Kacey’s activities have included Ambassador for the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, Youth Leadership Council Member/Senior Editor for Farm Sanctuary, and Operation Lead for The Raven Corps (youth-led vegan group). Kacey wrote: My perspective on the food system shifted entirely the day I visited Farm Sanctuary (at nine years old) and learned the truth about the cruel practice of factory farming. Thus marked the start of my journey as an activist. I host monthly discussion groups for college students to explore diverse perspectives on factory farming for audiences of more than 800 people, publish advocacy and research articles about issues related to the food system—such as zoonotic diseases and agricultural conglomeration—and present about different aspects of advocacy at workshops for hundreds of other activists. At my school, I’ve met with district officials to advocate for increased plant-based options and have handed out oat milk with informational packets as part of an anti-factory farming day of action. A pivotal moment in my advocacy was last summer, when I successfully organized a meeting with the Congressional offices of Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Schiff to discuss legislation that would expand plant-based options in schools. After speaking with me, both representatives ended up cosponsoring the bill! Seeing the impact of policy processes firsthand showed me the importance of the political systems within our nation’s government. Receiving The Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship will help me pay for a college education centered around policy making and sustainability within the food system. The scholarship will allow me to continue the activist work I’ve been so passionately devoted to for the past 9 years and expand my resources for plant-based advocacy. I hope to work in the legislative field and specialize in policy related to animal rights and sustainability. Kacey will be attending Columbia University in New York City.

The deadline for the annual Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship is February 20 of each year. See other winners and details for entry at https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group internships and scholarships donate at www.vrg.org/donate or mail donations to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203

photo from Black Baltimore Vegan

If you find yourself in Baltimore City, Maryland on Sunday morning, you might want to visit the Baltimore Farmer’s Market downtown and visit these two vegan vendors:

Black Baltimore Vegan sells items such as tacos, gumbo and other soups, a variety of wings, and more.

Charm City Tofu locally produces tofu.

The farmer’s market is open 7am to noon on Sunday.

At one of The Vegetarian Resource Group’s outreach booths, a parent from Baltimore County Maryland was asking about substitutes for dairy milk for her children. Interestingly, the following was posted on the Baltimore County Public Schools website. You may want to look for this in your area.

https://cdnsm5-ss3.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_9047649/File/Business%20Services/OFNS/Milk%20Substitution%20Form.pdf

https://cdnsm5-ss3.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_9047649/File/Business%20Services/OFNS/Medical_Statement_for_Students_Requiring_Meal_Accom%20.pdf

https://www.bcps.org/deputy/foodandnutrition/breakfast_and_lunch_menus

Thank you to Whitney and Justin McVerry who tabled at Wilmington North Carolina VegFest for The Vegetarian Resource Group. She gave out several hundred of our Vegan Journal. Besides all the young people, Whitney said a surprising number of elderly people that are now in retirement communities were there. They wanted to share information with other residents about adopting a vegan diet. Many are becoming plant-based as they become older.

For a listing of retirement communities offering veggie food, see
https://www.vrg.org/seniors/senior_vegan.php

If you know of a retirement community or facility which offers vegan options, please email us at [email protected]

Readers may enjoy this film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wJ-gadDJrI&ab_channel=PLANTBASEDNEWS

Elaina wrote: During AP European History 4th period, after hearing a particularly morbid way to kill a bird, my classmate says, “this is why I am vegetarian,” and I respond “me too.” Her face brightens at my response and she asks me a question I will never forget, “do you want to help me start a club?” The McKinney High School Vegetarian Club is in its third year running and has connected dozens of people around the school to the vegetarian diet. The average club membership has doubled since I became President my senior year. Through our plant-based chicken nugget taste test and delivering our prepared food to teachers, we have gotten a variety of people not involved in the diet to try vegetarian foods.

Being a member of the Vegetarian Club also enabled me to work on founding a community garden that provides fresh foods to people around my community. The Community Garden partners with food banks to distribute food and with the Vegetarian Club to cook the food. The Community Garden is organic and represents sustainability in food growth.

Throughout all the work I have put into expanding the knowledge of sustainable eating and vegetarianism, there have been trials and tribulations, including the need for grants to start the community garden … The generosity of the people in my community allowed us to reach our goal. With the money we could start planting, however, another challenge arose. The scalding heat of the Texas sun wouldn’t permit us to plant. We persevered and used mulch and coverings to prevent the burning of the plants. In the end a beautiful garden was able to yield food in its first growing season. I learned that with the help of the people in my community, change will occur. We donated cabbage and radishes to the food bank last winter, which were used by low income students and families of our high school.

My goals for the future include a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and then law school for a Juris Doctorate. With these degrees I can work as an environmental attorney helping to protect the planet

The deadline for the annual Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship is February 20 of each year. See other winners and details for entry at https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group internships and scholarships donate at www.vrg.org/donate or mail donations to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203

The Vegetarian Resource Group had an educational booth at the annual meeting of the Maryland/DC Metro Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. We always enjoy talking to student attendees, who will be future dietitians. We also had interesting conversations with dietitians who work with the military, hospitals, WIC, and colleges. Thank you for your support that allows us to be at these conferences.

Vegan in Volume is published by The Vegetarian Resource Group and has been greatly received by people working in the food service sector, as well as those that enjoy throwing parties in their own home or simply cooking in volume. This book by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD offers 125 vegan recipes serving 25. It also offers a lot of helpful advice including A Fast Course in Vegan Nutrition, The Mechanics of the Operation, Food Safety Pointers, and a section on Vegan Ingredients.

The quantity recipes greatly vary depending on the audience you’ll be serving. Nancy includes recipes for breakfast such as Lots of Grains Pancakes and Peachy Keen Breakfast Crumble. A section for kids serves up Squiggly Noodles and “Not-Meatballs.” For dinner parties and elegant dining for adults try French Onion and Olive Tart and Eggplant “Caviar.”

You will also find quantity recipes for special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, bar/bat mitzvahs, communions, and more. Enjoy Watermelon Gazpacho, Spicy Bean Cakes with Fruit Salsa, Curried Vegetables with Polenta, and Sophisticated Poached Pears. Next, move on to college campuses and try Vegetable Tagine, Two Alarm Four Bean Chili, Jumpin’ Veggie Jambalaya, and Gooey, Chewy Peanut Butter Bars.

Grab and Go Fast Food recipes include Sweet Potato Burgers, Cold Noodles with Peanut Sauce, and Fragrant and Fast Tofu Sandwich. Un-Hospital Food items include Orange and Wild Rice Salad, Sweet Potato Soup, New England Baked Beans, Eggplant Lasagna, and Cinnamony Baked Apples. And a section for senior citizens includes recipes for Chesapeake Corn Chowder, Southwest Tomato Rice, Pasta with Vegetable-Marinara Sauce, and Homestyle Molasses Cookies.

Vegan in Volume can be purchased from The Vegetarian Resource Group Book Catalog: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/

By Anna Markulis, VRG Intern

Could Gen Z’s climate anxiety be pushing them to go vegan and vegetarian? Each year, The Vegetarian Resource Group hosts a scholarship contest on how high school students have promoted vegetarianism/veganism in their community. Contestants write about why they’ve chosen to ditch animal products and why it’s important to them. While each person does so for unique reasons, there have been undoubtedly trends over the years.

I compared scholarship essays from 2003 to 2023 and noted each student’s motivation for choosing veganism/vegetarianism. The differences were drastic. In a sample of 30 essays from 2003, 8% of students highlighted environmentalism as the main reason for going plant-based, while 64% of students gave their passion for animal rights as the most popular reason. “However, in 2023, 43% percent of students attributed environmentalism as the main reason for going vegan/vegetarian, and 29% of students gave animal rights as their reason.”

With high levels of “climate anxiety” among Gen Z, it’s no surprise that young people are choosing to go vegan/vegetarian to reduce their carbon footprint.

For information about VRG’s $5,000 college scholarships for graduating high school seniors see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm
The deadline is February 20 of each year.

Jazz wrote: For as long as I can remember, I have been incredibly passionate about being a vegetarian and spreading information on vegetarianism because it benefits me, fellow humans, and the Earth. I knew that vegetarian eating was the ethical, peaceful, healthy way I wanted to live and share with others. At a very young age, I combined this interest with gardening as a way to positively impact my inner circle and broader community. I enjoy seeing the literal fruits of my labor and giving people more information on becoming vegetarians.

My grandmother began my family’s vegetarian journey when concern for health and her belief system converged. She wanted a healthier, more ethical diet devoid of killing animals in the early 1970s. My motivation includes those reasons along with concern for our planet. The abuse animals have to endure is outrageous and it is not addressed enough. Vegetarianism is more than a lifestyle to me. It is a movement. A movement of individuals standing up for something so powerful and all-encompassing that they practice it multiple times daily by adopting a diet that is in the minority in our country.

I started my first vegetable and herb garden when I was in preschool and I have been in love with growing my own food since. Amid Michelle Obama’s push for healthier school lunches during my kindergarten year, my elementary school began to help promote growing and eating more vegetables. This led to the launch of a learning garden program at my school, Linwood Holton Elementary in Richmond, Virginia. As soon as I heard this news, I knew I had to be a part of it since I already considered myself an “expert.” I helped set up garden beds, plant vegetables, gather compost, and label plants. I also wrote in my school’s newsletter about the vegetarian food I eat and the things I garden. Throughout my elementary school years, I participated in a number of garden related projects. I helped set up my elementary school’s raised garden beds, which contain over 20 wooden beds. I helped with the school’s butterfly garden, which is a garden shaped like a butterfly designed to attract pollinators. I also volunteered with the school’s edible forest, which has many Virginia native fruit trees. Another project I participated in is the creation of our school’s rain garden with the help of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, in an effort to prevent water runoff. My elementary school has the best garden of any school in the Richmond, Virginia area. It makes me proud that I assisted in setting that foundation.

Sometimes sharing your experiences educates people and creates change. This happened when my influence on Ruby Scoops Ice Creams and Sweets led to their offering vegan options. The popular shop is now one of the top 10 Vegan-friendly shops in Virginia. I went on to work there for two summers and helped the shop prepare to participate in the Richmond Vegan Festival. I highly recommend this eatery–particularly the guava sorbet! Another way I have been able to create positive change is that I have been a member of my school system’s Student Advisory Council for more than three years. While I have been a member, I have constantly spoken up about the struggle of finding vegetarian options in the lunch line. This had led to improvements across the district.

When the pandemic hit my freshman year I was devastated. Being able to help others start their gardening journey is a passion of mine and not being able to connect with people on that level hurts. Then, my mother and I discussed challenges we encountered being Black and vegetarian. We frequently experience people questioning the validity of our vegetarian lifestyle because we’re Black. People constantly say rude and racist things to us since they seem to believe Black people are not traditionally vegetarian. We’ve even had family members question our diet and ask how we get nutrition. With this in mind, over the pandemic my mother and I started a Richmond-based, Black gardening group on Facebook. The “RVA Black Garden Community” is a place where Black gardeners, Black farmers, and most importantly Black vegetarians connect. In the Facebook group, which has more than 600 members, we provide vegetarian recipes, gardening tips, community resources, and information on local farmers’ markets. The group has also participated in some very fun activities, including visiting a Black-owned farm, coordinating five free community seed exchanges, and hosting six virtual workshops. We have been able to pass on knowledge to support liberating Black vegetarians throughout our community. This experience helped me learn a valuable lesson. I learned that there is so much joy in teaching and helping others. In college and in the long term, I will continue to reach out to people and connect with them to build a community, because that is my strength. In five years, I hope to pursue a career in music composition. My goal is to score films and documentaries that spread more information about the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle.

The deadline for the annual Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship is February 20 of each year. See other winners and details for entry at https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group internships and scholarships donate at www.vrg.org/donate

or mail donations to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203