1) Give birth to a new veg*n
2) Convince someone to adopt veg*nism

Well, #1 is definitely not for me and #2 is why I do outreach.  There are various strategies and discussions about what is the best way to do this.  My personal philosophy is to just decide on a strategy and do it.  As a direct result of my “doing” at Maker Faire 2009 at the San Mateo Expo Center, here’s some people reading their new PETA Vegetarian Starter Kits.  I hope this is their first step towards veg*nism.

For me, I’ve been vegan since late 1989.  The Animals Voice Magazine, and two landmark book, Diet for a New America by John Robbins and Animal Liberation by Peter Singer,  contributed to my evolution to veganism.

Soon after, in early 1990, PETA hosted an “AR 101″ which made a lasting impression on me.  At this day-long conference, four PETA staffers gave the conference at a university lecture hall (I think it was UC Berkeley).  This was the days before email was widely used, so cleverly they seated us by zipcode so we could connect with others near us.  The topics included the basics of animal rights, advocacy, and an awesome vegan lunch.

I remember it to this day.  It was a vegan lasagna (from Tofu Cookery) and Joan’s Grandmother’s Cake (in PETA’s first cookbook, Compassionate Cooks).  After that lunch, I finally knew how good vegan food could be, and I knew about advocacy.   I was living in Concord at that time, and through the conference, connected with others who were aware of and working for the animals in Contra Costa. I subsequently attended an animal rights conference organized by a student group at SFSU, and that’s where I met Paula.

This was 1990, and Earth Day was having a rebirth and communities across the nation were hosting them.  Paula already had a PETA tabling starter kit and proposed that we do a booth at the Concord Earth Day at Todos Santos Park to promote veg*nism. It would be Paula, Sally, Karla, Mike and myself.

At that time, I had a PC at home that I used for word processing, no email or Internet access. Our signs were hand-lettered on poster board using magic markers; the table for the banner was printed on a dot matrix paper (remember, the paper with the holes running down the side to feed the paper through the printer) .

We most likely had a sign-up sheet at that first tabling event, and I remember Sally hosting the first vegan potluck at her home in Pittsburg, CA.  Then the potluck series evolved into what is today the Contra Costa Vegetarians (still active today and hosting monthly vegan potlucks in Contra Costa).

And for me, that was how it all vegan …

Alex talking veg with interested John Q Public

In 2007, I noticed that I wasn’t doing as much veg outreach via  leafleting as I wanted. So I decided to take some of that generic advice given to people going on a diet.  While that’s to keep track of what you eat, and to exercise with a buddy, I applied that to being an activist.  With one addition:  make sure the advocacy activity is one that is enjoyable and sustainable.  For me, leafleting with PETA’s Vegetarian Starter Kits or Vegan Outreach’s Even if You Like Meat is the high fiber activity that’s also fun when you combine it with meeting new people and yummy vegan food afterwards.  (i.e. “Will leaflet for vegan food”)

So, I found a leafleting buddy to keep me from falling into my natural state of eating chocolate chip cookies and reading novels with a feline laptop.  Her name is Alex.

Starting in January 2008, Alex and I committed to leafleting once a month (on a Saturday or Sunday, since we both work full-time), and we also invite others to join us.  I also leaflet sans buddy at a local college (i.e. Vegan Outreach Adopt-a-College program).  But because I do this one on my lunch-hour during the work day, it tends to be sporadic as to when I can do it (i.e. lunchtime meetings are common, pressing work deadlines, and I’m not always in the office); this doesn’t lend itself to leafleting regularly with a partner.

Ready-Set-Go-Vegan!

Here’s a comparison of how that worked:

Alex and I planned to leaflet 12 times.  And we actually leafleted 12 times, and have met a lot of new friends along the way, too.  This isn’t part of the diet plan, but part of the fun plan, after we leaflet, we go out and eat vegan food.  Fortunately for us, there are 22 vegetarian restaurants in San Francisco (and 10 of those SF restaurants are vegan). (Oh, and for anyone who is counting calories, leafleting also offers exercise since I usually walk around to pass out information.)

For my college leafleting, I have a general goal to leaflet once a month for 30 minutes during my lunch hour.  I got out 4 times during the same period.  (Actually 5 times, because I used a floating holiday and took a day off work to leaflet at SFSU with another friend, and then we had some wonderful battered and deep-fried food.  I wonder if deep-fried Why Vegan booklets would be irresistible?  Hmmm…) The bonus with participating in the Vegan Outreach AAC program is they keep track of your leafleting for you.  It’s kinda neat to look back and see I’ve been participating since 2003.

Anyways, it worked well for us in 2008, and 2009 is already off to a good start!  These photos are from various 2008 leafleting events, and our next one is planned for Saturday, February 21st in San Francisco.  So, if you’re another local veg activist and looking to connect with others for vegan advocacy, please join us!

Got comments?

Just call us Leafleting Leprechauns

In 2006, I was a regular contributor to the Pacifica Tribune, a local paper on the coastside. Here’s the first article, originally published March 8, 2006.  Check out your local newspapers, magazines (print and online), and organizations for opportunities to provide vegan content.

I moved to Montara eight years ago from the paved urban sprawl of Concord. Not only are the roads different in Montara, but so was the old white animal being walked slowly by a woman – not a dog, but a horse! The woman politely asked if her horse could eat the tall grass that bordered my house and the street, and I was quite agreeable – I had never viewed it as anything more than a weedy thatch of crabgrass.

Perpsective: Friend or Food?

But that difference in perspective is common in my life, now. Whereas I once found the aroma of sizzling bacon to be tantalizing, now I find it a taunting reminder of how disconnected I was in avoiding the realization that bacon, ham, and pork comes from pigs. I now realize that pigs and other animals commonly raised for food are as inquisitive and capable of feeling happy and content, or depressed and in pain, as my four adopted felines are.

While the practice of not eating animals has been noted as early as 6th century BC with the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, I didn’t make the distinction between animals that are pets and animals that are dinner until 15 years ago. But decades before my birth, others had already trotted down the strict vegetarian path of eschewing meat, and avoiding dairy and eggs. The word vegan (pronounced like “vee-gun”) emerged in 1944 to represent the growing contingent of individuals steadfast and happy in eating entirely plant-based foods.

I still look like the same person I was before I became vegan, and I am still that same person. It’s just that being a vegetarian invites a larger world perspective beyond what I choose to eat, and I’ve gone exploring. Nobel-winning writer Isaac Bashevis Singer expressed it well: “This is my protest against the conduct of the world. To be a vegetarian is to disagree–to disagree with the course of things today. Starvation, world hunger, cruelty, waste, wars–we must make a statement against these things. Vegetarianism is my statement and I think it’s a strong one.”

Many people choose vegetarian foods to take a stand against what meat-eating represents — intensive confinement and cruel practices to animals, high injury and exploitive working conditions for slaughterhouse workers, inefficient use of natural resources, and destruction of the rainforest for cattle grazing. Many others choose to eat plant-based foods for compassion, spiritual or health reasons, concerns over contamination of meat, or simply the economical nature of living lightly on grains, vegetables and beans.

There is a growing interest in vegetarianism, here on the coastside and throughout the world. I talked to another coastsider, Amy Lynn Caplan of Pacifica, about why she chose vegetarianism. “I became vegetarian in 1976 after making the connection between my food choices and animal suffering. I did not want to participate in the killing of animals. I became vegan in 1999 after finally realizing that animals endure great agony in all stages of food production, not only those aspects of production that lead to slaughter.”

With this new monthly column, let’s explore the how, why, and where of vegetarian living, both from a local perspective and that of a global citizen on planet Earth. The local Coast Veg group will be holding a special event in Pacifica in March in honor of Great American Meat-Out. See the event calendar at http://BayAreaVeg.org for details, or write me at [...]

To complement any writing on vegetarianism, we need a good recipe or two. Since it’s still officially winter, and we’ve probably a few cold, foggy days ahead, of course I’m thinking Split Pea. It’s hearty, healthy, and cheap to make on the stove or in a crockpot. Eat it with bread or crackers, and a salad on the side. I’ve also got a delicious dressing recipe; it’s easy to make, and cheaper to make at home than its commercially bottled counterpart.

Split Pea Soup

2 cups split peas, rinsed
6 cups hot water
1 cup carrots, sliced or diced
1 cup celery, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each: marjoram, basil
1/4 tsp each: cumin, black pepper
1 tbsp salt or to taste
pinch cayenne

Rinse split peas, and then place them in a large kettle with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then cover loosely and cook until the peas are tender, 1 to 2 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Crockpot method: Place all ingredients in a crockpot. Cover and cook on “High” for 3 to 4 hours, until the peas are soft and the vegetables are tender. Serves 6 to 8.

Maple Mustard Dressing

2 cups safflower, olive or canola oil
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp dry mustard
1 cup water

Mix well in a blender, or in a bowl with a whisk. Taste and add salt if you prefer. This makes a very large batch. It keeps well in the fridge, but you may wish to make half the recipe.

Recipes: Soup – The Peaceful Palate by Jennifer Raymond; Dressing Recipe by Alex Bury