Postcard from the Road: Lake Placid Ironman

Posted on August 8, 2013 by kvollbrecht

People often ask me about the health benefits of a vegan diet. They want to know: How does a vegan diet affect your energy level? What do you eat to fuel your running? Do you feel hungry most of the time? These questions were in my mind when I signed up for the 2013 Ironman triathlon in Lake Placid, New York, an event that requires swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running a 26.2-mile marathon. Ironman Lake Placid (IMLP) is one of the most challenging Ironman courses, with a total elevation gain of nearly 5,000 feet in its 140 miles. Actions speak louder than words, and I wanted to demonstrate how healthy plant foods are, not only for everyday activities but also for intense athletic feats.

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Gene focused on the bike course.

Just Doing It
In the weeks leading up to IMLP, I followed a training plan and focused on good nutrition to prepare for the grueling event. I ate protein-rich quinoa, beans, and tofu, and loaded up on performance-enhancing foods such as arugula and beets.

During the race, I drank coconut water for hydration and electrolytes and paced myself for the long distance. Crossing the finish line in just under twelve hours, I was very happy to be officially named an “Ironman.”

Athletes are bombarded with marketing campaigns promoting meat, milk, and eggs for health and athletic performance. These are myths that continue to be promulgated, and, in fact, at IMLP the milk industry was out in force as a major sponsor of the event. Dairy promoters target athletes with messages that drinking cows’ milk helps the body perform and recover from vigorous exercise and physical activity.

Just after the finish line at IMLP, athletes were given chocolate milk and draped with a blanket that said, “got chocolate milk.” I refused the cows’ milk, but I took the blanket and turned it inside out to avoid advertising a cruel and unhealthy product.

Plant foods fueled me during training and on race day, and my vegan diet was responsible for helping me make a swift recovery. The day after the race, when some other IMLP finishers were limping around Lake Placid, my legs and body felt good.

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Gene finishing the 26.2 mile run of the race.

Away from the athletic field, health experts are also weighing in on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, including doctors Caldwell Esselstyn and Colin Campbell who are featured in the groundbreaking film, Forks Over Knives. Recently, Harvard School of Public Health Director Walter Willett, M.D., stated in a lecture to students at the Institute of Integrated Nutrition that milk does not prevent fractures and is not a calcium solution. He added that too much milk might be harmful, especially in causing prostate cancer in men.

Go Vegan Go!
I completed the final leg of the triathlon — the 26.2-mile run — wearing a shirt that said “Going the Distance for Farm Animals” on the front and “Go Vegan Go” on the back. When I felt sore or tired, I thought of the animals suffering on factory farms, and my resolve would strengthen. I was there representing them and demonstrating that humans can excel without consuming animal products. The run is my strongest leg of the triathlon, and I passed many competitors who saw the word “vegan” on my back as I ran ahead.

I have been inspired by other athletes who are actively promoting vegan living including Rich Roll, Rip Esselstyn, Brendan Brazier, Scott Jurek, and Matt Frazier, the No Meat Athlete. During my training and at the event, I also met many athletes who were not vegan but who expressed curiosity and interest in how I prepared for the race in order to perform so well. It is my hope that, by example, I might motivate them to explore plant-based eating.

A strong connection is emerging between the ethically oriented and fitness-oriented vegan communities today. We share the common goal of living healthy lives, both emotionally and physically, without causing pain or harm to any animal. Together, I believe we can inspire even more people to stop and think about how (and who) they eat and why it makes sense to ingest plants instead of animals.

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Ironman triathlon: mission accomplished.

Walk with Us

Posted on July 9, 2013 by kvollbrecht

By Gene

Each year, Farm Sanctuary’s vital work is supported by funds raised during the Walk for Farm Animals, which stands as a testament to the value of positive, grassroots activism. The Walk for Farm Animals started with a small group of volunteers walking and raising enough money in 1989 to make a down payment on what is now our Watkins Glen sanctuary. Today, it has spread across the United States and Canada to more than 35 regional Walk events supporting Farm Sanctuary’s mission to end the abuse and suffering of farm animals and to provide life-long refuge to the individuals we rescue.

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Portland, OR Walk.

When you think about becoming a farm animal activist — of speaking out for the voiceless animals suffering in factory farms — the enormity of our challenges can feel daunting. It can be hard to know where to start. The Walks are a perfect way to begin advocating for animals and allow participants, quite literally, to take their first steps in speaking up for farm animals.

Taking part in a Walk for Farm Animals allows advocates to shine a light on factory farming’s cruelties, while raising funds to combat this inhumane industry. Taking part in a Walk provides an excellent opportunity to educate others and to communicate a message of compassion by reaching out to friends, co-workers, and family members for sponsorships. And each city’s event is an opportunity to connect with other animal advocates and to build support for creating a more compassionate community. Walking together, enjoying the food and entertainment each event offers — from music to yoga to face painting — all for the sake of farm animals, is an inspiring and uplifting form of activism that reaches people in cities throughout North America.

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Live music at the San Francisco Walk.

The Walk for Farm Animals would not be possible without the dedicated efforts of local event coordinators and volunteers who donate nearly eight months of the year to organize and promote their city’s event. From larger cities like Los Angeles to smaller ones like Albany, coordinators work tirelessly to create events that make an enormous contribution to Farm Sanctuary’s rescue, education, and advocacy efforts. Each coordinator and walker helps to improve the lives of animals everywhere by getting active in his or her own community.

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San Francisco Walk

Many coordinators started as walkers themselves. Some, like Walk coordinator Becky Fenson of San Francisco, work to promote Farm Sanctuary’s important work in the community. She says of the event, “I’ve discovered, not surprisingly, that Farm Sanctuary is a well-loved and well-respected organization in San Francisco.” In 2012, the San Francisco Walk grew to become one of the top three Walk events, and it promises to be even bigger this year with three guest speakers, a professional caterer providing delicious vegan fare, and a huge online raffle leading up to the event.

Other coordinators, including Cindy Lemoi in Providence, Rhode Island, responded to a need in their city: “I first participated in a Walk for Farm Animals in Connecticut. The event was terrific, though I was disappointed that the small state of Rhode Island didn’t have one yet! After completing that Walk, I instantly thought, ‘I can do this for Rhode Island.’ So, the next year, I did. I have met like-minded folks and feel great that even in the small state of Rhode Island we come together, speak up, and raise funds for our farm animal friends. It’s a cause that is close my heart.” Now, the Providence Walk is a vibrant community event with a vegan potluck, speakers, raffle prizes, and live music.

Will you Walk with us this fall? Cows, pigs, chickens, goats, and other animals suffering in factory farms don’t have the ability to move freely, but we do. Let’s step out in a positive direction — sharing our strength and our commitment to end farm animal suffering and promote compassion for all. To participate, please visit: http://walkforfarmanimals.org

Providence Walk.

Whistleblower Suppression Laws Threaten Human Health, the Environment, and Animals

Posted on June 20, 2013 by kvollbrecht

by Bruce Friedrich

This is the true story of how the meat industry is manipulating our legislative process so that it can continue to abuse animals and workers while jeopardizing public health and our environment.

The 2008 Meat Recall: Our Schools’ Food at Risk
The story begins in 2008 with the nation’s largest meat recall: The United States Department of Agriculture recalled 143 million pounds of potentially diseased and dangerous meat after an investigator from The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) revealed systemic violations of the Federal Meat Inspection Act at Hallmark/Westland, the second-largest National School Lunch Program beef supplier. Day after day, the plant had been shipping meat to our nation’s schools from animals too sick and diseased even to walk, thereby putting our children at great risk for exposure to foodborne pathogens and other diseases and illnesses, including Mad Cow Disease.

To force diseased and disabled animals to walk, workers were “ramming cows with the blades of a forklift, jabbing them in the eyes, applying painful electrical shocks to sensitive areas, dragging them with chains pulled by heavy machinery, and torturing them with a high-pressure water hose to simulate drowning as they attempted to force these animals to walk to slaughter,” according to HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle. Not only was this cruel, it also represented a violation of state and federal laws. Remarkably, just a few years before the HSUS investigation, the Hallmark/Westland plant in question had been honored as a USDA “supplier of the year.”

The Humane Society and federal government sued Hallmark for endangering the health of our nation’s school kids in violation of signed contracts. The case concluded last November when the plant’s owners agreed to a mostly symbolic (the company was already bankrupt) $500 million settlement.

The Meat Industry’s Response
This investigation was just one in a long line of undercover probes by animal protection organizations. Every year, we see more of these investigations; sadly, every investigation finds new and horrific abuses of animals in violation of federal and state laws, often while on-site government inspectors look the other way.

Responsible or savvy industries would answer this overwhelming evidence of flagrant and endemic law-breaking with a serious commitment to change their behavior. They would reform their practices to eliminate the culture of cruelty that seems to infest industrial farms and slaughterhouses. They would, as USDA consultant and slaughterhouse expert Dr. Temple Grandin has suggested, install video cameras to monitor for animal abuse and food safety problems, and they would hire independent inspectors to review the video and make sure that there was no gratuitous abuse and that dangerous meat was not being sold.

Incredibly, instead of working to prevent the abuse, the meat industry is now vigorously pushing laws to prevent people from finding out about it — to make criminals not out of the animal abusers or those who foist dangerous meat onto school-children, but out of undercover investigators. That’s right: The industry’s response to years of evidence of egregious, and often criminal, animal cruelty and of diseased and adulterated meat entering the market is to attempt to outlaw undercover investigations. In 2011, the meat industry backed laws in four states to make taking photos or videos on farms and slaughterhouses illegal. In 2012, the industry pushed similar laws in 10 states. This year, we expect even more.

New Laws, Same Effect
These newest iterations of the whistleblower suppression bills have come in two new packages, both of which would protect illegal and unethical activity from ever seeing the light of day.

The first version criminalizes making false representations while applying to work at an industrial farm or slaughterhouse. If you are affiliated with a charity that cares about animals, the environment, or workers, you don’t get the job. The intent of this bill is to block undercover investigators from, say, The Humane Society of the United States, Human Rights Watch, or Brian Ross’ investigative news team from getting jobs where they could witness and record abuse of animals or workers, illegal disposal of waste, or other unethical and illegal practices.

The second version requires that any witnessed illegal activity be reported to authorities and all video documentation turned over immediately. It’s certainly possible that animal-friendly legislators are supporting this bill out of concern for animals, but, of course, undercover investigations, whether of a drug ring or organized crime syndicate or factory farm, require that the investigator document the full extent of the illegal activity. If the FBI or CIA stopped an investigation at the first sign of criminal activity, wrong-doers would be inadequately punished, if they were punished at all, because the full extent of the criminal behavior would not be known.

Similarly, if an investigator witnesses illegal abuse of animals and immediately turns in that evidence without thorough documentation, the plant may receive a slap on the wrist (at best), the investigator leaves the plant, and business-as-usual continues. Of course, the real goal (and effect) of this bill is that no investigations happen in the first place.

That’s why animal protection groups from the ASPCA to the Humane Society of the United States to my organization, Farm Sanctuary, are lining up against these bills, and no humane organization is supporting them. If these bills were good for animals, they would have the support of the humane community, not the meat industry.

It is worth noting that time and again during undercover slaughterhouse investigations, plant management has been made aware of abuse (or actually has participated in it themselves), and federal inspectors were on site at all times. So, in addition to destroying the power of the investigations to begin with, turning in evidence of illegal activity to authorities before a full case can be prepared would be unlikely to result in any meaningful improvements whatsoever. For example, all of the abuses at the Hallmark plant, which sent millions of pounds of diseased meat into our nation’s schools, took place while no fewer than five federal inspectors were present. Yet, between 2004 and 2008, the USDA’s Office of the Inspector General reports that it “found no evidence that in-plant inspectors wrote [non-compliance records] or took suspension actions for humane handling violations.” In other words, the USDA inspectors knew of the abuse and did nothing to stop it — action was taken only after the HSUS’s investigation was made public.

Here are just a few more examples of oversight problems that elucidate the need for these independent investigations:

At a plant in North Carolina, workers violently kicked and stomped on turkeys among other sadistic abuses that led to multiple cruelty convictions. USDA inspectors did nothing to stop the abuse, and the state’s director of Animal Health Programs even tipped off the company to an impending raid (she was subsequently convicted of obstruction of justice).
At a plant in Iowa, cattle had their tracheas ripped out and their throats slit open while they were still conscious; they were then dumped onto the ground, where 1 in 10 remained alive and struggling to stand for more than a minute. USDA investigators did nothing and no USDA personnel were fired after the abuse came to light.
At a plant in Vermont, a worker used a shock pole to repeatedly shock non-ambulatory calves who were too injured to walk and then hit them at the top of their skulls with a captive bolt tool. The calves often remained conscious, bleeding and kicking for minutes, sometimes hours. A USDA inspector in the plant, Dr. Dean Wyatt, testified before Congress that he was reprimanded and threatened with termination by his supervisors for trying to report abuse at the plant.

Take Action: Oppose Whistleblower Suppression Bills
Every conviction of a slaughterhouse or industrial farm worker has come about because of an undercover investigation from an animal protection organization. And every one of these investigations would have been impossible and the dangerous Hallmark/Westland meat would still be pouring into our nation’s schools, if these states had passed any version of these whistleblower suppression bills.

More than two-thirds of Americans “support undercover investigative efforts by animal welfare organizations to expose animal abuse on industrial farms, including 54 percent who strongly support the efforts,” according to a poll commissioned by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). But they will be illegal in any state that passes any version of these anti-whistleblower bills.

As the editorial page editor of the largest daily paper in Wyoming put it following an HSUS investigation of an industrial pig farm in that state, “Criminalizing undercover investigations at such farm operations would effectively tell the owners that they can do anything they want to their livestock.”

And whistleblower suppression bills don’t just harm animals, they also harm our freedom of speech, environmental efforts, and worker rights — which is why these bills are opposed by more than thirty charities, including The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, the Sierra Club, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the United Food and Commercial Workers.

Farm Sanctuary also opposes these bills. You can join our efforts to fight them by signing up for our email list.

The meat industry wants this investigator to go to jail, and the meat from this plant to continue being fed to schoolchildren:

Postcard From the Road: We’re on a Roll

Posted on June 10, 2013 by kvollbrecht

By Gene

The vegan movement is gaining momentum! In the last few years, I’ve seen more people than ever attend vegan events and more animal-friendly participation at mainstream events. This year, for instance, Farm Sanctuary fielded its first team to run for farm animals at the LA Marathon. I am always energized to meet other people who share an interest in running and sports and who demonstrate that athletic performance can be fueled by plant foods.

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Team Farm Sanctuary at the LA Marathon

Farm animals are also gaining friends in the business community, where entrepreneurs are developing and marketing even more vegan substitutes for meat, milk, and eggs. And, during a recent visit to the Midwest, I saw farmers speaking out against factory farming at an anti-CAFO conference. Veg-friendly restaurants are popping up around the country, while books advocating plant-based lifestyles are topping best-seller lists. Individuals are lighting up social networks en masse with images and information about the wrongs of industrialized animal farming and the benefits of eating plants instead.

Plant-based living is not about deprivation and sacrifice. It is about living in a way that is aligned with compassionate values and healthy lifestyles. Vegan festivals have taken root in communities across the United States, welcoming attendees with food, entertainment, creativity, and enthusiasm. This spring, I attended inspirational events like Vegan Earth Day in Berkeley, California, and Worldfest in Los Angeles, which was held in an outdoor park with four stages, animal adoption booths, nonprofit and business booths, art displays, entertainment, and even a beer garden. I also stopped by VegFest in Charlotte, North Carolina, which attracted thousands and doubled its attendance from 2012.

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Grilled veggies and polenta, one of the many incredibly delicious vegan dishes.

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Meeting folks at the Charlotte VegFest

Of course, I have a special love for Farm Sanctuary events like our annual Country Hoe Down that I just attended in Orland, California. At our Hoe Downs, participants hear moving presentations, eat yummy food, commune with rescued animals, and experience a peaceful setting and welcoming community. At the Orland event in May, I spoke with many people, including Seth Tibbot, founder and president of Tofurky, who has been a long-time supporter of Farm Sanctuary and plant-based eating. He was living in a tree and I in a bus as our fledgling organizations started in the 1980s. We’ve come a long way!

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This year we welcomed hundreds of attendees to our California Hoe Down.

I often say that “vegan is normal” at Farm Sanctuary, and it’s also a place where everyone is welcomed and encouraged to learn about food issues to begin their own journey toward more compassionate and healthful eating. With better access to information, and with more veggie food options available, shifting toward plant-based eating has never been easier. And with veg fests and other awareness- and community-building events, compassionate living is becoming an increasingly attractive way of life. This summer, keep your eye out for veg events in your area and bring your friends along for the ride.

P.S. You can still make plans for our New York Hoe Down, August 3–4, 2013 at our Watkins Glen Sanctuary!

It’s Hoe Down Time!

Posted on May 14, 2013 by kvollbrecht

By Gene

Each year, we organize some special events at Farm Sanctuary to provide visitors with a deeper experience of our mission and our work. An integral part of our events lineup is our annual Country Hoe Down. The California Country Hoe Down is coming up this weekend, May 18–19, at our Orland, California, shelter. For folks in the East, we also will hold a Hoe Down at our sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, in August. These events are wonderful opportunities to spend time with rescued animals and commune with others who care about protecting animals and who are concerned about the effects of our industrialized food system.

While vegan is the norm at Farm Sanctuary, everyone is welcome. Whether you are someone who is just becoming curious about farming and food, a new vegetarian, or a long-time vegan, the Hoe Down is a place to learn about the issues in a peaceful, supportive environment.

Our California Hoe Down will feature a number of inspiring presentations from Farm Sanctuary staff and others, including Linda Long, author of Virgin Vegan: The Meatless Guide to Pleasing Your Palate; Chef AJ; and Cindy Machado, Director of Animal Services at Marin Humane Society. There will be plenty time to ask questions, meet the speakers, and interact with other attendees and the rescued animals.

The animals who live at Farm Sanctuary come from the worst places imaginable, including factory farms where they are denied the most basic humane treatment. Some of our animals were found starving in abandoned farms or were rescued from disasters like floods and fires. Our animals are refugees of cruelty and neglect borne out of a system that sees living, feeling beings merely as commodities. When they arrive at Farm Sanctuary, these animals experience human kindness for the first time and live in peace. Now, they’re waiting to meet you! During shelter time in Orland this weekend, Hoe Down attendees can spend some time with the ever-popular Melvin the goat; charming Albert the donkey; Lucas the loving pig; Joey the gentle lamb; and turkeys, cows, and chickens galore.

Everyone will enjoy delicious vegan meals and have a chance to kick up your heels at Saturday night’s barn dance. Perhaps best of all, the Hoe Down is a wonderful time to mingle with a bunch of great folks — it’s inspiring and a whole lot of fun — and, who knows, you may even strike up some new friendships. If you’re the outdoorsy type, pack your sleeping bag and tent — the Hoe Down is one of the few times when camping is allowed on the farm, and it’s a strikingly beautiful place to enjoy the open air.

We hear year after year from participants that the Country Hoe Down is the highlight of their summer, and that it leaves them rejuvenated and inspired.

Learn more about the California Country Hoe Down, May 18–19, 2013.

Farm Sanctuary Interview with John Corbett

Posted on April 24, 2013 by kvollbrecht

By Samantha Ragsdale, Senior Director of Education

When Farm Sanctuary reached out to John Corbett’s agent about our Animal Tales project, we promptly received a phone call back from the friendly West Virginia native himself. John said, “I LOVE The Doctor! And, I would love to record a video to help raise awareness for farm animals.” His famous voice was the perfect match for The Doctor’s charismatic personality.

Audiences have been charmed by the actor as “Chris” in Northern Exposure and “Aidan” in Sex and the City, and they’ve heard his familiar voice on TV commercials like Walgreens for years. But, most people didn’t know about his love of animals and the special place he has in his heart for pigs.

Thanks, John, for lending your voice to The Doctor’s story — and for spending a moment with me to talk about animals, growing up in Wheeling, West Virginia, and one life-changing hamburger 25 years ago.

Farm Sanctuary: What is one of your earliest experiences with farm animals?

JC: When I was in high school, a guy paid me and a buddy of mine to feed his pigs. We would drive to his farm, about 15 miles outside of Wheeling, West Virginia. He had 100 pigs there. I was always surprised by what we had to feed them. The local dairy farm would bring old moldy bread and sour milk, and we’d pour it into these vats for the pigs. The farmer said they liked it. They would eat it, but it never made sense to me that this is what pigs should be eating. Those pigs were friendly and sweet. I just really remember feeling awful about that sour stuff.

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Click on this photo of The Doctor to watch his video.

Farm Sanctuary: Is that how pigs came to have a special place in your heart?

JC: I’ve always had an affinity for pigs. Pigs are kind of like dolphins to me. They have that permanent smile. They’re just sweet creatures. When I was on Northern Exposure, we did this episode with a big 700-pound pig. They guy who owned the town, Maurice Minnifield, brought in the pig for an annual festival to win a truffle hunt. They told me he was Arnold Ziffel from the old Green Acres TV show, but they were pulling my leg. So, on the show, the pig’s name was Wilbur. And, Wilbur was depressed, so I read him Charlotte’s Web.

I have this big scar above my eyebrow, and it always reminds me of a funny pig story. I was on a guy’s farm playing when I was a kid. I was climbing around in the pig pen, because I loved the pigs. There was one big pig in this pen. He was really friendly. So, I was climbing around and fell off of this fence. I cut my eye and then ran into the house. It was a bad cut, and blood was running down my face. I kept yelling “the pig, the pig,” trying to tell my mom where I had been, and she thought the pig bit me! That pig was sweet. He wouldn’t have bitten anyone.

Farm Sanctuary: What has inspired you to help animals?

JC: When I was a kid, I got a BB gun, like all little kids in my town. So did my buddy. But, when my buddy and I were out and he shot a bird with his gun. I remember I was so upset. I was 10 years old and had always been a guy who had rescued turtles, fish, a duckling in the bathtub … you name it. Once we took the duckling to a place called Wheeling Park where they have a big lake, and we set him free. I had hamsters. I had frogs. I had never seen any animal cruelty. But, my buddy shot this bird. It took a minute to die, he was flapping around. It was the first time I had seen an animal get hurt or killed or suffer. I can still see that in my mind today.

Being in West Virginia, all my friends liked to fish. Everybody’s dad was a macho-man hunter. I never did that. I went fishing with my stepdad, but I couldn’t handle watching the fish gasping for air when they were out of the water, their life source.

I guess I’ve always had a soft spot for animals. I’ve always had animals in my life. I grew up with a lot of hillbillies who would keep their dogs in the backyard on a six-foot chain and didn’t keep them warm. I always wanted to set them free. I always felt like that. I still do. I can’t even look at the Farm Sanctuary newsletters half the time because it kills me that animals are in cages on farms, animals like The Doctor. And, they’re not being taken care of. In The Doctor’s video you show a couple of pigs looking out from their cages. The pigs that died in the flood are better off than those that are stuck in those cages. I really do think that all creatures have a thought process and on some level are thinking “why is this happening to me?”

Farm Sanctuary: Do you have animals at home today?

JC: Yes. I have three horses: Pety, Gaiata, and Lola. And, a donkey; he’s a little white donkey named Chito. His full name is Machito, but we call him “Chito.” I also have a 150-pound Irish Wolfhound named Scarlett, who was rescued from a place where he was living in the garage. And, a 10-year-old German Shepard, Asko, who is a retired trained protection dog. I also have a 300-acre farm in West Virginia, where I have 80 cattle and a barn that looks like a giant church. The cattle are pets, of course.

Farm Sanctuary: You became vegetarian more than 20 years ago?

JC: I did. It was 1987 or 1988, and I got E. coli after eating a hamburger. I was 26 years old, and I was on death’s door. This girlfriend I had at the time (now Patrick Dempsey’s wife) saved my life. She carried me down three flights of stairs. She took me to the hospital, and I was there for 10 days. I was fighting for my life. I stopped eating meat right there – and I’ve done my best to maintain a meat-free diet since.

Postcard From the Road – Hawaii

Posted on March 8, 2013 by kvollbrecht

By Gene

The Vegetarian Society of Hawaii, with the support of Down to Earth™, a vegan-friendly health food store chain on the islands, recently welcomed me to their beautiful homeland. I spoke to several groups and attended events on Oahu and Maui. As I’ve seen in many other places, vegan awareness is thriving there!

Sharing our message
Three events on three consecutive days drew strong attendance, and our message was magnified in news reports on two popular morning news programs with special segments promoting plant-based eating. One of these programs also included an interview with Justin Young, a talented musician and Farm Sanctuary supporter who performed at a Valentine’s Eve benefit for Farm Sanctuary at Govinda’s vegetarian restaurant in Honolulu.

Justin Young performing at the Valentine’s Eve benefit.

During my visit, I met Patricia Bragg (of Bragg Liquid Aminos), whose father, Paul Bragg, inspired the beginnings of Jack LaLanne’s life-long devotion to encouraging fitness and nutritional eating, and Jay, a vegan athlete who ran the Honolulu marathon (26.2 miles) carrying an impressive 100-pound log to demonstrate both the endurance and strength that plant foods can support. I also saw old friends like Ruth Heidrich, a six-time ironman triathlon finisher who beat cancer on a plant-based diet, and Dr. Bill Harris, a former fighter pilot who founded the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii and who is keeping active into his 80s by parachuting out of planes, among his other pursuits! Members of Hawaii’s vegetarian community are actively demonstrating the short- and long-term benefits of eating plants instead of animals.

Gene with Patricia Bragg and Matt Jisa.

Animal agriculture operates in Hawaii on a relatively small scale, with the exception of the Parker Ranch, one of the oldest and largest cattle ranches in the United States. It was established in the 1800s, alongside the whaling industry, and comprises roughly 250,000 acres. As on the mainland, Hawaii’s animal agriculture industry also includes chickens exploited for egg production and pigs exploited for meat who are kept in cramped, filthy enclosures. Exploiting animals for commercial gain here presents animal welfare problems associated with shipping animals to and from the mainland. To contest these practices in Hawaii, members of the vegetarian society and animal activists are speaking out and demanding reforms.

Special opportunities
I especially enjoyed whale watching — from a bluff, not a boat — during my visit. Mothers and their babies swim, dive, and breach in the waters around Hawaii as part of their annual migration for birthing and mating. In the past, killing whales was a significant economic activity in Hawaii, but thankfully times have changed. A more humane and sustainable economy has now developed around watching and appreciating these whales.

During my time on Maui, I visited Leilani Farm Sanctuary. This shelter for abused animals shares a kindred spirit with Farm Sanctuary. Laurelee Blanchard, their director, is a dedicated animal advocate who I’ve known for many years. She moved to Hawaii in 1999 and now lives in the middle of her sanctuary, surrounded by rescued animals. We toured the grounds together and then enjoyed a tasty vegan meal prepared by Laurelee’s boyfriend, Barry. It always delights and inspires me to spend time with other committed, passionate advocates.

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Gene at Leilani Farm Sanctuary. Photo credit: Leilani Farm Sanctuary.

All of these individuals who are supporting animal causes, choosing more plant-based diets, and speaking out on behalf of suffering animals show me that we can make a positive difference in our world. I just love watching our movement grow!

A Day in the Life of a Lamb

Posted on February 21, 2013 by kvollbrecht

By Tara Oresick

On January 21, two lambs began their very first day at our Northern California Shelter — and they began it very early. Twins Elizabeth and Zuri were born at about 4:30 a.m. (read about the rescue of their mother, Dolly). Each entered the world in very different ways, and so life itself is unfolding differently for them. But for both, each morning promises a busy day of learning and growing.

Getting to Know You: Zuri

Zuri had a rough start. On the morning of her birth, she was rushed to the hospital after caregivers found her clinging to life, lying still and wet on the floor of the barn with the birth sack still encasing her head and aspirated fluid in her lungs. Dolly, already inseparable from firstborn Elizabeth, seemed unaware of her second lamb. It was caregivers who cleaned, dried, and warmed Zuri in her first moments.

Like many other prey animals, sheep are keenly aware of their own and their babies’ vulnerability. Determined to keep their young alive, ewes are sometimes compelled to make a wrenching decision to devote their energy to a stronger lamb at the expense of one with a slim chance of survival, lest both die. We think this was the case with Dolly, who is one of the most fearful sheep we have ever rescued. She used the strength she had to protect Elizabeth, perhaps not even realizing that Zuri was alive. When Zuri returned from the hospital, Dolly did not appear to recognize her as her daughter and was reluctant to nurse her.

Zuri quickly took to the bottle, though, and she currently lives in our shelter hospital, where she has no less than five human moms and dads (her caregivers). Confident and carefree, she adores us and follows us everywhere like a tiny assistant.

Zuri with Northern California Shelter Director Tara Oresick

At the first sound of the doorknob turning in the morning, Zuri is up and bleating. And she’ll let you know if you’re running late! Along with her breakfast, Zuri receives a morning health check and gets her temperature taken. Over the course of the day, she’ll be weighed, her umbilicus (where her umbilical cord was attached) will be cleaned to prevent infection, and she’ll have a few more meals, too. Zuri gets sleepy as the day wears on, but she’s reluctant to take naps because she always wants to be part of the action.

After breakfast, it’s time to play and explore.

Zuri frolicing with caregiver Luke.

Zuri loves to run outside…

she checks in with the neighbors…

and, most of all, she loves to scramble to the top of anything she can — and then leap off! Straw bales are pretty much her favorite things.

Getting to Know You: Elizabeth

Elizabeth gets her meals from her mom instead of a bottle. Unlike her gregarious sister, Elizabeth is shy — she’d rather hang out with Dolly than socialize with visitors. But she, too, loves leaping off straw bales. Both Zuri and Elizabeth are super happy lambs who just want to run around and kick up their heels.

Elizabeth and Dolly love each other more than anything. The two live together in a private stall and yard — their own little studio apartment — and they stick to each other like glue!

Wherever Elizabeth goes, Dolly is right behind, “baa-ing” for her to be careful. When we perform health checks on Elizabeth, her mom is with her the entire time, uttering a series of guttural sounds — a special language that exists only between ewes and their lambs.

The relationship between Dolly and Elizabeth epitomizes the incredibly tight bonds that form between mother and baby sheep. Ewes are on alert for anything that might be a threat to their babies. Lambs, in turn, take their cues from mom’s behavior, learning from her what’s safe and what’s not.

The protection, comfort, and communication forged through the ewe–lamb bond are also expressed on a larger scale among the close-knit members of a sheep flock, something our two new lambs will experience when they get bigger.

And they are getting bigger! Elizabeth and Zuri are growing by leaps and bounds.

Now that Zuri and Elizabeth have grown some and mom is beginning to feel more at ease with us, the twins have daily play dates. Elizabeth is coming out of her shell and will now run up to caregivers in order to be with her beloved sister. Even though Elizabeth and Zuri started out apart, they will definitely be growing up together. They spend hours waging jumping contests and resting their heads on each other.

When night has fallen, it’s time for lambs to go to sleep, but they’ll be up in a few hours for their late-night snack. Bedtime is just a short break in the midst of their excitement. A day in the life of a lamb doesn’t really end; it just flows into a new day of wonders and fresh bales of straw.

The Cruelest of All Factory Farm Products: Eggs from Caged Hens

Posted on January 17, 2013 by kvollbrecht

By Bruce

Battery cages are the small wire cages where about 95 percent of laying hens spend their entire lives; each hen is given about 67 to 76 square inches of space (a standard sheet of paper measures 94 square inches). To get a sense of a hen’s life in a battery cage, imagine spending your entire life in a wire cage the size of your bathtub with four other people. You wouldn’t be able to move, so your muscles and bones would deteriorate. Your feet would become lacerated. You would go insane. That’s precisely what happens to laying hens.

In the United States, roughly nine billion chickens, pigs, and other farm animals are consumed annually, and the vast majority of them are abused in ways that would warrant felony cruelty-to-animals charges were dogs or cats the victims. But three systems are particularly cruel: gestation crates for pregnant pigs, veal crates for calves, and battery cages for laying hens. As of January 1, all three are illegal across Europe, and it is past time for the United States and Canada to follow suit.

After decades of consumer outcry, the veal industry recently took the important step of announcing that it will work toward eliminating the crate confinement of calves. And, as discussed previously, gestation crates may also be headed for the dust bin of history. While this is positive news for pigs and calves, there is currently no clear end in sight for battery cages, with roughly 95 percent of all eggs in the United States still coming from caged hens. There are roughly 4.5 million mother pigs and fewer than 500,000 calves in crates, and approximately 250 million hens in battery cages. So for every caged calf or pig, there are roughly 50 caged hens.

Barren battery cages are so hideously cruel that, in addition to having been outlawed across the European Union, they have been condemned by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, which included former Kansas governor John Carlin and former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman (who also chaired the House Agriculture committee), as well as farmers and ranchers. They’re also condemned by every animal protection group in the world.

Here’s why:

Battery Cages Destroy Chickens’ Bodies
Battery cages are so small that not one hen can extend her wings, yet there are three or more hens in each cage. The animals’ muscles and bones waste away from lack of use. By the time hens are removed from cages after about two years, they’ve suffered from severe bone loss and tens of millions suffer new broken bones as they’re ripped from their cages.

Some birds’ skeletal systems become so weak that their spinal cords deteriorate and they become paralyzed; the animals then die from dehydration in their cages. This unimaginably horrid situation is so common that the industry has a term for it, “cage fatigue,” and investigation after investigation finds living birds forced to stand on the rotting, mummified carcasses of their dead cage-mates. Additionally, standing and rubbing against wire cages destroys the health of hens’ feathers and skin, and the birds’ overgrown claws often become caught in cage wires; they either die where they are trapped, or they have to tear their skin to escape. Click here or here for documentation and video; it is hard to imagine a life worse than that of a battery caged hen.

Battery Cages Destroy Chickens’ Minds
Chickens outperform both dogs and cats on tests of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral complexity. Dr. Jane Goodall explains that “farm animals feel pleasure and sadness, excitement and resentment, depression, fear, and pain. They are far more aware and intelligent than we ever imagined… they are individuals in their own right.” Discovery Magazine explains research on chickens from the University of Bristol: “Chickens do not just live in the present but can anticipate the future and demonstrate self-control… something previously attributed only to humans and other primates…”

Symphony, rescued from an egg factory farm

In battery cages, these inquisitive and social animals — who are particularly doting mothers — have their every natural desire frustrated. They never perch, forage, take a dust bath, nest, or explore their surroundings. Their lives are categorized by unmitigated mental suffering — from the moment they’re crammed into a cage until the moment they are torn from it two years later, as is well-documented in this Humane Society of the United States report.

This is what housing looks like for 95 percent of American hens. Each egg requires 34 hours in these conditions.

Conclusion
So far, the only national grocery store chain to have banned the sale of eggs from caged hens is Whole Foods. The only restaurant chain promising to ban them from its supply chain is Burger King (by 2017). These companies deserve plaudits for their progress. These types of cages will also be illegal in California in 2015 and in Michigan in 2019, and legislation to ban them will be introduced in Massachusetts soon (if you live in Massachusetts, check farmsanctuary.org for updates).

At Farm Sanctuary, we spend our lives with farm animals, and we wouldn’t eat them or their eggs under any circumstances. We recoil at the abuse of hens in all systems, including cage-free and colony cage conditions. But we also work to abolish the very worst abuses of farm animals, and it’s hard to imagine anything worse than the tiny, barren, cramped battery cages where 250 million hens are currently forced to spend their lives.

Battery cages have to go. Please visit farmsanctuary.org to find out how you can help, and watch this video of Allison Janney as she introduces Symphony, a hen who escaped from a battery cage.

This blog originally appeared on Huffington Post on January 16, 2013

Gimme Shelter

Posted on December 20, 2012 by kvollbrecht

This year, with the help of our supporters and members, we rescued hundreds of animals from abuse, neglect, and peril, giving them refuge and rehabilitation at our three shelters. As the year closes, we’d like to share with you updates on some of these amazing survivors.

Northern California Shelter
By Tara

Scribbles

Scribbles was rescued from rough treatment as a backyard pet, when he was a tiny kid.

When he was still too small for the goat herd, Scribbles lived in the more subdued company of our sheep flock. His spunk delighted caregivers and guests from the get-go, but the sheep were not impressed with this newcomer’s antics — running, jumping, and playing all day. To their relief, we soon decided it was time for him to join his fellow goats. Scribbles was thrilled. So many new friends to head-butt! He quickly learned, however, that these friends would butt him right back — a shock at first, but he quickly adjusted his expectations. Scribbles is still sometimes too enthusiastic for the tastes of some herd members, but when this happens, seasoned mama goats Annie and Debra put him in his place. His peers often indulge him in play, but Scribbles has no trouble amusing himself by running through the pasture at full speed and executing acrobatic jumps while caretakers and visitors watch with delight. Scribbles is still growing like a weed and on his way to becoming a tall and handsome adult.

Tilly and friends

Tilly

In February our Orland shelter opened its doors to 400 hens rescued from an abandoned factory egg farm, where they had struggled to survive crammed into battery cages without food or water for two weeks. It was a long road to recovery for these girls, who arrived feeble, emaciated, and covered with parasites. To our grief, some were too far gone to save. Most, however, slowly gained strength — and they discovered joy. For the first time in their lives, these hens had space to flap their wings and felt grass beneath their feet and the sun on their feathers.

Many of the hens needed prolonged treatment for poultry mites. Even with these bloodsucking parasites, one particularly vivacious hen named Tilly, got right down to the business of enjoying herself with plenty of socializing and sunbathing. And now that she’s parasite-free, she loves life all the more, especially at meal time: When caregivers arrive with food, Tilly is right there to greet them.

Over the year, we have worked hard not only to rehabilitate these girls but also to find them permanent homes through our Farm Animal Adoption Network (FAAN). In the immediate aftermath of the rescue, we were able to place 50 of the healthiest hens, and have since placed another 100 with wonderful families and sanctuaries in California, Oregon, and Washington. The hens who continue to need extra care will remain with us at the shelter.

Tilly

New York Shelter
By Susie

Ewes and Lambs

In April, we rescued 60 desperately neglected animals from a backyard butcher in Cattaraugus County, New York. Among the survivors were several mother sheep who nearly starved to death as they struggled to keep their young lambs alive. We have been thrilled to watch these weak, sick sheep transform into the contented flock that now thrives at our New York Shelter.

The first family I saw as I entered that horrible barn in Cattaraugus was Yolanda and her twin lambs James and Anne. Yolanda was so weak that her body had stopped producing milk, and her babies were hungry and bloated. Now they’re the picture of health. Yolanda, like many of the others, was terrified of humans at first and remains a little wary, but her twins have no such reservations. Anne in particular is a free spirit, sometimes to her mother’s chagrin. As Anne scampers off in search of visitors, head-scratches, and adventure, Yolanda “baas” after her.

Anne

James

Flock mate Adriano, by contrast, has displayed a stronger sense of familial responsibility. From the start, Adriano was fiercely protective of his mother and his twin, Isabella. When a staff member briefly separated him from his family during a barn cleaning, the 30-pound lamb fearlessly delivered an admonitory head-butt. Although he is still a devoted protector of his mom and sister, Adriano now realizes that the humans here are his friends. He greets you every time you enter the barn, standing close by lest you forget to pet his head and chest.

Adriano

Like Adriano, an old ewe named Audrey has also acted as a pillar of strength since the rescue. The thinnest and weakest sheep of the rescue, she clearly had lived on the property for a long time, enduring pregnancy after pregnancy only to lose her babies to slaughter. Nevertheless, Audrey’s spirit remained unbroken. She has always been the bravest of the Cattaraugus flock, approaching us even at the beginning when the others were too shy. She is a wonderful flock leader. Her fellow sheep stay with her all day, and her devoted son Abbi — the lamb who, at last, she will be allowed to keep with her — is never far from her side.

Abbi

Belinda

Belinda was among seven emaciated cattle rescued from the same backyard butcher. Far too old to be safely bred, she was pregnant when we rescued her. As she coped first with starvation on that barren Cattaraugus field and then with the resulting illness at our shelter and at Cornell University Hospital for Animals, Belinda received help not only from us but also from her fellow cows. Her herd mates took in her daughter Octavia, born before her rescue, and then her son Elijah, born at the shelter.

With her children thriving under the care of their adoptive mothers, Belinda could devote her strength to battling her ailments. She struggled with mastitis and a pathological bleeding condition that left wounds wherever her doctors drew blood or administered injections. She had anemia and renal failure. Rotten teeth made it painful for her to eat, and she required immediate dental care. She was extremely sick for months. At one point, she nearly died.

We still monitor her closely for mastitis and give her a special feed to help her gain weight, but Belinda is finally and decisively on the mend. She gets better every day — and happier too. She was once scared of humans, but now she is confident and friendly with her caregivers. And, she adores her new companions in our special-needs herd. Astoundingly, after all she has suffered, Belinda is in love with life.

Julia and Her Piglets

When we last told you about Julia, this brave sow was still recovering from a premature delivery in the wake of a brutal beating. A mere eight hours after we rescued her from a factory farm where workers kicked, shocked, and dragged her by her ears, she gave birth to sixteen piglets at our shelter. At one and half years old, she had been on her next-to-last litter, after which she would have been sent to slaughter.

Julia with Diane, Linus, Betty, and Christopher.

Julia’s babies were fragile, and many needed intensive care to survive. But survive they did – and how! All two pounds or less when they were born, these hearty youngsters are now between 50 and 75 pounds. They are happy, confident, and enthusiastic about life. No wonder — they’ve known nothing but kindness from their first moments.

We’ve placed several of these carefree pigs in wonderful adoptive homes, making sure to keep each with his or her favorite sibling. Diane and Linus, who had the hardest time at first, remain here with their mom. Now healthy and strong, Julia is the happiest pig I know, and she never misses a chance to talk to you when you walk by her yard or come into her pen. Even after all she endured at the hands of humans, she greets us with pure joy.

With the support of our members and friends, we have been able to give these, and all the animals we rescued in 2012, a chance to live, to heal, and to know happiness. We extend warm thanks to everyone who has made this year’s rescue efforts possible, and we look forward to helping even more animals together in 2013!

Northern California Shelter By Tara

Scribbles

Tilly and friends

New York Shelter By Susie

Ewes and Lambs

Belinda

Julia and Her Piglets

Northern California Shelter
By Tara

New York Shelter
By Susie