Of course it would be wonderful if everyone who came to Farm Sanctuary, or everyone who read my book, immediately became a plant-based eater. I doubt that’s going to happen. But many of Farm Sanctuary’s visitors start on their vegan journey by making small changes in their diet. And small steps often lead to much larger ones.

For instance, just eating less meat is a great start. That’s how my own journey began. When I was in high school, I learned about the cruelty that young calves endure in veal production, and I swore off veal for good.

Here are 10 suggestions to get you started on your own journey.

1.Participate in Meatless Monday, a program endorsed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It encourages people to forgo meat one day a week.

2.Try learning more about specific food industry practices and then avoid the cruelest animal products, like veal, caged eggs, chicken meat, and foie gras. This discourages inhumane practices and sends a market signal that such cruelty is outside the bounds of acceptable conduct in our society.

3.Use plant-based milks and creamers, like those made from soy, rice, almond, or coconut, in place of cows’ milk on your cereal and in your coffee. There has been a huge increase in the flavors and varieties available in mainstream groceries in the past couple of years. I used soy milk for decades, and today I prefer vanilla-flavored almond milk.

4.Shop at your farmers’ market for fresh seasonal produce–it is healthy and supports a more local, humane, and sustainable food system. My favorites are berries and greens during the summer, and squash and apples in the fall. Fruit is a sweet snack that can be enjoyed right away, and I sometimes snack on the greens as well. When I travel, I love getting to know the local farming community and culture by visiting farmers’ markets.

5.Replace meat in recipes with plant-based options. For example, instead of meatballs, try veggie meatballs or even just veggies in spaghetti sauce. In many recipes, you can leave the meat out entirely. Check out the recipes starting on page 111 for plenty of dishes without meat.

6.Eat ethnic! The animal-centered diet we consume in the United States is a modern development. Explore and rediscover traditional ethnic dishes, including Chinese, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Indian, Ethiopian, and many others, which tend to be plant based.

7.Consider the advice of food experts and authors such as New York Times columnist Mark Bittman, who suggests we go “vegan before 6:00,” or bestselling food expert Michael Pollan, who says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

8.Enjoy fashion with compassion when shopping for clothes. For more information and tips, check out top fashion designer John Bartlett’s suggestions on page 32.

9.Substitute! There’s a whole range of meatless meat substitutes, including veggie burgers and hot dogs, cold cuts, nuggets, cutlets, sausages, fillets, and even roasts. Explore and enjoy the many possibilities. You don’t have to give up your barbecues and picnics, but you can make them much healthier!

10.Get to know beans, the mainstay of the legume family. There are so many different kinds of beans, and there’s so much you can do with them to add protein and flavor to your meals. I use white or garbanzo beans in salads to make them heartier, and I pack my chili with kidney and pinto beans. I like lentils and lima beans on their own with just a touch of seasoning. And I love beans with steamed greens, such as navy beans with kale, or black-eyed peas with collard greens.

Reprinted from “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” by Gene Baur with Gene Stone. © 2015 by Gene Baur. Photographs © 2015 by Rodale Inc. By Permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

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Anyone who has a pup knows that dog jealousy is a real thing.

The dog in the video below is feeling green with envy because the pup’s person is trying to share her love with other creatures: a cat and a lamb. What makes this video even better is that it comes from an Australian farm sanctuary called Edgar’s Mission. Cute animals and animal saviors? We’ll watch videos concerning those topics all day.

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Jason Wyrick, executive chef of The Vegan Taste and author of “Vegan Tacos” contributed this delectable vegan pancakes recipe to Farm Sanctuary founder Gene Baur’s recent book, “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life.”

Says Jason: “I created this recipe when I was leading a vegan food tour in the south of Italy. Everyone really wanted pancakes for breakfast, but I wanted to utilize some of the exceptional ingredients we had. That included a bottle of orange moscato, fresh pine nuts, and oranges picked directly from the orchard outside the villa where we stayed. It’s quintessential Italian.

Not a lot of ingredients so the ones that are there can really shine. Best of all, this is a fancy breakfast that doesn’t take any more effort than making regular pancakes.”

Makes 4 servings

Time to Make: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3–4 tablespoons pine nuts
2⁄3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2⁄3 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons olive oil
Grated peel of 2 oranges
1⁄4 cup agave nectar
3 tablespoons orange moscato*

Directions

In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts for 1 minute.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder, making sure they are evenly distributed. Whisk in the almond milk and oil until you have a thin batter.

Bring a medium skillet to just above medium heat. Add a very thin layer of olive oil and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat. Pour about 1⁄3 cup of the batter into the skillet and quickly rotate it a couple of times to get the batter to spread out. Cook the pancake for 2 minutes, then flip it and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and keep it warm. Repeat until you are out of batter.

In a medium bowl, combine the orange peel, agave, and moscato.

Plate the pancakes, pour the syrup on them, and top with the toasted pine nuts.

*Skip the moscato and add 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and 1 tablespoon white wine.

Reprinted from “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” by Gene Baur with Gene Stone. © 2015 by Gene Baur. Photographs © 2015 by Rodale Inc. By Permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

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Jason Wyrick, executive chef of The Vegan Taste and author of “Vegan Tacos” contributed this recipe to Gene Baur’s “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” book. 

Says Jason: “This salad, typically made with whatever fresh oranges are on hand and made with blood oranges here, is a popular winter dish throughout the south of Italy.

Fennel and red onion are popular additions, but my favorite version (this one) concentrates on the interplay of the sweetness of the oranges, the saltiness of the olives, the pop of the basil, and the smoothness of the olive oil. It showcases one of the quintessential elements of Italian cuisine, namely that you don’t need complicated recipes to make outstanding food. You only need outstanding ingredients and the willingness to let them speak for themselves.”

Makes 2 servings

Time to Make: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 blood oranges or oranges of your choice, peeled and carefully chopped into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons chopped oil cured pitted black olives or
1⁄4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1⁄4 cup finely sliced basil leaves
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil (preferably with a peppery finish)
1⁄4 cup thinly sliced fennel, if in season, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, toss together the oranges, olives, basil, pepper, oil, and fennel, if using. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving. Make it low fat by omitting the oil.

Reprinted from “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” by Gene Baur with Gene Stone. © 2015 by Gene Baur. Photographs © 2015 by Rodale Inc. By Permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

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Jason Wyrick, executive chef of The Vegan Taste and author of “Vegan Tacos” contributed this tacos recipe to Gene Baur’s book, “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life.”

Says Jason: “If the tortilla is the soul of a taco, then the filling is the body, and fresh lime and spicy salsa are the life of it. It’s the fusion of all three of these components that makes tacos the perfect handheld meal. Because the traditional tortilla for a taco is only about 51⁄2″ in diameter, one serving is usually two or three tacos—or four if you’re hungry!”

Makes 12 tacos

Time to Make: 25 to 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups fresh masa (corn dough for making tortillas) or 12 small premade corn tortillas
2 medium semi-ripe plantains, peeled
1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil
Grated peel and juice of
2 limes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
11⁄2 cups salsa verde
3⁄4 cup toasted pepitas
2 cups shredded red cabbage

Directions

Heat a grill, preferably using mesquite wood. If using a gas grill, bring to medium heat and add soaked mesquite chips in the smoking box.

While the grill is coming to temperature, make the tortillas. Bring a griddle or comal to medium heat. Lay plastic wrap over the bottom flap of your tortilla press.

Take 2 to 21⁄2 tablespoons of the masa and form it into a ball. Lay this on the plastic wrap, just slightly off center toward the hinges of the press. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap at least the size of the tortilla press flap over the masa ball. Press down firmly until the masa is flat and you have a tortilla ready to be cooked. This takes a little practice, so if your first few tortillas don’t turn out right, simply re-form the dough into a ball and press it again. Make as many uncooked tortillas as your griddle can handle before laying them on the hot griddle. Typically this will be 2 to 4 tortillas. Make sure to press each tortilla in its own plastic wrap and keep them in the wrap until you are ready to lay them on the griddle.

Remove the top layer of the plastic sheet. Flip the tortilla over and remove the other layer. Gently lay it on your griddle. Cook the first side for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until you see the edges of the tortilla change color.

Flip the tortilla over and cook for 1 minute. Flip it back over one more time and cook it for another 30 seconds. Remove the tortillas from the heat, stacking them and keeping them covered so they don’t dry out.

Brush the plantains with the oil. Grill them until they are heavily browned on both sides. Remove them from the grill and chop into bite-size pieces.

Immediately toss them with the lime peel and juice and then the salt and chile powder.

To each tortilla, add the plantains, 2 tablespoons of the salsa verde, 1 tablespoon of the pepitas, and the cabbage.

Reprinted from “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” by Gene Baur with Gene Stone. © 2015 by Gene Baur. Photographs © 2015 by Rodale Inc. By Permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

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You guys… Jon Stewart just bought a farm in New Jersey. And he’s going to make it an animal sanctuary… Swoon.

EcoRazzi reports that Stewart “recently purchased a farm in New Jersey with the intention of providing a sanctuary for farm animals rescued from cruelty.”

According to EcoRazzi, this news comes as no surprise. In early April, the soon-to-be-retired Comedy Central “Daily Show” host interviewed Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary. During the interview, the two discussed Baur’s book, “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life.”

The eco-positive news site also reports that Tracey Stewart, Jon Stewart’s wife, is a big-time farm animal activist. “She discovered Farm Sanctuary after reading ‘Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food,’ Baur’s 2008 account of the conception and evolution of the organization,” reports EcoRazzi.

At first, Stewart’s wife wanted to reach out to Baur to get stories for her book, “Do Unto Animals,” and Moomah, her magazine. However, over time, she got increasingly more involved in the organization and supporting farm animals.

Before the Stewarts decided to embrace the farm life, the eco-minded couple were involved in other bouts of farm animal activism, too:

• Tracey is a vegan. In a press release, she said, “The joy of interacting with animals as friends instead of using them for human consumption is life-changing. A trip to Farm Sanctuary should be on everyone’s to-do list, but you can also bring a little bit of sanctuary home when you sponsor an animal through the Adopt a Farm Animal Program.”
• Tracey gave Adopt a Farm Animal sponsorships to Thanksgiving guests.
• The Stewart family takes regular trips to Farm Sanctuary.

And because of the couple’s work helping animals, Farm Sanctuary named two rescued sheep Jon and Tracey in their honor.

Do you have any animal rescue groups you support? Are there any farm animal rescue groups in your area?

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Image: Mark Peters Photography

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John Bartlett’s Ambassador collection, created in collaboration with Farm Sanctuary, aims to give farm animals a second chance at a happy life. And, come on, what’s hotter than a guy showing support for animal rights?

At New York Fashion Week in February, John Bartlett debuted the first ever eco-luxe, 100% cruelty-free menswear collection. More recently, the Ohio native – who has won two CFDA Awards (Best Newcomer and Best Menswear Designer of the Year), an AAFA Designer of the Year Award and a CFDA/Lexus Eco Fashion Award – has created a line of T-shirts in collaboration with Farm Sanctuary.

A long-time animal rights advocate, Bartlett has worked alongside the Humane Society of the United States, the North Shore Animal League and other animal rights organizations helping to raise awareness and spread the message of compassion. This passion for animal welfare is also expressed in the logo that is featured on all of his collections, a graphic representation of his beloved three-legged rescue dog, Tiny Tim.

In the fall of 2011, Bartlett launched The Tiny Tim Collection, created to help raise funds for the designer’s nonprofit animal-rescue organization, The Tiny Tim Rescue Fund, which helps support independent rescue groups across the country.

John Bartlett is very proud of supporting animal rights but knows that doesn’t include just include shelter dogs and cats, which is why the company teamed up with Farm Sanctuary – North America’s largest and most effective farm animal rescue and protection organization – to create the limited edition Ambassador Collection.

Each black cotton tee features a graphically-pleasing animal silhouette on the front and a cryptic number bleached-out on the sleeve, which represents the staggering number of animals that are slaughtered on deplorable factory farms for food each year in our country – more than 9 billion chickens, 5 million pigs and 35 million cows. Through this collection, Bartlett wants to raise awareness and work with his customer to lower this number once and for all. All creatures on this earth should have the right to live a long and happy life.

The campaign photos were shot on location at Farm Sanctuary’s beautiful 175 acre shelter in Watkins Glen, NY and features actual “Ambassadors” – animals fortunate enough to have been rescued and given a new chance at a peaceful, happy and wonderful life.

(Observant readers may have noticed that the beautiful lady in the photos is Mai-ly Hilgart, designer of vegan fashion line Vaute Couture.)

The post For the Love of Farm Animals: John Bartlett + Farm Sanctuary Tees appeared first on EcoSalon.

Reusing? That’s a priority for GG2G founder Dayan Moore whose handbag line is created completely out of recycled restaurant seating vinyl, billboards, bicycle inner tubes, recycled glass bottles, P.E.T and other sustainable fabrics. All bags are even lined with organic cotton or salvaged fabrics to add to their sustainable design.

GG2G stands for Green Goods 2 Give and 2 Get and after visiting their online store, you might be gifting a lot from how inspired you feel. After all, who do you know that has a recycled restaurant seat or billboard bag?

Says the GG2G site: “All billboards are sourced locally (not shipped around the entire country) cut locally, washed locally (using Seaside Naturals non-toxic cleanerâ„¢, a local company) and sewn locally, thus reducing our carbon footprint dramatically. Our webbing is made in the USA, and whenever possible our notions are sourced in the U.S.”

Not only is the brand keeping viable material from entering the landfill, but GG2G is donating a portion of each sale to Farm Sanctuary, a hardworking group that works to end cruelty to farm animals and promote compassionate living through rescue, education and advocacy.

This little gem of a bag, the Gyoza clutch, is one of the pieces made from recycled restaurant seating vinyl, and if you’re feeling unlucky and don’t want to take the chance you might not win, you can go to the site and buy it straight out. There are also a few color choices – so if you do win, Dayan has offered to send you swatches to pick from and then she’ll send. Sound good?

Not to mention if you do purchase this beauty of a bag, GG2G has vowed they will give a percentage of all Gyoza clutch proceeds to Farm Sanctuary which means three things:

1. You just got a great bag.

2. You joined the vegan movement surreptitiously.

3. You helped a group of people who want to make sure animals are never made into a bag.

A trifecta indeed.

Just leave a comment below for your chance to win!

(Legalese: contest rules and FTC compliance.)

The post GG2G Vegan Gyoza Clutch Giveaway appeared first on EcoSalon.