Category: Networking (Page 1 of 5)

Farming for a Future

Farmer Jay herd at Hillside BBC


News in 2017 that the Vegan Society is working with Bradley Nook Farm in Derbyshire to transition from beef to vegan organics was the icing on the (vegan) cake of all our years of campaigning. It shows the great value of networking both within the vegan movement and with movements beyond in the wider world. 

Veggies met up with farmer Jay when catering at Northern Green Gatherings at his inherited family farm. The farm near Ashbourne, Derbyshire is also one of a number of locations used on rotation for Earth First! Gatherings. As vegan campaign caterers Veggies has catered for EF! since the very first gathering in 1991, helping in a small way to maintain a vegan ethos in the grass roots eco-action movement.

It was through the involvement of long term Veggies member Cathy in another Vegan Society project (hospital catering) that the opportunity​ came about to mention in conversation the potential to veganise Jay’s farm. The rest is, as they say, history, and hopefully a turning point in the transition of many more livestock farms to the compassionate and efficient farming of Food for a Future.

Hosting camps & gatherings can provide a useful income stream for vegan landowners. We will actively encourage the gatherings at which we cater to consider holding events at Bradley Nook Farm. As participants in the Northern Green Gathering (NGG) held there each August, we will urge the organisers to encourage other caterers at the event to honour the compassionate stance of the farm by highlighting vegan options. We know this to be a popular position to take as Nottingham Green Festival has declared a fully vegan ethos from 2017.

Meanwhile Jay has already discussed plans for his new ventures with Derbyshire Dales District Council.

He said: “We’ve got a huge range of brick buildings on the farm which are unused. We’re hoping to turn those into a vegan restaurant, a vegan teaching kitchen and accommodation for people who would like to come and help on the vegetable growing. A vegan holidays sort of thing.” (Derby Telegraph)

STOP PRESS – July 2020Bradley Nook Sanctuary  – the UK’s first Refarm’d partner farm, for local ethical production of organic oat milk.

Since 1984 Veggies Catering Campaign has saved hundreds of cows by simply selling, with vegan attitude, possibly half a million Veggies Burgers. All those lives were unknown to us, but the path has led to 73 individual living, breathing lives that you can now meet at Hillside Animal Rescue:

 

Farmer Jays Cows at Hillside The cows are now being cared for by Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk which is fundraising for their keep

Please sponsor Hillside to help the cows – please click here or telephone the Hillside Cow Rescue Helpline on 01603 736200 (9am to 10pm).Please Help the Cows

or by bank transfer donation to…
The Co-operative Bank
Account No: 69668302
Sort Code: 08-92-99

 
Or by post to Hillside Animal Sanctuary
Hill Top Farm, Hall Lane, Frettenham, Norwich, NR12 7LT

Vegetarian Farmer Jay article in Vegan Trade Journal
Read the full story in the Vegan Trade Journalfree download here
 

Visit freefromharm.org to read the inspiring stories of other former meat & dairy farmers that became vegan activists.

The story of Farmer Jay is also featured in / at / on:
 

 

BBC News 13 June 2017

A vegetarian farmer has given his herd of cows to an animal sanctuary to protect them from the slaughterhouse.

Jay Wilde, 59, who farms in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, sent [73] cattle to a Norfolk rescue centre as he could no longer bear to send them to be killed.

Mr Wilde, a vegetarian for 25 years, grew up herding cows and took over the family farm when his father died.

“Cows have good memories and a range of emotions. They form relationships. I’ve even seen them cry,” he said.

“It was very difficult to do your best to look after them and then send them to the slaughterhouse for what must be a terrifying death.”

The Hillside Animal Sanctuary near Frettenham said 30 of the cows are pregnant and all the animals “would live out their lives essentially as pets”.

Founder, Wendy Valentine, said Mr Wilde is not the first farmer to have donated his herd.

She recalls a couple who “could not bear to continue dairy farming and kept their cows as pets with the help of the sanctuary”.

Mr Wilde, who switched from dairy farming to organic beef production on the death of his father in 2011, said he always wanted to give up animal production because he “couldn’t believe it was right to eat them”.

He believes dairy farming is particularly hard because calves and cows would often become distressed on separation.

“I’m relieved to have made the decision to no longer farm animals, something which I always found quite upsetting,” he said.

His brother-in-law told him he was “absolutely insane” to give away cattle which could fetch up to £40,000 at market.

He said “a lack of imagination” had previously stopped him switching to arable farming.

Mr Wilde will now be running a vegan organic market farm supplying garden produce without using animal products or fertilisers.

 


Farmer Jay Independent
 
 
A herd of cows from the East Midlands will be mooing a sigh of relief thanks the kindness of their owner, vegetarian farmer Jay Wilde who has sent them to live out their days in an animal sanctuary.

 Leaving their old cattle sheds at Bradley Nook Farm in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, the 59 cows were rehomed in Norfolk at the Hillside Animal Sanctuary on Monday.

A vegetarian for a total of 25 years, Mr Wilde told The Times that he found it “very difficult to do your best to look after them and then send them to the slaughterhouse for what must be a terrifying death.”

“I’m relieved to have made the decision to no longer farm animals, something which I always found quite upsetting,” Mr Wilde said.

“Cows have good memories and a range of emotions. They form relationships. I’ve even seen them cry.” 

The herd, worth £40,000 at market, will avoid the abattoir to join the sanctuary’s 300 cattle and 2,000 horses, donkeys and ponies. Mr Wilde has kept ten as “pets.”

The founder of the sanctuary, Wendy Valentine, said Mr Wilde’s cattle could now enjoy their full 25-year lifespans rather than reaching the slaughter age of two to three years. 

The sanctuary was started in 1995 to draw attention to the effects of factory farming and needs to raise a minimum of £5m per year to continue to care for the animals. 

The donation was organised by the Vegan Society and Mr Wilde now plans to farm organic vegetables free of animal products and fertilisers to sell in the flourishing vegan market. 

Tom Kuehnel, the Vegan Society’s campaign officer, told The Independent: “Jay is a real pioneer, which we hope will inspire other farmers to move towards more compassionate and sustainable farming methods that don’t involve animals.”

… full story …

The Growth of Resistance

From the first outing of the Hunt Sabs on Boxing Day 1963 and the beginnings of Animal Aid on Jean Pink’s kitchen table in 1977, the UK Animal Rights Movement entered the 1980’s with an active network of over 200 grass roots local Animal Rights Groups.

This network was ready to put Animal Rights on the streets with the 1992 campaign against Boots the Vivisectors, the cancellation of the Grand National  in 1993, the live exports campaign (which led to the tragic killing of Jill Phipps in 1995) and pickets of half the UK’s McDonald’s at the end of the McLibel trial in 1997.

These campaigns were a testing ground for campaigners tactics and tenacity, resisting the same state and corporate security, and hence crossing over to the growing resistance to road building and GM crops, Reclaim the Streets actions and so on, further united by the  campaign against the ‘Criminal Justice Bill‘, which targeted anti-road protesters, Animal Rights activists, Trade Unionists, football supporters, ravers, ramblers, squatters, & others.

Despite widespread infiltration by Spycops, we entered the internet age ready to inspire new generations with many compassionate people from 6 to 96 using the power of social media to mobilise. New campaigns bring down the walls of slaughterhouses and livestock farming with virtual reality (Animal Equality), by bearing witness (the ‘Save’ movement) and by bringing about half a million vegans (Viva!, Vegan Society, Animal Aid, Veggies Catering Campaign, Veganuary & more). Animals in Circuses have been mostly confined to history (CAPS etc), fur is widely condemned and hunting with hounds is technically illegal.

However where profit and sick kicks prevail we must be ever vigilant. 50 years on the Hunt Sabs are holding back the madness of the badger cull and still facing intimidation from those flouting the Hunt ban. Despite many major victories against animal ‘research’ labs and their suppliers, more animals than ever suffer due to GM research & other new tech. There are so many ways in which animals, other people and the planet itself is under threat, but these evils are being resisted by coalitions of the powerfulus, now, working together in a spirit of mutual respect and cross movement support.

 

This text forms part of the evolving Resistance Exhibition (fb) as seen at Feb’17 Lush Summit.

 

Nottingham Green Festival

We are delighted to announce that the Nottingham Green Festival will return on Sunday 11th September, following its hugely successful relaunch in 2015.

The event is organised by grass roots, community based volunteers, with no statutory funding, so your help would be most welcome. Whilst we are only a small part of the organising team, Veggies is pleased to provide support by facilitating planning meetings, hosting the NottmGreenFest.org.uk website and, of course, providing Food by Veggies on the day!

Due to the withdrawal of funding the event did not happen in 2014, but Veggies covered essential up-front expenses and the Nottingham community rose to the challenge of making it happen in 2015, regardless of the tight budget. However these funds will need to be recouped and recycled long before 11th September to fund this year’s event, so your support is invited:

Show support for the event by making a small donation. Click the button to donate with PayPal or credit/debit cards; send a cheque to “Nottingham Green Festival”, c/o Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham NG7 6HX; or transfer directly to: Nottingham Green Festival, Unity Trust Bank, sort code 08-60-01, a/c no 53110426 …more…

Nottingham Green Festival Ethos

Inspired by the decision by Shambala Festival to be the first mid-scale commercial festival to declare a meat free policy – a position established by Nottingham Green Festival over 30 year ago – we welcome a debate about whether to stay ahead of the game by taking the next logical step, aiming for vegan catering, whilst sharing info inviting other stall holders to leave animal products at home on this occasion.

“Shambala HQ is a mixed bag, with vegans, veggies and meat eaters co-existing harmoniously together, but the whole team agrees that it is important to be bold with our environmental stance, and encourage this debate.”

“The research available clearly demonstrates that overall, a meat-free diet has about half the carbon impact of a meat diet, and a dairy-free vegan diet has a third of the impact.”

Please, see the full meat-and-fish-free-for-2016 discussion.

As Shambala say: “We’re certainly not trying to tell everyone they should become vegan overnight. We are simply not serving meat for [4 days at] the festival to reduce the festival’s impacts, to take a stance, and to encourage an important debate.”

Please let us know what you think: info@NottmGreenFest.org.uk


Nottingham Green Festival Gallery

Veggies is also hosting a mailing list for announcements, news and information about Nottingham Green Festival. (Note: You may get a ‘security certificate‘ warning! Fear not; this is because the list is provided by The Riseup Collective, an activist internet group that doesn’t tick all the corporate boxes). You can safely click through. Honest. Please do subscribe.

Nottingham Green Festival LogoYour support will make all the difference in ensuring the success of Nottingham’s own Green Festival, the place for the whole family to learn, explore and try the latest in everything environmentally friendly and ethical, whilst also having lots of fun in the beautiful setting of the Arboretum Park, Waverley Street / Addison Street, a couple of minutes from Nottingham’s Old Market Square.

With your help, the event will have over 100 product, information and food stalls, kids rides, workshops, natural therapies and sustainable technologies, performers and entertainment throughout the park and live music from the bandstand.

Visit the Nottingham Green Festival website for more event details.


Wild Peak Housing Co-op

In 2012 our friends at Wild Peak (a Radical Routes housing co-op) bought Lawn Cottage on the outskirts of Belper, Derbyshire. The house comes with management of 39 acres of meadow, is adjacent to a Derbyshire Wildlife trust wetland reserve and is two fields away from the Derwent River. The site has lots of sky, wetland birds and views of woods and hills.

They Write:

We’ve got two more spaces available at Wild Peak Housing Co-op…

If anyone’s up for it we’re in the on-going process of building a Housing Co-op. We have a house and out buildings in a beautiful spot at the end of a 2 mile lane, just outside Belper, on the edge of the Peak District, in Derbyshire.

The Co-op owns 69 acres of land running alongside the river Derwent. 39 acres of this is leased to the Wildlife Trust and managed as a wetlands bird reserve, and the other 30 acres is ex-landfill, now grassland, that we’re attempting to manage for conservation, and coppice for our wood fired boiler. This mainly consists of cutting hay, planting trees, and grazing some rescued horses. Our days are touched upon by flights of jackdaws, skeins of geese, the bubbling of curlew, and the passing of badgers. The summer has the added bonus of swimming in the river.

We’re quite unique for a rural co-op in that we have a feeling of rural isolation but with a small town, with hourly train connections to nearby cities, just an easy 10 minute cycle ride away.

The co-op was set up to provide a home for those working, volunteering, or “active” within the environmental “movement”. Wild Peak is a member of the Radical Routes network.

Our current residents include 8 adults and 3 children. We’re also, among other things, a base for Wild Things ecological education collective.

We eat communally every evening. Diet wise we’re a mix of vegans, vegetarians and omnivores, but all communal space is vegan, so you’d have to be happy with that.

By the end of the Summer 2016, we hope to have finished the new extension, which will free up two upstairs rooms in the main house.

As we are a fairly new housing co-op with a lot of land to manage you’d have to be up for having a go at on-going DIY and land management. We’re all learning on the job so an enthusiastic attitude is more important than an existing skill set.

If you fancy finding out more get in touch Wild Peak Housing Co-operative, Lawn Cottage, Wyver Lane, Belper, DE56 2EF.

Tel: 01773 850493. Email: friendsofwildpeak@gmail.com

Follow Wild Peak news at thissiteisunderconstruction.org

See also Ecology Building Society: Wild Peak’s story: co-operative living

Spread the word:

Food for a Future

Food for a Future imageFor over 20 years at Glastonbury Festival, Veggies has invited different groups to campaign alongside us, including Camp for Climate Action, Bicycology, Animal Aid, Indymedia, Calais Migrant Solidarity and many more.

This year we were going to invite ‘Food for a Future‘ to work with us, but their proposal was so amazing we think it would be lost in Veggies cafe space.

We suggested that they go it alone and pitch their ideas directly to the Green Fields team. They said “YES”, so we are excited to look forward to seeing a unique new campaign space at Glastonbury Green Futures, which we think would add something exciting and new to the great diversity of things that already take place at the event.

As well as running this space at Glastonbury Festival, we are keen to invite the Food for a Future team to work alongside us at our many other other green-orientated events on our tour, including the Green Gathering, the Northern Green Gathering and Nottingham Green Festival

They say:

“Essentially we would like to empower people to make green lifestyle choices through what they eat, something simple anyone can do at home that would have a positive impact on the environment. Current estimates for the global greenhouse gas emissions for animal agriculture are at least 20%, which is more than all the world’s transport combined.

Therefore a green cookery, talks and workshop space would be very appropriate for an ethically-minded event such as Nottingham Green Festival. We would like to show people in a creative and interactive way how ethical food choices can create a greener, more sustainable planet.

All workshops and resources will be available just by donation, with any proceeds likely going to Vegfam, a registered humanitarian charity that helps people overseas by providing funds for self-supporting, sustainable food projects which do not exploit animals or the environment.

“We have a large recycled canvas tent, which would be an ideal space for hosting talks, workshops and environmental documentaries. We would like to put together a programme of activities including ‘Ethical Eating Cookery Workshops’, which would teach people how to cook creatively with plant-based foods and reduce food wastage, raw food demos, and ‘Greener World Talks’, which would include talks by eminent nutritionists, green athletes and green campaigners about how a plant-based diet is the most healthy and sustainable for the planet and the issues surrounding this.

“The ultimate aim of our space is to give festival goers a fun, creative experience, combined with information and skills to lead a greener, healthier and more compassionate life. The leading of such a life will benefit the individual, the planet’s rainforests, oceans and air, and its animals.”

We look forward to hearing your feedback.

The ‘Food for a Futures’ campaign team.

Weirdigans Tent

Follow Foodforafuture on Twitter and on Facebook


Glasto Vegan

We’ve launched @GlastoVegan on Twitter to connect the great #Vegan groups, foods, performers & followers at #Glastonbury Festival. If this includes you, tweet or contact us!


See also


Vegan Athletes for Peace

On 21 January 2015 we received this from Neil Robinson:

My name is Neil Robinson and I’m a vegan former professional footballer. Myself and another vegan former professional footballer, Dean Howell, are undertaking a charity cycle challenge, starting on May 22 2015, cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats and to be completed in 9 days.

See our website for further information: http://veganathletesforpeace.com

vegan-athletes-for-peace logoWe’re doing the cycle challenge to raise awareness of the benefits of a vegan lifestyle for the health of humans, animals, and the planet. Also, to raise funds for a variety of charities who are doing great work to bring about the healing of the planet and all who live on it.

You’ll see from our website that we’ve chosen your charity as one of our 13 supported charities, and our grand plan is to raise £2,000 for each charity. If you agree to being one of our supported charities, we would be very grateful if you could help to promote our website and our cycle ride through your website and social media pages.

I’ve attached a short ‘media pack’ for your info too.

Many thanks!

Regards

Neil Robinson

Neil Robinson

Website: http://neilrobinsonvegan.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NRobinsonVegan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neilrobinsonvegan

Vegan Athletes for Peace

http://veganathletesforpeace.com

The Peaceful Planet

Website: http://thepeacefulplanet.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepeacefulplanet
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepeaceplanet

Veggies reply to Vegan Athletes for Peace

Thank you so very very much for including Veggies amongst the great charities that you are supporting on your vegan charity cycle challenge from Land’s End to John O’Groats in May.

We have worked with almost all of those charities & campaigns over our 30 years of “networking for humans, animals & the environment”, so i find it hard to convey how honoured we are to be included alongside them.

We will of course do all we can to spread the word, including a listing on Veggies diary, on the UK Vegan Outreach Diary and on the Animal Rights Calendar (these are integrated listings).

I have also started a conversation on @VeggiesNottm Twitter feed, which I hope will be picked up by our 1600 followers. Once we get it out to the 122,000 AnimalRightsUK facebook followers, combined with the efforts of all the other charities, the effect should be a huge vegan outreach opportunity!

Please pass on our enthusiastic gratitude to Dean too.

best wishes

Pat and the Veggies Crew

Vegan Athletes for Peace Charities
Vegan Athletes for Peace Charities


Latest News Tweets

Veggies Twitter Account includes news of Veggies Events and other activities, and substantial items from like-minded friends.

As we are busy people, and expect that you are too, we do not tweet too often. We do not intend to document the trivia of our daily lives! Likewise we tend not to follow others on twitter who tweet too often.

Follow our news at http://twitter.com/veggiesnottm or on Facebook.

Search Veggies Tweets:

Recent news tweets from http://twitter.com/veggiesnottm
Use scroll bar to read more


The Vegan Side of Twitter

Twitter co-founder, Biz Stone, went vegan in 2001 after visiting Farm Sanctuary.

Biz Stone is also lobbying for vegetarian meals in school lunches. He sent a letter to Rep. George Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, writing: “Hundreds of thousands of students across the country don’t eat meat, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. However, these young vegetarians often can’t find healthy, meatless meals in the school cafeteria.”

Biz Stone obviously believes in the power of lunch, because Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters provides free vegan lunches to its employees.

…more…

See also Interview at Farm Sanctuary on YouTube.


Veggies Summer Tour

Between now and the end of August, Veggies has eight weekend camping events, as well as several single day events.

Veggies Action CateringWe recommend you to check out all these events with view to attending / supporting them.

Even better, if you are attending any of these events you might like to help with Veggies Campaign Catering.

Please contact us if you might help in any way.

Warmest wishes and motivational ‘Go Team Veggies!’

Friday 18th to Sunday 20th July
Peace in the Park – Oxfordshire

A Buddhist event at the Global Retreat Centre with a mix of music, talks and meditation pavilions. Events and activities will include ‘Mindset Talks’, new ‘One Question’ events, woodland activities for children and adults, story-telling from ancient lands, an open air chill-out meditation lounge, sacred music in the grounds, and the hugely popular ‘Meditation & Music for the World’ event.

See: http://peaceinthepark.globalretreatcentre.org/


Friday 18th to Sunday 20th July
and Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July
Goddess Camp – Bestwood Park, Nottm

Women, men and children are welcome for a weekend of celebration, ritual and workshops at the Goddess Camp at Bestwood Country Park.

See: http://peakspirit.wix.com/goddesscamp


Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th July
Northern Green Gathering
Derbyshire Dales, Nr Ashbourne, Derbyshire

A small volunteer-run environmental/educational gathering, a 4 day event on a beautiful new site, focussed around sustainable living and green campaigns. There will be environmental workshops & campaigns, permaculture, organic veggie cafes, stalls, healers & alternative therapies, kids space, theatre & circus workshops, and a showcase of environment living in action, including solar power and wind power.

See: http://www.nggonline.org.uk/


Thursday 31st July to Sunday 3rd August
Green Gathering – Chepstow, Wales

At the Green Gathering you can rediscover ancient skills and explore
pathways to future sustainability; talk with key speakers from the Green movement and engage in lively debate at the Green Forum venue and inform yourselves about current issues and causes with groups in the Campaigns area, which will include a Co-ops Camp, co-ordinated by Radical Routes.

See: http://www.greengathering.org.uk/


Thursday 31st July to Monday 4th August
Peace News Summer Camp 2014 – E.Suffolk

Event to help build a radical movement for the future by building a living community today, with local activists – top trainers – revolution – non-violence – learning from other movements – community – glorious countryside.

See: http://peacenewscamp.info/


Thursday 7th to Monday 11th August
Animal Rights Gathering – Notts/Derbys

The Animal Rights Summer Gathering exists to promote cooperation and to spread information between the various groups and individuals working throughout the UK to stop animal abuse.

See: http://www.argathering.org.uk/


Thursday 14th to Wednesday 20th August
Reclaim The Power – location TBA

August will see thousands ‘Reclaim the Power’ and stand in solidarity with communities opposing fracking. Camp will be a hub for skillshares, workshops, entertainment and direct action. There will be a probable Veggies Cafe space & action catering.

See: http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/


Thursday 28th to Monday 1st September
Earth First Summer Gathering

The Earth First! Summer Gathering is the place where people involved in radical ecological direct action – or those who want to be involved – get together for five days of time and space to talk, walk, share skills, learn, play, rant, find out what’s going on, find out what’s next, live outside, strategise, hang out, incite, laugh and conspire. The workshops, networking and planning of actions at this low impact eco-living camp is organised non-hierarchically.

See: http://efgathering.weebly.com/


During this period we also have these one day events:

Community Circle

Tuesday 22nd July &
Tuesday 19th August
Details from http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=555

Cycle Mania

Friday 8th August
Details from http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=994

Brinsley Animal Rescue Open Day

Sunday 10th August
Details from http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=423

London Vegan Festival

Sunday 17th August
Details from http://www.veggies.org.uk/event.php?ref=269


Much more on Veggies Events Diary

More on Veggies Catering for Gatherings

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