RAVS Weekly
This is a 3-week summary!
The Rochester Area Vegan Society has been busy—apparently so busy there’s been no time to write an update.
We had several outreach events in April and early May:
-On Saturday, April 18, Kimber Gorall and Phyllis Fleischman staffed a table at an Earth Day event at the University of Rochester, hosted by Grassroots, the environmental and sustainability group.
-On Thursday, April 23, Carol Barnett staffed a table at a Wellness Fair at the SUNY Brockport MetroCenter (the downtown campus on St. Paul Street).
-On Friday, May 1, Ted Barnett, MD gave a talk on Plant-Based Diet (with special focus on its role in preventing and reversing heart disease, diabetes, and prostate cancer) to the Canandaigua Medical Society, a physicians’ social group which has general-interest programs, and sometimes programs with a medical topic, at its monthly meetings. The attendees were regaled with a vegan buffet at the India House in Victor.
-On Saturday, May 2, Ted Barnett gave a 4-hour workshop on Plant-Based Diet to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes, to the Diabetes Support Group at the Bethel CME Church in downtown Rochester. Carol Barnett made food samples for the breaks (Middle Eastern Lentils and Rice with special salad, Jambalaya) and provided recipes.
-On Saturday, May 9, Phyllis Fleischman and Scott Wagner were the Guest Chefs at the Flavors of the Market food tasting at the Rochester Public Market; Laurie Conrad helped with serving food samples. This event is sponsored jointly by the Rochester Public Market and the Democrat and Chronicle, and takes place outside the Public Market office building every Saturday throughout the season. Scott, Phyllis and Laurie deserve special appreciation because RAVS was asked to pitch in at the last minute after another organization canceled; so they did their planning, shopping and cooking with very little notice. The organizers at the Public Market loved our food sampling and they want RAVS to return, so many thanks! Food is always a great persuader.
O
ur meeting on May 3, featuring Marty Davey, RD, otherwise known as La Diva Dietitian,
was a huge success. Marty gave a very enlightening Powerpoint presentation on being a healthy vegan over the age of 50 (the title of her lecture was “You’re Not Dead Yet!”); and she took questions for a long time after the lecture. The presentation started out with a very entertaining tug-of-war between Marty and her screen persona, La Diva, who is “all about” the food and has limited patience with her alter ego Marty, who spouts all that boring nutrition information. To order Marty’s book or a subscription to her video series, visit
http://ladivadietitian.com/ladivadietitian.com/Welcome.html Please treat yourself to watching some of Marty/LaDiva’s videos on Youtube. If you haven’t seen it already, do watch Marty’s husband, Jim “Fitz” Fitxpatrick doing an impersonation of LaDiva, for a little “Mrs. Doubtfire” action. Marty, Fitz, and their teenage son Seamus are all actors.
Coming up: an outreach event at the Latino Family Fair on Saturday May 30; and our June meeting featuring a panel of vegan cooks, sharing secrets about how to cook “fresh, fast, and frugal” vegan meals.
–Carol Barnett, RAVS Co-coordinator
RAVS Update 2015
After a long, hard winter, spring is here!Interest in vegan diet and way of life is soaring. We continue to do the best we can to provide information and support (as well as delicious food samples) for people adopting or moving towards a vegan diet.
MEETINGS: In February, we showed film clips of Dr. Michael Greger, and held a Q&A session afterwards with Dr. Greger via Skype. Dr. Greger keeps constant tabs on emerging nutritional information; his valuable website, nutritionfacts.org, contains hundreds of short videos and can be searched by topic.
In March, Harold Brown of farmkind.org spoke on the topic “Be the Change.” Harold grew up in a farming community and his journey away from animal agriculture has given him empathy for others who are on this path. Many stories were shared by the audience, and Harold gave many examples of how living the truth of reverence for all life can result in gradual but enduring change.
In April, we had our 22nd annual 2nd night seder, sharing the event with the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Thanks to Barry Swan for leading the service, and to Ellie Cherin and Barry for organizing the event. Also in April, our fund raiser dinner was held at the new vegan restaurant Vive Bistro and Bakery. At two seatings of 60 people each, everyone enjoyed an elegant dining experience. Thanks to all at Vive including Pam, Keith, Nick, and chef Mark Demara!
We look forward to our May program being given by Marty Davey, RD (a.k.a. LaDiva Dietitian). Marty will talk about staying healthy on a vegan diet for those over 50, but we are sure that those under 50 can benefit! In June we will have a panel discussion on fast, easy, healthful and delicious vegan cooking (with recipes). July and August bring picnics.
OUTREACH: In January and February of 2015, Ted Barnett, MD taught his plant-based nutrition course for the 7th time to more than 50 people, with 10 health care professionals (including 4 MD’s) taking the course for continuing education credit. More than 325 people have taken this course.
At Color Brighton Green’s showing of the film “Cowspiracy” on March 18, Carol Barnett and other RAVS members spoke after the film, encouraging people to try a vegan lifestyle. See more about this film on page 6. On March 20, Carol Barnett staffed a table for RAVS at the U of R Great American Meatout celebration hosted by SAVVY, the student vegetarian group.
RAVS had a table at the Integrative Health Conference on March 21: thanks to Sue Brunsting, Norman Sacks, Charles Worl and Carol Barnett for staffing; and at the Nazareth Wellness Fair: thanks to Ken McBride, Yetta Panitch, and Carol Barnett. On March 28, Ted Barnett MD taught a 4-hour plant-based nutrition unit, with recipes and food samples by Carol Barnett, to those completing a teacher training program at Grounded By Yoga studio in Bloomfield.
Nazareth student Rebecca Silliman presented a Veganism Awareness Event at the Golisano Academic Center on April 7. Olivia Fontana moderated a panel made up of Rebecca, Alexa Laubscher, Claire LaDelia, and Dr. Jill Brooks. The event was well attended, and everyone enjoyed vegan food samples provided by The Red Fern, Vive, and Voula’s, as well as goodies like Amy’s brand vegan pizza and cake.
Ted Barnett, MD gave a talk on vegan nutrition on April 11 as part of Lori’s Natural Foods Spring into Health program. About 25 people attended, and Lori’s provided delicious vegan food samples. Phyllis Fleischman and Kimber Gorall staffed a table at an Earth Day event hosted by U of R’s environmental group Grassroots. And Carol Barnett staffed a table at SUNY Brockport MetroCenter’s Wellness Fair.
Looking forward: Ted Barnett, MD will be teaching a Diabetes Workshop at the New Bethel CME Church on May 2. RAVS has been invited to staff tables at the Office of Parent Engagement’s Family Fair on May 30 and at Ginna’s Health Fair on July 24.
VEGAN MESSAGES ON THE MEDIA!
Ted Barnett, MD went on Evan Dawson’s midday WXXI talk show “Connections” on January 20 and talked about vegan diet. This was the day of the first Plant-Based Diet class and drew a few extra enrollees! Then in February, in the aftermath of the new DGAC guidelines (see p. 4), Evan Dawson hosted a show on cardiac care and recommendations. When a caller mentioned a study showing that obese children can improve their cardiac risk factors by following a vegan diet (see p. 4), one of Dawson’s guests, a local cardiologist, agreed that a vegan diet can reduce cardiac risk, but stated that such a diet is just too hard to follow. Dawson got some pushback from local vegans, and soon thereafter, on February 23, he hosted a show with local vegans Aaron Frazier (attorney and president of the Rochester Black Bar Association); Pam Hathaway (owner of Vive Bistro and Bakery); Andrea Parros (owner of The Red Fern) and Ted Barnett, MD. All testified that they are healthy and abundantly satisfied on their vegan diet!
On April 13, Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary appeared on the Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, promoting his book Living the Farm Sanctuary Life. Baur was wonderfully persuasive about the ease and joy of a vegan way of life. To view this segment, simply enter “Baur” and “Jon Stewart” on Youtube.
VEGAN RESTAURANTS REVIEWED
The new French-inspired restaurant Vive Bistro and Bakery was written up in the March 11 issue of City newspaper; The Red Fern was written up in the March-April issue of (585) Magazine.
THANK YOU to Lyn Klement, who made a generous donation to RAVS in memory of her husband Ron Klement, who passed away in 2013. Lyn lives in Hammondsport; in the past, she and Ron attended RAVS meetings and were volunteers at Farm Sanctuary.
OUR CONDOLENCES to Carol and Bruce Manuel on the loss of Carol’s sister Laurie Greenberg, who died on March 26 at age 63 of metastatic breast cancer. She was a great teacher, specializing in reading; and she had a beautiful coloratura voice, studying at the Eastman School for one year, and auditioning for the Metropolitan Opera. Laurie was a graduate of SUNY Geneseo and Syracuse University.
PLEASE VOTE for the RAVS Board of Directors. If you have internet access you will receive your ballot attached to an email. Those without internet access will find a paper ballot enclosed with this newsletter. No need to send a ballot by mail: you can vote by email or phone.
RAVS Weekly
The week of April 5 was a busy one for RAVS.
VEGANISM AWARENESS EVENT: On Tuesday, April 7, RAVS member and Nazareth student Rebecca Silliman staged a Veganism Awareness Event in partial completion of requirements for one of her courses, and also for the fun of it! At the Center for Spirituality in the Golisano Academic Center (the beautifully repurposed motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who have a new home now), Silliman put together a panel for discussion and Q&A, made up of herself, Claire LaDelia, Alexa Laubscher, and Dr. Jill Brooks, and moderated by Olivia Fontana. It was a great event, attended by about 25 people and with the sounds of the Nazareth Wind Symphony in the background (they were having a dress rehearsal in the nearby concert hall). Delicious and abundant vegan food samples included food donated by The Red Fern (tempeh sliders), Vive Bistro and Bakery (dips and spreads), and Voula’s (dips and spreads); as well as Amy’s vegan pizzas and desserts and plenty of raw food and crudités. A wonderful job done; and it’s great to see so many committed young vegans!
PLANT-BASED WORKSHOP AT LORI’S On Saturday, April 11, Ted Barnett, MD gave a 2-hour presentation on plant-based nutrition to about 25 people at Lori’s Natural Foods Center, as part of the store’s Spring Into Health program. It was a lively time with lots of interest and questions, as well as vegan food samples provided by Lori’s (olive-y salad, spinach artichoke dip, and carrot cake). Thanks to Stephanie Beiter from Lori’s (a RAVS member) for putting this together. Stephanie tells us that Lori’s is experimenting with making its own vegan cheeses based on the recipes from Miyoko Schinner’s book Artisan Vegan Cheese. (BTW, if you go into Lori’s, please put a note into the suggestion box asking the store to carry vegan cheeses made by Miyoko’s Kitchen, http://miyokoskitchen.com )
FUND RAISER DINNER AT VIVE BISTRO AND BAKERY On Sunday, April 12, we had a hugely successful and pleasurable fund raiser dinner at the new French-inspired Vive Bistro and Bakery at 130 East Avenue. We completed filled two seatings of 60 people each. The setting is elegant, the service was friendly and the food was divine. Diners had a choice of either Potato and Leek Soup or Vine Harvest Salad (grapes, pears and mesclun greens with balsamic vinaigrette), for starters; a choice of Potato Gratin with roasted mushrooms and hollandaise, or Provencal Pasta with tomato sauce, fennel and rosemary, for the entree; and Orange Madeleines for dessert (Proust never had it so good). Thanks to owners Pam Hathaway, Nick Lemesis, and Keith Savino; chef Mark Demara; and all the cooks and servers. If you haven’t already done so, please patronize Vive, which is open for lunch 7 days a week, and now open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. And, Vive now has it’s liquor license!
–Carol Barnett, RAVS Co-coordinator
RAVS Weekly
The RAVS Weekly Mushroom — Because We’re Growing—
All week reservations came in for the final few spots at the April 11 fund raiser dinner at Vivie Bistro and Bakery. That event is now officially closed.
On Saturday at sundown, 26 people gathered at the Brighton Town Park Lodge to celebrate the 22nd Annual RAVS 2nd Night Seder. On Saturday, as we’ve done for several years now, we shared this event with the Rochester Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ). As many of you already know, a seder is a ceremonial service and meal to celebrate Passover, the liberation of the Jews from bondage in Egypt (“Let my people go”). The theme of liberation is a universal one which resonates in every time, including our own. It was used as a lodestone for the civil rights movement, and it can serve as well to express our desire to liberate animals from domination and exploitation by human beings. Our seder expressed solidarity with all social justice movements, bringing all who suffer within its circle of compassion. The service and dinner were vegan: the many ceremonial foods which traditionally come from animals found vegan substitutes that were especially significant, as they caused us to really think about the meaning of the symbol. Instead of an egg (as a source of life), an olive which contains a seed. Instead of a shank bone to represent sacrifice, a beet which contains a staining red liquid but no cruelty. Other items, not the traditional seder plate, were on our seder plate to lend the service further meaning: an orange which represents diversity, including women’s rights and gay rights; tomatoes which make us mindful of the migrant workers in Florida who pick our winter tomatoes and who are struggling for rights and for economic survival. Barry Swan led the service and we all participated in the readings. Thanks to all who shared in this event, with special thanks to Barry Swan for conducting the service, and to both Barry Swan and Ellie Cherin for organizing the event.
–Carol Barnett, RAVS Co-coordinator
RAVS Weekly
A “habitrail,” in case you don’t know, is a sequence of entertaining or life-sustaining stops along the way for a hamster in a cage. We first heard the word in a testimonial from someone who had so many cardiac interventions that his blood vessels were a “habitrail” of stents, and even with that he kept getting sicker, until he read Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s book, and started a no-oil vegan diet, which has restored him to health and taken him off all medications.
I thought a “habitrail” was a fun term for the things we do to sustain the Rochester Area Vegan Society from day to day.
On Monday of this week, I attended a discussion at Brighton Library, led by Tina Kolberg, Vice-President of Animal Rights Advocates of Upstate New York (arauny.org—they have a new website!), on the topic of “Speciesism.” Even though the attendance was low—six people including Tina—it was a very interesting discussion which delved into the roots of the problem that our own organization tries to address, namely, the sense that it is acceptable to dominate animals of other species to the point of confining them and killing them for food. Why do we (and if not we, most people) think it is okay, or at least act as if it is okay to do this? An upside of the low attendance is that everyone got to contribute fully and freely. ARAUNY hopes to have regular discussions of this sort, so visit their website and get on their mailing list if you would like to participate. RAVS may also post some of these events, but if you are interested, be sure to stay in direct contact with ARAUNY.
On Tuesday, RAVS had a table at the annual Wellness Fair at Nazareth College. I staffed the table with Ken McBride and Yetta Panitch. We love to reach young people at such events; and also we have some success talking with the other presenters, who are often health care professionals or entrepreneurs who want to know more about vegan diet. We ran into Rebecca Silliman and Alexa Laubscher, two Naz students who are also RAVS members. Rebecca had an important message which we pass on here:
Rebecca Silliman is a Nazareth College junior who is planning an event for her social entrepreneurship class; the event will be her final project and its purpose will be to raise awareness about veganism and to change people’s attitudes about it. The date/time is Tuesday, April 7 at 6:00 PM in the Golisano Academic Center at Nazareth College (the converted motherhouse, for those of you who are familiar with the Nazareth campus). Rebecca will have some vegans in the Nazareth community sitting on a panel to field questions; she also plans to get food donated from vegan restaurants and natural food stores. Rebecca would love to have any interested RAVS members sit on the panel, or just attend, mingle and enjoy the food. No need to contact Rebecca if you just want to attend, but if you are interested in sitting on the panel, please email her at <rsillim0@mail.naz.edu> or call her cell phone at 716-581-3002.
On Saturday, Ted and I went to a yoga center in East Bloomfield, Grounded By Yoga, to conduct the nutrition segment of a teacher training course being given by the lead teacher at the center, Sandy Hicks. This is the 3rd time we’ve done this particular course. Things started inauspiciously, because that morning Ted got called into the intensive care unit to do an emergency case. We do lots of food samples for this event in addition to a Powerpoint presentation and all of the necessary paraphernalia for that, so I had to pack all those things (food, equipment, books), drive to the venue and unload all of it myself. Meanwhile, Ted’s case went well but by the time he made it to our event he was 45 minutes late. As often happens, the shake-up actually worked to everyone’s benefit: I introduced myself, talked about RAVS and offered my food samples and cooking tips a lot sooner than I would’ve according to schedule, and we all (it’s a small group of 12) had started to get to know one another by the time Ted arrived. It just got better from there—a very fluid, spontaneous program with lots of questions and contributions from the students, and a feeling that most, if not all of them, were convinced to try a vegan life style. Sometimes when the best laid plans of men (and women) gang agley, it’s a good thing.
That’s it for this week on the RAVS habitrail.
–Carol Barnett, RAVS Co-coordinator
RAVS Update 2015
Autumn and winter have been busy for the Rochester Area Vegan Society, with well-attended meetings, outreach events, and classes.
MEETINGS: In November we welcomed Milton Mills, M.D., who spoke to a filled room about the parallels between the civil rights movement and the vegan movement. In December, we had a discussion among ourselves about the psychological and practical challenges of engaging in vegan advocacy. And in January 2015 we had a showing of the Rochester-produced film “COMFORT ZONE,” about the complexity of the climate change problem and the need for a change in consciousness if we are to address it.
In February we will view the most recent Nutrition Update video from Dr. Michael Greger. In March (in a different venue–see p.8) we will host Harold Brown, who will tell of his journey from dairy farming to advocating justice for animals and humans. In April we will have our traditional 2nd night seder, and later in the month, a fund raiser dinner at the newly opened Vive Bistro and Bakery. For both of the April events, we ask that you reserve your spot and, in the case of the dinner, prepay to secure your reservation. Details on p. 8.
OUTREACH: In November, Ted and Carol Barnett taught a session on vegan diet, and provided vegan food samples, to yoga teacher trainees at the Grounded By Yoga studio in Bloomfield.
In December, RAVS had its usual booth at the Metro Justice Alternative Fair. Many thanks to staffers Carol Barnett, Ellie Cherin, Karen Evans, Carol Hope, Carol Manuel, Joy Vandling, and John Van Savage. Thanks to Ellie Cherin, Katherine DaCosta, and Karen Evans for providing delicious vegan baked goods to sell at the event. Later in December, Carol Barnett and Martha Sullivan staffed a table for RAVS at Human Rights Day.
RAVS’S TED BARNETT, MD INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR PLANT-BASED DIET! In late October 2014, Dr. Barnett, along with Caroline Trapp, a nurse practitioner who is director of diabetes education for the Physicians Committee (PCRM), traveled to the Republic of Macedonia to explain how a plant-based diet could help reverse that country’s diabetes epidemic. For the full story, see “Fighting Diabetes in Macedonia” in the current issue of PCRM’s Good Medicine, Winter 2015.
CYCLING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH On 11/24/14, RAVS member Scott Wagner was prominently featured in a front-page article on the growing popularity of cycling for transportation and ways to insure the safety of cyclists. Wagner’s photo appeared on page 10A as well as a photo of his reflected eyeball on page 1A!
OUR CONDOLENCES to Barbara Savedoff and sons Daniel and Eli, on the loss of their mother and grandmother, Roberta Savedoff, who died on October 4, 2014 after a brief illness. Roberta was a past president of Pittsford PTSA and a past co-chair of the Adult Education Committee of Temple Beth El, and had been active in the Pittsford Bikeways Committee.
ONGOING AND UPCOMING EVENTS:
A Plant-Based Diet: Eating for Happiness and Health is being given for the 7th time, this time on 6 Tuesdays from 1/20 through 2/24 at Unity Hospital Education Center. For information on current and upcoming sessions of this course, visit rochesterveg.org or contact rochesterveg@gmail.com with “Plant Based” in the subject line.
Ivy League Vegan Conference is an all-day conference offered on Saturday February 21 on the Cornell campus. Free to the Cornell community, the conference, which includes breakfast and lunch, costs an astonishingly low $15. T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Sherry Colb, J.D., and vegan artisan cheesemaker Miyoko Schinner are among the speakers. Contact RAVS if you are interested in carpooling.
“Seeds of Change: Plant Based Low Fat Eating, Cooking & Meal Planning” This course is being offered at Unity Hospital on four Wednesdays starting on March 4 at a cost of $120 (and again in October starting Oct. 7). Call Joy Valvano at 368-4560 or register online at unitydiabetescommunity.com.
“Cowspiracy” This ground-breaking film on the connection between animal agriculture and climate change is being shown as part of the Color Brighton Green film series, on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:30 PM at Brighton Public Library. Free.
“The Art and Science of Integrative Medicine” This all-day conference on Saturday, March 21 at Rochester General Hospital can be taken for continuing education credit by health professionals and is also open to the general public. Cost of $110 includes vegan breakfast, lunch and snacks with gluten-free option available; additional charge for education credits. Call Ginny Ruderman at (585) 473-7573 for a brochure or to register.
RAVS 2nd Night Seder on Saturday April 4: see calendar on p. 8 for details.
RAVS Fund Raiser Dinner on Sunday April 12: See p. 8 for details.
Rochester International Film Festival will be held on April 23, 24, & 25, 2015. Visit rochesterfilmfest.org for details. Thanks to RAVS member Ellie Cherin for her involvement in this program.
League of Humane Voters Rochester
A Rochester chapter of the League of Humane Voters (LOHVR) has been formed as another way to protect animals and their rights. The mission of LOHVR is to work to enact animal-friendly legislation and to elect candidates for public office who will use their votes and influence for animal protection. LOHVR intends to make animal protection a mainstream political issue by building support among citizens, activists, political parties, candidates and elected representatives. LOHVR is a non-partisan organization, and will endorse candidates strictly based on their expressed commitment to work with us to pass legislation to protect animals. Contact Jack Hurley at jhurley33@aol.com if you want information about LOHVR or would like to join.
Rochester Direct Action is a local branch of Direct Action Everywhere, which seeks to call public attention to the violence inherent in meat and dairy, and in the use of animals for any purpose. The group seeks new people to join and participate. Visit rochesterdirectaction.org.
Carol Barnett
Winter Solstice Gathering and Celebration!