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 … Continue reading →

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  …  Continue reading → 

						

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 … Continue reading →

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, … Continue reading →
  

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!

… Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →