February 2020
Marin VEG Newsletter
Groundhog Day, Valentines Day, Presidents' Day, Leap Year Day . . .
Whatever and however you celebrate or don't, I hope that you enjoy
the extravagantly green hills, noticeably longer days, and the
abundance of new growth on branches, bushes, trails, and even in the
cracks in the sidewalks. Happy
February!
Ethical
Chocolate
What's
not ethical about chocolate? Aside from the cruelty in dairy
milk production, many chocolate companies get their cocoa beans
from countries where slave labor and child slavery are the norm.
Whenever you buy chocolate, first consult the ethical
chocolate list from The Food Empowerment Project. Only vegan
chocolate is approved, and only chocolate from companies not using
slave labor. Happily, the list of ethical chocolate is large and
growing, and many Marin supermarkets carry some of these brands.
Learn more and see the list (and download the app) at https://foodispower.org/chocolate-list/
Through Friday, February 14
15% off Sjaak Chocolates
Order
before February 15, and all products from the Sjaak Organic
Chocolates will be 15% off if you use the code Valentine2020 (case
sensitive) when you place your order. Shop for a variety of
ethical, beautiful, delicious gifts and treats at www.sjaaks.com
Saturday, February 29
Conscious Eating Conference in Berkeley
It
only comes once every four years, so let's make February 29
special. Join me at the ninth annual conference on conscious
eating, sponsored by United Poultry Concerns. The day long event
is at the David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way in Berkeley.
This year's theme is overlapping oppressions, and the presenters
are stellar. I am honored to a part of a panel of women
discussing animal rights herstory. Pre-registration is $25. At
the door cost is $35. Lunch is included along with a continental
breakfast and all day tea/coffee service. Bring your own mug if
possible. See the schedule, the speaker bios, watch videos from
last year's conference, and sign up at
https://upc-online.org/forums/2020/
New Restaurant from Millennium Team Coming to San Francisco
Chef Eric Tucker and General Manager
Alison Bagby of Millennium fame are opening a new
restaurant/brewpub in San Francisco's Mission District. No date
is set yet, but a lease has been signed. The new place will be
called Above Ground, and the vegan food world is eagerly
anticipating this new addition. Millennium in Oakland will
remain open for dinner, but Sunday brunch is no longer being
served. I found two good articles about this, and the second
one, from sf.eater, includes a history of Millennium and a bow
to its former owners, Marin's own Ann and Larry Wheat.
https://vegnews.com/2020/1/team-behind-iconic-millennium-restaurant-is-opening-a-new-brewpub-in-san-francisco
https://sf.eater.com/2020/1/17/21070861/millennium-vegan-mission-brewpub
Veganism Protected as Philosophical
Belief
A judge in the UK decided that ethical
veganism is equal to other philosophical beliefs and worthy of
protection by law. From the CNN article:
"In a short summary judgment,
[the judge] declared that veganism "clearly in my view meets
all the criteria; It is a philosophical belief, not just an
opinion."
"It is cogent, serious and important, and worthy of respect in
democratic society," he added. Read the story here:https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/03/uk/vegan-discrimination-intl-scli-gbr/index.html
Ben & Jerry's New Vegan Flavors are Sunflower Based
Sunflower butter replaces almond butter in three new flavors
launching from Ben & Jerry's non-dairy frozen desserts. Look
for Creme Brulee, Milk & Cookies, and Mint Chocolate Cookie
wherever Ben & Jerry's is sold. Read more about the growing
market for vegan ice cream (and the good news about Ben &
Jerry's dropping its claim of sourcing from "happy cows") at
https://compassionate-living.networkforgood.com/
I Thought This Was a Joke, But oh . . .
Researchers in Oxford have developed a patch that smells like bacon
to help people go vegan. The science says it can help curb
cravings. In the 34 years since I learned about pigs and how
horribly they are treated and killed for their body parts, I have
not once wanted to eat any body part from a pig. Tempeh bacon and
Smart bacon taste great on a vegan BLT, but the thought of eating
animals is not remotely attractive. I hope this patch will help
some people, and I hope also that word keeps spreading about vegan
flavors and textures that don't require animal abuse and slaughter.
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/bacon-patch-reduces-cravings
Awards Dinners Go Vegan and Some Complain
The Golden Globe Awards dinner was vegan. So was
the Critics Choice Awards dinner. The Academy Awards hosted a
vegan lunch for all the nominees and will offer only vegan food in
the lobby before the ceremony. The Governors Ball after the awards
will be 70 percent vegan. Of course there is push back from those
who think of food as only a personal choice and who don't want to
think about or take responsibility for its effects on animals and
the planet. Here is one article with that push back point of view.
https://www.esquireme.com/content/43042-the-oscars-2020-is-trying-to-go-plant-based-and-plastic-free
Nestle Making Vegan Sausages
The world's largest food company is now producing vegan
sausages. These will be available in Europe in March and in the U.S.
in April. Read more about it at https://5newsonline.com/2020/01/17/the-worlds-biggest-food-company-is-now-making-vegan-sausages/
Amy's Offers Vegan Versions of Some of Their Vegetarian Meals
A variety of frozen meals from Amy's are now available in vegan
versions. Here's the story:
https://vegnews.com/2020/1/amy-s-launches-cheesy-vegan-versions-of-its-classic-vegetarian-meals
What Else
to Do in February
As always,
be sure to look at http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.htm
and http://www.meetup.com/marin-vegan/
to find out what's happening in the coming weeks. And check out
Compassionate Living in Sonoma County. Their web site is www.socoveg.org/ and
The San Francisco Veg Society at www. SFVS.org.
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