It’s All About Food

It's All About Food - Jason Wyrick and Eric Lee-Mӓder - 09/30/14

Jason Wyrick and Eric Lee-Mӓder Part I: Jason Wyrick, Vegan Tacos Chef Jason Wyrick is the executive chef of The Vegan Taste, a cooking instructor, caterer, a former diabetic, and founder of the world’s first vegan food magazine, The Vegan Culinary Experience. He has co-authored the New York Times bestselling book 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart with Neal Barnard, MD, and has taught alongside many medical and dietary professionals. Jason was the first vegan culinary instructor in the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu program through Scottsdale Culinary Institute, and has catered for many corporations. Jason has taught hundreds of vegan cooking classes around the world, and his work has been featured in the New York Times,Vegetarian News, and on both local and national television. His website is thevegantaste.com.  PART II: Eric Lee-Mӓder, Farming with Native Beneficial Insects: Ecological Pest Control Solutions Eric Mader is the Pollinator Conservation Program Co-Director at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (www.xerces.org). In this role Eric works across the world with farmers and the agencies like the US Department of Agriculture and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to enhance functional biodiversity in working agricultural lands. His professional background includes previous work as an extension farm educator, commercial beekeeper, and crop consultant for the native seed industry. Eric is the author of several books including the best-sellingAttracting Native Pollinators, and Farming with Beneficial Insects: Strategies for Ecological Pest Management, both by Storey Publishing. 

It's All About Food - Sharon Gannon, Simple Recipes For Joy and pattrice jones, The Oxen at the Intersection - 09/23/14

PART I: Sharon Gannon, Simple Recipes For Joy  Sharon Gannon is a twenty-first-century Renaissance woman, an animal-rights and vegan activist, and a world-renowned yogini, author, dancer, poet, musician, and producer. She lives in Woodstock, New York.  Part II: pattrice jones, The Oxen at the Intersection pattrice jones is an ecofeminist writer, scholar, and activist who, along with Miriam Jones, cofounded VINE Sanctuary, an LGBTQ-run farmed animal sanctuary that operates within an understanding of the intersection of oppressions. She is the author of Aftershock: Confronting Trauma in a Violent World: A Guide for Activists and Their Allies(Lantern, 2007), and has contributed chapters to Ecofeminism: Feminist Intersections with Other Animals and the Earth (Bloomsbury, 2014); Confronting Animal Exploitation: Grassroots Essays on Liberation and Veganism (McFarland, 2013); Sister Species: Women, Animals and Social Justice (University of Illinois Press, 2011); Sistah Vegan: Food, Identity, Health, and Society(Lantern, 2010); Contemporary Anarchist Studies (Routledge, 2009); Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth (AK Press, 2006); and Terrorists or Freedom Fighters?: Reflections on the Liberation of Animals (Lantern, 2004). Her portion of the proceeds of the sale of The Oxen at the Intersection will go to VINE. pattrice is pictured here with Luna.

It's All About Food - 09/09/14

Tues., Sept 9August 10, 2014 Listen at 4pm ET by going to PRN, The Progressive Radio Network. Part I Talia Fuhrman, Love Your Body Talia Fuhrman has a degree in nutritional sciences from Cornell University and has contributed to Vegetarian Times,VegNews, Positive Impact, DiseaseProof.com, CrazySexyLife.com, PyschologyToday.com and more. She lives in Newport Beach, California.     Part II: Miyoko Shinner, Vegan Cheese! A venerated chef, author, TV host, animal rights advocate and vegan cuisine leader, Miyoko Schinner is ideally poised to set the gold standard for cultured plant-based cheeses in the United States and Europe. A highly visible proponent of delicious, decadent, and healthful plant-based foods for the past thirty years, her most recent cookbook, Artisan Vegan Cheese, is a best-seller on Amazon and has been hailed by reviewers and bloggers as “groundbreaking,” “revolutionary,” and “the holy grail of the culinary world.” Miyoko’s Kitchen is the response to the rapidly growing demand for truly artisan dairy-free cheese products. More at Artisan Vegan Life and Miyoko’s Kitchen.

It's All About Food - Lisa Kemmerer, Animals and Social Justice & Ann and Jane Esselstyn, The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook - 09/02/14

Lisa Kemmerer, Animals and Social Justice, Caldwell, Ann and Jane Esselstyn, The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook Part I: Lisa Kemmerer, Animals and Social Justice Lisa Kemmerer is a philosopher-activist dedicated to working against oppression, whether on behalf of the environment, nonhuman animals, or disempowered human beings. Her books include In Search of Consistency: Ethics and Animals ; Animals and World Religions; Sister Species: Women, Animals, and Social Justice; Call to Compassion: Reflections on Animal Advocacy; Speaking Up for Animals: An Anthology of Women’s Voices ; and Primate People: Saving Nonhuman Primates through Education, Advocacy, and Sanctuary. Lisa has hiked, biked, kayaked, backpacked, and traveled widely, and is currently associate professor of philosophy and religions at Montana State University Billings. Part II: Ann, Jane and Caldwell Esselstyn, The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook Ann Crile Esselstyn is a relentlessly energetic and creative advocate for the plant-based, whole-food way of life. She has devoted herself to inventing recipes to prevent and reverse heart disease in support of the research of her husband, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. Ann never stops looking for ways to bring that important agenda to delicious life, devising ever more practical and powerful ways to shop, cook, and engage even the most reluctant eaters in the plant-perfect diet. Ann is the author of the recipe section of Dr. Esselstyn’s bestselling book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and co-author of The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook with her daughter, Jane Esselstyn. She is a graduate of Smith College and holds a Masters in Education from Wheelock College. Ann taught English and History for 27 years at Laurel School in Cleveland, Ohio, where she received the Hostatler Award for Outstanding Teaching. At the same time, she juggled the raising of four children. When not in the kitchen, Ann counsels patients, lectures around the world on how to prepare and eat plant-based foods, and spends time with her ten plant-based grandchildren.Jane Esselstyn is a fresh and charismatic voice on the plant-based, whole food diet. She brings her perspective and passion as a long-time health and sexuality educator to creating on-ramps to the plant-based way of life. Jane is an avid and inventive designer of plant-based recipes and the co-author of The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook with her next door neighbor and mom, Ann. She is also the author of the recipe section of her brother Rip Esselstyn’s most recent book, My Beef With Meat.Jane has worked as a science, outdoor, and health educator for over 25 years. During her years teaching sex ed to middle school kids, she has developed a powerful curriculum around healthy sexuality and development in the digital age. A tireless champion for kids and their health, Jane brings remarkable clarity, compassion, and humor to the most difficult conversations-for kids and parents alike. Jane met her husband and fellow educator, Brian Hart, while working as a field instructor for Outward Bound. They have three plant-based children. Jane graduated from the University of Michigan, where she competed nationally as a recruited swimmer and rower, and earned a B.S in Nursing from Kent State University.Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., received his B.A. from Yale University and his M.D. from Western Reserve University. In 1956, pulling the No. 6 oar as a member of the victorious United States rowing team, he was awarded a gold medal at the Olympic Games. He was trained as a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and at St. George’s Hospital in London. In 1968, as an Army surgeon in Vietnam, he was awarded the Bronze Star.Dr. Esselstyn has been associated with the Cleveland Clinic since 1968. During that time, he has served as President of the Staff and as a member of the Board of Governors. He chaired the Clinic’s Breast Cancer Task Force and headed its Section of Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery.In 1991, Dr. Esselstyn served as President of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, That same year he organized the first National Conference on the Elimination of Coronary Artery Disease, which was held in Tucson, Arizona. In 1997, he chaired a follow-up conference, the Summit on Cholesterol and Coronary Disease, which brought together more than 500 physicians and health-care workers in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. In April, 2005, Dr. Esselstyn became the first recipient of the Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association in 2009. In September 2010, he received the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame Award. Dr. Esselstyn received the 2013 Deerfield Academy Alumni Association Heritage Award In Recognition of Outstanding Achievement & Service, and the 2013 Yale University GEORGE H.W. BUSH ’48 LIFETIME OF LEADERSHIP AWARD.His scientific publications number over 150, “The Best Doctors in America” 1994-1995 published by Woodward and White cites Dr. Esselstyn’s surgical expertise in the categories of endocrine and breast disease. In 1995 he published his bench mark long-term nutritional research arresting and reversing coronary artery disease in severely ill patients. That same study was updated at 12 years and reviewed beyond twenty years in his book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, making it one of the longest longitudinal studies of its type.Dr. Esselstyn and his wife, Ann Crile Esselstyn, have followed a plant-based diet for more than 26 years. Dr. Esselstyn presently directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.The Esselstyns have four children and ten grandchildren.

It's All About Food - Ellie Laks and Kim Sturla - 08/19/14

Part I: Ellie Laks, The Gentle Barn Ellie Laks founded The Gentle Barn in Tarzana in 1999; it was a dream of hers since she was seven years old. Animals were always very healing and nurturing to her as she faced the challenges of growing up, finding herself, fitting in, feeling understood, etc. She majored in special education and psychology, and with her special love of animals and children, The Gentle Barn was a perfect way of putting all her talents and passions into one.Jay Weiner joined The Gentle Barn in 2002 as a volunteer, but fell in love with the place and the two joined forces to heal even more children and animals. Like Ellie, Jay also turned to animals for the support, love and nurturing he needed as a child.The Gentle Barn started on a half-acre property in the middle of the San Fernando Valley, CA. In 2003 Ellie and Jay moved The Gentle Barn moved to a six-acre paradise in Santa Clarita, CA. The property is complete with large horse and cow pastures, a red and white barnyard for the smaller animals, an organic vegetable garden, lots of shade trees, and a panoramic view of gorgeous mountains. Our over one hundred and seventy rescued animals are safe and happy at The Gentle Barn, and there is plenty of room to welcome our visitors and the children we host.The ultimate goal is to open Gentle Barn’s across the country so that every animal and child can have a place of healing and safety and where they can be seen for the perfect beings that they are. Since its inception, The Gentle Barn has been home to hundreds of animals and host to over 400,000 people.Part II: Kim Sturla, Animal Place Kim Sturla is the Executive Director of Animal Place and co-founded the sanctuary in 1989. She has been a central figure in the animal rights movement for 30 plus years. Sturla wrote the first law in the country that protects pre-university students unwilling to participate in animal dissections. For more than a decade, she served as director of the Peninsula Humane Society. Kim is the resident Pig Whisperer, able to communicate beautifully with even the wiliest of pigs! She shares her home and life with dogs Ralph, Marty, and Sally. 

It's All About Food - Pattrice Jones and Cherylyn Harley LeBon- 08/12/14

Part I: Pattrice Jones, The Oxen at the IntersectionPattrice Jones is an ecofeminist writer, scholar, and activist who, along with Miriam Jones, cofounded VINE Sanctuary, an LGBTQ-run farmed animal sanctuary that operates within an understanding of the intersection of oppressions. She is the author of Aftershock: Confronting Trauma in a Violent World: A Guide for Activists and Their Allies (Lantern, 2007), and has contributed chapters toEcofeminism: Feminist Intersections with Other Animals and the Earth (Bloomsbury, 2014); Confronting Animal Exploitation: Grassroots Essays on Liberation and Veganism (McFarland, 2013); Sister Species: Women, Animals and Social Justice (University of Illinois Press, 2011); Sistah Vegan: Food, Identity, Health, and Society (Lantern, 2010); Contemporary Anarchist Studies (Routledge, 2009);Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth (AK Press, 2006); and Terrorists or Freedom Fighters?: Reflections on the Liberation of Animals (Lantern, 2004). Her portion of the proceeds of the sale of The Oxen at the Intersection will go to VINE.Part II: Cherylyn Harley LeBon, FDA guidelines on SaltCherylyn Harley LeBon is Co-Chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board. Cherylyn averages over 300 radio/television interviews and news article citations per year on behalf of Project 21.Cherylyn is currently President and CEO of KLAR Strategies, LLC, a public affairs firm. She previously served as a political appointee in the George W. Bush Administration; as a spokesman at the Republican National Committee; and as Senior Counsel for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. She is a frequent guest on the FOX News Channel and national broadcast radio shows, and is a contributor to Townhall and Politicalistas. Follow her on Twitter @HarleyLeBon.

It's All About Food - Matt Ball, Justin Danhof, & Gena Hamshaw - 08/09/14

Part I: Matt Ball, Accidental ActivistMatt Ball co-founded Vegan Outreach and served as the group’s Executive Director for more than 20 years. As Executive Director, Matt built the organization into a leading animal advocacy charity, with revenues and assets approaching $1,000,000, and many thousands of active members around the world. Under his leadership, activists distributed more than 22 million booklets exposing the treatment of farmed animals, and promoting compassionate, thoughtful living. These booklets convinced countless people to adopt more humane diets. A globally-recognized authority on animal advocacy, factory farming, vegetarian diets, and applied ethics, Matt has presented at and written for many forums over the past two decades. He is the author of many essays and several books, including: The Animal Activist’s Handbook (2007) and The Accidental Activist. In 2005, he was inducted into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame.Before working full-time for Vegan Outreach, Matt was a Research Fellow in the Department of Biology at the University of Pittsburgh, while working on a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to that, Matt was a Department of Energy Global Change Fellow, and he earned an M.S. in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and an M.S. in the Department of Forest Ecology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His undergraduate degree is in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, where he was a National Merit Scholar. As an Aerospace Engineering student, Matt worked for Booz, Allen, & Hamilton, and the Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies.Matt lives in Tucson, AZ with his wife Anne Green. Their daughter Ellen attends Pomona College in Claremont, CA. His blog is A Meaningful Life, a Better World.Part II: Justin Danhof, GMO LabelingJustin Danhof is the General Counsel for the National Center for Public Policy Research, as well as Director of the Center’s Free Enterprise Project. Mr. Danhof previously worked as a research associate with the National Center for Public Policy Research from 2008 to 2009. Prior to joining the National Center for Public Policy Research, Mr. Danhof worked in the Miami-Dade State’s Attorney’s Office in the Economic Crimes and Cybercrimes Division, for the Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development and at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Danhof’s work has been widely published and quoted in major newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post,Sacramento Bee, Orange County Register, Politico, Bergen County Record and the Canadian National Post, among others.Mr. Danhof is a member of the Federalist Society and Christian Legal Society. Mr. Danhof is a graduate of Bentley University (Waltham, MA), where he received a Bachelor of Science in economics and finance and pitched for three seasons on the school’s NCAA Division II baseball team. Mr. Danhof completed his graduate studies at the University of Miami School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor and Master of Laws in Taxation. Mr. Danhof is licensed to practice law in New York and Washington, D.C.Part III: Gena Hamshaw, Choosing RawGena Hamshaw, CCN, a former book editor turned clinical nutritionist, has contributed to VegNews , O Magazine, Whole Living Daily, Food 52, and other publications. You can find her online at choosingraw.com; @choosingraw.

It's All About Food - Bob Linden and Jason Del Gandio - 07/29/14

Part I: Bob Linden, Go Vegan Radio Vegan for 30 years, BOB LINDEN is the host and producer of the weekly 2-hour nationally-syndicated non-profit program GO VEGAN RADIO WITH BOB LINDEN (www.GoVeganRadio.com), previously broadcast on the Air America radio network and CBS and Clear Channel radio stations. His weekly vegan animal liberation commentary has been heard on KPFA, the San Francisco Bay Area Pacifica radio station. Bob emcees the World Veg Fest annually in Golden Gate Park in October and was the original organizer of WorldFest, a vegan festival in LA. He is currently organizing the World Vegan Summit and Expo in March in the Los Angeles area (www.WorldVeganSummit.com). Bob was Program Director and on-air host at various music radio stations around the country including CD-101 New York, Jazzy 100 Washington DC, KIFM San Diego, KNUA Seattle, LOVE 94 Miami, Z-92 Omaha, KXFM Santa Maria, and elsewhere. Bob’s peace activism, which continues to this day, began with protesting the Vietnam war when he was a student at Stuyvesant High School in NYC. He is a graduate of Queens College of the City University of New York. Part II: Jason Del Gandio, The Terrorization of Dissent Jason Del Gandio is a writer, speaker, thinker, and activist dedicated to social justice. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Public Advocacy at Temple University in Philadelphia. His areas of scholarly expertise are in the philosophy of communication, social and political theory, rhetoric, and critical analysis with a focus on social movements and radical social change. Jason has appeared on television and radio, and regularly speaks on college campuses and at public venues. Jason has written on such topics as autonomy, immaterial labor, corporate control, the rhetoric of Barack Obama, performance art, the Occupy Movement, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, and the relationship between neoliberalism and the university. His writings have appeared in CounterPunch, Truthout.org, Radical Philosophy Review, PhaenEx, Dissident Voice, and the Journal of Aesthetics and Protest.

It's All About Food - 07/22/14

Anne Dinshah, Jeff Stier & Friedrich Mülln   PART I: Anne Dinshah, Powerful Vegan Messages. Anne Dinshah coauthored the book Powerful Vegan Messages with her late father, American Vegan Society founder H. Jay Dinshah. Jay spearheaded the modern vegan movement in America influencing many people with his message of dynamic harmlessness. Today Anne brings the message to a new generation with a gentle, entertaining way of communicating in her own style. She is also the author of Dating Vegans. PART II: Jeff Stier is a Senior Fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C., and heads its Risk Analysis Division. Mr. Stier is a frequent guest on CNBC, and has addressed health policy on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, as well as network newscasts. He does over 100 radio shows a year, including on NPR and other nationally syndicated radio shows, as well as top-rated major market shows in cities including Boston, Philadelphia, and Dallas, plus regional broadcasts. Jeff’s National Center op-eds have been published in top outlets including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, Newsday, Forbes, The Washington Examiner, and National Review Online.Stier has testified at FDA scientific meetings, met with members of Congress and their staff about science policy, and has submitted testimony to state government legislative hearings.Mr. Stier worked both in the office of the Mayor and in Corporation Counsel’s office in the Giuliani administration in New York City. His responsibilities included planning environmental agency programs, legal analysis of proposed legislation, and health policy.Mr. Stier is Chairman of the board of the Jewish International Connection, NY. While earning his law degree at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Mr. Stier served two terms as Editor-In-Chief of the Cardozo Law Forum.Part III: Friedrich Mülln, Factory Farm Investigations. Friedrich Mülln has been documenting factory farms for almost twenty years. His main field of action are investigations and data research into the animal industry. In the course of his work he published countless investigations in all the major media in Germany. His most prominent and well known accomplishment so far is the 2003 investigation into Covance Life Science in Münster (Germany) where he worked as an animal technician for 4½ months. He had been working as a campaigner against foie gras and live-plucking for almost a decade before he founded his own organization in early 2013. Since that time SOKO Tierschutz has been gaining major media attention and support from people due to successful campaigns (mink oil campaign in 2013 and foie gras campaign in 2014) and groundbreaking investigations. The philosophy of the organization is to battle the animal industry by thorough research and investigation, close cooperation with the media, and changing consumer

It's All About Food - 07/15/14

Friederike Schmitz and J. Morris Hicks Listen at 4pm ET by going to PRN, The Progressive Radio Network.Part I: Friederike Schmitz, Animal Ethics.  Friederike Schmitz is an assistant professor of philosophy at the Humboldt University in Berlin. She wrote her PhD on philosophical methodology in Hume and Wittgenstein and is now working primarily on topics in ethics and political philosophy. Also, she is the editor of a German anthology on animal ethics that was published in January 2014. Outside of academia, Friederike is active in several animal liberation groups. (photo: Hannes Jung)Part II: J. Morris Hicks,Healthy Eating, Healthy World.  A former corporate executive with Polo Ralph Lauren in New York, J. Morris Hicks has always been what he calls a “Big Picture” guy. As a public speaker, his favorite topic is Our Health. Our Planet. Our Future as a Species — as he explains how our food choices not only threaten our health but also Earth’s ability to sustain us indefinitely as a species.Without a doubt, his topic is of great importance to every human being in the world, and he has drawn upon his entire career to cover it well. In 2002, after becoming curious about the “optimal diet” for humans, he began an intensive study that led him to explore a much bigger picture than he ever imagined — discovering many startling issues and opportunities along the way.He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University and an MBA from the University of Hawaii. In 2010, he earned a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Foundation and e/Cornell. Since publishing his book, Healthy Eating, Healthy Worldin 2011, he has pursued a career in public speaking, wellness consulting and blogging to an international audience—publishing over 800 articles in just 2 ½ years at hpjmh.comJim is the father of two and a grandfather of six. When not working passionately on his topic of food and sustainability or spending time with his family, you might find him sailing off the coast of Connecticut.