Vegan Food - Animal Rights Zone2024-03-28T19:33:41Zhttp://arzone.ning.com/forum/categories/vegan-food/listForCategory?feed=yes&xn_auth=noVeganic Farming and Gardeningtag:arzone.ning.com,2013-06-15:4715978:Topic:1308882013-06-15T04:29:23.992ZCarolyn Baileyhttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/CarolynBailey
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-7"><span style="font-family: impact, chicago;">Veganic Farming and Gardening </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: impact, chicago;"> …</span></span></h2>
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/otTbSG6O7AWzTSQACR0OLSAaWMNZRr2qTV2XDYcjPZna7fJBD64pVBzWlx8nYIxfVS9iCgRr2UTM_G2ZnxUnoK3V6fXIOxWhrn-81S8XdST4rEDsuHM" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/otTbSG6O7AWzTSQACR0OLSAaWMNZRr2qTV2XDYcjPZna7fJBD64pVBzWlx8nYIxfVS9iCgRr2UTM_G2ZnxUnoK3V6fXIOxWhrn-81S8XdST4rEDsuHM?width=400" width="400"></img></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-7"><span style="font-family: impact, chicago;">Veganic Farming and Gardening </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: impact, chicago;"> </span></span></h2>
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/otTbSG6O7AWzTSQACR0OLSAaWMNZRr2qTV2XDYcjPZna7fJBD64pVBzWlx8nYIxfVS9iCgRr2UTM_G2ZnxUnoK3V6fXIOxWhrn-81S8XdST4rEDsuHM" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/otTbSG6O7AWzTSQACR0OLSAaWMNZRr2qTV2XDYcjPZna7fJBD64pVBzWlx8nYIxfVS9iCgRr2UTM_G2ZnxUnoK3V6fXIOxWhrn-81S8XdST4rEDsuHM?width=400" width="400" class="align-center"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-1">Veganic crops grown on a commercial, sustainable veganic farm: Tolhurst Organic Produce.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">Animals and animal products are not necessary for the cultivation of plant foods. None of the nutrients required for soil fertility originate in animals; they come from plants. In nature, <a href="http://www.goveganic.net/article205.html" target="_blank">plants keep the soil fertile</a>. Plants cycle carbon and nitrogen from the air, and some specialized plants bring nutrients to the surface via long taproots. When the leaves, branches and roots of these plants decompose in the soil, the nutrients are then available to other plants as a form of nourishment. The nutrients in animal manures also come from plants, or plant-based feeds, that the animals have ingested. (<a href="http://www.goveganic.net/article205.html">1</a>)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">Although the notion of growing crops without the use of animals or animal products is unfamiliar to many people, there is nothing novel about it. For centuries, farmers did not rely solely on animal manures to grow crops, because there were not enough domestic animals available to produce that much manure. In fact there is <a href="http://sustainablefarmer.net/pdflibrary/library-greenmanuring.pdf" target="_blank">a long history of the use of plant-based, “green manures”</a>in Chinese, Greek and Roman agricultures. (<a href="http://sustainablefarmer.net/pdflibrary/library-greenmanuring.pdf" target="_blank">2</a>) Though this technique did not begin to gain attention in North America until around the mid-1800s, <a href="http://www.goveganic.net/spip.php?article125" target="_blank">green manuring</a> is an important part of many farming operations concerned with sustainability, and is fundamental to veganic agriculture.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-2">Produced by <a href="http://www.vegansociety.com/" target="_blank">The Vegan Society</a></span><br/><br/></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">Veganic agriculture is an approach to growing food that is designed to produce plant foods for humans without causing intentional harm to animals. Unlike conventional farming methods, it is beneficial for the environment and for ecosystems. Also known as “stockfree,” “vegan organic,” and “plant-based” farming, veganic agriculture avoids all artificial chemical products (synthetic fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, growth regulators), genetically modified organisms (GMOs), animal manures and slaughterhouse by-products. Both conventional and organic farming methods rely heavily on animal products. Conventional farmers use manure from factory farms and confinement operations, and organic growers, who avoid chemical fertilizers, use farm and slaughterhouse animal by-products as fertilizers, including manure, blood meal, bone meal, feather meal, and fish emulsion. Even on organic farms, these by-products often come from feedlots and large-scale confinement operations where the animals suffer horribly, emotionally as well as physically from illnesses caused by filth, neglect, abuse and crowded conditions.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">The manure from many of these animals carries intestinal and parasitic diseases, and often contains antibiotic residues. Cows frequently harbor E.coli 0157:H7 in their intestines, and this can be transmitted to vegetables via application of manure, as has been seen in e.coli outbreaks in humans from consumption of tainted produce. (<a href="http://www.navs-online.org/veganic_gardening/gardening/plant_agriculture.php">3</a>) Veganic agriculture eliminates dependence on animals for fertilizer, grazing or any other input, by using plant-based techniques to promote soil fertility. These methods include:</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.goveganic.net/spip.php?article124" target="_blank">Mulch</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://gentleworld.org/beginners-guide-to-organic-composting/" target="_blank">Compost</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.goveganic.net/spip.php?article125" target="_blank">Green manure</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.goveganic.net/spip.php?article17" target="_blank">Chipped branched wood</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.veganic.com/veganic-farmers" target="_blank">Crop rotation</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.goveganic.net/rubrique97.html" target="_blank">Forest gardening</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyculture" target="_blank">Polyculture</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.goveganic.net/spip.php?article68" target="_blank">Vegan permaculture</a></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">and any other techniques that are sustainable and don’t depend upon exploitation of animals.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-2">Produced by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/veganorganicnetwork/" target="_blank">Vegan Organic Network</a></span><br/> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Veganic agriculture is far more sustainable than conventional growing methods, for several reasons. By producing their own sources of fertilizer directly on the farm, veganic growers reduce dependence on fossil fuels and toxic chemicals. They also use land more efficiently. Farmers who rely on cows (whether their own or others) for fertilizer require much more land than those who use veganic techniques for soil fertility. And as the human population increases, dependence on animals for food will require more forests being cleared and wildlife habitats destroyed in order to create yet more room for grazing and for growing livestock feed. It takes far less land to grow crops directly for human consumption. And unlike conventional farming techniques which deplete the soil (as does grazing), veganic techniques replenish and improve the nutrient content of soil, promoting not only short-term but long-term fertility. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">Finally, whereas <a href="http://woodstocksanctuary.org/learn/factory-farmed-animals/wildlife/" target="_blank">millions of animals are killed every year to protect conventional agriculture</a> via traps, poisons, pesticides, and other licensed forms of extermination, veganic farming practices actually encourage wildlife, and restore biodiversity of plants and animals, by creating habitats. Promoting diverse plant, animal and insect species means it is less likely that any single species will take hold and cause crop damage. Techniques such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_planting" target="_blank">companion planting</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetle_bank">beetle banks</a> and hedge cultivation can be used to maintain the balance of potentially competing animals. Veganic growers are committed to the care of the wild ecology that surrounds and makes up their farmland.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">If you’d like to get a better idea of what veganic farming looks like, the following half-hour video is a wonderful demonstration of all of these principles and practices at work.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-2">Produced by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/veganorganicnetwork/" target="_blank">Vegan Organic Network</a></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">It’s important to raise awareness that we can grow all the food we need without exploiting or harming animals, and to let people know that veganic agriculture is not only feasible and more sustainable, but that it has been practiced successfully on a commercial scale for over 20 years in the UK, and for more than a decade in the US. Check out <a href="http://www.tolhurstorganic.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tolhurst Organic Produce</a> in Oxfordshire, England, and <a href="http://www.huguenotfarm.com/" target="_blank">Huguenot Street Farm</a> in New Paltz, NY. You can also find a directory of <a href="http://www.goveganic.net/rubrique4.html" target="_blank">North American veganic farms</a> at the Veganic Agriculture Network website. Additionally, the <a href="http://www.goveganic.net/" target="_blank">Veganic Agriculture Network</a> provides extensive information on veganic growing principles, techniques, and resources for anyone interested in veganic gardening or farming.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.stockfreeorganic.net/" target="_blank">Stockfree Organic Services</a> welcomes questions from farmers and growers who are already stockfree/veganic, or who are considering converting to this method.<br/> <br/></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">More web resources on veganic farming and gardening:<br/> <br/></span></span> <strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/veganorganicnetwork/" target="_blank">Vegan Organic Network<br/></a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://veganorganic.net/information-for-growers/factsheets/" target="_blank">Information sheets</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.goveganic.net/" target="_blank">Vegan Agriculture Network</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.stockfreeorganic.net/" target="_blank">Stockfree Organic Services</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.veganiculture.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Veganiculture Blog</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://gentleworld.org/beginners-guide-to-veganic-gardening/" target="_blank">Beginner’s Guide to Veganic Gardening</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://libaware.economads.com/veganco.php" target="_blank">Vegan and vegan-friendly farm communities list on Economads</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.veganviews.org.uk/vv99/vv99permaculture.html" target="_blank">An informative interview with vegan permaculturalist, Graham Burnett</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://newpfaf.webhost4life.com/user/" target="_blank">Plants For a Future—a resource center for plants used in vegan-organic permaculture</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan_organic_gardening" target="_blank">Learn about Veganic Farming on Wikipedia</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.goveganic.net/spip.php?article60" target="_blank">Going Green International</a> </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com/search/label/growing%20vegan-organic" target="_blank">Some quick info about veganic methods</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://james-mcwilliams.com/?p=1463" target="_blank">Vegan Permaculture</a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.veganicpermaculture.com/" target="_blank">Veganic Permaculture and Forest Gardening</a></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.veganicpermaculture.com/" target="_blank"><br/><br/></a></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-4"><br/> For a list of good books on veganic growing practices, click <span class="font-size-5"><a href="http://www.goveganic.net/rubrique43.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br/></span></span> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">________________</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">(1) Veganic Agriculture Network, <a href="http://www.goveganic.net/article205.html" target="_blank">Veganic Fertility: Growing Plants from Plants</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">(2) Pieters, Adrian J. <a href="http://sustainablefarmer.net/pdflibrary/library-greenmanuring.pdf" target="_blank">Green Manuring Principles and Practice</a></span><br/> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3">(3) Aibrams-McHenry, Mailbeth, <a href="http://www.navs-online.org/veganic_gardening/gardening/plant_agriculture.php" target="_blank">Is It Time for a Plant-Based Agriculture?</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-4" style="color: #333399;"><em><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">This information has been re-published with the very kind permission of <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary</span></a>.</span> Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary is driven by the simple philosophy that kindness and respect to other animals is our duty and that all the creatures that share this earth are here with us and not for us. </span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #333333;">There are a number of ways that we can all help Woodstock in their <a href="http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/about/mission/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #333333;">mission</span></a> of providing both education to those who may not yet be vegan, and a haven to those who have been used and were lucky enough to find sanctuary at Woodstock. Please see <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">HERE</span></a></span> for more information on how you may be able to help.</span> </span></em></span><br/> <br/> <br/></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="font-size-3"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038392475?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038392475?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
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<p></p> If you need proof that meat is bad for you, watch this presentation.tag:arzone.ning.com,2012-09-12:4715978:Topic:1096592012-09-12T10:37:59.491ZKerry Bakerhttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/KerryBaker
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<p>This is quite an entertaining and very interesting presentation about diet. Runs around 55 minutes.</p>
<p><br/>Very entertaining presenter but the message is serious and clearly points to a whole food plant based diet.</p>
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<p><a href="http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/">http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/</a></p>
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<p>This is quite an entertaining and very interesting presentation about diet. Runs around 55 minutes.</p>
<p><br/>Very entertaining presenter but the message is serious and clearly points to a whole food plant based diet.</p>
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<p><a href="http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/">http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/</a></p>
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<p></p> Discrimination? Why it'll be vegetarians only on NASA's mission to Marstag:arzone.ning.com,2012-07-19:4715978:Topic:1043422012-07-19T22:48:24.728ZTim Gierhttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/TimGier
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<ul class="article-meta">
<li>By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)</li>
<li>7/18/2012</li>
<li><strong>Catholic Online (<a href="http://www.catholic.org/" target="_blank">www.catholic.org</a>)</strong></li>
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<p class="subhead"><a href="http://www.catholic.org/travel/guadalupe/story.php?id=46995" target="_blank">The 2030 mission to Mars will feature an all vegetarian crew.</a></p>
<p><em>Only vegetarians will be visiting Mars, or at least that's…</em></p>
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<ul class="article-meta">
<li>By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)</li>
<li>7/18/2012</li>
<li><strong>Catholic Online (<a href="http://www.catholic.org/" target="_blank">www.catholic.org</a>)</strong></li>
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<p class="subhead"><a href="http://www.catholic.org/travel/guadalupe/story.php?id=46995" target="_blank">The 2030 mission to Mars will feature an all vegetarian crew.</a></p>
<p><em>Only vegetarians will be visiting Mars, or at least that's according to the people who are in charge of designing the menu for NASA's Martian astronauts who may visit the planet sometime in the 2030's. Researchers have already begun planning the mission and are working on the all-important menu.</em></p>
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<p>Food matters. It's one of the most important contributors to morale and well being, especially when you're living in cramped quarters and facing imminent life and death situations. This has been known throughout history. Ancient records tell of feasts before battles, in more modern times extra rations have been issued to troops before sending them over the top. Today, even condemned prisoners get last meals delivered.</p>
<p><br/><span>For astronauts, food is a much more complicated thing. For one, weightless environments affect taste. For another, a round trip to Mars will take almost three years with 18 of those months spent on the planet. Their food will have to last the duration and remain edible. </span></p>
<p><span>(...)</span></p>
<p><span><span>Why will all the astronauts be vegetarian? It's not really discrimination. Instead, it's because meat and dairy products can't be kept for the long duration of the mission. Therefore, all the meals must be vegetarian -- they can't be anything else. </span></span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038377839?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038377839?profile=original" width="250" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Please <a href="http://www.catholic.org/travel/guadalupe/story.php?id=46995" target="_blank">click here to see the original</a>.</p> Fake Meat - To Eat or Not to Eat, That is the Questiontag:arzone.ning.com,2012-06-14:4715978:Topic:1007652012-06-14T17:19:49.082ZTim Gierhttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/TimGier
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<p>I remember standing in my kitchen one day about 2 years ago making myself a sandwich with a vegan faux-chicken patty. At that time, it had been about a decade since I'd eaten any actual chicken, and the thought crossed my mind "I wonder if this faux-chicken tastes like the real thing?" I couldn't really recall what chicken tastes like.</p>
<p>This morning I saw this article: …</p>
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<p>I remember standing in my kitchen one day about 2 years ago making myself a sandwich with a vegan faux-chicken patty. At that time, it had been about a decade since I'd eaten any actual chicken, and the thought crossed my mind "I wonder if this faux-chicken tastes like the real thing?" I couldn't really recall what chicken tastes like.</p>
<p>This morning I saw this article: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2159300/New-vegan-chicken-product-sells-days-entices-meat-lovers-promise-authentic-texture-flavour.html" target="_blank">New vegan 'chicken' product sells out in days as it entices meat lovers with promise of authentic texture and flavour</a>. You may have heard about how the some of the vegan powers-that-be at Twitter have invested in the company <em>Beyond Meat</em> with the hopes that plant-based meat alternatives become mainstream. According to the article, <em>Beyond Meat</em>'s founder Ethan Brown says:</p>
<p><em>The process that 'takes plant proteins and re-aligns them to mimic the appearance and the mouth-feel of animal proteins,' was developed over a number of years in collaboration with university bio-engineer professors. (...) Mr Brown is not necessarily looking to preach to the converted, though - instead he wants to capture the attention of the non-converts with his healthy and resource efficient alternative. </em></p>
<p><em>According to the company website, as a child, he learned about animal-based agriculture at his father's dairy farm in western Maryland and subsequently grew up wondering if people would really continue to eat animals if 'a delicious and perfect plant-based replication of meat existed'.</em></p>
<p><em>Certainly he has managed to convince New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman that meat cab be fabricated with undetectable results. After sampling the false chicken, he wrote: 'On its own, Brown's "chicken" - produced to mimic boneless, skinless breast - looks like a decent imitation, and the way it shreds is amazing.' In a burrito he went on to say, 'you won't know the difference between that and chicken. I didn't, at least, and this is the kind of thing I do for a living.'</em></p>
<p><em><br/></em>So, here's my question. Should I, as a vegan, be seeking out faux-meat alternatives that remind me of what it's like to eat the real thing? Is there something wrong with a vegan wanting to eat things that <em>"mimic the appearance and the mouth-feel of animal proteins"</em>?<br/><br/>I feel like there is something wrong with it, but I'm not really sure what that something is. What do you think?<br/><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038376793?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="234" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038376793?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="234" class="align-center"/></a></p> PETA recognizes NASCAR for vegan foodtag:arzone.ning.com,2012-05-10:4715978:Topic:948892012-05-10T03:18:58.058ZPranav Merchanthttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/PranavMerchant
<p>NASCAR fans are known for consuming large quantities of barbecue, fried chicken, hamburgers and thousands of the famous Martinsville hot dogs at NASCAR races each year.</p>
<p>But apparently some fans are leaning toward healthier food choices these days.</p>
<div class="embedded-article-image"><img src="http://dy.snimg.com/story-image/3/0/2789041/93371-330-0.jpg"></img> <span class="storyDeck">Martinsville's hot dogs are among the most famous menu items on the NASCAR circuit, but Speedway Motorsports Inc. is making waves for providing vegan fare. (NASCAR…</span></div>
<p>NASCAR fans are known for consuming large quantities of barbecue, fried chicken, hamburgers and thousands of the famous Martinsville hot dogs at NASCAR races each year.</p>
<p>But apparently some fans are leaning toward healthier food choices these days.</p>
<div class="embedded-article-image"><img src="http://dy.snimg.com/story-image/3/0/2789041/93371-330-0.jpg"/><span class="storyDeck">Martinsville's hot dogs are among the most famous menu items on the NASCAR circuit, but Speedway Motorsports Inc. is making waves for providing vegan fare. (NASCAR Media Photo)</span></div>
<p>NASCAR, IndyCar, Speedway Motorsports Inc. and food-service provider Levy Restaurants have each won a High Octane Award from PETA for providing healthy and “cruelty-free vegan fuel” at auto racing events.</p>
<p>The four companies will receive framed certificates and be featured on PETA’s website, peta.org.</p>
<p>"Compassionate and health-conscious car-racing fans who take advantage of vegan options at the track can help make sure that they'll be around for many more races to come," PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk said in a press release from the organization.</p>
<p>According to PETA, tracks that feature vegan food include SMI’s Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Chicagoland Speedway, an International Speedway Corp. track, also has vegan fare.</p>
<p>Among the food choices offered by those tracks are: Going Green Salad With Fried Green Tomatoes; Summer Vegetable and Tofu Flatbread; and Sloppy Jane (made from soy, peppers, onions, molasses and brown sugar barbecue sauce).</p>
<p>This is not PETA’s first foray into NASCAR. In 2004, actress and PETA spokesperson Pamela Anderson publicly urged Dale Earnhardt Jr. to use his Kentucky Fried Chicken sponsorship to make fans aware of the company’s alleged abuse of chickens.</p>
<p><span><br/><br/>Read more: <a href="http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2012-05-09/peta-nascar-fans-vegan-food-speedway-motorsports-tracks#ixzz1uQw3lacC">http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2012-05-09/peta-nascar-fans-vegan-food-speedway-motorsports-tracks#ixzz1uQw3lacC</a></span></p>
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<p><span>So what do you think? Does NASCAR deserve an award?</span></p> Vegan Pet Food Triggers Meaty Debatetag:arzone.ning.com,2012-05-03:4715978:Topic:940552012-05-03T12:07:01.387ZRoger Yateshttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/RogerYates
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<p>Vets have advised against non-meat and non-dairy diets for domestic pets despite the increasing popularity of a vegan product designed to cover cats' and dogs' dietary needs.<br></br>Vegan Pet was developed by a Victorian health food maker to include the essential nutrients cats and dogs would miss out on in a vegan diet.</p>
<p><br></br>Derived from entirely non-dairy and non-meat sources and designed with the help of a Murdoch University professor, studies have shown it can provide the…</p>
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<p>Vets have advised against non-meat and non-dairy diets for domestic pets despite the increasing popularity of a vegan product designed to cover cats' and dogs' dietary needs.<br/>Vegan Pet was developed by a Victorian health food maker to include the essential nutrients cats and dogs would miss out on in a vegan diet.</p>
<p><br/>Derived from entirely non-dairy and non-meat sources and designed with the help of a Murdoch University professor, studies have shown it can provide the short-term dietary needs of domestic pets.</p>
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<p>It is sold in Queensland at the ethical alternative pet food store Complete Pet Company in Keperra. Owner and operator Jenny Golsby says vegan and vegetarian pet foods are becoming more popular as pet owners search out ethical alternatives to mainstream pet food.<br/>Despite the product's growing popularity and dietary provisions, veterinarians still hold concerns a non-meat diet could harm domestic animals, especially cats.</p>
<p><br/>Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association president David Neck said he would immediately advise owners against feeding their animals an exclusively non-meat and non-dairy diet.</p>
<p><br/>Dr Neck was particularly concerned with how a non-meat diet could provide carnivores, such as cats, "a complete and satisfying" meal.</p>
<p><br/>"Millions of years of evolution have dictated what is best to go into these animals, and [some pet owners] trying to change that in the course of one generation does not make sense to me," he said.</p>
<p><br/>"It really is a concept I struggle to come to terms with, that you would take what is the natural diet of such an animal and alter it in such a radical way.</p>
<p><br/>"I can tell you from my experience with cats and dogs they don't have any ethics about where their food source is derived from.</p>
<p><br/>"If a vegan pet owner is making that decision on behalf of a pet that they own, they should perhaps consider the reasons they have that pet."</p>
<p><br/>Vegan Pet creator Sandy Anderson said she understood the concern veterinarians had with animals being fed vegan food.</p>
<p><br/>Her decision to develop dry food and tinned food products was motivated by the concerns she had seeing her friends feed their animals vegan food not designed for pets.</p>
<p><br/>"I realised the animals weren't getting everything they needed having studied a basic nutrition course," Ms Anderson said.</p>
<p><br/>"So what I did then, for their good, was try and find out whether you can have vegan cat food [with the proper nutrients]."</p>
<p><br/>Ms Anderson developed the products with the help of Nick Costa, head of biochemistry and nutrition at Murdoch University's School of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, ensuring the food met the needs for complete and balanced diet, according to the dietary requirements tabled by the Association of American Feed Control Officials.</p>
<p><br/>The food passed tests for short-term effects, palpability and digestibility.<br/>Concerned with the quality of pet food sold by mainstream distributors, Ms Anderson said the proof of the food's suitability for animals was in their reaction to it.</p>
<p><br/>"Some animals have been on it for eight or nine years and they are still thriving on it," she said.</p>
<p><br/>"People say that cats are carnivore and they should be fed meat, which they should.</p>
<p><br/>"But my theory is if you can feed an equivalent that the cat enjoys equally and it supplies everyone of those nutrients in the meat source, what harm is being done?"</p>
<p><br/>Professor Costa said long-term studies needed to be conducted on the product and he personally believed a meat diet was preferable for cats.</p>
<p><br/>But he said the product was a viable alternative for people wanting to feed their animal a vegan diet.</p>
<p><br/>"What it does do, through Sandy's efforts, is for those people who are vegans, and who eschew red meat completely, and meat products generally, then this gives them an alternative that has complete and balanced nutrient profile that has been partially tested in terms of digestibility and palatability," Professor Costa said.</p>
<p><br/>"What it hasn't been tested for is long-term trials, where you can see if it is affecting reproduction long term, heart function long term, through taurine, or whether it is affecting visual processes long term.</p>
<p><br/>"But in support of the food it has been going a decade and if those systems were problematic Sandy would have heard from people who had been suing it by now."<br/>Dr Neck believes there is another solution for animal lovers keen to feed their animals a vegan diet.</p>
<p><br/>"If you're a vegan, and you have ethical concerns about feeding animal-derived protein to your pet, well I could probably recommend a rabbit or a guinea pig as a pet, that you can source their nutrients from," he said.</p>
<p><br/>"Rather than make ethical choices for an animal."</p>
<p><br/>Read more: <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/vegan-pet-food-triggers-meaty-debate-20120501-1xx3l.html#ixzz1to80BoXm">http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/vegan-pet-food-triggers-meaty-debate-20120501-1xx3l.html#ixzz1to80BoXm</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VcyzCRnkxrumP2gMB7hg7R-MIZ72Xg704WmMXyG9A6VTyY9bshV7-SvIAtfx87vX9vWQtz36vDnBTap64*9XtV6k5XJmoKc9/veganpet.jpg" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VcyzCRnkxrumP2gMB7hg7R-MIZ72Xg704WmMXyG9A6VTyY9bshV7-SvIAtfx87vX9vWQtz36vDnBTap64*9XtV6k5XJmoKc9/veganpet.jpg" width="420" class="align-center"/></a></p> Veganism and developing nations.tag:arzone.ning.com,2012-04-27:4715978:Topic:931502012-04-27T08:10:28.914ZBilly Lhttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/BillyLovci
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage"><span class="messageBody">Food For Life Global <a href="http://www.ffl.org/about/aims-and-objectives/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank"><span>http://www.ffl.org/about/</span>aims-and-objectives/</a><br></br> There may be a lot of blurry lines between vegan and how vegetarian is actually defined in an organization like this, but you have to hand it to them for, at the very least, avoiding using animal flesh to feed disaster relief recipients, and the hungry of the…</span></h6>
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage"><span class="messageBody">Food For Life Global <a href="http://www.ffl.org/about/aims-and-objectives/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow"><span>http://www.ffl.org/about/</span>aims-and-objectives/</a><br/> There may be a lot of blurry lines between vegan and how vegetarian is actually defined in an organization like this, but you have to hand it to them for, at the very least, avoiding using animal flesh to feed disaster relief recipients, and the hungry of the world.</span></h6>
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage"><span class="messageBody">It's interesting to consider the best strategy to promote veganism <span class="text_exposed_show">as developing countries begin to modernize and seek the kind of lifestyles that more affluent countries have had for so long. I'm wondering what the point is, where economic prosperity (however that plays out in any given society), and dependable availability of fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, pulses, grains, etc. bring about enough space for individuals to consider the rights of other animals enough to stop using them for any purpose.</span></span></h6>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="text_exposed_show"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038386641?profile=original"><img width="500" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038386641?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500"/></a></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier new,courier;" class="font-size-1">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fflglobal/6168413352/in/photostream">http://www.flickr.com/photos/fflglobal/6168413352/in/photostream</a></span></p> Raw vegan 70 year old lady looks about 35tag:arzone.ning.com,2012-04-01:4715978:Topic:889522012-04-01T12:17:40.327ZKath Worsfoldhttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/KathWorsfold
<p>Very interesting news clip. There are rewards for living a compassionate lifestyle.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/ageless-woman">http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/ageless-woman</a></p>
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<p>Very interesting news clip. There are rewards for living a compassionate lifestyle.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/ageless-woman">http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/ageless-woman</a></p>
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<p></p> Review vegan "meat"tag:arzone.ning.com,2012-03-10:4715978:Topic:864172012-03-10T04:32:32.966ZPranav Merchanthttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/PranavMerchant
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/opinion/sunday/finally-fake-chicken-worth-eating.html?_r=1">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/opinion/sunday/finally-fake-chicken-worth-eating.html?_r=1</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/opinion/sunday/finally-fake-chicken-worth-eating.html?_r=1">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/opinion/sunday/finally-fake-chicken-worth-eating.html?_r=1</a></p> Why do people get sick on vegan diets?tag:arzone.ning.com,2012-01-30:4715978:Topic:813112012-01-30T11:26:23.091ZKerry Bakerhttp://arzone.ning.com/profile/KerryBaker
<p>I have been looking at some of the discussion on Care2 under the 'Real Food' section. What strikes me as odd is an argument against being vegan that comes up all the time, that people claim they have tried to be vegan and got sick so had to go back to eating meat.</p>
<p>Whilst I'm not a nutritionist, I am vegan and do watch my nutrition reasonably carefully. I can't think of a single thing that is a component of meat that can't be obtained as a vegan diet.</p>
<p>Since this is such a…</p>
<p>I have been looking at some of the discussion on Care2 under the 'Real Food' section. What strikes me as odd is an argument against being vegan that comes up all the time, that people claim they have tried to be vegan and got sick so had to go back to eating meat.</p>
<p>Whilst I'm not a nutritionist, I am vegan and do watch my nutrition reasonably carefully. I can't think of a single thing that is a component of meat that can't be obtained as a vegan diet.</p>
<p>Since this is such a central theme among anti-vegans, I do wonder how much credence can be placed in these claims. With so few people in the 1st world countries in particular choosing to be vegan, it seems that veganism is always targeted as the culprit when people get sick. Compare that to the amount of serious illness among omnivores yet you never hear anyone saying they ought to give up meat, when increasingly health practitioners are recommending people eat less meat.</p>
<p>So what's going on here and how do you answer these critics? </p>
<p>My personal view is that the majority of people who give up on being vegan are probably not well enough informed about vegan nutrition which is one reason they may get sick.</p>
<p>The other issue is why people become vegan in the first place. Is it possible to maintain a vegan lifestyle if people are taking it up for reasons other than animal rights?</p>
<p>The only thing I can think of that people consume in meat is the chemicals that are flooded into the animal at the time of death, such as adrenalin. People are essentially eating the animals fear when they eat meat. Perhaps there is a stimulus that people get an energy boost that people miss when they give up meat. Maybe it's a sort of healing crisis in giving up meat.</p>
<p>I'm interested to hear what your experiences have been with your vegan pathway. I'd be very interested to see if there are commonalities that perhaps we need to address in these forums if we are going to encourage more people to be vegan without fear.</p>