Listen to this show here!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This show is dedicated to World Vegan Day on November 1st! Let every day be a World Vegan Day!
Hallowe’en is just around the corner, and to start the show, Shawna shares some Tips on Keeping Animals Safe at Hallowe’en.
Social Challenges to Going Vegan
The vegan lifestyle of living with minimal harm to other beings is a wonderful way to live, however, it is tough for most people to sustain. 70% of vegans and 86% of vegetarians will go back to eating meat. The food (we know!) is great, but it’s something more complicated that keeps vegans from staying vegan: the social challenges.
It can be difficult to go out with omnivorous friends for dinner, watching them consume flesh while you may only have one or two boring options on the menu to choose from. It can be harder to be the butt of vegan jokes, or to be constantly challenged by friends and family about your decision to not eat meat. How about living in a household where your parents, siblings and/or spouse are meat eaters and you are the only one who is not?
We discuss some of these challenges and solutions on how to overcome the difficulties and to keep on the vegan path, for the animals.
Mike Lanigan Turns His Cattle Farm into an Animal Sanctuary in Uxbridge, Ontario
Our feature interview will inspire all! Mike Lanigan was a farmer who bred and raised cows to be slaughtered in the beef industry, but one day, he had a change of heart. He realized the disconnection between wanting to do good for the animals while he raised them and watched calves bond with their mothers, and then sending them off to be killed and eaten. So he decided to stop the slaughter and turn his farm into a sanctuary, where the 21 cows can live out the rest of their lives in peace, along with pigs, chickens and donkeys – and future rescued animals to come!
In ceasing his cattle farming business, he has turned to growing and selling organic vegetables as his main source of income. The cows help as well, providing manure for his crops. Edith Barabash works on the farm in growing the vegetables, and teamed up with Mike when he wanted to convert the farm to a sanctuary. A vegan, she is helping Mike raise funds to help pay for the sanctuary expenses, via donors from all over the world, and she has been inspired to study to become an environmental lawyer in the future.
In this interview, we speak with Mike and Edith, and they share the story of making change for the animals, and being powered to save lives and make a difference.
And if you would like to make a donation to support the sanctuary, please click here, or you can also click on “Donate” on the Animal Garden Farmhouse Facebook page here.
