The blog of JoAnn Farb - JoAnnFarb.com

Is Veganism a Spiritual Path?

1/10/2019

Donald Watson -- one of the first vegans

Do you know how the vegan
movement began?

For those who coined the word in 1944 and those who joined these revolutionaries long before most of the world had ever heard the word, “vegan,” veganism embodied the broad themes that universally underlie the major world religions.

Fundamentally, veganism was and is about self-growth on a path that seeks justice and gives guidance as to how to live a good life. In this way, veganism connects us with something larger than ourselves.

However, unlike religions and atheism, veganism does not require one to believe in a deity – nor does it preclude one from doing so. You can be deeply religious, agnostic or atheist and also be a dedicated vegan. And...

Honoring the Vegangels in my life

12/11/2018

Are YOU a vegangel?

The idea for this post came from my reflecting upon the many people In my life, who though not vegan themselves, have made important contributions to my work over the years. They are friends, family members and sometimes just acquaintances who on some level, appear to recognize the value of the ideas and facts vegans seek to disseminate. For the sake of this post, I am designating them, "Vegangels." But there are two also important criteria that define them: First, they do not appear to have a need to settle the cognitive dissonance of their recognition of veganism’s importance, with the fact that they are not vegan, by discrediting veganism. Second, they appear to derive some personal satisfaction from facilitating the planting of seeds that may germinate into veganism

My holiday gift to all of my readers: A timely set of quotes you can tuck into cards, post on bulletin boards, and share with others to plant seeds of justice.

12/10/2018

Merry/Happy everything to all of you!

In honor of the season, I have assembled a list of thought-provoking quotes from scientists, writers and social justice activists both past and present. Feel free to link to this, or post this collection elsewhere. But even better yet, print these out and share them with others. (You will need to click the, "Read more" button in order to actually read them.)

Artichoke Spinach Pockets -- Without Soy, Gluten, Nor Nightshades

11/4/2018

I won't kid you...there is a fair amount of work to make these, but with a bit of planning they are not THAT hard. And they ARE really yummy! Guests won't believe that they contain no dairy or eggs either --- they are so CHEEZY!

They look nice on a tray of appetizers and make the perfect finger food.

Best of all for those with allergies, they are gluten free, soy free, and nightshade free.

Who is Frank Mitloehner and why did EcoWatch Publish his Article?

10/31/2018

     Most of us think of EcoWatch as being a reliable source on environmental issues, but a recent story they published raises concern that their editorial integrity has been co-opted by industrial agricultural interests. There is a name for this: Green washing.

     On October 25, 2018 Eco-Watch published an article by Frank Mitloehner titled, Yes Eating Meat affects the Environment, but Cows are Not Killing the Climate.

     I realize there are some people who consider themselves environmentalists and still eat

Vegan World 2026 Conference in Mesa, Az October 26-28, 2018

10/30/2018

Friday

I just returned from Climate Healer's Vegan World 2026 conference. It was a very full three days of meeting many extraordinary people -- plus reconnecting with amazing souls I already knew. I attempted to take notes and photos to remind myself of important parts, but each time I did that, I found myself missing out on things happening in THAT moment. My apologies in advance for misspellings and missing details etc.

I believe what took place this weekend may be of historical value and I'd like to contribute

Sunny Mashed Potatoes -- Perfect for Thanksgiving!

10/1/2018

I was surprised to discover when making mashed potatoes recently (shown here with gravy on them) that instead of using a thin store bought plant-milk to make these, that by using a much thicker milk -- they came out super creamy and fluffy --- without using any oils!

Sunflower seed milk is quick and easy to make, and very inexpensive. Normally when I make nut or seed milks, I filter them through a nut-milk bag to remove the fiber. However since the milk is going into something that is already very thick and full of fiber, it is NOT necessary to filter to remove the sunflower seed fiber and THAT makes this recipe incredibly simple to make! Click the, "read more" button if you'd like to see the recipe.

How Donald Trump Can Help us Advance Justice

9/12/2018

     Because Donald Trump has taken a common ignored dynamic to an egregiously disturbing level, we can now give it a name: Trumpism. Naming it, makes the dynamic more visible. Naming what is problematic helps us recognize its more subtle forms in leaders or ourselves.

     I first saw Trumpism in my grade school, when I noticed that not all kids were popular because they were nice. Some achieved popularity via family status or money, or by being bullies (which many of us enabled by not calling them out.) We may have been scared of them and grateful we weren’t their victim. Or maybe we wanted them to include us, give us things, or help our cause. Now we have a name for the dynamic that empowers privilege while ignoring justice -- Trumpism.

     As I wrote about in a previous post, "Why I am not an Apologetic Vegan," humans have a long history of enabling oppressors in order to distance ourselves from those at the bottom of the pecking order. Distancing improves our status and makes us feel less likely to be a target of the oppressor (click the "read more" button to see rest of this article...)

Oil-Free Swiss Chard Dolmas

8/30/2018

I created this recipe a few years ago, when I was looking for new ways to use my garden's abundant swiss chard and basil. These are SO delicious and great for both parties and picnics in the park. You can make them a day or two ahead and they store perfectly in the refrigerator for several days. They travel well, are a great finger food and the perfect appetizer to simply grab from the fridge and serve.

Ok -- so they are a bit labor intensive -- but SO worth it. They make a great addition to any appetizer tray too. You might as well make five dozen of them at once! (Believe me -- you'll be glad you did -- they go fast!)

A Salad Bar in Your Refrigerator

8/4/2018

One of the things that has been very helpful to me I learned from my years of involvement with Montessori schools. Integral to the philosophy is something Montessori refers to as the, "Prepared Environment." The idea is to thoughtfully set up the physical space in a way that is visually appealing and invites one to engage in activities beneficial to well-being. This facilitates desired behaviors while discouraging that which might be destructive. Or as engineers, architects and planners like to say, "Structure determines function."

Why I am NOT an Apologetic Vegan

7/26/2018

(I have a video of a live presentation based upon this essay HERE.)

"I am not THAT kind of vegan"

This is a statement that I have heard a few times recently.

As veganism has become more popular, it has triggered pushback. When I began doing vegan activism in the 1990s, vegans weren’t seen as a threat to animal agriculture or to people’s coveted family or religious traditions. Grocery stores, hospitals, and local TV news welcomed me and repeatedly provided venues for me to criticize animal exploitation while encouraging people to give veganism a try. Some were inspired or motivated to change as a result of this. Those who didn’t “get” my message or disagreed, ignored me and moved on. Since vegans were so rare, this message was a curiosity not a threat.

But now, almost everyone in America knows there are millions of vegans. Veganism is a viable lifestyle AND growing in popularity! Vegans are setting athletic records, running successful companies, and birthing and raising healthy vegan families. This changes everything. Conscious of it or not, those who are not yet vegan live with the continuous discomfort that they are participating in unnecessary violence against other beings. Unlike the 1990’s, now simply saying, “I am vegan” reminds non-vegans they are not living consistent with two of their own values which are also widely held. Most of us agree: It is wrong to unnecessarily harm animals. Most of us also agree: It is wrong to unnecessarily hurt your neighbors or your children and grandchildren. (Animal agriculture is a leading driver of every category of environmental destruction -- most especially climate change!) Just BEING vegan around some people feels to them, like they are being attacked because it's reminding them of their complicity.

But those who DO embrace veganism, struggle with a different discord – feeling like an outcast from their tribe, family, or social group. Any choice that sets us apart from our group, can expose us to “change back.” Pressure.

In order to help you understand why, saying, "I am not that kind of vegan" is problematic, I will share with you what happened to me as a child.

The GOOD News About West Nile Virus....

7/23/2018

Get ready --- the deluge has already begun. We are being bombarded with media reports about yet another dangerous disease -- West Nile Virus. No doubt this helps to sell lots of bug repellent, and enable applications of toxic chemicals to our environment, while priming the populace to accept yet another vaccine once it becomes available (google it -- and you'll see it's in development now.)

Do news reports like this make you fearful (as they do me)? Then this post is for you. The first thing I did after I read a recent news report about the scary West Nile Virus, was to visit this CDC Page:

Lawrence Kansas' First Public All-Vegan BBQ was a HUGE Success!

7/16/2018

[The 2nd vegan BBQ will be June 16, 2019 -- details HERE.]

There was an amazing turn-out for the first vegan BBQ in Lawrence, Ks -- which coincidentally was 25 years to the month after the first vegan BBQ in Kansas City! Although many people came and went over the course of the several hours of this event I counted about 100 adults there at one point -- but don't really know how many attended over-all. Below are photos of the event. (All the best ones were taken by Emma Perkins --Thanks Emma!)

NAVS Vegetarian Summerfest is Now VEGAN SUMMERFEST

7/14/2018

I originally wrote this post two years ago. I have just added a bit of video from the entertainment at last year's (2017) Summerfest --- It's a really funny musical skit featuring Miyoko Shinner (Founder of Miyoko's Kitchen) Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org and Dr. Ted Barnett (Rochester Lifestyle Medicine). This year, (2018) The big news is that Vegetarian Summerfest will henceforth be called Vegan Summerfest. Enjoy!

Highlights of the 2016 NAVS Vegetarian Summerfest

If you've never been there -- words and pictures simply fall far short of capturing the magic, the love, and the soul-affirming feeling of connection, hope and healing that is the essence of the North American Vegetarian Society's Summerfest Conference. Scroll down to see lots of pictures from this year's conference -- and notice what a vibrant looking bunch of humans are there! I've been to many other conferences -- and although they may share similar speakers, offer equivalent educational opportunities, provide tantalizing food and fun social gatherings, nothing I have yet experienced comes close to creating what the majority of the 600 plus attendees who pilgrimage to this event each year experience: Summerfest quite spectacularly and reliably renews people by immersing them

McDonald's McLibel Trial and Whole Food's Prosecution of Ateret Goldman

7/10/2018

Is history about to repeat itself?

Back in the 1990's a group of activists in the UK created and passed out a flyer, titled, What's Wrong With McDonalds. In response the fast food giant hired under cover agents to infiltrate the group and then served them with legal papers threatening to take them to court for libeling the McDonald's corporation. The activists didn't know it at the time, but the McDonalds company had a history of threatening it's critics with a libel suit, but then offering to drop charges, if the defendents would apologize, never criticize McDonald's again and keep confidential McDonald's threatened legal action.

But this one time McDonald's bullying didn't work as planned. The activists

25 Years Ago -- What it was like Doing Vegan Activism in the Greater KC Area...

6/22/2018

Join me for a trip down memory lane. Here I document the birth and early years of organized vegan activism in the Kansas City area. A special thanks to all the people -- including many who contributed but don't happen to be in these pictures and clippings. Together we helped lay the foundation for the exponential growth of vegan products, vegan-friendly menu items, and vegan community that now make it attractive and easy for so many more people to make the connection and go vegan!

My husband Joe Farb manning one of the grills.

In 1992, I knew of exactly three vegans in the entire Kansas City area. Victoria Moran, her daughter Adair (who went by the name of Rachel, back then) and myself. Few knew to say, "Vee-gun" rather than, "Vey-gun" let alone what the word, "vegan" meant.

So in 1993 a small group of vegetarian's started what I believe was the first vegetarian society in Kansas or the greater KC area -- and we called it Vegetarians of Kansas City. At first all we did was have monthly potlucks in Siobhan Defeo's home. Siobhan and a friend of hers had gotten the ball rolling by putting up notices on bulletin boards at Clearly Nature's Own at 43rd and Main, seeking to find other vegetarians. Soon after, there were 10 to 20 of us regularly sharing monthly meals and dis-

Soy- Free TEMPEH? Yes....it's called HEMPE!

6/11/2018

Of all the new products I sampled at the HUGE Asheville VeganFest...one in particular stood out as something I needed to tell everyone about. It's a delicious new product called "Hempe." The sample I tasted was air fried with very little oil, and used no additional seasonings and was AMAZING!

Even better --- now my soy-allergic friends have yet another terrific vegan protein to enjoy -- that is entirely free of soy products!

I bought this package here at the festival (it has "FARB PAID" on it because I had them hold it for me in their coolers a bit before I was ready to trek it back to my

Basic Bean and Vegetable Burgers Made Without Any Oil

5/5/2018

Before I share with you the recipe for how to make these, I want to frame the process for you. While you can make burgers from just about any combination of beans (or lentils which is what I used here) vegetables and ground up nuts or seeds, the trick is getting them to stay together AND not remain mushy inside once they are cooked. The key is to have enough WHOLE beans (or lentils) that are NOT too smashed up and for the mixture over all to be not too wet nor too dry when you form it into the patties. Keep this in mind and you really don't need to follow a recipe at all. The other thing that matters is getting a really great finished taste. That is accomplished by using a nice variety of vegetables and herbs for flavor. This is especially important when you omit oil (and salt if you choose to.) Beets make a great addition because of the color that they impart as well. Although I didn't use any sweet potatoes in this version, I could have just as easily steamed up a sweet potato and then mashed it and added it to the mixture. Sweet potato pairs especially well when using black beans instead of lentils. This makes about two dozen small burgers. If using

Un-Crepes Filled with Creamed Vegetables Sautéed in White Wine

5/1/2018

Long ago I had a passion for crepes. Miyoko Shinner's revolutionary, Now and Zen Epicure, cookbook is what got me started. Her Gateau de Crepes recipe on page 146 taught me how to make the most fabulous eggless crepes. I loved filling them with all variety of tasty fillings.

Then I went gluten free...AND decided to minimize the use of oil in my food preparation. Eggless crepes made with gluten-free flours and little to no oil...I just couldn't seem to pry them off the pan except in tiny pieces. My crepe days were over.

A few weeks ago however I stumbled upon Petra Scott's Food Blog, and learned how to make the most fabulous, easy, and versatile Flax wraps which are a great stand-in for crepes in my recipes. Now I have a new widget in my gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, no-oil repertoire, and I can't wait for you to taste what I have created with it.

The Peanut Allergy Epidemic

4/27/2018

When I was in grade school in the 1960s-70s I never heard of anyone with a peanut allergy. I knew of exactly one case of someone with asthma. Her diagnosis stood out in my mind for two reasons: First because she didn't have to run laps in gym class, (which I envied at the time) and second because her disease, "Asthma" was so rare. I virtually never heard of any other cases for at least ten more years. (Full disclosure to give some perspective here -- as a child, I read our Family Medical Reference Book for fun.) Allergy, Asthma, Autism and ADHD, are referred to by many as the, "Four A's." There is much overlap in the populations afflicted with each of these.

In 1941 Allergist Warren Vaughan wrote what appears to be the very first book to explain to the public what an allergy was. It was titled, Strange Malady. That book also documents milk, egg, strawberry and wheat as the most significant allergies at that time. There was no mention of peanuts as a trigger for allergies...

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