Vegan Break

In this episode of Vegan Break, guest host Tushar Mehta interviews Jeni Haines from Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) about their newly launched 10 Billion Lives Tour.

This innovative campaign involves touring around the country with FARM’s custom-designed van equipped with several TV screens and offering to pay passerby’s $1 to view a 4-minute video.  The video reveals the horrific treatment of animals on factory farms, and after watching it, over 80 percent of viewers pledge to reduce their meat intake.

Take a peek inside FARM’s pay-per-view van and hear firsthand from Jeni about  her experience taking it on tour through 30 states and reaching tens of thousands of individuals in just a few months.

To get involved or see when the van is coming to your town, visit 10BillionTour.org. You can also get active today simply by sharing their new video at 10BillionLives.com!

In this episode of Vegan Break I interview Lauren Ornelas, founder and director of Food Empowerment Project. Lauren sheds light on several of the food justice issues that plague our society such as worker treatment and access to healthy food in low income communities. She discusses how we can make a difference through our food choices and by demanding that companies like Clif bar be transparent about where they source their ingredients.

Click here to watch on YouTube! 

I met Lauren four years ago when she was giving a talk in D.C., and it was the first time I had considered many of the forms of injustice that vegans might still be supporting with our food choices. I was very moved by the subject matter of her talk, as well as Lauren’s passionate and charismatic demeanor. Lauren puts her heart and soul into Food Empowerment Project, and has done an incredible amount research about these issues so that we don’t have to. Lauren is dedicated to making it easy for people like me to put my dollars where my heart is by creating lists of companies that have confirmed that their ingredients are sustainable and did not involve human slavery, ill treated workers, or other forms of injustice.

The most powerful voting tool we have in this world is our dollars. Every time we purchase something, we cast a vote for everything that went into the product and a vote for the company that created it and everything they stand for. Choose carefully. Do research. Demand justice.

Learn more about these issues at FoodIsPower.org!

Dogs can be vegan!? That’s right! Dogs are omnivores, and just like humans, they can thrive on a vegan diet. My dog Chance has been thriving on a vegan diet for four years, and vets are continually impressed by how healthy and vibrant he is.

V-Dog is my all-time favorite dog food company. Not only is it vegan owned, but it’s also operated by compassionate health enthusiasts with a drive to do good in the world.  They recently launched a new dog food formula, which is packed full of ingredients so healthy that even humans can munch on it (as you’ll see in the last segment of the video)! Chance loves it.

I’m excited to share this interview with Dave Middlesworth, the driving force behind v-dog. This video has been a long time coming…enjoy!

Watch it on YouTube here. 

Still skeptical about plant-based dog food? Check out my video with a veterinarian discussing vegan diets for dogs.

By going vegan, you spare the lives of of around 100 animals each year. But think about this: when you influence someone to go vegan, your lifetime impact on farm animals is instantly doubled. That is why I consider vegan outreach the easiest way to effect change for farm animals. But vegan outreach comes in many forms aside from leafleting, tabling, or having conversations. One of the simplest things you can do to plant a seed in people’s minds is wearing a vegan message shirt!

We all know and love Herbivore Clothing Company, the PETA Catalog, and Cafe Press as sources of vegan message t-shirts. But now there is a new (and incredibly awesome) t-shirt company–Compassion Co.

In this video I interview the founder and mastermind behind Compassion Co, Andy Tabar.  Andy started the company less than one year ago, and shares the sources of his inspiration.

Watch it on YouTube here!

Compassion Co shirts are made from super-soft recycled or organic cotton printed with water based inks to minimize environmental impact. The shirts themselves are sweat shop free, and 5% of all sales go to support organizations that promote animal rights and a cruelty-free lifestyle.

So what are you waiting for? Stop by the Compassion Co online shop, browse the designs, and grab a shirt to support this new vegan owned and operated company.