Me and my precious, vegan baby.

And yet humans turn around and bastardize that very same experience for dairy cows. The cows are artificially inseminated and pregnant for an average of nine months. They undergo the difficult labor and delivery process … only to have their baby taken away from them almost immediately. Typically calves are removed from their mother within a day of birth even though research has shown that calves allowed to remain with their mothers for longer periods showed weight gains at three times the rate of early removals as well as more searching behavior and better social relationships with other calves.^[1][2]

You see, humans (on the whole) don’t care about calves in the milk production process. Humans only care about stealing the baby cow’s food. In the human experience the baby is the revered result of childbearing. Sadly that is not so on large-scale dairy farms.

Breastfeeding has been one of the most challenging task I’ve undertaken in my life and I am an accomplished professional who has run a business, earned advanced degrees, jumped out of planes and traveled through foreign countries alone. So that’s saying something! I have to be available every 2-3 hours to express milk for my baby to survive. It takes tremendous discipline and sacrifice in my busy life. I’m willing and happy to do it because I see the direct benefit to my growing, healthy baby.

I am exhausted all the time because feeding every 2-3 hours means I never sleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time! I am incessantly hungry despite the extra 12 post-pregnancy pounds I can’t seem to lose. I’ve battled engorgement, pain and infection. Still … I am willing to continue because I see my beautiful baby thriving. I even feel a sense of accomplishment and pride at being able to sustain her life exclusively on my milk.

Dairy cows endure all this and more only they never see the benefit of their work. Their babies are whisked away shortly after birth. The females are fed formula and destined for a life like their mothers. The males are killed within a few days or weeks – often times after spending their short life chained in a crate – to become veal on some body’s plate. All of this because they are amazing milk producers. The average dairy cow in the United States produces 20,204 lbs of milk per year!^[3]

A male dairy cow ... waiting his fate as veal.

Why does it seem so obvious to me that we STEAL this precious life-sustaining source from cows? And yet most people believe that cows milk is meant for humans to drink. How did this global paradigm get turned on its head in this way?

Humans have it SO backwards. We should let the cows have their milk. Would it make more sense to create human milk farms instead? Why don’t we take little girls away from their mothers, raise them until they are milk producing, artificially inseminate them, require them to endure pregnancy, labor and delivery, kill their babies and steal their milk?

Most people would agree that paradigm makes no sense. In fact it seems quite cruel and inhumane. An easier answer is to stop allowing this to happen to cows. With so many great alternatives like soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk etc., it has never been easier to end this cruel theft of cow’s milk.

So next time you or someone you know reaches for that glass of milk, ask them if they think it would make more sense to have human milk farms!

Citations

1. Flower FC, Weary DM – Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, School of Agriculture, Edinburgh, UK. “Effects of early separation on the dairy cow and calf: 2. Separation at 1 day and 2 weeks after birth.”. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
2. “Response of dairy cows and calves to early separation: effect of calf age and visual and auditory contact after separation.” 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture Statistics Service (March 2009). “Milk Cows and Production Estimates 2003-2007″. Retrieved 2011-01-30.

Josie with Ellie, the one-eared pig.

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about pot bellied pigs. I really don’t. I know people keep them as pets. I’m pretty sure most people don’t eat them. I know they’re not raised on factory farms. What I didn’t know is that they have many of the same issues dogs and cats do in our disposable society. Recently my friend Linda suggested that we take a trip down to southern Arizona and visit the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary, a 70-acre place that houses 600+ pot bellied pigs! This little trip opened my heart and my mind to the nature of these adorable animals as well as the struggles they face.

I’ll start by introducing you to Ellie. Who says you can’t play favorites? Ellie was mine. This adorable black pig was so friendly she came up to me just like my dogs do and sniffed me all over. She loved it when I scratched her rough head and around her one ear. Yep, only one ear. Why? Because she was attacked by dogs and nearly didn’t survive. She lost her ear but gained a huge affection for people since she received care many hours a day. Not all the pigs at Ironwood have experienced such troubled pasts. Most were bought as young piglets and once they reached 100, 200, 300+ pounds their owners did not want to care for them anymore. Just like puppies. Cute as can be when they’re little … aren’t we all? But then they grow up.

What are pot bellied pigs like?

Sharpei-looking pot bellied pig.

I was amazed that these pot bellied pigs could reach 300 pounds. Reason being that people breed true pot bellies with all kinds of other pigs. True pot bellies I think typically stay pretty small (i.e. 100 pounds). The majority of the pigs at Ironwood are on the bigger side. One looks like a giant sharpei! They snort, grunt, love to eat, and generally seem interested in people. Some let us pet them while others were more skiddish. Their bellies are so big they hang to the ground. Being that I’m 8 months pregnant, I can’t imagine how that feels! They must have back aches worse than mine right now!

Pot bellied pigs are of the same species as wild pigs and farm-raised pigs. This means they can interbreed … which is how these hybrid versions have come to be. While you might think that a pot bellied pig would be a good housemate to dogs, they aren’t. Dogs are predators and pigs are prey. So despite their large size, pigs easily end up on the loosing side of an attack by dogs. As omnivores, they eat pig chow, vegetables and fruits. They need living accommodations that allow them to be outside in the dirt. They get vital nutrients from rooting in the soil and would not be happy if they were kept in a house at all times.

Why are they at this sanctuary?

Just like the dogs I deal with all the time in companion animal rescue, these pot bellied pigs are homeless because they’ve been cast off by their owners. Some times people move and don’t take their pigs with them. Other times the pigs become “inconvenient” for the owner’s lifestyle; either they’ve grown too big or they require more care than the owner wants to deal with. Pot bellied pigs are also victims of abuse and neglect, which is tragically sad. In fact our wonderful tour guide at Ironwood said they are very stringent about who can adopt pigs from the sanctuary because even adopters with good intentions in the beginning tend to neglect the pigs needs over time.

Why eat one but not the other?

Two standard-size pigs that were supposed to be raised as food. They will live out their lives at Ironwood, never becoming ham or bacon.

This question plagued my mind as I toured this sanctuary with dozens of other people especially as we stopped to visit with a group of full-size pigs that were rescued as piglets from a farmer who abandoned them. I find it highly unlikely that the majority of visitors were vegan. I could be wrong here but judging by the amount of vegans in mainstream society, I think I’m probably right. Yet almost everybody was expressing how cute they thought these pot bellied pigs were.

So why do people eat pigs raised as farm animals but not pot bellied pigs which they consider to be companion animals? The two types of pigs are part of the same species. They have nearly identical needs when it comes to their food, environment, and emotional well being. And yet pot bellies are most often kept as pets while standard pigs are tortured, confined, deprived of their needs, and horrendously slaughtered for human food. This inability for people to make the connection between two pigs, which essentially differ only in size,  baffles me.

I was so happy to find that all of the staff members at Ironwood are vegetarians and I was pleasantly surprised to see their refreshment table contained only vegetarian (and several vegan) treats for the human sanctuary guests.

How can we help?

Imagine the task at hand for the four people who maintain Ironwood Pig Sanctuary. Yes, only four people manage to care for 600+ pigs every day. The sanctuary is funded primarily by donations. So if you can find it in your heart to help some pigs, here are my suggestions:

1. Don’t eat them (no matter what size).
2. Visit a pig sanctuary if there is one close to you.
3. Donate money, food, blankets, construction supplies, or your time to a reputable sanctuary.

Together we can help make a difference for these adorable animals.

Guest House Granola

This recipe makes enough granola to fill about 2 1-gallon ziplock bags. When it’s cooled, I put one bag in the fridge and the other in the freezer. That way I have a delicious, healthy, high-protein breakfast for about a whole month with just an hour of work.

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Mix the following ingredients in a large bowl.

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 cups wheat germ
• 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups flaked bran (or All Bran)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup cranberries
• 1 cup raisins

In a saucepan, mix the following.

• 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 3/4 cup agave nectar
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

Bring the saucepan mixture to a boil for 4 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Pour it slowly over the dry ingredients. Spread granola evenly on 2-3 baking sheets.

Let toast for 5-8 minutes, bring out and turn all ingredients. Place back in the oven for 4 minutes, bring out and turn. Repeat 3 to 4 more times for 4 minutes. Place out to cool thoroughly. You can add the cranberries and raisins at this point if you prefer them uncooked.

If the granola clumps, try placing it back in the oven and toast a bit more.

A Great Way to Start the Day

I met some adorable pregnant women at the Arizona Trauma and Acute Care Consortium this week. They were very interested in how to get enough protein for their growing babies … especially not being dependent on animal products. We had a great discussion and I told them about my Guest House Granola! If you eat 1/2 cup of this granola with a couple tablespoons of soy or coconut yogurt in the morning it’s equals about 12-14 grams of pure awesome vegan protein (9-10 grams granola, 3-4 grams yogurt). I can’t think of a better way to start the day!

As I began to read the article, I was really surprised. TGen is beginning a study using dogs that are owned by people like you and me. These dogs have been diagnosed with different types of cancer including melanoma, hemangiosarcoma, malignant histiocytic sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and lymphoma. TGen wants to study their saliva, blood, and/or tissue samples to discover genetic information about cancers that are common in certain breeds of dogs and eventually create treatments for similar cancers that tend to be rare in humans. Research results and treatments may extend to dogs as well but that is not the primary goal of the study. The dog never enters a research laboratory. They remain with their family as they normally would. TGen sends some paperwork that you can take to your vet if the animal is having blood work done or a biopsy. Your vet can take some blood in addition to their normal amount or a some extra cells from the biopsy and send it to TGen for further analysis.

Questioning this animal research

To me, this sounded like animal research that is too good to be true. So despite the lengthy article that I read and the information on their Web site, www.tgen.org/sample, I contacted the Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium which is the group conducting the research through a partnership with TGen and Van Andel Research Institute to ask more specific questions. Roe Froman, DVM, from Van Andel Research Institute, seemed willing enough to answer all my questions (surprise to me again!)

What exactly are the samples used to determine?

“The samples are used to investigate the fundamental differences in the DNA of dogs who develop cancer compared to dogs of the same breed who do not.  If significant differences are found, this information will then be compared to genes in humans.”

For this research project, has TGen, Van Andel or the Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium (CHCC) every bred dogs (or plan to breed dogs)? Has TGen, Van Andel, or the CHCC ever (or plan to) housed dogs in a research lab for this study?

“We do not keep ANY dogs for research, either at TGen or the Van Andel Research Institute.  All of our samples come from owned and loved dogs, with naturally occurring disease.”

Dr. Froman sent me all the paperwork and I felt as thought I could continue to contact her if needed with further questions. I did of course ask if there is vivisection performed on any other animal at any of these three organizations. Dr. Froman told me that mice are used in cancer research at Van Andel.

To participate in this animal research or not?

Zoie swimming at Cosmo dog park.

It may seem strange to you that I have decided to participate in this animal research project. The reason this story hits to close to home for me is that our 10-year-old Labroador has a osteochondrosarcoma in her jaw. Basically it’s a big bone tumor. We met with several vets, our beloved Dr. Stephanie Nobrega at Horizon Animal Hospital, the amazing vets Dr. Ale Aguirre and Dr. Stephanie Foote at VETMED and an oncologist, Dr. Jennifer Arthur, at Arizona Veterinary Specialists. After all those consults we made the difficult decision not to treat the tumor. The location, size, and type of tumor would require radical surgery and radiation with extremely negative side effects. Furthermore, it is an incurable form of cancer. Being that Zoie is not a young pup, we felt the best decision for us was to make her really happy and comfortable until the cancer gets the best of her. To our surprise she has been acting very normally for over two months since the diagnosis! We are so grateful for every day. Zoie loves the extra special attention she’s getting with home made vegan dog food and frequent trips to the doggie lake for swimming.

As I analyzed this animal research study, I felt skeptical at first. Once I understood the Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium’s intentions, their innovative approach to collecting information about dogs that already have these types of cancer, and their ability to use it in a way that will help humans, I decided that we will participate. I feel the need to support this type of research so that other harmful, torturous means of vivisection can be replaced with something that allows us to learn from animals without hurting them. Now I’m sure many vegans would argue that supporting Van Andel is wrong since they still do vivisection on mice. I can understand this perspective but I am not an all or nothing kind of person. Life is gray. It is never black and white. We all have to make the decisions we feel best about. Assisting in research that may lead to cures for these difficult types of cancer while my dog lives in the comfort of her own home is OK with me.

The cost of this study

Not that this has anything to do with being vegan but I mentioned earlier that tons of tax payer money goes to support these types of research projects. Taxpayers will contribute $4,300,000 in federal stimulus funds over the next two years. PetSmart and Hill’s Pet Nutrition are also supporting the study with a $500,000 contribution.

If you would like to learn more about this research study, please see the links below. If you have further information about these organizations and their animal testing policies, I would really love your comments.

• TGen Study Information: http://www.tgen.org/sample
• VanAndel Research Institute: http://www.vai.org/helpingdogs

Lesson 1: Most People Don’t Know Squat About Being Vegan and Pregnant

Not only did I have to manage my business, pre-med school, all day (notice, not just morning) sickness, extreme fatigue, and an overall feeling of crappiness, I also had to find a way to deal with all the unexpected questions (and unfortunately judgments) that came from friends and acquaintances. When I first started telling people I was pregnant several people asked me these same two questions:

1. Are you going to start eating meat?
2. Are you going to get rid of your dogs?

In the beginning I was so surprised (and a bit offended) that I would respond with a rant about how eating meat at any time in your life is not a good idea and how I really dislike seeing dogs that come into the rescue system because their humans have a baby. Then I realized that people didn’t want to hear me get on a soap box. To them these were realistic questions and ones they would ponder. They have not been questions in my mind. I have not and will not begin eating animal products and we have no intention of giving up any of our dogs even the pit bulls!

What I found to be the most effective response to these offending questions is silence. It seems so simple but in the end it gave me the most gratification. I think people tend to blurt out whatever thoughts come to their mind without considering how the other person might receive those messages. By responding to their questions with silence you give them a minute to think that over and they realize on their own that their question was either stupid or offensive or that they had no business asking it in the first place. It has actually become quite comical to me to see how people stammer over their own foolishness once they realize that these questions are inappropriate for a vegan that has spent a good part of her adult life rescuing dogs.

Lesson 2: Become Knowledgeable About Eating A Healthy Pregnancy Diet

Very soon in my pregnancy, it was imperative that I become even more knowledgeable than I already was about vegan nutrition and what that means for a healthy pregnancy diet. My biggest lessons came from a conversation with a nutritionist. I am really fortunate (thank you daddy Morris) to have great health insurance that provides me access to a nurse, nutritionist and counselor any time I need it during my pregnancy. One of my first conversations was with the nutritionist. I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to consider that the foods I put into my body (or don’t put into my body) are now not only affecting my health but the health of my baby. After a mini pregnancy breakdown (translation … tears), I got straight to work on menus for a healthy pregnancy diet.

The nutritionist was very cool and overall told me that I eat healthier than 90% of the people that she talks to but I did have some things to learn such as get enough protein, take more calcium, and never ever forget your prenatal vitamin. Once I mastered these pregnancy eating survival tips, which took several weeks in the beginning, I felt confident and secure that our baby was receiving all the proper nutrition it needed to grow up healthy and strong. For inquiring minds that want to know, I will write more specific tips on a vegan pregnancy diet in an upcoming post.

Lesson 3: Prepare Yourself for the Medical Community (that might not be prepared for you)

Unfortunately most of the medical community doesn’t know much about nutrition. Doctors are typically only taught a minimal amount about nutrition during medical school and it follows the classic model of calories in and calories out. I recently attended an informational session for a doctor of osteopathic medicine program – which you would think might be more in tuned to nutrition – but they were not. Their refreshments ALL contained animal products except for the bottled water. So don’t assume that your doctor knows about vegan nutrition or that he/she even supports a vegan diet.

Selecting an OBGYN: First you will need a doctor to help you thorough the crazy body drama to be experienced during pregnancy. It is 100% acceptable to shop for a OBGYN just like you shop for a comfortable pair of vegan shoes. This is a person who will share in some of the most intimate moments of your life. So shop till you drop and don’t stop until you find a doctor that supports your pregnancy diet choices and understands why you’re vegan.

Selecting a Pediatrician: Just like the OBGYNs, many pediatricians are also lacking in nutritional training (in my opinion of course). The same rules for choosing an OBGYN apply when choosing a doctor for your baby. Even further than nutritional support, you will need a pediatrician that understands and supports your vaccination philosophies. I was completely shocked at the recommended vaccination schedule for children. I know I didn’t have many of these vaccines until I was well into college. Furthermore, many vaccinations are cultivated in eggs or have utilized animals in ways vegans would deem inappropriate. We have not yet decided on how we will handle this with our infant but I feel certain that the pediatrician we choose will need to be flexible in creating a modified schedule that we feel comfortable with.

Selecting a Hospital: Pick a hospital, if you can, that has dairy alternatives for your meals and also for your baby’s formula. This may seem silly but it was a major concern for me! If I have to be in labor 20+ hours without anything to eat, I’m going to be starving once the whole ordeal is finally over. We toured one of our local hospitals, Banner Gateway Medical Center, and I was really impressed with their menu that contained a few animal-free dishes as well as their willingness to accommodate my request for non-animal-derived baby formula should we need it. If your hospital does not provide animal-free foods for you and dairy-free formula options for your baby, plan to bring a cooler with everything you will need during those first few hours after the baby is born. Once you have a few hours to adjust to your physical trauma and a crying infant, your partner can leave to pick up food, formula, etc. for the rest of your stay.

Lesson 4: It’s Nobody’s Business What/How You Decide to Feed Your Kid

Once people get past their judgments about how you treat yourself and what kinds of food you eat. They will inevitably dive into what you’re going to feed your kid. Now I admit, I may not be the typical pregnant woman. I’m not oohing an ahhing over every baby I see. And I certainly don’t want to talk to everybody and their mother about how much weight I’ve gained or whether or not I’m going to breastfeed our kid. I mean, seriously, when did my breasts become the center of public discussion? I’m not really sure how that becomes acceptable to anybody other than those you choose to discuss it with and the baby’s father. Nevertheless, inquiring minds want to know. I am still in a “shock” state when people ask me about this so unfortunately I don’t have any good advice to give yet … maybe soon. All I know is that what and how we decide to feed our child is our choice. It will be provided with the best quality foods and we will make sure it’s nutritional needs are met.

Wrapping Up on Having a Healthy Vegan Pregnancy

The bottom line for any pregnant woman is that before the baby is even born, you will realize that this little bundle of cells is already changing you life. From wreaking havoc on your body to clouding your mind, he or she is reminding you that biological instincts still reign supreme despite all our modern conveniences. Take care of yourself, take care of your partner, thicken your skin to the nosy people in your life and don’t forget your vegan prenatal vitamins! If you do that, you’re bound to have a great pregnancy and, hopefully, a healthy baby.

I’m so thankful to Phoenix Magazine. The writers/editors have this amazing way of keeping their finger on the pulse of what’s going on in all of the greater Phoenix area. Recently they had an article about the best neighborhoods in Phoenix. While our little neck of the woods didn’t make the list (that’s ok because it is perfect to me), the highly-sought-after Ahwatukee area did. I like Ahwatukee. I have nothing against Ahwatukee. But now I’m jealous of the charismatic, south-eastern part of Phoenix. Why? Because it is home to what is quickly becoming my new favorite restaurant, Pomegranate Cafe.

Ah Pomegranate Cafe, how I love thee. This is a restaurant fastened after my own heart. It is entirely vegetarian and any dish can be served vegan. When you live an inspired vegan life, you get quite used to going to traditional restaurants with friends and family and ordering some wimpy little concoction of hacked-together side dishes. So it is like walking into a dream when you can go to a restaurant and order anything on the menu! It feels so liberating. So inviting. So powerful.

On my first trip to Pomegranate Cafe, I used my super vegan power to order the tomato & basil pesto sandwich. It was delicious. Typically I’m leery of pesto … it’s made with mayonnaise and that’s just plain gross. Pomegranate Cafe assured me their fantastic pesto was not of the sort – no dairy, no cow suffering needed for my sandwich. The sandwich is made with ancient grain bread, basil pesto, tomato, avocado & greens. It comes with a fresh, yummy side salad and some chips.

I must say I was not disappointed in the slightest over my lunch selection but I couldn’t stop looking over my plate to my friend Adria’s. She ordered the raw collard wrap which looked like a giant burrito wrapped in leaves. Basically they take two large collard leaves and stuff them with carrot, avocado, tomato, and homemade almond cheese. It was a braver choice than mine. I’ve had almond cheese before – in one of New York City’s finest vegan restaurants – and I didn’t like it. But after sneaking a bite from Adria, I will definitely order the raw collard wrap on my next trip.

Lunch is such a fun time of the day when you get to meet with good friends and share good conversation. I’m grateful for the inspirational women in my life. But on this particular day I found myself feeling about equally as much gratitude for Pomegranate’s blueberry-peach cheese cake. It was THE MOST delectable cheesecake I’ve ever had. In fact I would happily go back there just for desert. And this was just one of many, many vegan deserts!

While my friends and I were lunching, a local farmer came in to drop off her produce. Eh? I say. You can actually meet the person who grows the food we eat at the restaurant? What a throwback! These days with all the food scares and strange foods trucked in from all parts of the planet, I take comfort in knowing that there are places committed to not only providing fabulous food but supporting the local economy around them.

Now who wouldn’t love a restaurant that makes you feel so good inside and out; one that leaves you feeling like you have vegan super powers! Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Pomegranate Cafe
4025 East Chandler Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ
Phone: (480) 706-7472
www.pomegranatecafe.com

Tuesday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Serving: Breakfast & Lunch

Happy cows on John's ranch.

Life has been quite busy lately. I was hoping that many of you wouldn’t notice my absence but many of you have said, “Josie! What’s up, I don’t get your blog anymore.” Here’s why. As of January I started going to school, volunteering heavily in a political campaign, becoming partner in a weight-loss business, all while running a thriving Web development company. To say the least, I’ve been a little busy. Please excuse my haphazard dedication to Hungry Herbivores while I have a post-graduate existential crisis!

Aside from depriving me of sleep, my activities of late have taken me to some interesting places. Last Friday I accompanied Dr. Chris Salvino, a Phoenix trauma surgeon who is running for the US House of Representatives, and some of his campaign supporters on a trip to the US-Mexican border. Immigration is a hot topic here in Arizona. Well I guess it is a bit of a hot topic everywhere in the country. This group of seven people including me were interested in learning how illegal immigration was affecting people that live on the border. I did not feel comfortable taking any kind of position without understanding the problem first hand.

It was an interesting journey to Naco, Arizona. Despite having lived here 14 years, I have never been down that way towards Bisbee and Sierra Vista. It was a beautiful drive with gorgeous mountains and sparse population – meaning that we were not engulfed by subdivision after subdivision. It was a welcome change for me since I love the outdoors. As we drove South in the early morning, we couldn’t believe our eyes as we saw snow dusting the mountain tops in April!

John's expansive ranch.

Our first stop was to visit John, a cattle rancher who owns a section of land on the US-Mexico border. His property occupies a 10-mile stretch of the border. His family homesteaded the land in the late 1800s and has been tending to it ever since. John’s family operated peacefully for many years until about 18 years ago when immigrants began crossing his land illegally in droves. This blog is not politically driven (I think people of all parties should be vegan so I won’t get into my opinions on the subject. However I will say that John has suffered many losses at the hands of illegal trespassers. Cattle have been killed by machetes, fences are destroyed on a daily basis, his buildings have been invaded, and most recently his neighbor and fellow rancher was shot and killed by an illegal drug trafficker.

You are probably asking, why? Why, Josie, do you have sympathy for a man who makes his living off of selling animals for profit? Here’s why. Because if people are going to continue to eat meat, which I feel certain they will, I think John is the kind of rancher we need. He cares for his cattle. They have an enormous ranch to traverse with fresh grasses to eat. He keeps 1 cattle per 20 acres of land. That is a stark contrast to the feedlots and confined feeding operations we are often warned about. None of this excuses the fact that his cows will eventually end up the slaughter house as almost all cows do but at least they will have a descent life for the time they are here. As in most animal production, it is his male cows that are sold for slaughter. He keeps the females for breeding.

John does not run an assembly line of mass production. He is a cattle rancher as his father and grandfather were. These are the ranchers that have gone by the wayside in large-scale animal production. The ranchers that give a damn about their “product” and the well being of their animals. While I would not eat a cow from John’s ranch or any other, I wish that the people who do eat meat choose to support ranches like these as opposed to mass producing, confined animal feeding operations.

My grandmother and I. Do we look alike?

Typically for Christmas or Thanksgiving I make my own little dishes that I can quietly eat while everybody else eats the “main” course. This year however my mom rented a house for all our family to share in Carmel, California. It was a great way to spend Christmas … a block from the beach … with beautiful views. Yet there is always the touchy subject of food.

My family has a long tradition of making pork tamales for Christmas dinner. Of course for the last seven years I have not participated in this tradition. Instead I munch on some salad or bread and try not to make an issue about not eating the tamales. For Hispanic families, tamales are a BIG deal. My 91-year-old grandma spends days preparing the masa and then my mom and step-dad go to her house and help make a zillion tamales assembly-line style. I get that tradition is important. I absolutely do. But if I asked why the tamales have pork in them, the answer would likely be “because it’s always been done that way”.

This year I felt adamant about not being left out of our family tradition. I really wanted to learn how to make tamales from my grandma. Long before our Carmel get-together, I broached the subject of making vegan tamales with both my mom and my grandma. This caused quite the uproar. I heard many excuses about why we couldn’t make tamales at the beach house or how they just wouldn’t be good with vegetables, etc. But I pressed on. After all I am part of this family and I want to be part of our traditions. Finally, my grandma agreed to teach me how to make tamales with VEGETABLES!

My grandmother and I cooking tamales.

I was so excited, I could not wait for our cooking session! I found this great vegetarian tamale recipe from razzle dazzle recipes. It sounded delicious with edamame, corn, zucchini. We spent an afternoon cooking the vegetables and assembling the tamales. My grandma showed me exactly how to spread the masa in the corn husks, how to fold the tamales exactly right so they don’t fall apart, and how to cook them in a steamer. It’s a day I will never forget.

Now here’s the best part. When it came time for dinner, we served both the pork tamales and the vegetarian tamales. I didn’t bring out many of the veggie version because I assumed most of my other family members wouldn’t be interested. But they were! Practically everyone tried the vegan version and several asked for seconds. I couldn’t believe it! I was so happy to spend the day with my grandma and absorbing her 90+ years of experience making tamales. I’m even happier to think that perhaps I’ve changed the family tradition just enough to accommodate those of us who prefer compassionate food choices.

During this holiday season, I know it can be tough to be vegan. Remember why you have chosen to live this way. Is it for the animals, the planet or for your health? Any and all of those are great reasons to bring your vegan message to your friends and family who may not think about how their holiday traditions effect animals, the planet, and their health. How can you help others make compassionate food choices?

Cheers to making new traditions!

When I was packing for the trip I felt confident about all my supplies including water purification tablets and a sleep sack. But I was feeling a bit nervous about what the food situation would have in store for me. I quelled my unease by convincing myself that Mexico is the land of rice, beans and tortillas. What better sustenance for a vegan? I seriously could live on rice, beans and tortillas for quite some time. If for some reason that would not be the case, I took 12 Luna bars as a back up

It was a trek to get to Jalpa, Mexico. Jalpa is a town of 20,000 people and a one hour plane flight + two hour car ride from Mexico City. Leaving from Phoenix, we first hit Los Angeles, then Mexico City and finally Zacatecas by plane. Then Gloria Silva, one of Jalpa’s city council members, met us at the airport with a driver that would take us two hours by car to Jalpa.

During the car ride, I was really surprised to see the Mexican landscape. In this part of the country it looked exactly like middle/northern Arizona. I seriously could have been on the I-17 headed up to Flagstaff. We passed several small ranches where the cattle roamed freely and looked quite happy. They had small trees for shade and plenty of water. There were no feedlots in sight! I wondered, could it be that Mexico has more humane meat production standards? Unfortunately not. During one of my conversations with the local surgeon, he explained that factory farming exists in Mexico and the conditions for the animals are the same as what I described to him about America’s factory farms. As usual it comes down to economics. The farmers with small operations raise animals for their sustenance and perhaps that of their friends and family. They don’t really make a living treating the animals with respect and compassion.

Once we arrived at the hospital, I was surprised at how modern it was! They had several units, exam rooms, recovery rooms, and even two surgical suites. By far, Jalpa had the best set up of any hospital I’ve visited on a medical mission before. We met two additional surgeons from Pittsburg and Detroit as well as two awesome nurses and a scrub tech from Chicago. We all became fast friends and worked hard over four days to complete about 50 surgical procedures. I watched almost every procedure, was able to assist in two, and even intubated a patient! It was amazing and solidified my latent desire to stop just hanging out with doctors and actually become one myself. More on that another time.

But what about the food? The Mexican people were extremely kind, welcoming and generous. They wanted to make sure our every need was met. This meant that one of our hostesses even took three days off work to cook and serve us food! I mean seriously, who would do that in America for a bunch of people she has never met before? Now let me explain that I speak Spanish well and communicated several times that I would love to eat rice, beans and tortillas for every meal. Our hostess nodded in agreement as if she understood and I was really excited at how seemingly easy I thought it would be.

And then my first meal arrived. It was a salad tossed with ham and a chicken fried steak on top. Argh! I am not an obnoxious traveler, really I’m not. I didn’t want to complain. But I was starving not having eaten since dinner the night before. But looking at the salad, my stomach dropped to my knees. What exactly was unclear about the rice and beans? Apparently there was some issue with the restaurant or something … I was so appreciative of their hospitality but I could not eat that salad! I mean all I saw when I looked into the box was a screaming pig and a squawking chicken that would have rather lived than be part of that salad. It was traumatic for me. I have not seen a dead animal on my plate in at least seven years. After taking a deep breath I painfully removed all the pieces of pig and chicken. Then I ate what amounted to two cups of iceberg lettuce. I hoped the next day would be better.

I kept communicating with our gracious hostesses that I’m vegetarian. It was futile to explain veganism. They didn’t really understand what that was. The closest I could get was vegetarian. Apparently they were confused because to our Mexican hostesses, rice and beans were a side dish to meat. They could not understand why I only wanted to eat the side dishes! As each day went on, they began to understand and you can imagine my happiness by the third day when I was served up heaping plates of rice, beans and tortillas. Aside from the occasional cheese sprinkled on this and that, I was able to maintain a mostly-vegan diet. Success!

One afternoon, I ate lunch with the Mexican nurses who were a complete and total hoot! They told me vegetarians don’t exist in Jalpa. Not one in a town of 20,000 people. This makes me think that veganism may be an aristocratic luxury. When people are more concerned with survival than whether or not they harm animals, they choose survival. Were we in the remote parts of Somalia where people were truly starving, I might have understood this. But in Jalpa, people were not starving. At least not the people I saw. In fact there were some people that would qualify as obese and fit right in America. So what gives? Rice and beans are inexpensive. Maybe they are uneducated like many Americans or maybe their society places animals in a place where their wellbeing is not valued like we do in America.

I realized quickly that discussing veganism with my new Mexican friends was interesting but futile. However, not surprisingly, it became quite the discussion with my fellow Americans. From the very first meal I started fielding questions like “what do you eat?”, “where do you get your protein?”, “why are you vegan?” The usual. And since we were held captive for a whole week together, this gave me many opportunities to discuss the situation for farm animals in our country.  By mid week, one of the nurses said she couldn’t eat her eggs in the morning and Dr. Salvino decided to exchange meat for veggies once in a while. I am always amazed and incredibly excited when people really listen to what’s going on with our food production system. Even very well educated, well intentioned people are ignorant about this topic. It gives me an enormous sense of gratitude when they decide to look at their food choices a bit differently.

While I went to Mexico to get some reprieve from the daily grind and to watch surgery, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the kindness of our Mexican hostesses and the open-mindedness of my fellow Americans.

Keep your eyes and ears open for more on Dr. Chris Salvino. I gave him an earful about factory farming and food safety. He may soon have opportunities to really do something about these issues but he will need our support. I’ll keep you posted ….

The Hickman Family earns millions of dollars ever year from caged chickens.

No so long ago I had the unique privileged of meeting Glenn and Clint Hickman. They are brothers that run Hickman Family Farms, a massive egg producing company in Arizona. A group of us had gathered with our fearless leader, Kerri from the Humane Society of the United States, to come up with a plan that encourages restaurants to not use eggs from chickens kept in battery cages. I guess the Hickman brothers were a bit nervous (or just curious, who knows) about what it is we might do to jeopardize their business. While you might think that we were throwing eggs at each other (ha, ha!) we actually had a rather civil debate. And it was fascinating!

I was riveted because Glenn Hickman confirmed all my greatest fears about the egg industry. I have read many things about chickens being kept in tiny cages where they can’t spread their wings, being forced to produce eggs in unnatural quantities, and then killed at a young age when they are no longer able to produce the product valued so highly by their owner. Glenn substantiated all this and more. And he continually claims that he “loves his chickens.” Hmmmm … I use the term love a bit differently.

Here’s what else Glenn Hickman taught me …

• Hickman Family Farms has about 4,000,000 (four million!) caged egg laying hens. They have 400,000 (four hundred thousand) cage free hens.
• Chickens are raised in a hatchery … usually a separate operation from the egg producing facility. The chicks are incubated and hatched at the hatchery. Then the females are sold to egg producers like Hickman Family Farms.
• 

  These are male chicks that were spared from the macerator only to be thrown into a dumpster alive. This photo is not from Hickman Family Farms.

  As in the dairy industry, males are not valued in the egg laying industry. What happens to them is equally as horrible as what happens to baby male cows used for veal. Baby male chickens are fed to a macerator (something like a wood chipper) just hours after they are hatched. They are GROUND UP ALIVE just because they were born male and not female.

• The females get to act like somewhat normal chickens for a few days albeit being kept in tightly packed quarters. Then when they reach 7 days old, the tips of their beaks are cut off without anesthesia. Why? So when they move to the small confined battery cages, they don’t peck each other to death!
• When they do move to their permanent home, the female chickens are provided approximately 67 square inches of space to live in for the two years of their egg producing life. If you hold out a regular 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, the allotted space would be smaller than that very piece of paper.
• The chickens live on “floors” that are stacked from ground to ceiling! In some cases the birds have conveyor belts under the cages so that their poo is carried away from their living area. In other cases, the poo literally falls from the top floor to the bottom, landing on tens of thousands of chickens on the way down.
• 

  This are hens living in typical battery cages. This photo was not taken at Hickman Family Farms.

  The Hickman “barns” in Arizona have about 200,000 chickens in them. Can you imagine? 200,000? To give you some perspective, about 70,000 students attend Arizona State University and it is one of the largest in the country!

• 1,100,000 (1.1 million!) eggs are shipped from Hickman’s Family Farms EVERY 24 HOURS!
• After laying eggs for two years, the Hickman employees come around with a gas cart. I imagine something like an ice cream cart but one that ends in finality for the chicken. They are dumped into the cart 20 at a time and gassed to death.
• And you might think their flesh is used for chicken breast but in fact it is not. Their bodies are ground up as “green waste” and used as compost that Hickman’s sells for more profit. Their breasts are not as “tasty” as the fryer chickens used for food.

Wow, I say to Glenn and Clint. Wow! Is this what you call love? You see I love my dogs and I would never ever put baby boy puppies in a wood chipper. I would never keep my dogs in a cage so small they can’t turn around. If I did put all four in a tiny area for their entire lives and let them shit all over each other, they would indeed kill each other. To prevent that though I would never, ever cut off their teeth without anesthesia. And I would never, ever put them in a “gas truck” when they are two years old just because they couldn’t produce something I could sell to someone else.

You see my dogs don’t produce anything of value to society but they give me uncompromising devotion and constant companionship, they keep my house safe, and they are always good for a hug. That’s it. In return, I let them live a fulfilling happy life as they are meant to. That is what I call “love”.

When I asked Glenn why the chickens can’t be housed in a way that is more comfortable for them, he replied, “It’s economics.”

Glenn filled me in on one other detail that did in fact horrify me. USDA inspection of egg laying facilities is optional. What, I say? Optional? It is optional for farmers to have the USDA inspect their facilities. My friends I ask you … what has your government done for you lately? If they can not ensure food safety, then what the hell are they doing over there in Washington D.C.

If you find any of this information doubtful, take a look for yourself at www.hickmanseggs.com. Clint is featured with Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs. They actually show the inside of a chicken barn, caged chicken and the way in which they have to discard of thousands of pounds of poo every day.

My friends, an egg is not just an egg. We’ve been taught to eat them because they are a cheap source of protein. But think of the suffering another living being has endured just so someone could eat the byproduct of their reproduction cycle for breakfast? Those eggs aren’t looking so delicious after all.