Summer Sustainability Festival Vegan Potluck- Saturday, Aug. 31st (6:00 pm)

As part of the 2013 DI Sustainability Festival, our Community Vegan Potluck Series invites food lovers of every persuasion to join in on a 100% plant-based feast that all may share!

Please note that our venue will be the Senior's Lounge (across the street from the Community Hall where our potlucks are usually held), and that dinner will commence a half hour earlier than our regular potluck schedule.
  
Any completely vegan dish is an appropriate contribution towards reducing our collective carbon footprint (free of eggs, honey, gelatin and dairy, please). Don’t forget to bring along an ingredient list to display with your food.

It just so happens that this summer also marks the 20th anniversary of the mass protests in Clayoquot Sound when people from around the world came together to try and protect Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests. Over 800 were willfully arrested in acts of non-violent civil disobedience.

Direct action for some activists opposing the power over dynamics responsible for reducing whole eco-systems to commodities, also includes refusing to collude with unnecessary harm to individual animals. A little known fact about Clayoquot Summer (1993) is that the Peace Camp kitchen in the clear cut known as 'the Black Hole', fueled many thousands of activists with healthy vegan meals all summer long.

Plan to stay on after dinner on Saturday the 31st for a screening of the highly acclaimed documentary, Fury for the Sound (1995), featuring the role of women in confronting the status quo in the woods of Vancouver Island and beyond. Today environmental and social justice activists who work to protect the land and the vulnerable of all species continue to struggle against tremendous odds. This herstorical film provides a look at how political activism can be joined with personal empowerment.

As we face an unprecedented collapse of earth's ecosystems and the potential for runaway global warming, it has never been more crucial to recognize that protecting what remains of our precious rainforests and curbing the GHG emmissions that animal agriculture unleashes on our fragile ozone layer are related tasks.

Admission is by donation (suggested $3 towards expenses). All potluck events are scent-free for inclusivity (in respect of those with chemical sensitivities)

NOTE: The regular vegan potluck series was originally set to reconvene with our quarterly seasonal schedule around the Fall Equinox in September, but because of the 'additional' August event we have decided it makes more sense to stagger the potlucks a bit and hold the next one in October instead. Please mark you calendar for SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20th. We'll be back to our normal time of 6:30 pm in the Back Hall across the street!

Regarding sustainability, click here for a presentation by Dr. Richard Oppenlander: http://youtu.be/drS5hHdelR8

Along with the excellent documentary "Mad Cowboy", the story about Howard Lyman, former Texas cattle rancher turned vegan, we showed the following short Ted X youtube clip featuring conservationist Damien Mander at our Summer Solstice potluck, June 23rd, 2013. (For further details about the potluck, see below)
Mander is an ex-marine turned anti-poaching advocate and powerful spokesman for animals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FCsyK4aRXQ

Summer Solstice Potluck Madness, June 23, 2013

Denman's Summer Solstice Community Vegan Potluck is scheduled for 6:30 pm, Sunday, June 23^rd. Come on out and join in on a delicious 100% plant-based feast in the company of friends and neighbours, some of whom you may have yet to meet...everyone welcome!

     Just a week after Father's Day, our after dinner presentation for this now quarterly series will be a repeat screening of the documentary “Mad Cowboy”. Based on the best-selling book: “Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat”, the story of Howard Lyman's transition from fourth generation animal farmer to vegan and stock-free growing enthusiast is fascinating, informative and inspirational. Included among the various challenges Howard has navigated since deciding it was time to seriously re-evaluate his life, was a five year long battle with the Cattleman's Association in a defamation lawsuit. He won!

This is the second showing of this doc at one of our potlucks...we're bringing it back by popular demand! Howard and his wonderful wife Willow, who you will also see in the film, gifted Denman this fabulous documentary after a speaking engagement in the Comox Valley. Our first showing was seven years ago and it's still as timely as ever!)

   

 Time permitting- and in the spirit of honoring positive masculine role models during the month of Father's Day- we also hope to share one or two short audio-visual pieces featuring other courageous men who are inspiring a re-evaluation of traditional male privilege in favor of a more just and compassionate world.

     Any 100% plant-based soup, salad, entree or dessert (free of eggs, dairy, honey and gelatin, please) is a suitable contribution to our well-loved smorgasbord. You needn't be vegan or vegetarian to join in, and nothing fancy is required unless you are so inspired! Call for suggestions if you could use some supportive ideas, and please remember to bring an ingredient list. All plates and cutlery are supplied, and admission is by donation (suggested $3-$5 towards expenses).

     Thankyou for helping keep the potluck series 'scent-free' for the comfort of community members with chemical sensitivities. For further information call 5-1209, or visit the now quarterly series home page on line.

extra: Click HERE for my related article on the 'myth of meat' and it's association with masculinity... and for a delicious new recipe idea! -Fireweed  
www.thetransitionkitchen.blogspot.ca

SPIRING EQUINOX POTLUCK 2013

    

 Come welcome spring at Denman's next Community Vegan Potluck feast on Sunday, March 24th!

    

     The potluck series has been bringing islanders together to enjoy delicious smorgasbords that all may share- and celebrating animal-friendly dietary choices that help reduce one's ecological footprint- since the mid 90's. It's a great place to pick up new recipe ideas and to meet new islanders, too! Food lovers of every persuasion are always welcome. Any 100% plant-based salad, entree, dessert or single item dish (excluding eggs, dairy, honey and gelatin, please) is a suitable contribution.

     Our after dinner presentation this month will be a screening of Deborah Koons Garcia's fascinating documentary, 'Symphony of the Soil'. With gardening season right around the corner, what better time to appreciate both the wonder and complexity of the 'prima matera' that feeds us all?! This artfully crafted film draws from both ancient knowledge and cutting edge science. By understanding the elaborate relationships and mutuality between soil, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals, we come to appreciate the dynamic nature of this precious resource. Shot on four continents, featuring esteemed scientists and working farmers, 'Symphony of the Soil' highlights possibilities of healthy soil creating healthy plants creating healthy humans living on a healthy planet."

     This movie covers a lot of ground, so to speak, and does present veganic (stock-free) agriculture techniques like green manure cover cropping for the building of soil fertility. But it doesn't expand upon the growing movement of farming without the incorporation of livestock for brown manure fertilization, and so a clarification is called for here. Comments made in the last issue of the Flagstone by another writer, advocating for the inclusion of livestock as necessary for soil fertility ("no matter how small your property"), were mistaken. "Animal-free" is not the same as "stock-free", and veganic growers and farmers do not need to be convinced of the importance of keeping levels of SOM (soil organic matter) high.

     In fact the goal of an organic stock-free growing operation is always to encourage biodiversity (both above and below the ground). A single teaspoon (1 gram) of rich garden soil can hold up to one billion bacteria, several yards of fungal filaments, several thousand protozoa, and scores of nematodes...in short, it is indeed already teaming with 'animal life'. But the organic matter needed to feed that life originates with plants (and photosynthesis) so need not first pass through the body of a domestic animal to benefit the soil. Seeded cover crops can feed arable land directly as well as help sequester carbon; plant compost and mulch encourage worms and beneficial insects, also avoiding the additional methane farm animals contribute to the atmosphere and potential damage to soil structure. It should be remembered that livestock require adequate food, water, space, shelter, protection from predators, veterinary care, humane handling from birth through death, and their remains properly disposed of. Readers can find indepth information on stock-free growing around the world through DIVA (www.veganiculture.blogspot.ca)  included on the Hornby/Denman Growers and Producers website.

     This Spring Equinox marks the 29th anniversary of International Meatout, the world's largest annual grassroots diet education campaign. Since it's inception in 1985 by FARM, a nonprofit public interest organization which advocates plant-based diets on behalf of animals, the environment, and human health, a growing number of mainstream health advocacy organizations have launched their own campaigns promoting plant-based dietary choices, and some meat consumption has been dropping. In the US, national beef and veal consumption have dropped by 25% and 70%  respectively.

     However the myth that optimum human health normally requires including animal products in the diet persists in many quarters (much the same way that people remain convinced that you'll have 'depleted' soil without domestic animal inputs). Meat in particular is still falsely associated with the patriarchal notion of strength, virility and power, leading to an increased desire for its consumption wherever economic growth in the world provides more people greater privilege of choice. This means even more factory farms, not less! The notion that occasional meat consumption for elite consumers in 2013 is a 'benign extravagance' should not be confused with any kind of real sustainability on a finite planet of seven billion people and an estimated two billion cows. Upholding the status quo is utterly counterproductive, given that the impact of animal agriculture on global climate change alone is now considered as great or greater than all transportation combined.

     One of the goal's of the Vegan Potluck Series over the last two decades has been to raise awareness about the consequences of our collective food choices.To that end this potluck blog is a local resource with extensive references for islanders and others interested in researching information about the many merits of foregoing meat and other animal products. Included on the righthand side of this page are links to scientific peer-reviewed nutrition studies that help separate fact from fiction when it comes to anti-vegetarian backlash, and popular animal product-heavy dietary fads like the Blood-Type diet, Atkins diet, Weston A Price Foundation diet, related Paleo diets, and other variations on this theme. 

     Another link list provides more food for thought concerning animal agriculture's impact on global warming, and the need to move away from unsustainable dependence on meat-centric dietary norms much more rapidly if we want to help address global hunger and the consequences of increasing numbers of environmental refugees. Some of these articles call into question the shortcomings of the locavore movement by highlighting the greater importance of eating low on the food chain than sourcing an all local diet when it comes to reducing our ecological footprints, thinking globally and acting locally.

     You'll also find a list of films shown previously at the Potluck Series now available for loan by donation to anyone interested in private viewing. Included is Deborah Koons Garcia's last documentary, 'The Future of Food' (2004)- an excellent expose on the history and technology of genetic engineering.

     Sunday, March 24th, dinner gets underway at 6:30 pm in the back hall, with the fabulous 'Symphony of Soil' to follow. Our now quarterly potluck events are designated  'scent-free' for the comfort of members of our community with chemical sensitivities, and admission is by donation (suggested $3-5). For further information call 1209.

WINTER SOLSTICE! Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012

Come celebrate Winter Solstice with your fellow islanders at this season's Community Vegan Potluck scheduled for Saturday (NOT Sunday!), December 22nd at 6:30 pm in the Back Hall. As always, food lovers of every persuasion are invited to join in on our delicious, turkey-free holiday smorgasbord. After dinner we gather round the blazing Yule-fire to celebrate both the nurturing darkness of winter’s respite and the promise of returning light with carols appropriate to the solstice season!

Any 100% plant-based dinner entrée, salad, dessert, or single item dish that all may share (excluding dairy, eggs, honey and gelatin, please) is a suitable contribution for this animal-friendly feast. Begun in the mid 90's, Denman's community vegan potluck series provides the delicious opportunity to pick up creative, and healthy new recipe ideas. However, nothing fancy is required unless you are so inspired!

Please include an ingredient list with your offering, and thankyou for attending 'scent-free' to help keep our inclusive community gatherings accessible for folks with chemical sensitivities. Admission is by donation (suggested $3 towards expenses). Peace to one and all!

next potluck Saturday, December 22nd, 2012

CANCELLED: The Community Vegan Potluck scheduled for Sunday, September 23rd.


Without the Grapevine operating in September for advertising outreach, we decided not to try and reschedule this event. Social media reaches only a small number of Denman islanders, so thankyou for informing anyone you know who was looking forward to the Community Vegan Fall Equiinox feast about this cancellation. 

Our public potluck series has always welcomed 'food lovers of every persuasion'. If you are a vegan, or you are a vegetarian or omnivore moving in that direction who appreciates the vegan message we're still here to offer you support and community outside of potluck gatherings!

 We know how hard it can be sometimes to find that support, especially in a rural community like our own where some folks remain extremely threatened by the prospects of an animal-free diet, or activism that seeks to move towards a world that thinks differently about our relationship to animals.

Plans are still in the works for a public vegan potluck Winter Solstice gathering that will once again promote reducing our ecological footprints, unnecessary harm to animals, and improving personal and community health by embracing a plant-based diet!  

Thankyou to everyone who cares and has expressed their support for the Denman Island Community Vegan Potluck Series by attending in the past! Please watch here for updates…we'll be gathering again before you know it for another awesome feast! 

                                                                   …………..

An interesting note for those who will be eating low on the food chain already this coming weekend, or who could use additional inspiration: 

Portland Mayor Declares Vegan Awareness Weekend

By Kimberly Budziak | August 9, 2012

Mayor Sam Adams has proclaimed September 22–23 Vegan Awareness Weekend in the City of Roses, encouraging residents to enjoy vegan fare.

In an official declaration, Portland, OR Mayor Sam Adamsproclaimed the weekend of September 22 to 23, 2012, to be Vegan Awareness Weekend in the City of Roses. The document cites scientific findings from the likes of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Environmental Program, and the American Dietetic Association offering conclusive evidence on livestock’s contribution to climate change, a vegan diet's potential prevention of world hunger and fuel shortages, and the abundant health advantages associated with a plant-based lifestyle. In addition, the proclamation notes that delicious and nutritious vegan alternatives to animal products are readily available, and Adams says that he “encourage[s] all residents to observe this weekend by eating delicious vegan meals.”

Friday, June 29th - Vegan Dine-out!

       Instead of our traditional Summer Solstice potluck this year, you are invited to share a delicious organic meal in the Back Hall featuring homemade veggie burgers, savory summer potato salad, tasty desserts, and a refreshing beverage as part of 'Food for Thought'! This particular Sustainability Festival event takes place on Friday, June 29^th, and is a joint offering of the Denman Island Veganiculture Association, and the Community Vegan Potluck Series. The dine-out precedes both a local guest speaker and a film just in from the UK, also addressing the topic of food and sustainability. Everyone is invited to drop by for these presentations, regardless of wherever they plan to dine for supper!

      'Food for Thought!' is not a veg dine-out taking place as a fundraiser (like others you may have enjoyed or heard about), but does require a reservation so we know how many folks to prepare food for. We're keeping the cost low at $5-$10 per person ( sliding scale) with all proceeds simply going towards covering expenses. Thanks for supporting this particular opportunity to recognize the inter-relationship between local and global food sustainability issues during the Festival, if you are so inclined! Dinner will start at 6:00 pm- a little later than the beef barbecue also happening on the same evening at the Senior's Hall ( a completely seperate, but related event).

      In concert with the Sustainability Festival's agricultural theme on June 29th, SPUDS potato co-op will have a small display in the Back Hall. 'Food for Thought!' diners and others are also sure to appreciate islander Rudy Friesen's brief presentation addressing the importance of what we eat, relative to concerns about food miles. Finally, 'Making the Connections' is a thirty minute documentary from Environmental Films that explores a few of the reasons for practising or transitioning towards dietary choices less dependent on animal-based agriculture- the leading cause of GHG emissions worldwide. The film also highlights the growing movement in stock-free growing as an important contribution to local and global food security.

Please take a look at the many links right here on this blog (column to your right) that address these important topics. Call 250-335-1209 to reserve your meal or for further information, and see you there- 6 pm (NOT the usual 6:30 pm time we normally dine at with the  regular potluck series!) Thanks for helping keep this event 'scent-free' for the comfort of those with chemical sensitivities.

SPRING EQUINOX POTLUCK, March 18th, 2012

                                                                   

http://www.getvegucated.com/

Spring is on it's way…come celebrate the upcoming Equinox with friends, family and neighbours at Denman's Community Vegan Potluck Series, on Sunday, March 18th!

As always, food lovers of every persuasion are invited. Four times a year the potluck series provides a wonderful opportunity to meet new folks and share a delicious meal accessible to all. Any 100% plant-based salad, entree, dessert or single item dish is a suitable contribution to our animal-friendly smorgasbords (excluding gelatin, honey, eggs and dairy, please). Nothing fancy required, unless you are so inspired! Please include an ingredient list with your contribution, and feel free to call for ideas or assistance.

2012 marks the 27th anniversary of "Meatout" - an international observance dedicated to advancing the joys and benefits of a plant-based diet on or around the Spring Equinox each year. Since it's inception in 1985, "Meatout" has grown to become the world's largest grassroots healthy diet campaign. To celebrate the occassion, Denman's potluck series is pleased to present the award-winning Best Documentary at last September's Toronto Independent Film Festival. 

"Vegucated" is a feature-length film that follows three meat and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. There's Brian, the pro-bacon bachelor who eats out all the time, Ellen, the single mom who prefers comedy to cooking, and Tesla, the college student who avoids vegetables and bans beans. Part sociological experiment, part science class, and part adventure story, "Vegucated" showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three very different people who come together to share one journey and ultimately discover their own individual paths towards a kinder, cleaner, and greener world, one bite at a time.

Dinner gets underway at 6:30 pm, and admission is by donation. Thanks for attending 'scent-free' for the comfort of chemically-sensitive folks in our community who also look forward to sharing great food and company at our potlucks. For further information, visit www.denmanpotlucks.blogspot.com or call 335-1209.

Solstice Potluck, Saturday, Dec. 17th, 2011

Solstice Potluck Sat., Dec. 17th

Come celebrate Winter Solstice with your fellow islanders at this season's Community Vegan Potluck scheduled for this Saturday (NOT Sunday!), December 17^th at 6:30 pm in the Back Hall. As always, food lovers of every persuasion are invited to join in on our delicious, turkey-free holiday smorgasbord. After dinner we gather round the blazing Yule-fire to celebrate both the nurturing darkness of winter’s respite and the promise of returning light with carols appropriate to the solstice season!

Any 100% plant-based dinner entrée, salad, dessert, or single item dish that all may share (excluding dairy, eggs, honey and gelatin, please) is a suitable contribution to our feast. The now quarterly potluck series continues to welcome food lovers of every persuasion, and the delicious opportunity to pick up creative, and healthy new vegan recipe ideas. However, nothing fancy is required unless you are so inspired!

Please bring along your ingredient list, and thankyou in advance for also helping keep these inclusive community gatherings accessible for folks with chemical sensitivities by attending ‘scent-free’. Admission is by donation (suggested $3 towards expenses). Peace to one and all!

Going Cold Turkey

21/11/2011 02:22:00 Author: Fireweed
Posted by: NewsClipTV Reporter

It you’ve been thinking about it, you’re not alone. More and more folks are deciding they’re no longer comfortable including the sacrifice of a bird (or any other animal) in their holiday dinner plans. Fortunately, the discomfort of disapproval from some friends and family is a worthwhile trade-off for the peace of mind that comes from opting out of a ritual that more often than not supports the horrors of factory farming- not exactly peace on earth! Somewhere in the range of 1.9 million turkeys are raised in BC each year, with approximately half consumed during the Christmas season.

Turkeys are the only commonly farmed animal native to North America, and wild ones live in forested land where they can roost high in the trees at night, safe from predators. Unlike their domesticated counterparts they have excellent eyesight and can run up to 35 mph. Comparatively, the vast majority of turkeys raised for human consumption today can only manage a slow walk, as they have been bred to be twice the size of their wild relatives, mainly to increase breast volume for the marketplace. They can no longer fly, or even mate (they must be artificially inseminated). In nature these birds would spend up to five months- the age when most farmed turkeys are slaughtered- close to their mothers.

Supermarket turkeys labeled 'free-range' do not necessarily fare any better, as the vast majority are still raised in cramped grow-out quarters awash in ammonia. To prevent these so-caled ‘free-roaming’ birds from injuring each other, a portion of their beaks and toes are routinely severed. While it is standard practice not to use anesthesia, Ian J.H. Duncan, a professor of Poultry Ethology at the University of Guelph, says, “The idea of beak trimming being a short-lived discomfort for the bird may be far from accurate”. Changes in behavior, he explains, such as a substantial decrease in activity, particularly following the first week of the operation, “suggests that the birds are suffering severe pain”.

In the wild a turkey can live from 10-12 years, but domesticated free-range birds are routinely slaughtered between 14 and 25 weeks of age. BC turkey production is concentrated in the Fraser Valley and the live birds are transported via multi-tiered, flat-bed trucks in crowded, tight wire cages, through all kinds of weather conditions. At the slaughterhouse, they are hung upside down by their legs to have their throats cut- still fully conscious.

In BC it is only legal to kill an animal raised for food yourself- rather than make sure the act is carried out by the butcher in a government inspected abattoir- if the animal’s carcass is for ‘personal use’ only, and not going to be sold to someone else. In online forums that discuss backyard poultry slaughter, differences of opinion abound about the most so-called ‘humane’ way to extinguish a bird’s life. Not everyone is convinced that when a bird ceases to struggle it is actually calm. Some small-scale poultry handlers believe this is more akin to the kind of ‘playing dead’ response many animals resort to once escape seems unlikely. Many agree that avoiding exposing individual birds to the ‘kill process’ prior to their own turn, is integral to stress reduction- a modicum of consideration still admittedly difficult to provide in a backyard operation, and obviously impossible on a standard slaughterhouse assembly line.

I would like to stress that my comments here pertain to the industry at large, and not to any local production of turkeys I may or may not be familiar with here on Denman, or elsewhere in the Comox Valley. Whether or not one can afford to pay the high price for a certified organic turkey (the feed alone can cost the farmer three times as much, and the ‘finishing’ time is longer), it simply bears remembering that regardless of the 'label' attached, not all animals are necessarily raised, or slaughtered, under the kind of conditions we might imagine. Ultimately, of course, most will meet the same end in a fear-filled environment. Even those folks who take personal responsibility for the act of extinguishing the lives of the animals they choose to eat, cannot deny the fact that death does not always come easy for those who would prefer to live.

Whenever we allow ourselves to really 'connect' with an animal, it’s impossible to deny their individual will and unique personality. If you find yourself drawn to the idea of going ‘cold turkey’ this season, it’s easy to find inspiring stories on-line about ’companion’ turkeys- birds people have allowed themselves to bond with, and been moved by to include in their circle of compassion.

There are lots of wonderful resources on the internet to assist anyone interested in eating lower on the food chain, and you’ll find all sorts of great links on Denman’s Community Vegan Potluck Series website at www.denmanpotlucks.blogspot.com. If you could use some support in the new year, Denman is already home to a friendly community of happy herbivores who love to share great food and recipe ideas. Happy holidays, and bon appetit!

Forks Over Knives

Thursday, Nov. 24

Thanks to everyone who supported our Horn of Plenty Dineout in September, the Community Vegan Potluck Series sponsored event raised $824 for Medicins Sans Frontiers and their relief work in the Horn of Africa.

Our next 'actual' potluck celebrates the Winter Solstice. With only four official dates a year on our plates these days, the Potluck Series has decided to squeeze a film nite into November- with no dinner attached!

On Thursday, November 24th, at 7:00 pm, come on out to the Community School library for a special viewing of, "Forks Over Knives". We've been promising to show this insightful documentary for some time, and don't want to wait till next year! We all have friends and/or family who have been touched by cancer, heart disease, and other devastating illnesses. Renowned physicians Dr. T. Colin Campbell (author of "The China Study"), and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (author of "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease") share the bold claim in "Forks Over Knives" that not only will increasing consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables lead to better health, but that removing animal products from the diet saves lives.

Both Esselstyn and Campbell grew up on family farms. "Forks Over Knives" is not an animal rights doc and the word 'vegan' isn't even used in the film. Inspired by remarkable discoveries early on in their careers, these men conducted several groundbreaking studies independently which led them both to the same startling conclusion about food, health and healing. The film traces the personal journeys of Campbell, a nutritional scientist from Cornell U, and Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. It also follows the progress of several "reality patients" taught by their doctors to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treating their ailments.

Denman Islander Bryanna Clark Grogan is a vegan chef, lecturer, columnist and internationally-acclaimed cookbook author with a passion for keeping up to date on peer-reviewed, science-based nutritional findings. In addition to being available after the showing of "Forks Over Knives" for questions about plant-based eating, Bryanna's latest (and ninth) cookbook, "World Vegan Feast" will be offered as a door prize to a lucky winner! Recently released to rave reviews, this culinary treasure contains over 200 stellar recipes inspired by cuisines from around the world.

Different ideas, traditions, and sometimes conflicting interests influence our dietary choices. As always, food lovers of every persuasion are welcome to attend this community event. We want everyone even remotely curious about eating lower on the food chain to have a chance to view "Forks Over Knives", so while there will be a donation jar on site, admission to the showing is FREE. For further information, please visit see the film trailer below, and/or call 335-1209. Visit Bryanna Clark Grogan's blog at http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/

SEPTEMBER 18th FALL FEAST FUNDRAISER

-HORN OF PLENTY- (click on poster for enlargement)

It is a longstanding tradition of the Denman Island Community Vegan Potluck Series to mark the Fall Equinox with an abundant harvest supper, but this year will be a little different. Horn of Plenty, a special fall feast fundraiser for the drought stricken Horn of Africa- will take the place of our usual September potluck on Sunday, September 18^th at 6:00 pm.

Please come on out to celebrate the bounty so many of us are blessed to share, and together we'll make our caring count. All proceeds from Horn of Plenty will benefit the relief efforts of Medicins San Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) in Somalia and the surrounding refugee camps.

MSF is running nine medical-nutritional programs in south-central Somalia, and three large programs in camps in Kenya and Ethiopia. Across the Horn of Africa region, MSF nutrition programs are serving more than 260,000 children and pregnant or lactating women.

Between June 6^th and July 6^th, about 40,000 people arrived in Dadaab, Kenya in search of humanitarian assistance and safety. Dadaab, near the Somali border, is home to more than 380,000 people living in three massive camps: Dagahaley, Ifo and Hagadera.

In Dagahely camp, MSF is the sole provider of medical care for the 130,000 people and currently treating 6,400 childen for malnutrition. In Ifo, MSF provides medical care to the 25,000 refugees gathered on the outskirts.

In Liben, MSF is providing medical care in the six camps where 119,000 refugees are gathered. Here, more than 10,000 children are enrolled in nutritional programs.

Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, MSF does not accept any government funding - all funding comes from private donors. For further information or to donate on line, please visit www.msf.ca.

Denman's dine-out , Horn of Plenty, takes place in the Back Hall at 6:00 pm on Sept. 18th, and seating will be limited. Our Mediterranean-style menu will include entree, dessert, tea or coffee (see details at top of the right hand column on this page). Donations of appropriate organic produce from local islanders welcome! Please call 1209 to make your reservation before September 14th, thankyou.

More research indicates the importance of eating lower on the food chain

Local Food or Less Meat? Data Tells The Real Story -from the Harvard Business Review

8:25 AM Monday June 20, 2011 

In recent years, one part of the food business has rivaled organics as the hot growth area: "local" food (defined vaguely as coming from the same state or from less than 100 miles away, for example). It's a market segment that has just about doubled in sales and number of outlets over the last decade. The world's biggest food buyer, Wal-Mart, jumped on the bandwagon last fall and announced that it would double the amount of local food it sells (to 9 percent of all its food sales).
The idea of buying locally is not new, and farmers' markets have been big for years. It's become almost gospel that the food on our plates hastraveled about 1500 miles to get to us.

So it would seem logical that the best way to shrink your food-related carbon footprint associated would be to buy from near by. But it turns out that this assumption is wrong.

Thankfully, a couple scientists took a harder look at the data and published an analysis in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. The abstract for this article is a prime example of clear writing and good lifecycle analysis — which don't usually go together — so check it out. But here's the essence:

• Food is transported a long way, going about 1,000 miles in delivery and over 4,000 miles across the supply chain.
• But 83% of the average U.S. household's carbon footprint for food comes from growing and producing it. Transportation is only 11%.
• Different foods have vastly different greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity, with meat requiring far more energy to produce, and red meat being particularly egregious, requiring 150% more energy than even chicken.

So the journal article adds this up to an obvious conclusion: if you want to reduce your food's carbon footprint, eat less meat. In short, "Shifting less than one day per week's worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG reduction than buying all locally sourced food."

As a numbers geek, I love this kind of analysis. Now for the caveats: none of this data should dissuade anyone from eating locally also. The footprint benefits are real, even if dwarfed by food choice. And the benefits to local economies and smaller farms are very important.

But let me repeat: just moving away from meat for one day a week is more effective than buying everything you eat locally. This number will be surprising to most people, but it's partly why the global call for "Meatless Mondays" is gaining steam, with school systems and universities adopting the approach in cities around the world, from Baltimore to Tel Aviv.

As companies keep discovering, it really helps to run the numbers. As I've written about before, Pepsi discovered that the largest chunk of the footprint of its Tropicana orange juice was not in production (squeezing oranges) or in distribution (shipping heavy liquids is fuel-intensive), but in growing the oranges with natural-gas-based fertilizer.

Smart, knowledgeable execs are consistently surprised when good lifecycle data trumps seemingly solid assumptions. So we shouldn't expect consumers to figure out the right choices themselves. Buying local food seems like the obvious choice — until you run the numbers.

We have a lot of work to do, both in companies and in our homes, to tackle climate change. Good data and analysis will let us focus on the quickest paybacks and get the most out of our efforts.

FALL EQUINOX POTLUCK- September

UN urges vegan diet

Summer Solstice Potluck, June 19th

Solstice Potluck for the Birds, June 19th

Denman's Community Vegan Potluck Series is pleased to welcome wildlife rehabilitator, Maj Birch, as guest speaker for our Summer Solstice feast on Sunday, June 19^th.

Come celebrate the longest day of the year -and father’s day- over a delicious meal in the back hall at 6:30 pm. As always, food lovers of every persuasion are welcome and encouraged to attend. Any 100% plant-based entrée, salad, dessert or single item dish that all may share (free of eggs, gelatin, honey and dairy, please) is a suitable contribution. The potluck series provides a great opportunity four times a year to pick up healthy new recipe ideas that are also climate conscious and animal friendly, so be sure to include a list of your own ingredients, and prepare to take home some creative, tasty new ideas!

Maj Birch is the founder of Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society in Merville, which exists to assist ill, injured, orphaned or oiled wildlife and to transport for rehabilitation and eventual release those which have a chance for survival. MARS specializes in avian species- songbirds, waterfowl and raptors. The centre is not open to the public, automatically reducing potential acclimatization to human contact. All efforts are concentrated on providing a safe, stress-free environment for wildlife recovery.

The Society has been providing this important service to the region since the mid 90’s, often on a shoestring budget. Admission to the potluck is by donation, but you may wish to bring an extra $5 along to support MARS' work for wildlife through the purchase of their 2011 Island Experiences Raffle - there are some really great prizes in store!

Maj has an audio visual presentation that will appeal to the whole family, so mark your calendar now! And thankyou in advance for helping keep both the potluck and after dinner event accessible to folks in our community with chemical sensitivities by attending scent-free. Visit MARS online at www.wingbeats.info.

SUNDAY, MARCH 20th, 2011

Clayoquot Sound on the menu at Spring Equinox Potluck

Dan Lewis and Bonny Glambeck of Tofino are touring BC coastal communities this spring with a presentation called Secrets of Clayoquot Sound’. Come on out to hear these two seasoned naturalists and expedition sea kayakers at Denman's spring equinox Community Vegan Potluck scheduled for 6:30 pm, March 20th, in the Back Hall.

Dan and Bonny have paddled much of the BC coast. They'll be sharing stories about their many adventures at home in Clayoquot Sound, and show images from some of BC’s leading outdoor photographers.

Join these inspiring, longtime activists for an unforgettable journey through the natural beauty and splendor of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Learn about the ecology of the region’s globally significant ancient rainforests, and threats to that ecology including fish farms, logging and an open-pit copper mine proposal.

As always, food lovers of every persuasion are invited to attend our delicious community potluck feast prior to the after dinner presentation. Any 100% plant-based salad, entree, dessert, or single-item dish (free of eggs, dairy, honey & gelatin, please) that all may share, is a suitable contribution. Please include a list of ingredients.

Admission is by donation (suggested $3), and the potluck series is also designated 'scent-free' for inclusivity. For further information about the potluck series, please click here. To learn more about the Friends of Clayoquot Sound, drop by their website at: www.focs.ca. Spring is on it's way!

A Life Connected!

Compassion Documentary excerpt

featuring Australian activists David Coles & Philip Wollen

Sunday, February 20th, 2010

ART and ACTIVISM: RAGING, RESISTING, REJOICING

With Fireweed

Sunday, Feb. 20. 6pm Vegan Potluck, 7pm Presentation. Back Hall. Admission by Donation

Inside and outside of gallery walls, on the streets and in the landscape, art reflects and influences the way we see and experience life. The exciting merger of art and activism is a growing phenomenon today- confronting the status quo, encouraging dissent, and revisioning our world. In her audiovisual presentation, Art and Activism: Raging, Resisting, Rejoicing!, local activist Fireweed explores this widening culture of creative societal transformation. With International Women's Day right around the corner, Fireweed will be highlighting the work of women artists and activists in her slide show (although not exclusively so).

An honors grad from the Emily Carr College of Art and Design (Vancouver, BC, 1982), Fireweed has exhibited as a multi-media artist across Canada as well as internationally. Currently working in graphic design and digital photography, she founded BC’s Women and the Earth, a conference and workshop series dedicated to women’s personal empowerment through activism, in 1991. She has participated on the frontlines of numerous logging blockades, in solidarity with First Nations, anti-biotech activists, and in anti-G8 protests. Fireweed coordinates regional actions opposing Canada’s commercial seal hunt, other marine mammal slaughter, local rodeo, etc.

 In 1993 she initiated the Community Vegan Potluck Series on Denman as another form of animal advocacy, environmental and social justice activism, and enjoys combining her art and politics in part through the creation of nutritious plant-based cuisine that all may share. As a keynote speaker or workshop facilitator on the topics of ecofeminism, art and activism, animal rights and/or feminist earth-based spirituality, Fireweed has addressed numerous women’s events over the years, as well as college classes, environmental gatherings and community groups. With her partner she currently co-hosts a weekly activist-oriented pirate radio show called “Connections”. Also an impassioned writer, Fireweed is a contributing ecofeminist author in the newly released anthology, “Call to Compassion: Religious Reflections on Animal Advocacy” (Lantern Books, 2010). She lives with her partner and feline family in the woods on Denman Island.

FORKS OVER KNIVES

This important new film will have to be added to our loan collection, for all islanders to share. It's due out in theatres by mid March, 2011.