsome Acropolis Mountain, Andrew on Acropolis

that afternoon. The ‘Overland Track’ is around 63 km from the start at Cradle Mountain to the top of Lake St Clair (Narcissus Bay), where many hikers take the ferry to Cynthia Bay. However, hikers like us prefer to finish the track properly by walking the last 17 kilometres along the lake, through temperate rainforest. Including all the side trips up painful mountains, I walked nearly 95 kilometres and Andrew just over 100.

We finally set off from Dove Lake in Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park, in the middle of Tasmania. I had prepared for our Australian adventures for months back in the UK, conducting painstaking research to find edible, nutritionally sound vegan (freeze-dried) food that wouldn’t be the same for 7 days. I had made lists of food we would need, and Andrew’s mum in Adelaide had assisted by checking the importation regulations with Australian Customs. Animal products are prohibited, so we were fine!

But we didn’t want to take the risk of having our food detected and confiscated by a sniffer dog, so we decided to take only a small amount of food from the UK. The freeze-dried meals were tasty and probably nutritionally quite adequate in combination with the Veg 1 supplement.

We had several miso soups lasting for about 5 days, and for dessert we often snacked on dry fruit (dates, apricots, apples, prunes, etc.). Unfortunately, fruit importation was banned, and our dried banana chips had been confiscated when we arrived at Brisbane airport.

While shopping in Tasmania the day before our start, Andrew vetoed over half of the items on our food list, because they were too heavy or awkward to carry. No peanut butter because we could only find large jars, no fresh vegetables, and only a few apples and oranges for the first couple of days… We calculated the amount of muesli we would eat (using water as we couldn’t carry soya milk or import soya powder) and bought three 750g bags.

We calculated how many slices of rye bread (nutritionally-dense) we would eat, and bought six packets. Four large bars of dark chocolate were our only treats. The tube of Tartex (yeast pate) lasted for about 4-5 days after which Andrew ate dry rye bread and I stuck pieces of chocolate between slices.

We had taken enough tea bags, but ran out of coffee sachets after 5 days, which was hard on Andrew. This was minimalist trekking…

But we discovered, to our amazement, that it didn’t have to be this way! On our first evening we met a Dutch guy and his Hungarian wife, who lived in Singapore.

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They were preparing a fresh salad of lettuce, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, avocado and dressing. They were vegetarian, they said, and it had taken some careful thought to plan this trip!

And so it continued, day after day. On Day 6 we again encountered them in Pine Valley hut on Christmas day, and we climbed the Acropolis together.

Once again, another fresh salad magically appeared, and we couldn’t believe our eyes! Admittedly they carried small backpacks on their front, in addition to their heavy packs, which caused them to fall over from time to time, but still, this was amazing. And they were so kind to share some of it with us, which was deeply appreciated!

Jasmijn at D'Alton Falls

And an even greater treat was the little box in my boot, which Santa had left that morning. It was a box of marzipan fruit. So sweet!

On the evening of Boxing Day we finally arrived at Cynthia Bay at 19:15, having walked 26 km during this 11 hr day.

Exhausted, we happily grabbed the very last two bunk beds in the hostel.

Camping would not have been an option, as it was very cold and actually snowed heavily the next morning — such is the nature of Tasmanian summer, at least in the highlands. We were even more grateful to arrive at the visitor centre restaurant just before closing!

They brought us one of the best vegan pizzas ever (which included pieces of pumpkin!), potato and other veggie wedges, and two soya lattes. We felt like we were dreaming.

Andrew and I gained a new appreciation for the comforts that ‘civilisation’ has to offer, and while satisfied about our achievement, we looked forward to some really lazy days during the rest of our trip. See www.andrewsadventures.info for more pictures.

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Vegan Permaculture SammyBurnett Keetley Graham

P

ermaculture isn’t about having to get your head around untold facts, figures, Latin plant names and complicated techniques. It’s more to do with learning to recognise universal patterns and principles, and applying these ‘ecological truisms’ to our own gardens and life situations. We can identify the underlying forms that recur throughout the natural world, and use them to embed greater sustainability into our lives, whether we are creating systems for food production or community building, whether the land we care for is a windowbox or a 2000 hectare woodland.

Underpinning all permaculture systems are fundamental ethical values around caring for the earth and its people, as well as the fair and just distribution of resources - to me these fit well with the vegan philosophy of compassionate living. But is animal-free permaculture actually possible? Of course not – neither would it be desirable. For example, how would we fence out the earthworms that build our soil and maintain its fertility, or the bees that pollinate our fruit trees and vegetables, and why would we wish to? In fact, we actively design in features that are intended to attract wildlife – ponds for frogs, toads and dragonflies, and

flowering plants to bring in the ladybirds and hoverflies that are essential to maintaining healthy productive ecosystems. What we don’t include are those ‘system components’ that perpetuate exploitative relationships with our non-human earth co-citizens, such as pigs, goats and chickens, whose primary function is the production of meat, milk and eggs.

The Naturewise forest garden in north London is one example of an edible landscape that is ‘stock free’, although in actuality members of several of the Kingdoms of Life work together here for mutual benefit. Deep rooted comfrey plants mine nutrients from the subsoil, making them available to fruit trees and bushes. Birds and bees buzz around the canopy layer, whilst insects and other arthropods patrol the undergrowth and leaf litter, checking and balancing pest populations and playing their role in the cycles of growth and decay. Fungi and bacteria continue the process, breaking down dead matter into rich humus, sugars and minerals via mycorrhizal soil networks.

Based on the structure of a natural woodland, the forest garden is a complex web of which humans too are an integral part - aside from a bounty of apples, pears, figs, grapes, strawberries, currants and edible leaves, one of the most important yields of this miniwoodland is the sense of community that the space offers to the volunteers that spend time here. And being situated in a school playground it also acts as an open air classroom where children are able to interact with nature, an opportunity that is often all too rare in the inner city.

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A very different permaculture project can be found in Palmdale, a small town just to the north of Los Angeles.

Ars Terra (‘Earth Arts’) is a small community of vegan artists, musicians and activists exploring the concept of self-reliance in the suburbs of Southern California.

Here they are preparing for a post-peak oil future when fossil fuels are scarce and the currently ubiquitous lawn sprinklers running 24/7 have run dry.

The focus is very much on reskilling; learning the transitional arts of food growing, harvesting and storage. In this high desert climate, dryland strategies and backyard-scale permaculture techniques such as grey water harvesting, sheet mulching and raised bed gardening are the order of the day.

Shade structures protect crops from the searing Californian sun where temperatures frequently reach over 40 degrees. A small orchard of drought tolerant fruit varieties is at the end of the garden, whilst a herb spiral has been constructed right by the back door in

order to produce fresh basil, mint, thyme and rosemary for the kitchen.

Here the principles of ecological sustainability merge with those of compassion, as project co-founder Monica Richards explains; “Watching Peaceable Kingdom was the deciding factor for me - it merged the horror of factory farming with the emotional needs of animals, it clicked for me. Before that, the disconnect was strong, loving baby chicks but eating chicken was not something I thought about. Now that I know what I know, I wish I had learned it all when I was a child...” The Ars Terra ethos is one of turning negative anger into positive action, and the homestead is shared by several dogs, cats and ducks that have all in one way or another been rescued from a life of misery at the hands of humankind.

In terms of climate and context, Ars Terra and Naturewise are literally a world apart.

But what they and other permaculture projects across the planet share is a focus on solutions rather than problems, on

taking individual and collective responsibility for making change happen; “I had spent a great many years explaining what I was against; what I found wrong in the world” says William Faith, a resident of Ars Terra who also volunteers at a nearby animal rescue sanctuary; “With my discovery of Permaculture I realized that it is impossible to move toward a positive vision if you spend all your time in a purely reactionary ‘anti’ state of mind. By creating the positive changes we want to see, and helping others to do the same, we begin to actually see positive change occurring all around us.”

Graham Burnett (www.spiralseed.co.uk) is the author of Permaculture – a Beginners Guide and has had the privilege of working with both Naturewise and Ars Terra.

Distributors (ESSENTIAL; MARIGOLD; QUEENSWOOD; Secret Society Of Vegans, SUMA)

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V STREAM ‒ THE VEGAN BLOG REPORTER Issue 1, Spring 2011 Price for both print and digital: $17, Digital only: $11 Available from www.veganmainstream.com/vstream (a free sneak peek version is also available here) Reviewed by Rosamund Raha With sections on blogging technology and tools, how to find great vegan blogs, advice on how to break into the blogosphere, interviews with bloggers, advice on what it takes to get to the top, 50 vegan blog recommendations and a directory of 200 vegan blogs, this is a great 54-page resource for people interested in vegan blogs.

Well-known vegans such as Terry Hope Romero, Ayinde Howell, Chloé Jo Davis and Sarah Taylor contribute to the magazine and there are hyperlinks to each of the 200 blogs listed.

A very useful zine for bloggers and people who use blogs.

LOVE BITES

By Heather Mills ISBN: 978-0-09566169-0-6 RRP: £9.99 Reviewed by Blaine Cannon

Love Bites makes a great first vegan cook book, with simple and easy to follow recipes and colourful photos (one for each recipe).

Some of the recipes use meat substitutes, which is good if you’re making the transition to veganism and there are foods you might be missing. There is a handy nutrition guide at the back that clearly tells you about all the vitamins. With its fold-out spiral-bound stand, this book is perfect to stand on the side to read as you prepare the delicious recipes on offer.

THE BEST VEGGIE BURGERS ON THE PLANET: 101 GLOBALLY INSPIRED VEGAN CREATIONS PACKED WITH FRESH FLAVORS AND EXCITING NEW TASTES

By Joni Marie Newman Published by Fair Winds Press ISBN 978-1-59233-476-6 RRP £14.99 Available from The Vegan Society at £9.75 Reviewed by Charley Roberts This book does exactly what it says on the tin. Just in time for summer (or indeed any other time you fancy), this book provides practically unlimited inspiration for creative and tasty potluck or barbecue food to please vegans or impress non-vegans.

Taking inspiration from foods around the world, chapters feature Middle Eastern, American, Asian, Italian and Latin-influenced recipes, amongst others, accompanied by some delicious-looking full-page colour photos. Thai-inspired black bean tofu and potato patties, Baba Ghanoush burger, Sun-dried tomato and pesto burger, BLT and avocado burger, Pintos and rice burger, Garlicky ranch potato burger or Jamaican Jerk burger, anyone? Recipes for sauces, bread buns and salads to go with your burgers are also included and wheat-free and soya-free recipes are clearly marked.

There is plenty of variety in this collection ‒ as well as the range of world flavours on offer, the book encompasses seitan, tofu, tempeh or TVP-based recipes, burgers based on rice, grains or pulses, and a number of meat-alternative creations, so there’s something here to suit all tastes.

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SWEET VEGAN: 70 DELICIOUS DAIRYFREE DESSERTS

By Emily Mainquist Published by Kyle Books ISBN 978-0-85783001-2 Price £14.99 Reviewed by Charley Roberts Created by professional vegan baker Emily Mainquist, this book is packed with indulgent cake and dessert recipes of all kinds, illustrated with beautiful full-page colour photographs which are sure to inspire and impress readers.

Take your pick from chocolate chip cookie cheesecake, red velvet cake, cinnamon rolls, lemon buttercream cupcakes, pumpkin spice cake and tiramisù, amongst other mouth-watering treats. The book includes several gluten-free recipes, as well as Emily’s own gluten-free flour blend which can be used in place of wheat flour in the other recipes.

The Crème de Menthe chocolate brownies and the German Chocolate Cake definitely passed the taste test in the Vegan Society office, and as well as being impressive were also fairly straightforward and quick to make.

This book will be a real treat for bakers ‒ and their families or friends who are called upon to help eat the finished products! The recipes and colour photos make this book a great gift for any baking enthusiast.

CHANGE OF HEART: WHAT PSYCHOLOGY CAN TEACH US ABOUT SPREADING SOCIAL CHANGE

By Nick Cooney Published by Lantern Books ISBN-13: 978-1-59056-233-8 RRP $22 Reviewed by Amanda Baker What if our attempts to persuade others to go vegan aren’t working as well as we’d like – or worse, are putting them off trying veganism at all? Do uncensored images of cruelty to animals on farms encourage people to act against animal exploitation? Or do graphic images drive potential sympathizers away? Is there good evidence to show which methods and techniques are effective when we want to help others to consider vegan lifestyles?

Author Nick Cooney is on a quest to understand why humans adopt or resist compassionate behaviour change. He tours a century of peer-reviewed science of human behaviour, psychology and relationships, seeking answers. In this book, he sets out dozens of practical tools which he argues will reliably help us to positively influence others, and to spread compassionate social change. For example, Cooney presents evidence to suggest that asking interesting questions can stimulate valuable curiosity in our target audience. This curiosity can motivate them to learn more about veganism. He details studies which suggest we should avoid discussing myths about veganism – even when we robustly correct the myths. Repeating a myth, he reports, tends to make others more likely to believe the myth!

This is a challenging book, which demands to be read with a critical mind. The research results will help you to think deeply about how you promote vegan lifestyles, and could change your approach.

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ETHICS Edited by Andrew Linzey and Priscilla N. Cohn Published by The University of Illinois Press ISBN 2156-5414-(201121)1:1;1-C Subscriptions start from $55 a year Reviewed by Sammy Keetley This is the first edition of a biannual academic journal devoted to positive and progressive attitudes towards our fellow animals. Covering theoretical and applied aspects of animal ethics, this is the first resource of its kind and features a wide range of peer-reviewed articles of international importance.

Aiming to put animals on the intellectual agenda, the Journal of Animal Ethics encourages contributors and readers alike to shun commonly used, yet often demeaning language such as ‘pets’ and ‘beasts’.

The journal successfully explores the moral dimension of our relations with animals, covering varied topics such as animal ethics based on friendship, our use of animals in research and Canada’s commercial seal hunt.

This excellent resource offers a fascinating read to both academics and individuals who are passionate about animal protection.

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and

YOUTH education

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Youth Contacts are aged 16-25 and are here for young vegans to connect with. If you would like to chat to a Youth Contact or if you would like to be one please get in touch with us.

If you are under 16 please talk to your parents first!

Write to: The Vegan Society, YOUth, Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Birmingham, B18 6HJ Email: youth@vegansociety.com Call: 0121 523 1738 www.vegansociety.com/vseducation

Birmingham University vegetarian and vegan society Hello, my name is Katie and when I started my physics degree at the University of Birmingham last year I had never met another vegan. However, I figured there had to be at least a few vegans within the student population of 25,000. After a month of searching, I noticed a poster advertising the newly formed Birmingham University Vegetarian and Vegan Society. Almost a year later I became the Vice-Chairperson. In our short time as a society we have gained dozens of vegetarian and vegan members.

If you have put on an event like this at your school or university, let me (Daniel) know, and if you haven’t consider following in the footsteps of Katie’s success!

We’ve even encouraged non-veggies to join our society and discover how simple and rewarding an animal-free diet can be through cake sales, outings to restaurants and pubs and handing out educational leaflets. We collaborated with the University’s People and Planet Society to put on our most successful event yet, selling over 100 vegan hotdogs and burgers, giving fellow students a taste of just how easy veganism is.

SCHOOL DINNERS? Which of you lovely people have vegan school meals? We’ve got some funky certificates to give out for the best vegan school lunches.

Your part in this?

Email the name of your school to me (Daniel) and tell me what vegan food they offer: youth@vegansociety.com

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vegetable

sushi

Use a Japanese sushi bamboo mat to roll these vegetable sushi neatly and tightly. To start, place a sheet of nori seaweed on the bamboo mat, shiny side down (so the dull side is facing up). Press some of the rice (or couscous) onto the nori with wet hands, leaving a margin of two fingerwidths on the side furthest from you and one finger-width along the remaining three sides. Place the vegetable fillings in neat rows tightly alongside each other on the side closest to you. Using the mat, roll the nori sheet and filling up tightly. Wet the far side with a little water to seal.

One rolled-up nori makes one portion, yielding 4 thick or 6 thinner pieces of sushi. The quantities given make 8-12 pieces for each style of sushi.

From Benessere Well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style by Laurinda Erasmus Available from The Vegan Society shop

Moroccan

Italian

Thai

2 nori sheets 6 tbsp couscous, cooked with 3ml turmeric and 3ml pomegranate molasses, cooled 2 tsp preserved lemon, washed and chopped finely 4 large fresh mint leaves, shredded finely 2 thin slices of aubergine, cut lengthwise, lightly grilled

2 nori sheets 6 tbsp arborio rice, cooked with 2 tsp apple purée 8 large fresh basil leaves 6 slices sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely 2 medium courgettes cut in thin lengths

2 nori sheets 6 tbsp red sticky rice 1 whole star anise 3ml rice syrup 4 tbsp toasted salted peanuts, crushed very small Handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped ½ cucumber, cut lengthwise into quarters

Dipping sauce 3 tbsp thick apricot/peach/mango juice 1ml harissa paste / a pinch of chilli powder 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts, ground Overcook the couscous slightly to make it sticky and clump together.

Divide the fillings in half.

Make the sushi rolls and cut each roll into 4 thick or 6 thinner pieces.

For the dipping sauce, mix the juice, harissa (or chilli) and pine nuts together.

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Dipping sauce 2½ tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tsp water 2 garlic cloves, chopped very finely 2 tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped very finely Overcook the arborio rice slightly to make it sticky. Cool completely.

Divide the fillings in half.

Make the sushi rolls and cut each roll into 4 or 6 pieces.

For the dipping sauce, mix the balsamic, water, garlic and parsley together.

Dipping sauce 2 tsp fresh lime juice 3 tbsp apple/pear/pineapple juice 2 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp ginger, finely grated 1 garlic clove, chopped very finely Cook the rice with the star anise and rice syrup.

Overcook the rice slightly to make it sticky.

Remove and discard the star anise.

Divide the fillings in half.

Make the sushi rolls and cut each roll into 4 to 6 pieces.

To make the dipping sauce, mix the lime and apple juice, soy sauce, ginger and garlic together.

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Speaker in the Spotlight

D

ean Bracher is one of our longestserving Vegan Society Speakers, joining our network of Speakers when it was first set up in 2007.

Amazingly, Dean’s co-ordinated over two hundred discussions on veganism!

These sessions have been with groups of people averaging between twenty and forty for a single talk.

Imagine the impact of that, as some of those people had never heard of veganism and most had never knowingly met a vegan before.

What is the best thing about being a Vegan Society school visitor?

I think the best thing about being a Vegan Society school visitor is the chance to inspire and educate young people on an ethical lifestyle with a direct and honest approach. To share new information that can give them the chance to make informed decisions about how they live their lives. I feel it’s a great opportunity to talk about the work of the society and the many benefits of being vegan. I’ve given talks to 5000 students and I can’t think of many areas where you would get a chance to do that. You may be the first introduction they’ve ever had to veganism and I feel privileged to be able to share my experience and knowledge with them, giving them inspiration to lead a lifestyle that reduces the negative impacts on animals, people and the planet.

First talk nerves? How do you cope?

The first talk I did was an all-girls boarding college class and the teacher was vegetarian. I was definitely nervous but I also saw this as a sign that I was excited about talking to a group of young people about veganism – what could be a better use of that hour?

There are things you can do beforehand to keep your nerves under wraps: Prepare the lesson or presentation content a good time in advance of the talk. This should give you time to run through the class or presentation content before the day.

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Communicate with the teacher or group to reduce the unknowns like: the age of students or audience, class size, length of class, equipment that’ll be there e.g. DVD player and any aspects of veganism the teacher would like stressed.

“My first-talk nerves melted into exhilaration after the talk with some of the students even saying they would go vegan after hearing me speak.”

My first-talk nerves melted into exhilaration after the talk with some of the students even saying they would go vegan after hearing me speak. This has happened many times since - I hope they’ve stuck to it!

What issues do you find the students are most interested in?

I would say their main interests lie in animal rights and learning about the conditions in which farmed animals find themselves due to the vested interests of industries that use them. Also, the students have a keen interest in the many foods a vegan can eat and that you can be healthy on a plant based diet.

At what age do you think children are most receptive to the vegan message?

It’s not a hard and fast rule and different children mature and understand different things at various ages but I would say 12/13 seems to be the most receptive age for the youngest people. It’s when they haven’t been totally conditioned by certain aspects of society and still can connect with the ethics and morality of what is being said to them.

What qualities make a Vegan Visitor great?

A friendly, outgoing personality is so important to leaving a lasting impression of happy, healthy vegans.

The ability to inspire and educate on veganism without being judgemental.

An awareness of all the factors that inhibit individuals making any lifestyle change can really help with remaining non-judgemental.

Someone who’s prepared to study up on whatever area they’re speaking on – but you don’t need to be an expert – sometimes I still don’t know the answer to a question so I just tell them I don’t know but I’ll find out for them and communicate it back later. Also the Vegan Society makes it really easy with their pre-prepared lesson plans and information.

The ability not to take, sometimes ‘silly’, follow-up questions personally whilst not appearing indifferent either. Giving informative, factual answers to awkward questions is the best way I deal with this.

You may not feel like you’re ready to be a vegan visitor – don’t worry, everyone attends one of the Vegan Society’s excellent training days before doing any talks, and has on-going support from the Vegan Society’s Education Officer, Daniel. This may also help build your confidence in other areas of group or public speaking.

Louise Wallis met up with Vegan Society patron, Moby, recently and the following is the result of that meeting.

Moby has a new album out called Destroyed, along with a book of photographs documenting his life as an international touring musician.

Audience shots of thousands of cheering fans strangely are juxtaposed with surreal ‘still life’ shots of hotel corridors, airport architecture, and landscapes taken from plane windows.

The press release reveals that one of his goals with photography is “to take the normal and present it as odd and to take the odd and present it as normal.”

A theme, I suggest, that will resonate with many vegans. “Oh yeah” he says.

“Have you seen that film Forks Over Knives?” I shake my head. “It’s amazing!

It looks at veganism purely from a nutritional perspective and they’re talking to a doctor, a man probably in his 70s, and he’s a vegan. He was saying that in his medical school to talk about cutting someone open and giving them a triple bypass operation - that’s normal. But to advocate a vegan diet is radical and strange. So the normal is usually strange, and the strange is usually surprisingly normal.”

“We’re right, and everyone else will eventually figure it out.

In the meantime, have fun and be healthy and figure out how you can be a good advocate for what you believe in.”

I was a militant environmentalist, a militant vegan, a militant this and a militant that. And now I’ve come to see that the universe is a big complicated place and there’s no room for my militancy.

I’ve tried to learn how to be a more relaxed vegan. If I go to a dinner party and I’m the crazy militant vegan, I’m just going to upset the people around me and make them think poorly of veganism.

If I go to a dinner party and I’m relaxed and happy and calm, people start thinking oh maybe veganism isn’t so bad.”

I’m about to ask my next question when there’s an ominous knock on the door: my time is up. Just one more thing, I say, feeling like Columbo. Did Moby have a message for his vegan fans?

He smiles: “We’re right, and everyone else will eventually figure it out. In the meantime, have fun and be healthy and figure out how you can be a good advocate for what you believe in.

Whether that means yelling or being calm, just figure out the best way to advance the causes that you are passionate about.”

Next up a question suggested for him by one of the Vegan Society’s 70,000 Facebook fans (Moby being one): Why do people feel the need to mock vegans? “Well” he confesses, “there was a time, when I was 16 years old in high school, when I ate Burger King and ridiculed vegans.” Until one fateful day when a “punk rock kid” came along and challenged him about the way he ate: “It really upset me, and I was like they’re crazy!” But once he’d got over his upset Moby went vegan himself, and has remained so for the last 30 years.

A lot has changed since those early days, when vegans were seen as “angry weird skinny people who hung out in health food stores.” Including Moby himself: “I used to be militant with everything.

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shoparound Sammy Keetley and Charley Roberts

n Radical Miniatures

n Tea Time ONE OF A KIND CHARACTERS

SCRUMPTIOUS CUPCAKES AND LAYER CAKES

Radical Miniatures handmake unique characters such as anthropomorphic animals, aliens, dolls and micro-animals. Using materials such as paper clay, terracotta stoneware, organic unbleached cotton and recycled food packaging, waste paper and tins, each figurine is individually crafted without moulds. Every model is hand painted and their clothing is also fashioned and printed by hand.

Based on the beautiful island of Anglesey in North Wales, Tea Time offers a range of delicious cakes which are available for local delivery.

Tea Time cakes are full of texture and flavour, carefully created through their use of vegetables, grains and nectar. Both cupcakes and layer cakes are available in a wide variety of flavours, such as chocolate and beetroot, cookies ‘n’ cream and orange marmalade.

In addition, Radical Miniatures offers a selection of exceptional jewellery, including brooches, earrings and necklaces, all created in an inimitable style.

Prices start at £2.50 for a large cupcake and £15 for a 7" layer cake.

Prices start at £30 for a model.

For more details visit: www.teatime-events.co.uk or call 07845 097719

For more details visit: www.radicalminiatures.co.uk

n Vivapure n True Vine Organic ORGANIC, SINGLE-INGREDIENT SKINCARE True Vine Organic presents a beautiful range of single-ingredient organic moisturisers and toners to promote delightful, healthy and vibrant skin. Their collection includes a lavender massage oil, to soothe and relax; rosehip oil, extracted from the red hips of wild roses using a cold press; rose water to refresh and hydrate tired skin; and unrefined shea butter to protect and nourish dry skin.

Prices start at £14.99 for a Rosewater Toner.

For more details visit: www.truevineorganic.com or call 07852 110211

CAREFULLY SOURCED SINGLEINGREDIENT PRODUCTS VivaPure is a small independent company offering a wide variety of single-ingredient products perfect for your vibrant lifestyle.

VivaPure can be depended on for hard-to-find ingredients and foods, sourcing their products from around the globe, to ensure that they have everything you could want and more.

Amongst VivaPure's popular products are cooking aids, plant-based sweeteners, delicious savoury spirulina cracklets, Incan berries, flavourful sun-dried mulberries, brazil nut protein powder and raw coconut chips.

Prices start at £4.95 for 500g of fine-ground Himalayan crystal salt.

For more details visit: www.vivapure.co.uk or call 01299 660041

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All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

Not all products in a range are necessarily vegan.

n The Buddha Beauty Company LUXURY SKINCARE AND HOME FRAGRANCES The Buddha Beauty Company offers a selection of luxury products, created especially for you. Their elegant collection includes skincare products and home fragrances, each inspired by nature and handmade from organic ingredients.

n Sweet Revolution DELICIOUS RAW CHOCOLATE The range includes decadent bath bombs; rich and creamy body butters to leave your skin smelling beautiful all day; zesty grapefruit body scrub to reinvigorate you; strawberry and rose-scented candle to create an inviting ambience; and cooling peppermint foot cream to soothe tired feet.

Sweet Revolution offers a range of delicious handcrafted dark chocolate, made from raw cacao using minimal processing and low temperatures. Gluten free and made without the use of refined sugar, Sweet Revolution products are sweetened with agave nectar and use fragrant essential oils for their elegant flavours.

Prices start at £2.20 for a Raspberry Ripple Bath Creamer.

For more details visit: http://thebuddhabeautycompany.com/ or call 07740 464833

Sweet Revolution offer a range of chocolate bars available in plain, ginger, lemon, orange and peppermint flavours.

Attractively wrapped gift packs containing one bar of each flavour are available.

Also on offer are Florentines, cups of wonderful plain raw chocolate, topped with fruit, nuts and seeds.

Prices start at £1.50 for a bar and £2.50 for a bag of ten Florentines.

For more details visit: www.sweetrevolution.co.uk

n Simply Organic Europe ORGANIC ACAI BERRY SUPPLEMENT

n Crystal Ki HOLISTIC REMEDIES AND SKINCARE Crystal Ki offers a range of holistic remedies including glucose pilules, which can be made bespoke to suit your individual needs; organic, aura-cleansing sprays formulated to surround you with creativity and love; a lifting face serum; and rehydrating skin creams for the body and face made with roses, coconut oil and organic jojoba to help revitalise tired skin.

Prices start at £8.99 for a month’s supply of pilules.

For more details visit: www.crystalki.co.uk or call 07547 817808

Simply Organic introduces Organic BurstTM, an acai berry supplement designed to meet the nutritional concerns of busy people in today’s society. Made from freezedried organic acai berry powder, which is sourced from suppliers that engage in sustainable development with local communities, this wholefood supplement comes in a convenient vegetable capsule shell.

For more details visit; www.organicburst.com

The Vegan l Autumn 2011

13 29

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

Not all products in a range are necessarily vegan.

n Tropic Skincare

n Dr Vita

HANDMADE FACE AND BODYCARE

FRESH, UNPASTEURISED JUICES

Give your skin the care it deserves with a range of plant-based face and bodycare products from Tropic Skincare.

These products are handmade using the best fruit, plant and flower extracts, and are specially formulated to revive your skin.

Choose from Body Smooth with natural sea minerals and Vitamin E; Skin Revive firming nourishing cream with rosehip, blueberry and echinacea; Smoothing Cleanser with green tea and avocado, and more!

Dr Vita juices are tasty and healthy drinks made from unpasteurised fresh produce.

Naturally cloudy and sweet, the juices are produced to maintain the full scent and taste of the fresh fruit and vegetables from which they are prepared. The range includes freshly squeezed orange juice (with an intense aroma and beautiful colour); carrot juice (a 260ml bottle contains half a kilogram of unpasteurised carrots); carrot and celeriac juice (made with delicious fresh celery root); and apple and mint juice (with its surprisingly tangy flavour and cool after-taste).

For more details visit: www.drvita.co.uk or call 020 8998 6177

n Fushi ETHICAL WELLBEING AND BEAUTY Fushi’s philosophy is “inner health promotes outer wellbeing” and to help you achieve this they produce an extensive range of health and beauty wellbeing products. Choose from herbal tonic drinks, tinctures, herbal supplements, aromatherapy oils, teas and candles, to help you relax, de-stress and reenergise. Fushi’s products are professionally formulated and produced using high-quality, organic ingredients.

Prices start at £4.95. Shop online at: www.tropicskincare.com

n Ananda Foods HEAVENLY ANIMAL-FREE MARSHMALLOWS Treat yourself to some delicious, pillow-soft marshmallows from Ananda Foods. Great for baking, hot chocolate or just enjoying as they are!

Flavours include Organic Madagascan Vanilla, Organic and Fairtrade Cocoa, Organic and Fairtrade Toasted Coconut, as well as Organic Madagascan Vanilla Mini Marshmallows.

These tasty handmade sweets are also gluten-, wheat- and soya-free.

Priced £4.99. Visit: www.anandafoods.co.uk to order online or view stockists, or phone 01246 418698

Stockists throughout the UK. Buy online at: www.fushi.co.uk or phone 0845 330 1880

n Cromptons Kitchen SEA SALT BLENDS Cromptons Kitchen produces a range of Celtic sea salts expertly blended with selected herbs and spices. The herb and spice combinations and quantities have been carefully chosen and developed to complement each other and a variety of foods. Cromptons Kitchen’s belief that “cooking is a marriage of flavours” is reflected in its blends. Try Ground Mixed Peppers in a stir fry; Italian Style blend with sun-dried tomatoes on pasta dishes; Paprika, Lemongrass and Tarragon on roast potatoes; or Winter Spice mix on oven-baked courgettes. The entire range is suitable for vegans and coeliacs.

Prices start at £1.65.

Available from: www.cromptonskitchen.com or phone 01392 882359.

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The Vegan l Autumn 2011

(06' ,,

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DELICIOUS RAW SWEET TREATS

Not all products in a range are necessarily vegan.

n Living Naturally

5

n Good Puds

9 - #% 4A

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

Good Puds are delicious puds, macaroons and truffles, handmade from flavourful raw 0 ingredients. Treat 0 yourself or someone else to a selection of goodies including .%/)0#1102,,(0!$0%340&'( 0#110 ,(0! 0%340&' Chocolate Cherry 0=;B ?;CD=;E 6D=9 D=9 0 =;B ?;CD=;E 6D=9 Puds, Vanilla !"#$%&'()*+,$%&'()*+ F#$(-#(40!$0F#-&)%4#( !!!

Macaroons, Coconut Lime Macaroons and Before & After Eight Truffles. All are free from soya, wheat and processed sugar and packed with lovely stuff like agave nectar, cherries, macadamia nuts, coconut and peppermint.

7.89: 7;<;=>>?@ 7;<;= >>?@

SOAPNUT SHELLS Living Naturally Soapnuts are a natural, organic all-in-one laundry detergent, soap and cleaner … that grows on trees!

Soapnuts (also referred to as soap berries) are the fruit grown on the Sapindus Mukorossi tree. The shells contain a natural cleaning agent called saponin, usually present in quantities of around 10-15%, which forms suds in water and can dissolve fats and oils, and help to lift grime.

Available as shells or in powder form, Soapnuts can be used for your clothes or as a shampoo or body wash. Used as a laundry detergent they protect colours, are a natural softener and can be used at any temperature for laundry from 30-90 degrees Celsius.

Priced £4-5 per pack. More details and buy online at: www.iwantpuds.com

n Gower Soaps HANDMADE SOAPS

Priced from £4.99. Buy online from: www.soapnuts.co.uk or phone 020 8360 2597

n Raw Lisa Breads ARTISAN GLUTEN-FREE RAW BREADS

Gower Soaps is an award-winning Welsh business nestled in the heart of the village of Mumbles, Swansea. They produce all-natural handmade soaps, using 100% pure ingredients from a certified sustainable source. Every bar of Gower Soaps is also enriched with Gower Sea minerals, providing the unique benefits of Thalassotherapy in the convenience of a bar! The soaps are also environmentally friendly as the packaging is made from 100% recycled sources and the inks used to print the packaging are vegetable based. Gower Soaps also supports the environment and conservation by donating 10% of all profits made to the Gower National Trust.

Raw Lisa produces handmade, artisan breads suitable for gluten-free and raw food diets. Their breads are available in three flavours: Seed Snaps, Onion Flatbreads and Tomato Breadsticks. Rather than trying to imitate mainstream breads, Raw Lisa takes a whole new approach, creating both healthy and delicious raw food products.

These flavourful breads can be eaten on their own as well as with spreads and dips, making them an ideal snack for people on the go or as a staple food. All the breads are prepared at low temperatures (not above 42oC) and seeds are soaked and sprouted whenever possible.

RRP £3.99. Shop online at: www.rawlisa.co.uk or phone 01237 471800

Prices start at £3.50.

More details and buy online at: www.gowersoaps.co.uk

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Guinea Pigs Sammy Keetley

One Saturday afternoon, a young woman arrived on our doorstep carrying a small cardboard box. She handed it to me and quickly left, leaving me to examine the contents.

H

uddled inside I found two small guinea pigs, both covered in their own waste and shaking nervously. After cleaning them up, the two little boys were made comfortable in a warm enclosure.

Despite being apprehensive in a new environment, they soon made themselves at home, tucking into large helpings of fresh hay.

Guinea pigs are unable to synthesise vitamin C and so it is essential that they receive an adequate amount by ensuring that 20% of their daily diet is fresh food, the majority of which should be leafy greens. Fresh grass, dandelion leaves and clover make a fantastic fresh meal and these, along with broccoli, parsley and spring greens, are all good sources of vitamin C.

Once they had put on weight and were back to full health the boys, now named Pumba and Angus, found a wonderful new home with a secure garden, where they enjoy munching on dandelions and hiding under the hedge, waiting to ambush their human family as they walk by.

The last 10% of their diet should be a small quantity of good quality pellets, designed specifically for guinea pigs – rabbit food does not meet their nutritional needs and should not be fed to them. Muesli foods should also be avoided as they are low in fibre, high in sugar and encourage selective feeding.

AN INTRODUCTION TO GUINEA PIG CARE Diet Good quality meadow hay should make up 70% of a guinea pig’s diet. Choose dust extracted hay that looks green and smells fresh. Guineas must have constant access to food and so hay must always be provided in abundance.

The grinding action employed when eating hay keeps their teeth in good condition and helps to prevent dental problems. A full health check, including a dental check-up, is recommended at least once a year.

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Pellets can be used as a form of enrichment, encouraging piggies to search and work for their food. They can be hidden in hay, cardboard tubes or food dispenser toys, which work particularly well as guinea pigs are very dexterous at rolling objects around.

Companionship Guinea pigs are highly social animals and are happiest when with others of their own kind. They live happily in both pairs and groups but require plenty of space and equal access to resources. Rabbits are not suitable companions for guinea pigs www.guineapigcages.com/rabbits.htm

Neutering It is not necessary to neuter guinea pigs housed in same sex pairs or groups, however males within a mixed pair or group need to be neutered to prevent new arrivals. In veterinary terms, guinea pigs are classed as a specialist exotic species and so they should be treated by a vet who has considerable experience of working with them. See http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/ROAutum n10p10.pdf for advice on selecting a veterinary practice for small animals.

Toys Guinea pigs love to gnaw and nibble anything they can get their paws on, so safe, edible toys should be provided at all times. Toys made from hay, willow, cardboard and animal safe wooden blocks will keep them occupied for hours.

Great toys can also be made for free by recycling cardboard tubes, boxes and newspaper. Boxes make fantastic hidey holes and guinea pigs will love nibbling their own doorways and gradually ripping them to pieces. For more homemade toy ideas visit http://openrescue.weebly.com/toys.html

Housing Many shop bought cages and hutches marketed for guinea pigs are simply not big enough. Space is hugely important

for their long-term health and happiness and at http://www.guineapigcages.com/ you can see a table showing the amount of space required per number of piggies.

For piggies living outdoors, a large rabbit hutch with access to an attached secure run will provide plenty of space for play and exercise. For guinea pigs living indoors, premade cages can be overlooked in favour of home-assembled enclosures known as C&C cages. Made from connectable panels and a plastic base, these are easily built by clipping the panels together to create any size and shape of enclosure. These are perfect for guinea pigs as they provide plenty of space in which to play. They are also an extremely cost effective alternative to the small, expensive shop bought cages.

For a complete guide on how to build your own C&C cage visit http://www.guineapigcages.com/

Substrate There are many different substrates available, however not all of them are suitable for guinea pigs. Small animals should never be housed on sawdust, which irritates their delicate skin, eyes and respiratory tracts. Straw should be

Pumba and Angus

avoided, as it can cause nasty eye injuries. Dust extracted woodshavings can be used for healthy adults, however they are not suitable for heavily pregnant females, animals less than six weeks old, ill or injured animals, animals with a history of eye, nose or respiratory infections or animals with skin conditions. Carefresh or Megazorb are highly absorbent and hypoallergenic, making them ideal for small animals and a great alternative to woodshavings.

Unfrayed towels or fleece blankets make great comfortable bedding, but they must be changed daily. Vet bedding (deep piled synthetic fleece), available from vets practices and some shops, is an excellent absorbent bedding which is ideal in cold weather. Cross shredded paper can be used in nest areas, as can hay.

For more information see http://openrescue.weebly.com/uploads/1/ 3/4/0/1340472/emor_guide_to_choosing _a_substrate.pdf

phtoto:Gerbils daughter Seasonal Care Guinea pigs are very susceptible to extremes of temperature. In warmer weather they can develop heat stroke, while drafts and temperatures lower than 15˚C can cause chills. It is important to keep piggies cool in hot weather and in cold weather ensure that they are thoroughly insulated and have plenty of bedding. During the winter months, piggies living outside should always be brought indoors to protect them from the elements.

For more information on guinea pig care please visit: http://cavyspirit.com/ www.guineapigrehome.org.uk www.openrescue.weebly.com

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Where we stand on Genetically Modified soya. (And it isn’t sitting on the fence.)

All Provamel soya products are made exclusively from GM free, 100% Organic soya beans ethically sourced and sustainably produced by our extended family of small organic farmers in Brazil and China.

LOVE YOUR FUTURE

From Holland & Barrett and independent Health Food stores.

postbag Thanks for the ‘Vegan Nutrition Guidelines’ in the summer edition. For many years I have kept a diary of my supplement intake, and have been taking almost exactly your recommended doses of each supplement for the last eight years. As an older (64-year-old) vegan, I cannot emphasise too much the need for calcium supplements, and have been thinking that I must alert fellow vegans to this deficiency in my own nutrition, and thus probably other vegans too!

Best wishes Rob Yellowhammer

vegan nutrition guidelines To ensure that vegans maintain good health it is important to:

n Eat plenty of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables including dark green leafy vegetables. n Eat plenty of wholefoods (brown bread, brown rice etc). n Include in your diet each day at least three micrograms of vitamin B12 from fortified foods or 10 micrograms from a supplement. n Expose your face and arms to the sun for 15 minutes per day whenever you can (if your shadow is much longer than you the sun is not strong enough). If your sun exposure is limited (for example in a British winter), or if you are dark skinned, make sure that you get 10 to 20 micrograms of vitamin D2 each day from fortified food or a supplement.

n Ensure your diet includes a source of iodine such as kelp or take a supplement. It is important to take neither too much nor too little, since both overdose and underdose can be harmful. A good iodine intake is 15 to 30 grams of kelp (kombu) per year or a daily supplement containing 100 to 150 micrograms of iodine. n Try to get at least 500 mg per day of calcium from calcium rich foods or supplements. n Consume a tablespoonful of ground flaxseed or a teaspoonful of (uncooked) flaxseed oil each day if possible or consume other omega 3 rich oils. For example you could use two tablespoons of rapeseed oil (which does not have a strong taste) in place of other vegetable oils such as sunflower or corn oil.

VEG 1 (£4.99 for three months’ adult supply) Specifically designed to benefit vegans. Taken daily, VEG 1 ensures adequate supplies of selenium, iodine, vitamin D, folic acid, vitamins B2, B6 and, of course, B12.

Based on extensive research by Vegan Society health and nutrition spokesperson Stephen Walsh, author of Plant Based Nutrition and Health.

Adults: chew one tablet per day. Children aged 2-12: half a tablet per day chewed or crushed.

Available only from The Vegan Society

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www.vegan raw food. info

Vanessa Hudson

W

ith its long days and pleasant temperatures, summer is one of the kinder seasons to runners and here at Vegan Runners we usually see increased activity at all levels.

Seventeen new members have joined in recent weeks with nine of those signing up at the Bristol Vegfest at the end of May. Turnout at events has been good with three members taking part in the Sussex Marathon in Battle and five members in the Brighton Marathon, both in April.

Seven members took part in the Edinburgh Marathon and five in both the Cardiff Bay 5-mile run and the Cardiff 5-kilometre park run, all in May. And four members ran in the Eltham Park 5-mile race in South East London in June.

Of course, there are some that run come rain, shine or treacherous conditions and Helen Fines has been in exemplary form over the season. In June, Helen found herself heading to Podrdo, Slovenia, courtesy of England Athletics for the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge. The race covered a distance of 38km with 2500 metres uphill, 2800m downhill and most of the first climb taking place in the clouds. Despite a fall early on, Helen went on to claim the individual bronze.

With her England teammates also clocking up an incredible first and eighth place, that meant nothing other than Team Gold.

“I was amazed and pleased by how good I felt,” says Helen. “What a top feeling to cross the line third in such a good race ... I was ushered off behind a tent to have the blood hosed off my arms and legs in order to look decent for the flower ceremony.” Tough cookie!

The legendary Anna Finn, member of the 100 Marathon Club and ultra runner extraordinaire, finally took on her nemesis – the 145-mile Grand Union Canal Race – and beat it. Anna tackled the race last year but suffered an injury part-way through and had to walk the last 100 or so miles home. This year it was a totally different story with Anna finishing the distance in an amazing 35 hours 43 minutes, making her third female.

Our monthly running and social sessions continue in London, with slightly less frequent meet-ups also taking place in the West Midlands. If you’ve been toying with the idea of running for a while but need a bit of encouragement, why not join us at a session? All abilities are welcome. Please check the website for details of the next one: www.veganrunners.org.uk. Happy running!

In May, Maria Hamilton jetted off to South Africa to take part in the Comrades 56-mile run for the second time. Then in June, Maria came home first woman at the Help for Heroes 5km in South Marston, Swindon, with a personal best of 25:36.

Sid Delara has enjoyed another smashing season, with a wealth of impressive results. But it was the Lavant Midsummer 5-miler in June that made the biggest impression, not thanks to his fourth placing (MV50) but to the postrun vegan catering provided by Chichester Athletic Club – and a lack of others to compete for it. “Yeah, six vegan sausages and salad to myself,” blogged Sid.

Scott Jurek, 37, is an ultra marathoner. What makes it “ultra”? Well, the races he has been winning make a regular marathon of just over 26 miles look like an easy jog. Twice, Jurek has won the 153-mile Badwater Race in Death Valley (the place were they warn tourists not to hike from May to September) and he has won the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run seven times.

He once ran 165.7 miles in one day, making him the US recordholder for a 24-hour run. Oh, and by the way, he is vegan!

Vegan Runner Helen Fines (left) with gold medal-winning England team-mates Pippa Maddams and Anna Lupton at the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge in Slovenia

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grow vegan Roger Roberts photos: Holly Officer

VEGAN-ORGANIC GROWING: A BLOODLESS REVOLUTION Roger Roberts has a vegan-organic allotment in central Cambridge. His four-year-old daughter, Angelina, is proud of being vegan and is a great fan of the produce, especially the sweetcorn.

Hoeing around the raspberry canes on my allotment this morning, I get to thinking.

It‘s about time that vegan-organic growers were truly acknowledged and honoured for being the radical pioneers that they are.

As part of a movement which is at the cutting edge of sustainable horticulture and agriculture, they are playing a crucial role in bringing about a more diverse and beautiful world for our children.

By gardening and farming organically and without animal inputs, they are having a direct and positive impact on the environment and human health, as well as chipping away at the slaughterhouse industry and the suffering it creates.

They should be proud of themselves for their compassion and their vision.

‘Big it up’ for the VON pioneers Against the current backdrop of conformity, standardisation and shallow political ‘debate’, it takes courage to embrace a view of the world which challenges generally accepted truths and allows us to turn conventional thinking on its head. As ‘doers’, rather than mere talkers, vegan-organic growers are sending a powerful statement to the world. They are sowing thoughts and practices that lift us out of the old, unsustainable patterns of being, and allow us to shake the clay and heaviness from our boots in order to reach the higher and richer soils of compassion and beauty.

In my experience, the typical vegan-organic gardener is a modest but hardy specimen, who goes about his or her business without fanfare or fuss: a perfect example of a pioneer gently changing the world

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grow vegan Puzzler Green manures benefit the soil, replace nutrients, improve soil structure and increase organic matter content. If left to flower, some have the added bonus of beautiful blooms.

There are a multitude of different green manures, suitable for use on farms and in gardens.

Name three to win a copy of Growing Green: Organic Techniques for a Sustainable Future

by Jenny Hall & Iain Tolhurst.

To find out more about green manures, see the information sheet on our website.

The winner of the last puzzler was Rosemarie Moore

from within, in an unassuming, thoughtful and peaceful manner. Unafraid to stand up and be counted, our quiet hero steps purposefully across the allotment, silhouetted against the sunset, a brace of sweetcorn in one hand and a packet of green manure in the other.

Peaceful and patient progress It is easy to think that little progress is being made at ground level to encourage sustainability and environmental awareness. One can feel overwhelmed by the lack of compassion, respect and empathy for animals and our environment.

It seems, as yet, that humans don’t find it easy to let go of exploiting animals in their lives.

This is nothing new. Look at Britain’s involvement with the slave trade, for example, which went on for over 200 years. Humanity holds on doggedly to its fears and prejudices, even when fallacious arguments and unjustifiable practices have

long been exposed and discredited. In the 15th Century Leonardo da Vinci is said to have said that humans would eventually look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of each other.

That day has yet to arrive but it is surely much closer now.

Reasons to be cheerful We have all seen plants withering in the heat and seemingly destined to die, despite all attempts to rescue them. And yet miraculously they survive. So it is with people. We must not underestimate the ability of human beings to change in positive ways and to flourish into greater beings. Remember that the racists, the homophobes and the warmongers amongst us represent a small minority, and even speciesist attitudes are increasingly being questioned and challenged. We have witnessed the phenomenal growth of the fair trade movement, of the organic sector and of veganism itself over the past few years. We need to have faith in the ability of people to change their minds and adopt new habits, and this can happen quite quickly.

Collective endeavour Those who like to quote from Hardin’s ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ (1968) and talk about the ‘survival of the fittest’ are missing something vital. As the poet Kahlil Gibran might say, ‘they too stand in the sunlight but with their backs to the sun’.

I only need to look up from my hoeing to see fellow allotment holders swapping vegetables with each other. And there over the hedge someone is giving directions to a cyclist, gesticulating and earnestly explaining because it is a standard human wish to help others, as well as themselves.

And over there is a mother giving fruit to her child and to a neighbour’s child.

Humans are social animals and it is the human way to work together and to help out one another. Given the current economic system, it is a miracle that we see any of this type of behaviour taking place at all, and yet collective, mutuallysupportive human interaction is rife.

As I look around my allotment, I see the Earth bursting forth with greenery, growth and abundance. There are apples, raspberries, sweetcorn, carrots, beetroot, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, courgettes – plenty to go around and plenty to share: there is no need for anyone in this world to go without.

Most vegan-organic gardeners were once vegetarians or meat-eaters, and yet they accomplished change within themselves.

Every one of us is here to learn and we are all going along at our optimum pace.

There is no need for anyone to feel smug or virtuous. Ours is an appeal for compassion rather than a judgement on others. The best approach for us, I believe, is to cultivate a balance between detachment, allowing us to remain calm and centred, and engagement, demonstrating through the way we live and the way we behave what is possible in this beautiful world. This is how real, long-term change in the world is brought about.

The world turned upside down?

Does the world have to be turned upside down to achieve change? Well, the good

news is that there is no need for any bloody revolution. For many veganorganic gardeners, even the soil doesn’t have to be turned upside down, let alone the world.

A gentle till and a light mulch will do the trick. Ours is a non-violent and entirely bloodless revolution, which seeks to nurture rather than cut down. We have no bones to pick with anybody.

Of course, our radical views might ruffle a few feathers now and again. The cynics and the doomsayers argue that it will never work. It can’t be done commercially.

It’s not realistic. What would happen to all of the animals?

We know what these responses really are: tired excuses for continuing with the unsustainable, short-sighted and selfdefeating methods of the status quo.

It is up to us to keep Hope well watered, to have Faith in the ability of people to change themselves, and to demonstrate Charity towards one another, despite all of the current upheavals and fears going on around us. Vegans are already laying down the foundations of a new, more sustainable way of living and vegan-organic gardeners are taking the new cruelty-free philosophy right down to its roots. Let us make our children and grandchildren proud of our vision, and give them a richer, more beautiful and life-affirming planet to enjoy.

JOIN THE GROWING MOVEMENT Why not join the Vegan-Organic Network and receive our twice-yearly magazine Growing Green International, packed with lively articles and helpful information for gardeners, growers and anyone interested in animal rights and the environment.

See websites: www.veganorganic.net and www.stockfreeorganic.net email: info@veganorganic.net

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events Updated diaries and events information can be viewed at www.vegansociety.com This information has been provided by the event organisers.

n August 13th London Vegan Festival Sunday 21 August, 11am to 8pm. Entry £2 Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 (nearest underground is High Street Kensington) Stalls, free nutrition information and an array of interesting talks and workshops.

There will be something for everyone: children, adults, vegans and non-vegans alike. www.vegancampaigns.org.uk/festival The First Ever Vegan Blogger Conference 26-28 August Portland State University, Oregon, USA www.vidavegancon.com

n October

A variety of free vegan food, information and recipe leaflets, and a series of short films and documentaries.

West Midlands Vegan Festival Saturday 29 October, 11am to 5pm Wolves Civic Hall, North Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1RQ 90 plus stalls offering lots of delicious food, clothing, toiletries, cosmetics and campaign information, as well as speakers, films, cookery demos, live music, an all-vegan bar, kids’ activities, raffles, competitions, free food samples and much more. www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=1872

n November

World Animal Day 4 October www.worldanimalday.org.uk

World Vegan Month The whole of November is World Vegan Month and it is an opportunity for vegans to celebrate and promote veganism by sharing food with friends, making a vegan exhibition in their local library, giving a talk to their local green group, organising a vegan food tasting event or information stall, or giving a cookery demonstration.

Bath Vegan Fair Saturday 29 October, 10am to 4pm Percy Community Centre, Bath (near Green Park station)

Lincoln Veggie Fayre Saturday 12 November, 10am to 4pm.

Free Trinity United Reformed Church Hall, Garmston Street, Lincoln, LN2 1HZ

Paris Vegan Day 1-2 October www.parisveganday.fr

There will be a variety of food to sample from leading vegan companies, as well as ideas for tasty dishes to try at home. Staff will be on hand to offer help and advice, as well as lots of free literature to take home. www.veganlincs.co.uk Compassionate Living Fayre Saturday 12 November, 10.30am to 5.30pm. Free.

Augustine United Church Hall, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh Free food, talks, stalls, workshops, prizes, face-painting, hair-wraps, shopping, activities for children, and a whole lot of fun! info@ethicalvoiceforanimals.org.uk The Vegan Society AGM Saturday 19 November Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff Details will be in the winter issue of the The Vegan magazine.

n December Animal Aid’s Christmas Fayre Sunday 4 December, 10am to 5pm Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 (nearest underground is High Street Kensington) info@animalaid.org.uk

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classiFieDs (uK) HoliDays

puBlications

cumBria

Devon

In July 2011 The Lodge will have been running for 10 years in Grenada offering a totally Vegan environment. The Owner, Mark, has been Vegan for 25 years and his aim is for fellow Vegans, and those who wish to experience a plant-based diet, to enjoy and feel safe that all on offer at The Lodge is completely Vegan.

In celebration of this 10 year landmark Mark is offering 10% off all stays at The Lodge from 01 January 2011 until 30 June 2012.

For more information www.thelodgegrenada.com

internet services

HampsHire

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The Vegan l Autumn 2011

45

classiFieDs agent WanteD

sHopping

WILL POWER vegans have it.

OVERSEAS VEGAN FOOD IMPORTER WANTED A frozen vegan/vegetarian food manufacturer in Taiwan is looking for qualified importer to sell the products around the world. If you are interested in becoming one of them, please drop an e-mail to: Contact person: Lydia Guo

Touch your tongue

We rely on will power even though we’ve been doing it for over 60 years.

Leaving a charity a donation in your will is an excellent way to continue to provide support.

You will be helping to secure our future - for people, animals and the environment.

We are an educational charity and since 1944 have promoted a healthful, compassionate lifestyle, encouraging the growth of veganism worldwide.

It is only with the help of people like you that we can continue to succeed.

Please phone 0845 45 88244 (local rate) and request our free will and legacy pack.

It’s that easy.

Touch to the world

Thank you for all your help The Vegan Society

http://www.foreverhealth.com.tw/

FOREVER HEALTH Vegan Ham is a 100% vegan product.

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.

CONTACT Tel: +30 269.309.1104 Fax: +30 269.309.1104 Mail: info@santorwines.gr Web: www.santorwines.gr Address: P. Dimitropoulos, Sanatameri Olenia | 25 200

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.

Discount carD THE VEGAN VALID FROM

AUGUST 2011 UNTIL

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

Our logo provides an easy and trusted way to promote your cruelty-free 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 George Gill on (0121) 5231733 or email trademark@vegansociety.com You can also read about the trademark on our website at www.vegansociety.com

ANIMAL FREE SHOPPER The 9th edition of The Animal free Shopper is now available. You can buy it from our website shop: http://shop.vegansociety.com/ or by phoning 0121 523 1731.

NOVEMBER 2011

REFERENCE CODE

Ref:KMA 011

Containing thousands of vegan products, listings of common animal derived products to watch out for as well as contact information for vegan related groups, the AFS has become a must-have for UK vegans.

All this and still only £4.99!

46

The Vegan l Autumn 2011

MEMBERSHIP / RENEWAL

I wish to become a member and support the work of the Vegan Society.

I wish to renew my membership.

Membership No. (if known)......................................................................

Name:................................................................................Address:..........................................................................................

Postcode:........................................Tel:..........................................................Email:..................................................................

Date of Birth: (for security purposes)........../.........../..........Occupation:.....................................................................................

Please tick this box if you adhere to a vegan diet. This entitles you to voting rights in the Society’s elections if aged 18+.

Please treat my membership subscription as Gift Aid. I have paid UK income or capital gains tax equal to the amount the Society reclaims.

My income is less than £8000 per year and I qualify for the low income discount of 33%.*

A copy of the Society’s rules (Memo & Articles of Association) can be viewed on our website or at our office. Alternatively you may buy

I wish to enrol other members of my household for an additional £7 each.**

a copy for £5.

Please give full names of additional members and specify if dietary vegan and / or under 18. (If more than four additional members please attach separate sheet.)

Membership Individual £21 * Low-income £14 ** Add £7 per additional household member Under 18 years old £7 Memo & Articles of Association £5 Overseas: Europe +£5 / Rest of World +£7 Payment may be made by credit card, sterling International money order or sterling cheque drawn on a British bank.

Donation Total:

21

How to pay Cheque / PO payable to The Vegan Society Credit / Debit card (enter details below) Direct Debit (phone for details) Website: www.vegansociety.com Please debit my Visa / Mastercard Access / Visa Delta / Connect / Switch Solo card number

ccccccccccccccccc cc Name on card:.........................................................................Signature:..................................................................

Today’s date........./........./.......Start date:......../........Expiry date......../........Switch Issue No.:.....................

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crossword Kate Sweeney & Vega

QuicK crossWorD set by Kate Sweeney Across 6 Small flat pieces of e.g. cereal (6) 8 Kind of small tomato; red fruit (6) 9 Broken husks of the seeds of cereal grains (4) 10 Mild-flavoured, purplish vegetable (3,5) 11 Long thin pieces (7) 13 Covers with a fine layer (5) 15 Garden buildings; loses 22 Across or 2 Down (5) 17 Dandelion and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (7) 20 Type of parsley (8) 21 Spread, paste (4) 22 Foliage (6) 23 B vitamin, in Inca (Anag.) (6) Down 1 Piece of broccoli (6) 2 Peel (4) 3 These may be amino or 18 Down (5) 4 Tofu (8) 5 Dehydrate (3,3) 7 Rips up, tears (6) 12 Something added to ‘improve’ food (8) 14 A small bread, usually split and toasted before eaten (6) 16 Cuts in two (6) 18 Relating to the juice of lemons, oranges and suchlike (6) 19 Raising or fermenting agent (5) 21 Avocado, perhaps (4)

cryptic crossWorD set by Vega Across

Please se nd it solu tions (by e-mail to post or the addres s on page along wit 1) h your na me and po address by stal 3 Octobe r 2011.

The winne r of each crosswor win The Co d will mplete Gu ide to Ve food Subs gan titutions

by Celine Steen and Joni Marie New man

6 Pear-shaped fruit often preserved one of five born in front of church (6) 8 Goes off salad ingredients (from 11 perhaps) (6) 9 Curved span in a catholic hospital (4) 10 Thick oat dish requires long stir time (8) 11 Titanic nemesis is lettuce, perhaps? (7) 13 Capital gains zero for lover boy (5) 15 Bird of prey got down in two under par (5) 17 A deity, Hebe for example, goes second bearing large size of cup (7) 20 Hunt zeal sabotaged and converted to vegan fruit or tree (8) 21 Distortion crossed by woof on shuttle (or speed attained

by Worf in shuttle?) (4) 22 Promise of reward (especially appreciated by vegan) to let motorised transport decay? (6) 23 Guevara’s swallowed four herbs (6)

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The Vegan l Autumn 2011

Solutions to the Spring 2011 crosswords (quick: left / Cryptic: right) Winner of quick crossword: Helen Aesa Winner of cryptic crossword: D J Stokes

Down 1 After sport crib misprinted examination instructions (6) 2 Short measure in church (4) 3 Roman 17 of margarine? (5) 4 A mod girl circulating yellow or orange flower (8) 5 Compete to eat egg but no meat or fish and potentially vegan (6) 7 Extensive territory may be Roman or British parliamentarian taken in

by European leader’s anger (6) 12 Short hobbit on topless ferry found blue-black fruit (8) 14 Romantic literary imagery surprisingly derived from purloined letters of macabre American author with Tourette’s? (6) 16 Leaders of aliens violated a tree and ruined animated icon (represented in 3D on Pandora) (6) 18 Oxalis herb playing central role in tensor relativity (6) 19 Speed in nautical miles per hour of Red breasted sandpipers travelling to see reefs or grannies perhaps? (5) 21 Heavy sounding delay (4)