This year, in lieu of gifts, consider making donations to our local farmed-animal sanctuaries. Sanctuaries are VERY expensive to run and the people who run them are some of the hardest-working and most dedicated people you’ll find. They are well worth supporting.
All Species Kinship (Battle Creek)
Barn Sanctuary (Chelsea)
Chubby Goat Acres (Schoolcraft)
Fauna Animal Sanctuary (Battle Creek)
Sasha Farm Animal Sanctuary (Chelsea)
Hi Everyone,
Below is a short list of suggestions for locally purchased vegan holiday gifts. If you know of someone who should be included on next year’s list, please email me.
Best,
Hillary
*Give a gift certificate from your favorite vegan-friendly restaurant.
*A vegan cookbook, purchased from a local bookstore, is an excellent and encouraging gift to give a vegan or vegan-in-process. Here’s a good list of recommended titles.
*Our fine local health food stores, including Natural Health Center, People’s Food Co-op, and Sawall, all offer lots of vegan food, beauty, health, and household items that would make good gifts. Also, Pacific Rim Foods offers lots of interesting foods and cooking gadgets.
*We’re big fans of Opulent Blends‘ body care and home care products.
*Kalamazoo Candle Company has a lovely store on the downtown Kalamazoo Mall. Nearly all of the candles are vegan!
* Earthfare‘s wellness department has these ultra-comfy vegan slippers.
* Island City Crafts‘s vegan owner makes lovely vegan soaps. Only farmed, sustainable palm oil used.
Dear Friend:
A couple of weeks ago, I tabled at the Kalamazoo Night Market. I had a brilliant time, and gave out info to more than 250 people. Will they all become vegan overnight? Of course not! But they are all that much closer – as are the hundreds more who simply walked past and saw the display. (Marketing 101 says that many people need to encounter your message fifteen or twenty times before they’ll buy/try.)
I also made some great connections, some of which may lead to new workshop venues.
And some of the new people will join our fun Facebook community and/or participate in our Meetup events, thus strengthening our group and our cause.
When I first started tabling, four years ago, there were many who looked at our booth askance. Now hardly any do. It’s not that everyone is now pro-vegan: just that more are, and the rest mostly see us as a normal – albeit possibly annoying – part of the mix. Normalizing veganism in our community is one of the main goals of this group, and we’re succeeding.
That night, I was also surrounded by people selling meat products. I always try to remember that, if we do our job right, many people will experience economic dislocation. Where we can, we always want to help businesses convert to veganism.
I’ve probably tabled around fifty times over the past four years. (Next tabling event: SPCA Dog Dash, September 8). Tabling is hard work, but I love it. If you ever see me or others tabling on behalf of Vegan Kalamazoo, stop by and say hi! And if you ever want to help table that would be terrific, too. The more, the merrier!
Many thanks to Gaby Gerken and the rest of the team at the People’s Food Coop for putting together the fantastic Night Market and allowing us to participate.
Please join us at our September events – there’s something for everyone. (See below.) *Everyone* is always welcome at Vegan Kalamazoo events, including vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores. (However, out of respect for our mission, we request that you only order / consume vegan food at our events.) We also welcome people with *any* motive for going vegan, including health, the environment, animal rights, and spirituality.
Please especially note:
*Our Vegan 101 and 102 classes at the Kalamazoo, Parchment, Otsego and Coldwater libraries. Tell your friends in those communities!
*The upcoming Vegan Chef’s Table at Zazios. A Chef’s Table is like watching your favorite cooking show happening right in front of you. It’s held in a specially designed, state-of-the-art “cooking theater” within the restaurant, and the comfortable stadium-like seating will ensure you won’t miss any of the action. As part of a small group, you’ll get to watch and ask questions as Chef Jeremy Cawby and his team prepare your gourmet vegan feast; and if you want, you can even help!
See you at the events!
Hillary Rettig
Organizer
Welcome to our annual Buy Vegan / Buy Local holiday post! Before we get to the shopping, I just want to remind you that newcomers and nonvegans – and you! – are especially welcome at our upcoming Thanksliving potluck, Holiday Party, and other events! More info.
For a gift they’ll thank you for all winter long, think hygge! Pronounced “hoo-guh,” it’s the Danish word for something that helps you stay warm and comfy and cozy, especially during cold weather. Our area’s premier Scandinavian superstore, GiftLoft Furniture, is offering a Vegan Holiday Hygge Bundle that includes:
Mulled Winter Glogg (1 liter, non-alcoholic, serve warm!)A $51.55 value; now just $39.95 plus tax.
Also, mention “Vegan Kalamazoo” for 20% off colorful (and giftworthy) Laurel Burch fabric bags and totes. Offers valid thru Saturday, Dec 23, 2017. For more information
GiftLoft Furniture (269-329-0800, giftloftgallery@msn.com) is located on Romence Road, right next to the D&W. Plenty of free parking, and gift wrapping is always free and cheerfully provided! So come get your Vegan Hygge on!
From hygge to health…a Natural Health Center Buyers Club membership is another great gift that keeps on giving. Purchase discounted vegan foods and supplements, and if you don’t earn your membership fee back in discounts, NHC will refund the difference! $107 per year, $60 for six months or $35 for three months. NHC is at 4610 W Main Street (corner Drake), with lots of free parking. 269-342-9459. More info.
Don’t forget that Natural Health Center, Sawall, and People’s Food Coop – along with Earth Fare and Trader Joe’s – offer many wonderful vegan foods, cosmetics, and skincare products that also make good gifts.
Or, give a gift certificate from one of our area’s many vegan-friendly restaurants.
Or, donate in someone’s name to one of our local animal rescue / sanctuary organizations, including the Kalamazoo Humane Society, All Species Kinship, and Sasha Farm Sanctuary.
Finally, if you’re entertaining or being entertained, don’t forget:
Natural Health Center, Sawall, and People’s Food Coop all offer great selections of vegan cheeses and other snacks. (We especially recommend Miyoko’s, Treeline, and Violife cheeses.)
Tiffany’s Wine and Spirits offers vegan wines, and vegan Bailey’s Almonde Irish Cream Liqueur (yum!), as well as several brands of gourmet vegan chocolate bars.
Confections with Convictions makes their own fancy chocolates, and offers several vegan choices. (They also do great community job training work.)
Yummy Opes Cookies, baked right here in Kalamazoo, are always appreciated!
That’s this year’s list! If you have any recommendations of your own, please post them on our Facebook group.
Happy holidays and looking forward to even more great vegan options next year!
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:
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.)
