Author Archives: Hillary R

Investors worth trillions are putting pressure on food companies
to serve more fake meat
http://www.businessinsider.com/fairr-jeremy-coller-animal-welfare-2017-5

Tyson AND Cargill
"Investing money in plant-based proteins is the smart move right now. 
Today’s consumers are — more than ever before — turning to plants as a 
primary source of protein. As of 2012, sales of meat alternatives reached 
an impressive $553 million. The sector is expected to grow to a 
staggering $5.17 billion by 2020."
http://www.care2.com/causes/another-major-meat-supplier-is-investing-in-plant-based-proteins.html

"But slipping a meat imitator into the meat section goes beyond a single company—
it marks an inflection point for a fast-growing new food industry that wants to
 deliver the protein-rich foods consumers want and need without involving a 
live animal. Not long ago, the prospect of infiltrating the meat section 
was a wild dream for companies working on plant- and lab-based meats. In breaking 
that barrier, Beyond Meat has opened the window for massive disruption of the 
traditional meat industry."
https://qz.com/1000841/a-persistent-ceo-a-meat-buyer-and-a-gamble-how-fake-meat-finally-made-it-to-market/

A 2016 Harris poll found that 3.3% of U.S. adults are vegetarian, and around 
half of those (1.6%) are vegan. However, in the 18­-34 year old group, the numbers 
rise to 5.3% vegetarian of whom 2.6% are vegan. 
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2016issue4/2016_issue4_harris_poll.php

Lab-grown meat (some debate on how vegan this really is, but it does solve 
many problems associated with meat production)
https://qz.com/772987/to-lure-people-put-off-by-the-freakiness-of-lab-made-meat-this-is-what-the-industry-wants-to-call-it/

Nondairy Milk Sales Soar; Dairy Milk Plummeting
http://www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/us-sales-of-dairy-milk-turn-sour-as-non-dairy-milk-sales-grow-9-in-2015

Googletrends "vegan"
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=vegan

Here are 10 reasons you’ll want to attend our Intro to Vegan Essential Oils class this Sunday afternoon (6/11) at 2:00 p.m. at GiftLoft Furniture (551 Romence Road, D&W Shopping Center, Portage):

1) All the oils we discuss will be vegan. (This would probably not be the case at other essential oil events.)

2) You will learn about 11 of the most versatile and popular oils. Interested in a chemical-free lifestyle, optimizing emotional and spiritual health, and toxic-free cleaning? You can begin that journey by learning about the who, what, where, when, why, and how of essential oils in a fun and naturally animal-product-free and cruelty-free way!

3) The class will be for both beginning and experienced essential oils users. Beginners: you’ll get a wonderful introduction. Experienced people: you’ll almost certainly learn some new tips.

4) Our teacher, Emma Giffels, is owner of Essential to Emma, which offers essential oil solutions to health-minded people in Kalamazoo and beyond. Emma is a two-year vegan, a twenty-year resident of Kalamazoo, and a member of Vegan Kalamazoo! About a year ago she discovered Young Living Essential Oils and ever since has been immersing herself in aromatherapy and how vegans can use it to improve their physical and mental well-being. Emma’s other interests include travel and hiking.

5) The class will be held at GiftLoft Furniture, owned by Vegan Kalamazoo advisory committee member Sandy Neal, and located conveniently in the D&W / AAA shopping center on Romence Road, Portage, with LOTS of parking. GiftLoft is a lovely, airy space filled with wonderful furniture, furnishings, and collectibles from Scandinavian and beyond.

6) Essential Oils are for guys, too! So you gentlemen should attend!

7) Young Living Oils are, according to Emma, “beyond organic.” She adds: “Young Living NEVER uses pesticides or conventional fertilizers. Their plants are hand weeded and fertilized with essential oils. USDA regulations say that for organic crops, soil must be free from synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and GMOs for three years, but Young Living beats that, producing in soil free from synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and GMOs for five years.”

8) There is absolutely no obligation to purchase.

9) We’ll have free vegan snacks. And…

10) We’ll have door prizes!

More info / RSVP here. Space is limited so RSVP now, and please keep your RSVP up to date so others don’t miss out.

As always, at Vegan Kalamazoo events, everyone is welcome, including vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores. Newcomers are especially welcome. (And this is a great event to bring your nonvegan friend to!) However, out of respect for our mission, we request that you only purchase/consume vegan foods and other items at this event.

A lovely and inspiring class in a lovely and inspiring setting PLUS free vegan nibbles, door prizes, and no obligation to buy. I can’t imagine a pleasanter way to spend a summer afternoon, so please join us!

Speaking of vegan resources, we have another great one from Kellie Heistand, creator of our Meetup instruction page. Now, she’s put together a spreadsheet showing where locally you can purchase the cheapest vegan staples. It’s a great resource, so please feel free to use it and contribute your own shopping wisdom.

Right in time for fruit season, here’s a great overview of where to get the best local fruit from Vegan Kalamazoo member and permaculturalist PJ Chmiel:

• My favorite is grow-your-own! We don’t have a “farm,” but have planted a very diverse permaculture orchard that is inspired by nature and creates food, habitat and medicine for humans and wildlife alike. Our aim is to grow vegan staple foods in a no-till, wildlife-friendly system—chestnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, oaks, in addition to dozens of kinds of fruit and semi-wild vegetables. Not everyone has the luxury of having several acres of land, but even on a small urban lot, growing your own is easier than you might think and very rewarding.

  For local farms, these are some of my favorites, look for them at the local Farmers Markets or contact them directly: Bonamego Farms (they don’t really deal in animal products and have a wonderful variety of chemical-free (and foraged!) veggies and mushrooms; Walker’s Fresh Veggies – CSA Farm in Paw Paw has a nice roadside stand and also goes light on the chemicals; EarthSmith Food and Forest Products raise animals but they are one of the most ecologically-minded farms in the area. Josh and Kerry are in the early stages of having an awesome ecological farm with blueberries and other lesser-known fruits, primarily for Josh to use in his wonderful creations as a vegan chef. Earthen Heart and Joe’s Blues of Moss Funnel Farms offer no-spray blueberries as well. Elder Fire Farm Arts makes amazing jams and fermented foods and are dear friends of mine. Blue Dog Family Farm grows awesome kale and other greens. Molter Family Orchards is one of the only certified-organic orchards in the region, also great people, though they’re more toward Lake Michigan and not so much in Kzoo.

  Above all, visit farmers markets, get to know people, visit the farms, see how they do things. It’s a LOT of work growing food for market, most farmers are just barely making it financially and have to work insane hours. I know I’m forgetting a lot of people here, but this is a good start.

Reprinted here with permission–thanks, PJ! His comment, by the way, was originally published on the Vegan Kalamazoo Facebook Group, where you’ll find more than 570 of your fellow Southwest Michigan vegans and vegan-friendly folk, and all kinds of useful recipes and tips. So please join us. (We were even cited as a news source by K1025 radio when they reported on the new Trader Joe’s that’s coming to Kzoo!)

Whitney Oosting, Area Michigan Coordinator for the ASSE Exchange Program, is looking for host families for two VEGAN foreign students who will be attending high school in our area next year. Please see the below info, and contact Whitney directly at 616-889-7861 or whitney@asse.com for more info.

As a former foster mom of four Sudanese teenaged refugees I know first-hand how wonderful and enriching an experience it is to host a foreign student, and I agree with Whitney that, now more than ever, such cross-cultural exchange is needed. So I hope a few people reading this will contact Whitney!

Thanks,
Hillary

From Whitney:

Becoming a host family has been one of the most rewarding adventure ever.  In today’s world cross-cultural ties are of utmost importance.  Students from all over the world come to study here in America.  They not only learn from our culture but give us the opportunity to learn about theirs.  They bring such a desire to connect with us, to learn from us and to give back.  Through sharing experiences together we find that we are all the same, no matter what nationality, race or religion.  Students bring that not only to the family where they live but to their school and community.  The result is acceptance of each others differences and the spreading of world peace one child at a time.

RIMA (15 years old, from Germany)

Interests: I enjoy drawing, reading, singing, cooking, going for walks, and playing the piano – TM

Hello, My name is Rina and I am 15 years old. I love in a very small city in Germany with mother, father, and younger sister. I am currently in 10th grade. My school is pretty small with 800 students. My favorite subjects are chemistry, biology, and art. In the future I would like to continue to study art. I am very kind, smart, creative, polite, fun person. I am very good at adjusting to new situations which will be helpful during my exchange student year. In my free time I love drawing, listening to Beyoncé, and reading. Most days you will never see me without a book in my hands. Something else I like to do in my free time is go grocery shopping, having sleepovers, and watching movies. I also like to go to the gym with my friends. On the weekends we spend time together as a family such as going out to eat, or a walk in the woods. I really enjoy nature. I don’t eat meat, dairy or eggs, but I am very happy to prepare my own meals and I l ove to cook. I hope I have given you a good impression of my life and I cannot wait to learn about your family. I will be very glad to spend a year in the United States with you and cannot wait to meet you!

Marharyta (16 years old, from Ukraine)

Interests: Swimming, listening to music, fitness, reading, drawing, playing the guitar, science, watching movies, aerobics, volleyball, boxing, theater

Marharyta is a FLEX scholarship student from Ukraine. She is the only child of her small but loving family. She enjoys going on picnics and gong to the seaside with her mother and father. She, of course, also helps them with their chores and cooking. Rita considers herself a vegan, although she respects everyone’s ideas. She knows that everyone has their own version of the world. This is one of the major reasons she wants to be an exchange student; to see others’ perspectives and cultures. She is excited to see other places beyond her comfort zone. She would like to share her love of music, reading and science with her new host family and friends. She loves to study science and might consider it as her career! Rita thanks you for considering to host her and is excited to meet you!

In the next few months, Vegan Kalamazoo will be holding or promoting events in (count ’em!) Texas Township, Dowagiac, Hastings, Paw Paw, and South Haven. Yup! Interest in veganism is everywhere, and that’s why my new favorite hashtag is #veganeverywhere!

There’s no reason southwest Michigan – with its savvy, health conscious population and great agricultural gifts – can’t be one of the U.S.’s premier vegan locales.

We’ll also be participating in the upcoming Kalamazoo Foodways Symposium (April 7-8), Earth Day (April 22), the Kalamazoo Dog Walk & K9 Festival (May 6), Kalamazoo Marathon (May 7) , and other events. Your suggestions for events we can participate in are *always* welcome, as is your assistance with tabling, workshops, etc. (Email me!)

See you at our events! Remember: everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores, is always welcome at our events, although we ask that you purchase / consume only vegan food out of respect for our mission. Most events are free except for cost of restaurant food, movies, etc. Remember, also, that our Meetup.com group is the best place to stay on top of our events. Meetup is free and simple to join. (Instructions for joining here.)