We would like to extend special thanks to the following interns and volunteers who have helped us over the summer with our restaurant guide:

• Colleen Halat
• Deva Holub
• Eric Kantor
• Rita Pruzansky
• Yasmin Radbod
• Lindsey Siferd
• Sheila Vaswani
• Michelle Wade

To find restaurants in your area, please visit:
http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

If you would like to volunteer with maintaining and updating our restaurant guide, email us at [email protected].

Pratik Kothari, the developer of the Guide to Food Ingredients app for Windows Phone 7, has released a free Prabhu Vandan app for the iPhone. You can learn more about it on the app’s iTunes page.

• Natural Products Expo East – Baltimore, MD – 9/22-9/24
• VRG’s Vegan Indian Dinner – San Diego, CA – 9/25
• American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo – San Diego, CA – 9/24-9/27
• DC VegFest – Washington, D.C. – 9/24
• NY’s Capital Region Vegetarian Expo – Albany, NY – 10/1
• San Francisco VegFest – San Francisco, CA – 10/2-10/3
• View VRG’s Full Events Calendar

Q. What can I eat for lunch at school? I have to pack a lunch since the cafeteria doesn’t have much in the way of veg options.

A. A lot of schools are implementing farm-to-school programs (http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue3/2005_issue3_action.php) and incorporating vegetarian products into school meals (http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/fsu20062/fsu20062_schoollunch.htm If your school doesn’t currently do either of these, here are some quick, easy and delicious ideas to pack for your school lunch.

Sandwiches (put these on your favorite bread, whether it be a tortilla, bagel, pita or sliced bread):

• nut butter & jelly (or sliced apple, banana or strawberry)
• veggie sandwich (red peppers, cucumbers, lettuce & tomato with hummus or vegan cream cheese)
• tofu eggless salad
• tempeh bacon, lettuce & tomato with soy mayonnaise
• soy-based faux meat with lettuce, tomato & onion with soy mayonnaise, mustard or hummus
• falafel (homemade, purchase premade or purchase a mix) or with cucumbers, tomatoes & tahini sauce

Soups (packed in a thermos to keep warm and can be homemade or bought in cans or aseptic packages; cup of soup products work also if you have access to hot water):

• minestrone
• lentil
• chili
• black bean
• tomato-basil
• corn chowder

Salads:

• pasta salad (cooked pasta, broccoli & carrots with vinaigrette dressing)
• taco salad (black beans, corn, red peppers & cilantro) with tortilla chips
• sesame noodle salad (cold soba noodles with broccoli, carrots & sesame seeds in peanut sauce)
• tabouleh salad (bulgar wheat, tomatoes, lemon juice, mint & parsley)
• fruit salad (an assortment of cut up fruits drizzled with balsamic vinegar)
• raw vegetable salad (greens with a variety of your favorite veggies & dressing)

Other ideas:

• bean burrito (tortilla with beans, rice & salsa)
• brown rice with veggies & tofu
• beans and grains (any bean-black, kidney, chickpea, etc and any grain-rice, quinoa, couscous, etc)
• noodles & marinara sauce with veggies
• homemade vegan “lunchable”-faux deli meat, soy-based cheese slices and whole grain crackers
• veggie spring rolls with peanut sauce (homemade or can be found frozen in some supermarkets and natural food stores)

Add a snack and/or a sweet treat and a drink and you’ve got a complete lunch.

Snacks:

• pretzels
• whole-grain crackers
• nuts
• trail mix
• veggies with hummus

Sweets:

• fruit (fresh, dried or fruit leather)
• soy yogurt
• soy pudding
• vegan cookie or graham crackers
• Clif bar or Luna bar
• muffins or other baked items

Drinks (if you keep these in the freezer, they will serve as an ice pack while they thaw in time for lunch):

• bottled water
• juice box
• soymilk or ricemilk boxes

In the words of a childhood friend, “It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like “what about lunch?”” -Winnie the Pooh

Written by Corey Bivins while volunteering with VRG.

VRG Nutrition Adviser Reed Mangels PhD, RD was recently interviewed for pbs.org on vegetarian children, by Today’s Diet and Nutrition magazine on vegetarian children, and Maryland Family Magazine about vegan and vegetarian families. She also wrote a column for OneGreenPlanet.org.

For information on raising vegetarian children, see Reed’s Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood at http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/veganpregnancy.php

Also, you may want to subscribe to VRG’s Parent’s list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vrgparents/

To support Vegetarian Resource Group education and outreach, you can donate at https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

In July 2011, a long-time VRG member contacted us about a Source of Life vitamin supplement recently purchased by her mother. She wondered if the company’s statement about a vegan Vitamin D3 derived from mushrooms were true and asked us to look into it.

To the best of our knowledge, mushrooms are able to produce Vitamin D2, otherwise known as ergocalciferol, when exposed to ultraviolet light (1). Cholecalciferol, or Vitamin D3, is usually derived from lanolin in sheep’s wool. Except for a synthetic Vitamin D3 precursor currently given only to poultry (2), and Vitamin D3 purportedly produced by lichen (3), we have not been aware of an all-plant-based Vitamin D3. The VRG was curious to learn about the cholecalciferol that Source of Life said was produced by mushrooms.

The VRG e-mailed and called Source of Life. We spoke with a customer service representative. Our first question concerned their product called “Bone Support Vcaps” (Product No. 30729). Since it is listed as “Vitamin D3 (from organic mushroom; cholecalciferol),” which suggests that there are two sources of the Vitamin D3, we asked if there were in fact two different sources, possibly Vitamin D2 from the mushrooms and Vitamin D3 from lanolin. The consumer representative put me on hold to check with a supervisor. She came back on to say: “[The supervisor says] it’s from one source only; mushrooms.”

Our next question concerned Source of Life’s Vitamin D3 Vcaps (Product No. 30735). They are listed as “100% plant-source cholecalciferol.” We asked the consumer rep to specify the plant source. She responded by saying “Mushrooms are the plant source.”

Lastly, The VRG inquired if their mushroom-produced Vitamin D3 had been independently confirmed by a third-party laboratory. The rep said that they had been. When we requested a copy of the results, we were put through to an “Inquiry Line” and left a message stating that we’d like to see the lab results.

When we followed up and asked for more detail on how their mushrooms produced Vitamin D3 because there is no detail about this on the company website, we were put through to the Manager of Research and Development, but as of this writing, have not yet received a response. If readers have more information, please let us know. Thank you.

Endnotes:

1. http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_veggie_bits.php
2. http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/03/29/garden-of-life-vitamin-d3-derived-from-lanolin/
3. http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=133512&fileOId=624375

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including The Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

For more information on food ingredients and to purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website at

http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

For updates on ingredients and other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free enewsletter at

http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

On Sept 18th from 2-7 the Vegetarian Society of South Jersey will be celebrating their 25th Anniversary. Join them for an International Vegan Appetizer reception, a full Vegan Buffet including dessert. Lots of giveaways, auction, speakers, vendors and entertainment.

For full details visit their blog http://www.vssj.com/veggiedining/category/25th-anniversary

But you have to act fast. THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS, TODAY, SEPT 9th!

The following survey request is from a graduate student in the Department of Dietetics & Nutrition at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. She is conducting a research study to examine the intake of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus in vegans.

You can click on the following link to access the survey: https://fiu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0diJiK2fuPuXurW

These reviews originally appeared in Vegetarian Journal Issue 1, 2011. To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, visit: http://www.vrg.org/journal/.

THE 30-MINUTE VEGAN'S TASTE OF THE EAST

By Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray

The authors of The 30-Minute Vegan have published a follow-up to that popular cookbook. Their new Taste of the East includes 150 Asian-inspired recipes that can be prepared in less than half an hour.

Part I introduces dishes from India, including Samosas, Tempeh Vegetable Korma, Tamarind Sweet Potatoes, Mango Lassi, and more. Part II features tasty cuisine from Thailand, such as Green Papaya Salad, Thai Basil Eggplant, Red Curry, and Coconut Ice Cream. Part III serves up Chinese dishes like Hot and Sour Soup, Spinach Tofu Dumplings, Bok Choy with Five-Spice Cashews, and Seitan and Broccoli. Part IV is all about Japanese dishes, including Nori Rice Balls, Wakame and Cucumber Salad, Pan-Seared Shiitake Udon Bowl, and Teriyaki Tofu. Finally, Part V consists of Asian fusion dishes, such as Coconut Mashed Parsnips, Indonesian Coconut Tempeh, Korean BBQ Tofu, and Tibetan Noodle Soup.

Chef's tips and tricks are sprinkled throughout this cookbook. Nutritional analyses are not provided, but most of the recipes do not appear to be high in fat.

The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East (ISBN 978-0-7382-1382-8) is published by Da Capo Press and retails for $18.95. Purchase it online or in your local bookstore. Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.

THE VEGETARIAN DIET FOR KIDNEY DISEASE

By Joan Brookhyser Hogan, RD

At one time, people with kidney disease were discouraged from following a vegetarian diet. It's very different today. Vegetarian diets can be used by people with chronic kidney disease and are recommended as a possible treatment. That's because vegetarian diets can slow kidney disease progression and help to manage other diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, that can lead to kidney damage. Even those who are not vegetarian can benefit from a more plant-based diet.

Joan Brookhyser Hogan, a registered dietitian and specialist in renal nutrition, has written a comprehensive guide to vegetarian diets for people with kidney disease. Her clear, credible presentation dispels some myths, including the need for so-called 'quality protein.' Hogan uses brief stories from her clients to illustrate how helpful a vegetarian diet can be. She also includes meal plans and recipes developed to meet needs of different stages of kidney disease. All meal plans and recipes are vegetarian; many are vegan. This is an important, potentially life-changing book for those with chronic kidney disease.

The Vegetarian Diet for Kidney Disease (ISBN 978-1-59120-266-0) is published by Basic Health Publications, Inc. It has 152 pages and retails for $14.95. Reviewed by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD. Purchase online here.

THE 4-INGREDIENT VEGAN

By Maribeth Abrams with Anne Dinshah

Some cooks are intimidated by recipes with a long list of ingredients. Now, there's a cookbook that meets their needs. The 4-Ingredient Vegan includes recipes with only four main ingredients, plus herbs, spices, water or broth, oil, and similar flavor enhancers.

For example, the Morning Meals section includes Cashew French Toast made from nondairy milk, cashews, oats, and whole-grain bread, as well as a Baked Bean and Tater Casserole that contains only baked beans,
tater tots, and your choice of veggies. The Fiesta Rice Salad consists of brown rice, corn, black beans, and cilantro salsa. The Baked Artichoke Dip calls for spinach, artichoke hearts, vegan mayonnaise, and garlic, while the Hazelnut-Yam Pâté includes hazelnuts, mashed yams, chickpeas, and light miso.

Other options include the Mediterranean Penne, which requires penne, vegan mayonnaise, tahini, and capers. The Stuffed Bell Peppers consist of brown rice, bell peppers, vegan chili, and salsa. And for dessert, try the Pear-fect Strudel, with Bartlett pears, dried apricots, pumpkin pie spice, and phyllo dough.

The 4-Ingredient Vegan (ISBN 978-1-57067-232-3) is published by the Book Publishing Company and can be ordered from The Vegetarian Resource Group for $19 (including postage and handling). Reviewed by Debra Wasserman. Purchase online here.

ONE MAGIC SQUARE

By Lolo Houbein

With the price of food continuing to rise, more and more people are interested in growing produce in their own backyard. Now, there's a terrific book called One Magic Square: The Easy, Organic Way to Grow Your Own Food on a 3-Foot Square that shows you how to cultivate crops efficiently in even the smallest yard.

This volume begins with a basic introduction to organic gardening, including soil secrets, composting guidance, intercropping tips, watering and mulching details, information about dealing with weeds and pruning, crop rotation instructions, and much more. You'll also learn about choosing the correct plants for your region's climate and how to save seeds.

Next, you'll find a section offering numerous suggestions about what to grow in your square garden box. Ideas include making salad plots and gardens with themes such as the curry plot, the stir-fry
plot, and the pasta/pizza plot. There's also the soup plot, the herb plot, and many others. Finally, there's a terrific section discussing common fruits, vegetables, and herbs and information about how to grow and use them.

Please note that, although this book is very vegan-friendly, not all the information is totally vegan.

One Magic Square (ISBN 978-1-61519-012-6) is published by The Experiment. Order this book online at <http://astore.amazon.com/httpwwwvrgorg-20/detail/1615190120> or purchase it in your local bookstore. Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.

VEGGIE POWER BURGERS

By Cathy Gallagher and Barbara Schugt

Occasionally, I'll hear people say they don't like any of the veggie burgers sold in supermarkets. Veggie Power Burgers was probably written just for them!

The book serves up a wide range of burger recipes, many with an international twist. Try the Brazilian Cashew Burgers, African Millet Burgers, Inca Quinoa Burgers, Indonesian Tempeh-Walnut Burgers, and
Peruvian Sweet Potato Burgers. The volume also has recipes for sauces like Cucumber/Apple Relish and Green Mint-Chili Salsa.

Most of the recipes in this book are vegan, and the few that are not can easily be made vegan. In a few cases, honey is used, but agave can be substituted. Also, soy yogurt and sour cream can replace the dairy versions.

Veggie Power Burgers (ISBN 978-0-615-20823-7) is published by BC Art Group, Inc. This book retails for $15. It can be purchased at <www.veggiepowerburgers.com>. Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.

THE URBAN VEGAN

By Dynise Balcavage

Dynise Balcavage's newest book has more than 250 creative vegan recipes, ranging from street fare to gourmet offerings. Some of the more interesting recipes include Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake, Curried Wheat Berry-Spelt Salad, and Savory French Terrine. Other unique choices are Millet-Crusted Mushroom-Leek Pie, Seitan Steaks with Tarragon-Mustard Sauce, and Peanut Brittle.

In addition, this book features useful icons that quickly tell you if a recipe is kid-friendly, quick and-easy, lowfat, or inexpensive.

The Urban Vegan (ISBN 978-0-7627-5281-2) is published by ThreeForks. Order this book online at <http://astore.amazon.com/httpwwwvrgorg-20/detail/B0030IM160> or purchase it in your local bookstore. Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.

THE VEGETARIAN SHABBAT COOKBOOK

By Roberta Kalechofsky and Roberta Schiff

Jewish vegetarians and those that simply enjoy vegan dishes will want to purchase The Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook. Traditionally, Shabbat meals are prepared before sundown on Friday evening and are consumed through Saturday afternoon. The recipes in this cookbook easily can be made ahead of time and eaten later.

Among the mouthwatering options are Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts, Indian Sweet Corn Soup, Baked Southern Fried Tofu, Linguini with Moroccan Lentil Sauce, Quinoa Puttanesca, Eggless Challah (bread), and Cinnamon Maple Pear Crumble.

The Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook (ISBN 978-0-916288-56-3) is 242 pages. It retails for $26 and can be purchased online at <www.micahbooks.com>. Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.

By Yasmin Radbod

Vegans love to eat vegan, talk about being vegan, buy vegan products, and be jolly with other vegans. And what better way to accomplish all those goals than to have a vegetarian festival in your community? We have all heard about vegetarian festivals around the nation: DC VegFest, Veggie Fest Chicago, Baltimore VegFest, Central Florida Veg Fest, Richmond Vegetarian Festival, World Vegetarian Festival in San Francisco, Indy Veg Fest, and so many others. Last year The Humane League of Maryland and UMBC Vegetarians (I am the President) created Baltimore VegFest, and it was quite a success. I had been to DC VegFest a couple of times, and always wanted to start a similar festival in Baltimore, so we did. Now that I have lived the tale I am here to tell you that with some dedicated, passionate vegetarians, some fundraising, and organization, you can start your own vegetarian festival, too. In my exploration of how to run these festivals I interviewed organizers of all the above festivals, and I came to many interesting conclusions about organizing the festival, finances, leadership, public relations, selecting vendors, special events, and choosing a location and date.

Always keep in mind that you do NOT have to run a festival alone. Of course you should have a group of people as passionate as you about the event, but co-sponsoring and co-organizing with other organizations can be highly effective, especially if you do not have the means, time, or ability to complete much of the work yourself. For Baltimore VegFest, UMBC Vegetarians (a student organization) co-created the festival with a nonprofit organization, The Humane League. This was a great balance of responsibilities because our student group was able to publicize to younger people in the area to come out, whereas The Humane League reached out to many other nonprofit organizations and vegan hubs in the area. Financially, it was a great set up as well. UMBC Vegetarians was able to request funding from UMBC’s Student Government Association (SGA). Most universities have a SGA which appropriates spending to registered student organizations. What this meant was location fees, set up, chairs and tables, food costs, and more, were all covered by UMBC. Other successful partnerships in creating festivals include Compassion Over Killing (COK) and the Vegetarian Society of DC (VSDC) who split responsibilities for DC VegFest.

If you think cosponsoring is not an option for your festival, and even if it is(!), make sure to have a committee or leadership team. No festival can succeed without clear direction. Jessica, one of the organizers of Indy Fest, says, “Our organizing committee fluctuates between 4-6 people each year. Typically one person keeps the event’s to-do list going and makes sure things are getting done on time. All committee members, even the main organizer, get their hands dirty and put time and effort into the planning by taking on a particular portion of the event, for example- raffle, volunteers, vendor care, supplies, etc.” One observation I have made about these festivals is that even if all the organizers of a festival have clear, designated roles, everyone must be willing to pick up the slack if need be and help out in areas that may not be their expertise. Brenda from the Richmond Vegetarian Festival states, “Christopher is our lead coordinator. He is extremely detail-oriented and ensures that everything runs smoothly from start to finish. Mike Ogilivie started the first iron chef-like competition at our event this year. He also does a phenomenal job at building new signage every year (think Tim Tooltime). Leslie is the master of organizational skills. She maintains our database and also corresponds with each and every vendor as contracts are received to make sure everything is in place and expectations are met. I do much of the PR. I reply to all incoming correspondence and arrange for our media interviews. I am also notorious for sending emails to folks around the country letting them know of our festival as well as other festivals that are going on around them. Eric Vrable is our newest volunteer. He helps Mike with website development and maintenance. Josie and Lauren organized the Kid’s Patch; Josie also coupled as the volunteer coordinator.” It is great to have a close knit group of organizers, such as what Brenda describes, because it makes everything run smoothly and efficiently. When delegating and choosing responsibilities for your committee members, make sure everyone enjoys what they are doing, including you!

Veggie Fest Chicago uses a great system of leadership organization, and the roles they assign everyone might be useful for you to use as well:

We have 9 team leaders:
Jonathan Kruger: Public Relations, Team Coordinator/Children’s program/signs/memorabilia/program guide/decorations/hotels
Mike Ribet: Vendor Relations/Demos/Food Court/Health Dept./Site Map/Vegetarian Challenge/Depot Manager/Purchasing
Phil Vedova: Clean up/Parking/Greening/Fire Dept./Police Dept./Security
Cathy Gallagher: Speakers/Registration/Greeters/First Aid
Tushar Mukwana: Financials/budgets/accounting/ticket sales
Jay Linksman: Legal/Compliance/communication
Babita Ribet: Volunteers/Vendor recruitment
Gaetan Charest: Infrastructure/Plumbing/Electrical/landscaping/Stage-sound/Audio Visuals
Jay Mooney: On site manager/sponsorship

Raising money, and then keeping that money organized, is no simple task. All of the vegetarian festivals I researched seek donors and sponsorships. It can be difficult first starting out to find sponsorships, but they do exist, and do not hesitate to ask around to local and national organizations. Sponsorships benefit all the parties involved: the sponsor gets plenty of free advertisement and the festival gets added revenue and publicity through the sponsor. Besides sponsors, fundraise! Fundraising can be easy and fun, especially if you have volunteers or friends who are willing to support the cause. Hold vegan bake sales, yard sales, etc. If you have a student group working with you, ask them to hold fundraising events on campus. If you are representing a nonprofit then hold potlucks, parties, poetry slams, or other lively events to raise money as well. Think about whether you want to charge people for attending your festival.

Also, when I say “donors” above, I am primarily referring to food. Many vegan or vegetarian food companies WANT to advertise their products, and vegetarian festivals are the perfect way for them to do so! Sometimes all it takes is visiting a website of a company, getting a contact, or even filling out a donation form they provide online. It is really worth it to have free samples available to people attending your festival. Everyone will be happier! At Baltimore VegFest, we had numerous companies donate food. We even had over ten boxes of vegan ice cream sandwiches shipped to us, for free. There are some clothing companies or online grocery stores which may be willing to donate stickers, pins, shirts, or the like, too. Once you have money for your festival estimate all your costs (food, renting a space, tables and chairs, publicity, sound equipment, guest speakers or other events, etc.) and begin to allot your money as needed. Cut down where you can, and assign someone the role of being in charge of food. For the Indy Fest, Jessica describes, “To keep track of our funds, we have set up a bank account under the group’s name. We have one treasurer currently who has signing privileges for the checking account. Most expenses are agreed upon by the group before they are made; however, small expenses that people make by picking up random needs are reimbursed as necessary.” This might work for you. Whatever you do, always know where your money is and how much you have!

Now you need to advertise for your event. Jon from Veggie Fest Chicago says, “We do a bit of everything but Internet marketing and social media is becoming our most effective tool. But we make up flyers, posters, radio and TV ads, articles in the papers, some display ads in key magazines, and word of mouth. We have a program called Friends of Veggie Fest which is a way for businesses to network with each other to help get the word out.” Dixie Mahy, the President of the San Francisco Vegetarian Society states, “At first we sent our Press Releases or flyers to newspapers and other media for free calendar listings. As we grew, we started placing paid ads in newspapers and magazines. Our flyers were simple but later we were able to pay for graphic artists to create eye appealing, professional looking post cards and posters. At our event, at first we just had one page description of speakers, vendors, etc. We now have a printed program with photos and bios of speakers, lists of vendors and organizations and paid ads from vendors to help pay for the printing.” This is a great strategy! If you have any friends or colleagues who design, ask them to help create a logo and flyer for your festival.

And who is going to vend at your festival? I personally think seeking vendors is one of the most enjoyable parts of running a festival because there are always such interesting and wonderful vegan businesses that deserve the spotlight! Furthermore, it is beautiful to know you are introducing non-vegans to so much vegan love! In searching for vendors, start local. If you have friends who make DIY items, ask them if they would be interested in selling their handicrafts at your festival. If you live in or nearby a big city, chances are there are restaurants close by which do offer vegan and vegetarian options. You do need to choose, however, if your festival is going to be completely vegan or only vegetarian. Some festivals encourage vegan food to be offered without making it mandatory. Also, choose whether you want all-vegan companies to vend, or if you want to allow companies that do sell non-vegan items to vend. Should you have Trader Joe’s there? What about Whole Foods? Make sure your team has reached a consensus about vending options. For example, Veggie Fest Chicago is organized by the nonprofit The Science of Spirituality. Their guidelines for vendors are as follows, “We select mostly vendors who have some value to the vegetarian way of life, healthy living, and good vegetarian food. But we do have vendors that are broad in scope – a small amount to round off the booths to make the festival more acceptable to all. The Science of Spirituality promotes the lacto vegetarian diet but at Veggie Fest we have all the different types of vegetarians: Raw, Vegan and Lacto-Vegetarian. But there is no meat, fish, fowl or eggs in any of our vendors.” Figure out what your mission is, what you support, and what you want others to be exposed to at your festival.

Most festivals feature special events in addition to vendors. Popular events include guest speakers, cooking demos, and live music. For Baltimore VegFest, a friend of mine who attends UMBC freestyled about veganism for the crowd. Being creative and finding artists who want to share their talent to vegetarians and non-vegetarians is the best way to find great acts. Erica Meier, the Executive Director of COK, and organizer of DC VegFest, describes, “It’s important to us that this event offer attendees a wide range of information about the many benefits and the ease of choosing plant-based foods – and one of the ways we can share all of this is through our speakers. Featured speakers have included best-selling authors, doctors, bodybuilders, chefs, a news anchor, professor, and a beauty queen—all of whom are vegetarian or vegan and discuss how a meat-free diet is better for our health, the planet and animals.” In 2011, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Wayne Pacelle, and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau will be speaking at DC VegFest. At the World Veg Festival, organizers create many interesting events: “We do different things each year depending on our volunteers and talent. For example, we have had three vegan fashion shows with the one last year coordinated by Karine Brighten who did a fantastic job renting a runway, spotlights, costumers, vegan clothing & accessories, vendors, etc… When we moved to our new facility, we were able to set aside in the courtyard a couple of tables for a children’s corner with books, coloring books, and other appropriate vegan activities in order to encourage families to attend and to teach children about animals and vegetarianism. A lot of activities depend on who is and what is available. As an added attraction, we have had yoga on the lawn outside our facility as we are in the Golden Gate Park and that seems to be very organic. Speed dating was suggested by one of our board members two years ago and it turned out to be quite successful.”

Lastly, you must chose a location and date for your festival. Brainstorm early! You do not want to miss out on your dream space. Figure out what regulations and prices exist for various locations, confer with your leadership, and reserve the space as early as possible. All types of different spaces have all types of benefits and negatives. For instance, in choosing an outdoor space (depending on the season), you risk bad weather hindering your festival. On the other hand, if it is outdoors, it is not as crowded as indoors, you do not have to worry about heat or air conditioning, and people can bring their companion animals. Steve, who organizes the Central Florida Veg Fest, states, “Keeping the location the same each year provides consistency for attendees and vendors, but it also makes the organizers’ jobs easier, because we don’t have to learn the details of a new park every year (i.e., learning where electricity and water are located, where the big puddles form during a rainstorm, etc).” Locating nearby bathrooms and plenty of trashcans is especially important in reserving a location as well. In picking a date, plan around other big events to ensure that people who attend yours! For Baltimore VegFest, we almost make the mistake of putting our festival on Earth Day last year. Instead, we moved the festival to a week after Earth Day to make sure we got a big crowd. If you know of a nearby festival going on the same season as yours, talk to their organizer and figure out a date that is will not interfere with their event.

I want to give you all some words of advice before I send you off! Here are some comments interviewees made that will surely help you in your endeavors:

Want a veg fest in your city? Just get some people together and give it a try!! Take the first step and others will help, you’ll be surprised. And remember, it doesn’t have to be the biggest event ever. Growing your community and festival size is part of the fun!

-Jessica, Indy Fest

Start planning early and get the word out. Every year organizing the event gets easier and easier as word of mouth travels. It’s important to get your sponsors and vendors committed early on (through a discounted fee) so that you have an idea of what your budget will look like.

Two years ago I sent emails to vegetarian societies across the country, in every state that had one, actually. I volunteered to pass along what we had learned to any group that was interested in beginning their own vegetarian festival in their respective city. In the past year we have had three different groups contact us about potentially starting festivals in the coming year. When we were just getting started the coordinator of the Charlottesville festival was very helpful in giving advice in getting us up and running. I wanted to pass along all that we have learned to anyone who is willing to undertake such a worthwhile commitment. I just updated a list of all the vegetarian festivals/expos in the country on my website: http://www.brendaveggie.com/Events.html. I hope that one day every state will have at least one festival.

-Brenda, Richmond Vegetarian Festival

Since our event [World Veg Festival] has evolved over the years, it has been difficult for me to tell someone else how to start one. If I were to try to make it more concise, I would suggest the following:

• I think you might need a group of people already organized in order to draw from that group, a few dedicated people to be the Core Committee and divide up the duties – soliciting donations or vendors, flyers & publicity, treasurer, and finding speakers and demo presenters.
• You will also need some money to cover costs until you are able to get some revenue from the event. The amount of money needed would be determined by the cost of the venue, copies for flyers & mailings, although we do mostly e-mailing now, and cost of any speaker fees. If you don’t have any seed money, you will have to donate money and be reimbursed after the event that hopefully has made money.
• Find a suitable hall or venue that has reasonable rent and can accommodate tables for vendors and separate rooms for cooking demos and speakers. Assess your situation to see how much you need to charge at the door. More people will come if you can keep the door donation fairly low, especially if you are trying to get non-vegetarians to come.
• Assess your local scene for speakers and cooking demo presenters who will donate their time. It is nice to have someone well known as a main speaker who will do it for free especially if he or she has books or DVDs to sell. Some will ask for travel expenses. Add entertainment by vegan entertainers if you have the appropriate space.
• Solicit sponsors from local health food markets and other vendors.
• Publicity is very important. It is easier these days because of the internet. Compile addresses of newspapers, TV, radio, etc., for sending out PSA announcements and calendars by mail and e-mail. Get as much free publicity as you can. Later, you may want to do paid ads.
• It is helpful to have a website to promote the event.
• If you have more than one speaker or demo presenter, create a program to be handed out at the event.
• Start modest and then you can grow each year as you gain a reputation. You can add activities to your event depending on the talent.

-Dixie, World Veg Festival

Best of luck, everyone! Questions? E-mail Yasmin at [email protected].