Farm Sanctuary 25th Anniversary Gala

Who: VN Contributor, Jasmin Singer

What: Farm Sanctuary’s 25th Anniversary Gala

Where: Cipriani Wall Street, NYC

When: May 14, 2011

Why: Because Farm Sanctuary is the best place on earth

The Scoop: Everyone was dressed to the nines last Saturday night at the über chic Cipriani Wall Street in New York City for the much-anticipated 25th Anniversary Farm Sanctuary Gala. Co-founder Gene Baur was greeted with cheers as he reported that the number of animals killed in the US for food is going down. This hopeful tidbit was just one of the many moments that garnered enthusiastic feedback from the audience of animal-loving celebrities and passionate supporters—all there to celebrate the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization.

Gene Baur presenting awards

Way back in 1986, one lucky little sheep, Hilda, was lifted off a “dead pile” and given a second chance. At that same moment, a sanctuary, and a movement, were born. Since then, slowly but surely, awareness has risen about the horrors of animal production, largely due to the work of Farm Sanctuary, whose most recent campaign, Plate to Planet, explores the major role that animal agribusiness plays in environmental destruction. Twenty-five years after Hilda’s rescue, Farm Sanctuary provides refuge for hundreds of rescued farm animals at two bustling shelters—one in Watkins Glen, NY, and the other in Orland, Calif.

Celebrity guests were quick to point to Farm Sanctuary’s central role in spreading awareness. According to bestselling author of Veganist, Kathy Freston, the sanctuary movement can change lives. “When you get close up and you see their personalities and their individual characteristics—and their really adorable, hilarious traits—you fall in love with them,” she told me. “And then the next inevitable step is that you don’t want to eat them.”

Me with the lovely Kathy Freston

Indeed, Emmy Award-winning comedienne, Carol Leifer, credited her lightbulb moment to a visit to an animal sanctuary. “I was in the dark,” she said. “I had no idea about the suffering of farm animals. So I took baby steps, but I’m proud to say that a year later, I became vegan.”

Me with funny lady Carol Leifer

Simone Reyes, Russell Simmons' right-hand gal, told me, “Farm Sanctuary is a pioneer in animal rescue. They started a trend of rescuing animals when nobody else was even thinking about it.” Actress Ally Sheedy agreed. “Their educational outreach has been outstanding. People now know what the phrase ‘factory farming’ means.”

Simone Reyes smiling for the camera

As guests dined on the gourmet vegan dinner provided in part by Field Roast, awards were presented to leaders in the movement, including attorney David Wolfson, who offered a touching speech looking back on the ever-changing role that law plays in farm animal reform. Other recipients included Field Roast’s David Lee (whose award was presented by Best Actor Oscar Nominee, Jesse Eisenberg), and Farm Sanctuary’s own shelter director, Susie Coston.

Jesse Eisenberg presenting David Lee's award

Danielle Konya, creator of Vegan Treats and soon-to-be star of her own reality show for Animal Planet, not only provided the outstanding and artistic desserts, but was followed by a camera crew filming her every move. “It’s always good to come back to the face of why I do this bakery,” Konya told me, her camera crew close at hand. “It gets me re-inspired and excited all over again.”

The drool-inducing Vegan Treats table!

Hosts Wendie Malick and Fred Willard kept the event moving with their humor and charm. As Willard told me, his compassion for animals has been a lifelong driving force. “I’ve always felt that animals should be treated kindly. Even when I was a little child, I thought it was important to take care of an animal who was suffering. And I could never understand some people’s cruelty to animals.”

Hosts Wendie Malick and Fred Willard

Most notable perhaps was the palpable sense of hope in the air. Jane Velez-Mitchell—host of HLN’s Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell—put it best, “We’re at a crucial turning point. Things are unbelievably different than they were even five years ago. There’s an acceptance of this as a legitimate movement all across the country. We’re not fringe anymore. We’re mainstream.”

Jane Velez-Mitchell and moi

When asked what’s next for Farm Sanctuary, Gene Baur didn’t flinch. “We’re going to continue rescuing and caring for animals, encouraging people to reshape their relationship with them towards compassion, and away from cruelty and disrespect,” he said, understanding that as far as the movement has come, there’s still a long road ahead when it comes to ending animal cruelty. “It’s an ongoing process.”

PCRM Celebrates 25 Years

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly and VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: The Art of Compassion: PCRM's 25th Anniversary Gala
Where: The Lot, West Hollywood, Calif.
When: April 10, 2010
Why: Celebrating a quarter-century of PCRM’s extraordinary accomplishments

The Scoop: If you picture the folks at the Physician’s Committee for Responsible donning white lab coats rather than party gowns, it’s safe to say you weren’t in Hollywood last month. The organization known for advancing preventative medicine and ethical research let its hair down for a glorious and star-studded celebration for nearly 500 friends and supporters at The Lot—the former home of Warner Hollywood Studios, United Artists Studios, and the Samuel Goldwyn Studios—a venue which proved as fitting as the dresses and tuxes for the who’s-who of compassion that paraded and pranced around the stages where the classic films Robin Hood and West Side Story were filmed.

Event Chairs Tom and Kathy Freston kicked it all off with heartfelt words on why they are supporters of PCRM, including Tom’s admission that he never expected to end up vegan. Following the Freston’s were four-time NBA champ John Salley, the actors and actresses Marilu Henner, Jennifer Landon, Cloris Leachman, Melissa Rivers, Larry Sullivan, Mariana Tosca, and Persia White, and CNN's Jane Velez Mitchell. The evening’s entertainment included a rousing musical performance by Leona Lewis and a short yet hilarious stand-up routine by comedienne Carol Leifer. PCRM founder and president, the ageless Neal Barnard, MD, closed the ceremony with a recap of the lengthy accomplishments his organization and vision have ushered to fruition over the last quarter-century.

PCRM President Neal Barnard, MD, with VN's Colleen Holland

The gala wouldn’t have been complete without it’s quartet of awards. The Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine was given to Baxter Montgomery, MD, a Houston cardiologist who developed a “nutritional boot camp” to assist his patients in breaking unhealthy habits; The Henry Heimlich Award honored Gilman Veith, PhD, founder of the QSAR Foundation to Reduce Animal Testing, which uses computer models to predict the toxicity of chemicals without using animals; and The Art of Compassion Award, bestowed upon Robert “Skip” Trimble, the legislative chair of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, which promotes the humane treatment of animals through advocacy, education, and legislation. Lastly, two Voice of Compassion Awards were given to Ellen DeGeneres and Marilu Henner, which honors those who, “by word or example, have communicated caring, compassion, and the highest ethical principles.”

VN Publisher Joseph Connelly and Dr. Henry Heimlich share their maneuvers.

The delicious vegan dinner, coordinated by Tal Ronnen, was an all-star line-up of dishes from the nation’s best veg restaurants and chefs: hors d’oeuvres by Millennium, salad by Candle 79, soup and entrée from The Conscious Cook, and desserts from Seed Kitchen, Sublime, and The Veggie Grill.

Congratulations to everyone at PCRM for all the organization has done in making the world a healthy, safer place as well as for inviting us to your party. All of us at VegNews look forward to working with you over the next 25 years.

Tal Ronnen's "The Conscious Cook" Book Party

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly and VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria
What: Book Release Party for Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook
Where: The Home of Tom & Kathy Freston, Beverly Hills, CA
When: October 12, 2009
Why: To Honor the 2009 Veggie Award Book of the Year

The Scoop: High up on Beverly's hill, around endless curvy, tree-lined, sentry post-dotted streets, everyone who is anyone was present at media exec Tom and author Kathy Freston's exquisite estate, for the book release party of the much-anticipated The Conscious Cook. Celeb chef Tal Ronnen's cookbook is perfection on a plate, stunning in every detail, and raising the legitimacy bar of high-end vegan cuisine to new heights. So why not party?

Lia Ronnen, Tal Ronnen, Lisa Lange, Deborah Ronnen

The ever-gracious Ms. Freston joyfully greeted each guest as s/he arrived, opening both home and heart for the occasion (Freston penned the forward to the book). Servers circled with several apps from The Conscious Cook, including Twice-Baked Fingerling Potatoes, Ponzu-Glazed Tofu Crystal Rolls (oops, I had more than one), Quinoa Maki with Avo and Cajun Portobello Fillets, and savory Sweet Onion Beggar's Purses.

Did I mention that the chefs in the kitchen were none other than Molly and Dave Anderson of Madeleine Bistro? Oh yes. And they followed the above with a delicious sampling of Bistro desserts, including itty bity pieces of pecan and pumpkin pies, plus softball-sized vegan doughnuts. Food coma.

While the guests munched and mingled, Chef Tal courteously signed books, gifts of publisher HarperCollins. Next we moved into the living room, where Kathy "presented" the unassuming Tal to the assembled veg glitterati, introducing him as "the most humble, down-to-earth, non-attention seeking man; you have to shove him into the spotlight against his will ... It's like pushing a little bird out of a nest." Tal acknowledged his many contributors, all present, including Dave Anderson ("the best vegan food in the world"), Scot Jones (executive chef at Akron, Ohio's VegiTerranean), Chad Sarno (who opened London's Saf, see review in Nov+Dec's VegNews), Serafina Magnussen (Cook's pastry chef), and Yves Potvin (founder of both Yves Veggie Cuisine and Garden Protein International), "all a part of the book who helped tell this really great story that vegan food is no longer hummus and sprouts." After Tal spoke, Elizabeth and I announced that VegNews' editors had chosen The Conscious Cook as VN's 2009 "Book of the Year."

The presentation over, I was introduced to A Return to Love author Marianne Williamson. Not quite yet veg, she was moved by the evening's happenings and admitted that she was "leaning in that direction." You can do it, Marianne.

Joseph Connelly, Kathy Freston, Marianne Williamson, Chef Tal Ronnen

And a final word from the man of the hour himself. "You know, the book was something I didn't want to do." The world is sure glad you did, Tal. Thanks.

VegFest, Part One

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Liz Miller and the rest of the VN gang!

What: World Veg Festival, Day One

Where: San Francisco County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Calif.

When: October 3, 2009

Why: Someone wanted to taste test all of the vegan food samples. (It was me.)

The Scoop: A sunny afternoon spent meeting and mingling with vegan friends in Golden Gate Park sounds like a pretty awesome way to spend a Saturday, right? Now add to this not-so-mathematical equation on-site massage therapy, musical entertainment, and more vegan food than you can shake an organic pixie stick at. This, more or less, was the scene at the 2009 World Veg Festival. From our centrally-located VN booth we could take in all the action—and survey lunch options with ease. Our morning and afternoon was spent selling VN subscriptions, selling books (you are what you read!), and making new friends.

Associate Editor Abigail Young and Assistant to the Publisher Frankie McGee

At 4:00 pm the VN crew split into two groups, one to continue manning the booth, and the other to help organize a VN-sponsored Q&A with wellness author Kathy Freston, conducted by VN Publisher Joseph Connelly. Freston, who famously influenced Oprah's decision to try a vegan diet, is the author of Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness and Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21-Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit. Question slips were distributed to the audience and collected by VN staffers, and ranged from "How do I give up chocolate?" to "What is Oprah really like?" Freston's energetic and engaging personality was magnetic, and her passion for veganism was palpable. After the talk Freston migrated back to the VN booth for a book signing and fan meet-and-greet.

Kathy Freston with VN Publisher Joseph Connelly

As the day drew to a close, and with day two still ahead of us, we did some light packing up before heading off to the last event of the day: dinner. And yes, it was definitely an event. Served buffet style, VN staffers stacked their plates to the brim with vegan quiche, Celebration Roast, a sweet-and-savory combo of roasted russet and sweet potatoes, and a big salad. We were lucky enough to share our table with Ann and Larry Wheat (owners of Millennium), Robert Cheeke, Carolyn Scott, Howard Lyman, and Rey Ortega. I was too full (utter failure) to indulge in the apple turnovers and Coconut Bliss ice cream served for dessert, but found them suitably delicious-looking. Check out Sara's entry documenting day two of the World Veg Festival to hear more of the VN team's exploits.