To Vegan or Not to Vegan?
This weekend, I went to an event called, "Wake Up Weekend - 2007." This event was presented by several local groups including ExtraVEGANza!, G-Rad, Farms Without Harm, and Calvin Students For Compassionate Living. The quality of this event was impressive. Not only were there nationally renowned speakers like Harold Brown of Farm Sanctuary & Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals, but there was also a vegan potluck, a chili cook-off, and an art auction.
Wake Up Weekend inspired me to take another look at my eating habits. See, I've been eating only vegetarian foods for little over a decade (with a brief foray into eating fish), and I've thought I'd never be able to make the leap to the land of vegan. My arguments have always been, but I'll miss cheese! ...and sour cream! ...etc! Also, there is the whole stigma attached to eating vegan. It seems that public perception is that vegans are somehow judgmental, holier-than-thou, super health freaks, and/or granola-loving hippies. I, however, have found these stereotypes to be far from the truth.
Because these are issues that are dear to my heart, I mull over the possibility of a vegan lifestyle at least once a year. I think that I've finally reached my tipping point; the change seems inevitable. For me, it's not only a matter of compassion for animals. It is also our farming practices and our current relationship with food in general that horrifies me. Also, viewing animals as commodities rather than living beings does not jive for me. I'm pretty sure that 2007 will be the year I finally make the change I have been putting off for the past decade. At a minimum, it will be the year I vastly decrease my consumption of food and other items, like cosmetics and shoes, that contain animal by-products.
Of course, being the research obsessed person I am, I've decided to read up on the topic. As it turns out, GRPL has a lot to offer on the subject. Out of all of these choices, I've decided to start with the following books to educate myself further and to find some good recipes:
Comments
Thanks for this review! I was disappointed I had to miss the event, but I'm looking forward to the Winter Farmer's Market & Film Series at Wealthy Theatre (it actually starts today).
I've gone to a couple of these local farm events at the Wealthy Theatre and they are really enlightening and ALWAYS a good time. I usually go with my Vegetarian cooking club.
I'll definitely be at next Wednesday's event also, How to Eat Locally....in Michigan...in the Winter, which is sponsored by Farms Without Harm.
Posted by: Kolene | January 24, 2007 09:26 AM
i too have been struggling with a lot of these issues lately, and had even planned on going to the lectures. unfortunately could not attend, so it's really great to find out there are loads of resources available at the library and i can do some research on my own!
Posted by: george | January 24, 2007 01:25 PM
I don't want to get into anything big here but I don't get how eating cheese from a locally produced small goat farm is a bad lifestyle choice. Maybe the negative vegan image comes from what seems to those on the outside to be intollerance.
Posted by: Marcia | February 7, 2007 02:27 PM