Veggie Bits

Animal Protection Institute Supports VRG's Effort to Reach Out to Restaurant Owners

The Animal Protection Institute (API) donated $1,000 to The Vegetarian Resource Group to support our outreach effort towards restaurant owners. We received the following note with the donation:

"Enclosed is API's donation to Vegetarian Resource Group's effort to attend the National Restaurant Association Annual Meeting, as promised. We believe that this outreach effort is essential to increasing the availability of vegetarian food in restaurants, which in turn will increase public awareness of vegetarian food and will make choosing a vegetarian lifestyle easier.

"From our perspective, promoting a vegetarian lifestyle is a subtle yet profound way to dramatically change the lives of billions of farm animals and the destruction to the environment caused by meat production; also of great importance, of course, are the health benefits for human animals. We applaud VRG's efforts in what we see as a common goal shared between our organizations. Thank you for your dedication."

This is a terrific example of how organizations can work together to accomplish a common goal. Thank you, Animal Protection Institute!

The Vegetarian Resource Group's Website Is Now Linked to the Healthy School Meals Resource System

VRG's website is now a hyperlink on the Healthy School Meals Resource System's website. This is a searchable website of industry recipes that provides information to persons working in the USDA's Child Nutrition Programs. According to Desiree Stapley, RD, of the Food and Nutrition Information Center at the National Agriculture Library, "We are often asked for vegetarian recipes and are referring them to this link."

Thanks to VRG's Food Service Advisor, Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD, CCE, for providing many of the vegan quantity recipes appearing on our website.

Organic, Cruelty-Free Socks?

So what you eat is vegan, organic, non-GMO, and cruelty-free, and you feel great about it. It goes without saying that you avoid fur, leather, suede, and possibly wool, but have you ever thought about the cotton you don? How long before your favorite brand of clothing is exposed in a Kathie Lee-type sweatshop debacle and you realize that your brand-name, animal-free sweater represents cruelty imposed on humans?

Maggie's Organics announces a unique sewing co-op project in Nicaragua that hopes to improve the lives of garment workers. The project should serve as a model of social responsibility for companies doing business in emerging nations. By working with a foundation that will have initial ownership of a newly-constructed sewing facility, Maggie's is working to ensure that workers will acquire ownership over five years. Empowering the workers in Third World nations is practically unheard of these days, and we should certainly applaud the efforts of Maggie's, Inc.

If that isn't reason enough to purchase a pair of socks, Maggie's has been making a high-quality line of clothing for eight years, using all certified organic fibers. They carry camisoles, nightshirts, t-shirts, dress oxfords, gloves, aprons, bags, sheets, baby clothes, crib sheets, and, of course, socks.

For more information on the product line, or to find out more about the co-op project, visit the company website at <www.maggiesorganics.com>.

Slightly Sweet and Without Wheat

Those who have a wheat allergy can now enjoy Nature's Path Crispy Rice organic, vegan, and wheat-free cereal. Sweetened with organic cane juice, this cereal is made with Lundberg Family Farms organic brown rice flour and is processed without GMOs. For more information, or to view the full product line of Nature's Path, please visit <www.naturespath.com>. You can also write to them at Nature's Path Foods Inc., 7453 Progress Way, Delta, BC, Canada, V4G 1E8, or call (604) 940-0505.

Vegan Organic Margarines

It's about time! Two companies have introduced vegan, organic margarines. Spread the joy!

Spectrum Organic Products introduces organic, vegan margarine and organic palm oil shortening. The products are non-hydrogenated, trans-fat-free, and non-dairy. Also, both products are available for retail to consumers and in bulk sizes for the foodservice industry. For more information on either of these products, visit their website at <www.spectrumorganics.com>.

HempNut, Inc. introduces non-hydrogenated, vegan, organic, preservative-free margarine made with virgin hempseed oil. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, has no GMO components, and is made with 95% certified organically-grown ingredients. For those who may be concerned, hemp foods should not cause a positive drug test. You can visit <www.facebook.com/TheHempNut> for more information.

Staff Needed for Vegetarian Kitchen in Teen Camp

Legacy International's Global Youth Village, a residential leadership camp in the Blue Ridge foothills, has openings for food service staff in their vegetarian kitchen. Sixty youths and thirty staff enjoy their sugar-free and meat-free meals family-style. Camp season is July 5-August 7, 2001. Housing, meals, and a modest salary are provided. There are also other positions open for counselors, lifeguards, and teachers.

For more information, please visit Legacy International's website at <www.legacyintl.org>. You can also send mail to Leila Baz, Global Youth Village, 1020 Legacy Drive, Bedford, VA 24523, call (540) 298-5982, or send e-mail to [email protected].

Can't Blame Them For Trying

According to a recent Zogby Poll, 37.8% of adults nationwide have at least tried a prepackaged meat substitute. More people in the Western US (44.6%) have ventured a taste than those in the East (37.1%) and Central US (36.9%), while only 34.2% of Southerners have touched the stuff. Suburbanites seem to be statistically more open to trying out fake meat than city dwellers (but can we extrapolate that city folks may dine out more and buy fewer prepackaged goods?). And finally, whites and African-Americans have reported trying more meat substitutes than Hispanics.

The survey consisted of 1,205 adults to whom this question was posed: "Have you ever eaten any of the meat substitutes that are readily available in grocery stores?" It looks like more folks are saying "YES!"

Animal Rights 2001

FARM (Farm Animal Reform Movement) is hosting the first national animal rights conference of the new millennium. The event is scheduled to take place June 30-July 5 at the McLean Hilton hotel in Washington, DC. Expect presentations from such distinguished animal rights activists as Howard Lyman, Karen Davis, Holly Hazard, Elliot Katz, Eric Marcus, Alex Pacheco, Kim Stallwood, and Zoe Weil. Attend symposia, lobby at Congress, eat delicious vegan meals, plan strategies for the new millennium, organize, and outreach.

For more information, or for a registration form, contact AR2001, PO Box 30654, Bethesda, MD 20824. You can also find information and registration on the web at <www.animalrights2001.org>, or by e-mailing [email protected]. Call (888) FARM-USA for more information.

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