May 2026
Marin VEG Newsletter

There was an ancient custom to wash your face in the morning dew on the first day of May to ensure health and beauty.  I suspect that waking early and going outdoors before the dew evaporates is probably more helpful than the dew facial, but who knows?  I want to stay open to possibilities this month.  Starting most declarations with "I may be wrong..." keeps me humble and encourages open minded dialogue.  Here's to a month of endless possibilities.


Friday, May 1 - Sunday , May 31 May 31
Marin Vegan Chef Challenge is Back
Starting May 1 more than 17 Marin restaurants will be competing in the second Marin Vegan Chef Challenge, and we are the judges!  Each participating restaurant will add new vegan dishes to their menu, and we are encouraged to try them, rate them, and help get them added to the regular menu by showing our support.  The event is coordinated by Vegan Outreach, with local leadership from volunteer organizers Darshan Brach of Vegan Outreach and Aurora Doyon of Vegan Marin (Facebook group). This year's challenge is sponsored by Vegan Distribution and Jinka. More restaurants are joining every week, so check out https://veganchefchallenge.org/marin/ before planning your visit to try the new vegan offerings. Here is the event's press release:  Marin County VCC - Press Release.pdf - Google Drive


Monday, May 4
International Respect for Chickens Day
Started in 2005 by United Poultry Concerns, International Respect for Chickens Day celebrates chickens and protests the bleakness of their lives in farming operations.  We are encouraged to take action for chickens on May 4 and throughout the month of May.  Here are some simple actions: Talk to friends,family and co-workers  about the plight and delight of chickens; table at your place of worship; host a potluck that highlights vegan alternatives to chicken based dishes; call in to a radio show; write a letter to the editor; include a link to United Poultry Concerns in your emails and on social media (UPC-online.org)  When you visit this website, notice the photo that accompanies  the words "What Wings Are For."  It's one of my favorites.

Sunday, May 10
Mother's Day
While I honor and respect all mothers and bless the memory of my own, I will observe Mother's Day this year by focusing on the mothers of non-human animals.  Cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo, camels, yaks, reindeer, horses, and donkeys all provide milk for their offspring that humans take for their own.  While I don't know enough about other cultures and their customs in other parts of the world, I do know that consuming cows' milk in our country is made possible by cruel practices.  The cow is impregnated repeatedly, and her newborn baby is repeatedly taken away from her so humans can take the mother's milk. If you have seen videos of "separation day" on dairy farms, you will have seen the mothers chasing after and crying out for their babies.  The veal industry depends on newborn male calves being kept for the first eight weeks of their lives tethered in isolation so their flesh will stay "tender." (Have you seen the small, igloo-like structures on dairy farms at Pt, Reyes? Those are where baby calves are confined, deprived of their mothers' touch.) And when the cow is no longer profitable for milk production ("spent") she is sold for her flesh to make fast food hamburgers. Thanks to Farm Animal Rights Movement (farmusa.org) for reminding me of what Mother's Day can mean to us.  Let's raise a glass of oat, soy, or almond milk to the mothers of all species on Mother's Day this year.


Millennium Closing and Changing (and Maybe Returning)
After 32 years, the groundbreaking fine dining restaurant Millennium is closing in May. While happy memories will endure (Asian Style Napoleon!Chocolate Almond Midnight!), the restaurant will not continue as we know it.  In interviews, co-owners Alison Bagby and Eric Tucker suggest that they are planning to change the format and find a way to keep the name and location. I don't agree with the SF Gate article that singles out vegan restaurants as being on the decline.  Many restaurants, vegan or not, are struggling and closing since the 2020 Covid disruption. Here are two stories about the closing and one about plans for the future.
https://vegnews.com/millennium-oakland-closing Bay Area vegan restaurant to close after 31 years as diet trends shift

https://whatnow.com/san-francisco/restaurants/millennium-restaurant-owners-hint-at-new-rebrand-after-30-years/

Dr. Michael Klaper's New Book:
Moving Medicine Forward: What More Doctors Should Know About Nutrition and How It Can Save Your Life
One of the first vegan physicians in the 20th century, Dr. Michael Klaper has spent his entire career educating people about the role of plant based diets in reducing the risk for many chronic and deadly diseases.  In his new book, Moving Medicine Forward, written with Glen Merzer, Dr. Klaper has distilled his wisdom and experience into a readable and relatable book for health professionals and anyone who wants to maximize their odds of living a long, healthy life.The write up on Amazon says: For both patients seeking a straightforward, nutrition-based path to health and doctors who want to do their best by their patients, this book remedies the gap in knowledge between diet and metabolic disease, while empowering readers with the tools they need to heal and live well. The health care “status quo” is failing all of us. It’s time to move medicine forward. To order from an independent bookstore go to  https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=+Moving+medicine+forward

Miyoko's Is Coming Back But Without Miyoko
Prosperity Organic Foods reports that Miyoko's products will be back on the shelves in May.  Miyoko is no longer involved with the company. Here is the story from VegNews.  Cult-Favorite Vegan Cheese Brand Miyoko’s Creamery Is Making Its Comeback | VegNews


Wonderful, Important Talk by Carol J. Adams
I highly recommend this talk about meat, masculinity and our culture's treatment of women by the author of The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams.  https://youtu.be/ZsdCS0f6Zj0   I could not figure out how to enlarge the window in which the speaker is shown, but even in a small window, the talk is worth watching.

   

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