Our Hen House

Welcome to the 292nd episode of Our Hen House, a place to find our way to change the world for animals. Today is our final of six summer podcast specials featuring the informational chats — otherwise known as “Ramblings” — that we had at the start of each episode of the Our Hen House TV show, a co-production with Brooklyn Independent Media. In this episode, we’ll feature our Ramblings from Episodes 27 through 31 of the TV show, where we discuss the smartest mouse in Brooklyn; the harmful myths surrounding soy; the finance world’s growing support of veganism; the animal law moot court; and lots more. To curate these segments, we welcome back Our Hen House’s own Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter, of the blog Chickpeas & Change. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “The stars we are given. The constellations we make.” ~Rebecca Solnit.

Welcome to the 291st episode of Our Hen House, a place to find our way to change the world for animals. Today we continue to feature the informational chats — otherwise known as “Ramblings” — that we have at the start of each episode of the Our Hen House TV show, a co-production with Brooklyn Independent Media. In this episode, we’ll feature our “Ramblings” from Episodes 23 through 26 of the TV show, where we discuss how animal ag is trying to stifle the infiltration of vegan products into the mainstream; what gives us hope; fabulous glasses; cookie dough; a tweet from one Cory Booker; and lots more. To curate these segments, we welcome back Our Hen House’s own Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter, of the blog Chickpeas & Change. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “Let’s be gentle with ourselves and each other and fierce as we fight oppression.” ~Dean Spade.

Welcome to the 290th episode of Our Hen House, a place to find our way to change the world for animals. Today we continue to feature the informational chats — otherwise known as “Ramblings” — that we have at the start of each episode of the Our Hen House TV show, a co-production with Brooklyn Independent Media. This episode marks the fourth of six consecutive weekly summer specials! In this podcast episode, we’ll feature our Ramblings from Episodes 16 through 20 of the TV show, where we discuss bullying; companion animals to the homeless; undercover investigations; animals rescued from research labs; wild animals kept in captivity; and more. To curate these segments, we welcome back Our Hen House’s own Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter, of the blog Chickpeas & Change. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. It is good to  remember that the planet is carrying you.” ~Vandana Shiva.

Animal Law Podcast Episode 2 — Follow-Up with Steve Wise (ALREADY?!)

The Animal Law Podcast is Here! Episode 1, Featuring Steve Wise

Welcome to the 289th episode of Our Hen House, a place to find our way to change the world for animals. Today we continue to feature the informational chats — otherwise known as “Ramblings” — that Mariann and I have at the start of each episode of the Our Hen House TV show, a co-production with Brooklyn Independent Media. In this episode — our third of six summer specials –we’ll feature our Ramblings from Episodes 11 through 15 of the TV show, where we discuss how to make tempeh; celebrities who misrepresent veganism; veg fests; gourmet vegan cheese; the state of animal rights around the globe; and more. To curate these segments, we welcome back Our Hen House’s own Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter, of the blog Chickpeas & Change. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “Wild tongues can’t be tamed, they can only be cut out.”  ~Gloria Anzaldua.

Welcome to the 288th episode of Our Hen House, a place to find our way to change the world for animals. Today we continue to feature the informational chats — otherwise known as “Ramblings” — that we have at the start of each episode of the Our Hen House TV show, a co-production with Brooklyn Independent Media. In this episode, we’ll feature our “Ramblings” from Episodes 6 through 10 of the TV show, where we discuss animal rights themes in film; the efficacy of petitions; Mother’s Day; what an all-vegan world might look like; vegan eats in Basel, Switzerland; and more. To curate these segments, we welcome back Our Hen House’s own Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter, of the blog Chickpeas & Change. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “People get used to anything. The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things.”  ~Assata Shakur.

Welcome to the 287th episode of Our Hen House, a place to find our way to change the world for animals. Today we’re starting a very special round of podcast episodes, each featuring a different set of segments from the Our Hen House TV show, a co-production with Brooklyn Independent Media. These six weekly episodes, which start today, aren’t the same as our usual TV highlights reels, though, since they feature not interviews, but the informational chats that we had at the start of each episode. In this episode — the first of our six summer specials — we’ll feature our “Ramblings” from Episodes 1 through 5 of the TV show, where we discuss each of our vegan histories; tap-dancing; international animal activism; cat videos; how to veganize your Passover Seder plate; and more. To curate these segments, we welcome back Our Hen House’s own Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter, of the blog Chickpeas & Change. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “They weren’t like us and for that reason deserved to be ruled.” ~Edward Said.

Welcome to the 286th episode of Our Hen House, featuring interviews with Isha Datar, Brett Levitske, and Erica Kubersky, as well as a review by Ethan Ciment & Michael Suchman. We have a fabulous, jam-packed show for you today. In addition to our usual vegan banter, we’ll be revisiting three extraordinary interviews from folks who joined us on the Our Hen House TV show. First we’ll be joined by the incredible Isha Datar, the Executive Director of New Harvest, an organization working to advance technologies to sustainably and affordably feed a growing global population. They do this through creating lab-grown meat, and Isha will tell us all about what that entails, and how it will change the world for animals. Also joining us will be Brett Levitzke and Erica Kubersky, who will be talking with us all about the groundbreaking work of Positive Tails — a Brooklyn-based organization dedicated to helping displaced animals and the overpopulation of dogs and cats, as well as providing support to individuals and families who cannot afford veterinary emergency or illness care for their companion animals. Erica — who is, of course, also the co-founder of the vegan shoe store MooShoes — will also inspire us with the many ways she is bridging the gap between the farmed animal rescue world and the companion animal rescue world. For our review, the delightful and brilliant guys behind Vegan Mos — that’s Ethan Ciment and Michael Suchman — will be giving us their two cents on Annie and Dan Shannon’s new cookbook, Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking. All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights. There’s lots of “Rising Anxieties” today too, of course. You can listen to the OHH podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul.” ~Erykah Badu.

Welcome to the 285th episode of Our Hen House, a place to find our way to change the world for animals. Today’s episode marks a whole new world for the podcast, since it’s the first time that Jasmin and Mariann have handed over their hosting powers to somebody else — that’s me, Alessandra Seiter, OHH’s Media Coordinator! I’m thrilled to welcome three powerhouse activists who are working at the intersections of animal liberation, feminism, anti-racism, and every other awesome movement that we need to support in order to transform our society into one that is truly just for all beings. I’ll speak with queer activist and prison abolitionist Hana Low of the Colorado Anti-Violence Program; the Black Feminist Blogger herself Aph Ko; and Jacqueline Morr, founder and editor of the feminist vegan zine Project Intersect. Finally, joining me to introduce our interviewees is my fellow vegan activist, classmate, and good friend Kaden Maguire, who works at both Catskill Animal Sanctuary and Treeline Cheese. You can listen to the OHH podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “Possibility is not a luxury; it is as crucial as bread.” ~Judith Butler.

Welcome to the 284th episode of Our Hen House, featuring an interview with Victoria Moran and a review by Alessandra Seiter. Joining us today is longtime vegan and twelve-time author Victoria Moran, who will be chatting with us about her brand new book, The Good Karma Diet. Whether you’re a new vegan or a seasoned one, Victoria’s insights, experience, and positivity will embolden and invigorate you. Then, Our Hen House’s own Alessandra Seiter — of the blog Chickpeas & Change — will help us to commemorate Father’s Day with a thoughtful look at non-human, male animals who are exploited for their sexual reproduction capacities and for other gender-related reasons. This segment won’t be all womp-womp, though! In her usual fashion, Alessandra will inspire us with some truly beautiful rescue stories. All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights. There’s lots of “Rising Anxieties” today, too, of course! You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “If there would come a voice from God saying, ‘I’m against vegetarianism,’ I would say, ‘Well, I’m for it.’” ~Isaac Bashevis Singer.

Welcome to the 283rd episode of Our Hen House, featuring interviews with Amber Canavan and Stephanie Boyles Griffin, and a review by Ari Solomon. On today’s episode, we have three very special guests. First, we’ll get an update from activist Amber Canavan of the Animal Protection and Rescue League, who joined us a few weeks ago to talk to us about criminal charges pending against her because of her work finding out what was really going on at Hudson Valley Foie Gras. She’ll give us the latest. Then, Stephanie Boyles Griffin of the Humane Society of the United States will let us know what’s happening with the use of contraception, rather than killing, to reduce deer populations. For our review, Our Hen House’s Ari Solomon of Mercy for Animals will give us his take on the new film, Emptying the Skies, which chronicles the rampant poaching of migratory songbirds in southern Europe. All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights. There’s tons of Rising Anxieties today too, of course. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty.” ~Stanislaw J. Lec

Welcome to the 282nd episode of Our Hen House, featuring interviews with TJ Tumasse and Donny Moss. On today’s episode, we will be joined by former undercover investigator TJ Tumasse, who will tell us all about what he learned in his many years working on factory farms. TJ will also get us up to speed on the latest happenings over at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, where he now heads up investigations. Then, animal rights pundit and filmmaker Donny Moss will be with us, shedding light on everything you have been wondering about the true cost of palm oil — to the planet, and to the animals. All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.” ~Gloria Steinem.

Welcome to the 281st episode of Our Hen House, featuring an interview with Simone Reyes, a review by Liz Dee, and a special appearance by Nina Hauptman. On today’s episode, we discuss dinner party protocol as it relates to non-vegan guests; when food activism is better suited for vegan-friendly entrepreneurs; and, in “Rising Anxieties,” we’ll give you the latest additions to the world of oppressive children’s toys. Joining us today is the outstanding animal activist and TV personality Simone Reyes, who will squawk all about her newest campaign to end the shipping of live chicks through the US Postal Service. For our review, Liz Dee will give us her take on the documentary, Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson. All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights. Speaking of current events, we have a special guest joining us for today’s news section: Nina Hauptman from Last Chance for Animals will tell us all about an emerging censorship dispute between their organization and the New York City MTA, regarding a billboard that was rejected based on the new MTA guidelines barring political advertising. You’ll want to hear this… You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “To understand biology is to understand that all life is linked to the earth from which it came; it is to understand that the stream of life, flowing out of the dim past into the uncertain future, is in reality a unified force, though composed of an infinite number and variety of separate lives.” ~Rachel Carson.

Welcome to the 280th episode of Our Hen House, featuring an interview with Kiki Adami, a review by Robin Lamont, and a special conversation with Ian McDonald. On today’s episode, Mariann and I will talk about an ironically named new book about veganism (or is it about veganism?); a resource for new vegans that we wish existed for us when we were new ourselves; and the latest in “Rising Anxieties,” ranging from Prince Charles’ critiques, to critiques on vegan mini-malls. For our feature interview today, we will be joined by Kiki Adami from GustOrganics, a popular New York City restaurant which, under Kiki’s care, just transitioned from not-at-all vegan to 100% vegan. Kiki will tell all about how this came to be. For our review, writer Robin Lamont will be with us to give us her take on the novel, “The Mountaintop School for Dogs (and Other Second Chances)” by Ellen Cooney. All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights. Speaking of current events from the world of animal rights, today during our news segment, we’ll be hearing from British pundit and vegan Ian McDonald, who will enlighten us with a roundup of the UK General Election, and what that has to do with animals. (Bonus! Check out more thoughts from Ian about the UK election and its effect on animals.) You can listen to our podcast directly on our website (beneath this paragraph!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes and Stitcher, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! You can also dedicate a podcast episode! Don’t forget – we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren.  Special thanks to OHH Media Coordinator Alessandra Seiter for acting as the Associate Producer of the Our Hen House podcast! “Hot, fevered, frightened, trampled, bruised, and torn; Frozen to death before the ax descends; We kill these weary creatures, sore and worn; And eat them — with our friends.” ~Charlotte Perkins Gilman.