We had a much needed volunteer day up at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary yesterday! Volunteers are ALWAYS needed, particularly during the winter months, so instead of laying around when it’s cold outside, head up to the farm and work on your muscles! Yesterday, a crew of us cleaned out the entire goat area… the goats are always a hoot. We then got to work in with the steer, where I was able to get a much coveted Dylan Hug. The best.
Vegans are all about compassion and love, so much so that we extend that emotion for all beings! Here are my picks for compassionate gifts for Valentine’s Day.
(Photo: BettyTurbo on etsy.com)
For the Nooch lover (aren’t we all?!)… need I say any more? Quite possibly the perfect Valentine’s Day card. (Vegan Macaroni Valentine by BettyTurbo, $4.00)
Pucker up!
Nothing says Valentine quite like a kiss! Sweeten up your pout with a new lip balm. I’m a big fan of LUSH cosmetics, and their new lip gloss The Kiss will do just the trick! Slightly tinted and full of goodness, it’s sure to leave a delicious mark on your lover (or kitty cat). (Lush Cosmetics, $7.50, Newport Mall, Jersey City)
(Photo: The Cinnamon Snail Facebook page)
If you’re local to Jersey City/NYC, you most certainly have heard of The Cinnamon Snail vegan food truck. If you haven’t, you need to really get out more because the Snaily is where it’s AT! They are offering a full Valentine’s Day goodie menu – everything from donuts (I must recommend the Hulk Hogan Fudgie Wudgie!) to chocolate to cheesecake! Must order by February 10th in order to pick up your order on February 14th in Red Bank, NJ or Manhattan. (Assorted, $3-34.00)
The Scent of the Wilderness
For those who enjoy the outdoors (or just the smell of them), Juniper Ridge makes a lovely line of bath and body products amongst other Wilderness inspired products. With scents such as Sierra Summer Pine and Red Rock Canyon, you’ll be smelling like the Great Outdoors from the comfort of your 3rd floor walk up. Added bonus: portions of the proceeds are donated to Wilderness preservation organizations. (Sierra Summer Pine Bar Soap, $12.00, online)
(Photo: Christy Robinson Design)
Wear your support around your neck with beautifully designed vegan-inspired jewelry by Christy Robinson Design. Featuring a variety of jewelry (for men and women) and is offering a special Valentine’s Day collection where you are sure to find a lovely bauble for your vegan honey. I’ve been eyeing her pieces for quite some time! (Vegan Heart Necklace, $35.00, online)
(Photo: Kayt Hester society6.com)
For the art lover, Jersey City artist Kayt Hester has some wonderful animal-inspired prints (as well as iPhone cases, pillows and stationary) available online. Her medium is masking tape (Yes! Masking tape!) and quite often does art shows to benefit local Jersey City animal rescues. She also is available for commissioned works (can you say pet portraits?!). (Kayt Hester Tape, Prints starting at $12.48 / Commissions starting at $250.00, online).
Love is sponsoring a rescued farm animal!
Feel good the whole year through by sponsoring an animal in honor of your true love. Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary offers a range of sponsorship levels, and you’ll know a little critter is well-fed for the entire year. Commemorate your sponsorship by spending the day with your special critter and volunteer for a day… you could even make that a monthly event, too! The couple that volunteers together, stays together… plus what could be more romantic than slinging pig poo for the day? (WFAS Sponsorship Package, $10-50.00/month, online)
And for those who are all about the kink, you can find vegan-friendly boudoir accessories at The Vegan Sex Shop… enjoy!
The holiday season is upon us and I would like to take this opportunity to encourage compassionate choices for your holiday meals. It’s easier than ever to find recipes for delicious compassionate culinary creations! Here at Jersey City Vegan, I strive to help bridge the gap for those who want to make a change but just need an extra nudge. I hope to make the holiday gap a little easier by sharing The Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary Thanksliving Recipe Book that I created for the WFAS Thanksliving benefit. Within the booklet you will find enough recipes to create a complete and compassionate Thanksgiving meal. Everything from appetizers to main dishes, family favorites veganized and perhaps something new to you, the recipes will feed a party of six but can easily be doubled.
Me, Boone & Sarah L of A Life Vegan (www.alifevegan.com) Photo by Derek Goodwin
What are your favorite compassionate holiday dishes?
On a recent volunteer day up at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, Melissa & I had the opportunity to help prepare a site off of the Sanctuary grounds for what was to hopefully be a rescue of lots of chickens and ducks from a hoarding case in Ulster County. Hoarding cases can be incredibly difficult – quite often the hoarder has the best intentions, but things just end up getting incredibly out of hand and can be dangerous for the animals being hoarded. In this case, the hoarder continually ordered chicks and ducks via mail order and they completely overran the property. The birds were forced to live in overcrowded conditions, their little feet caked in feces, and suffered from physical ailments and nutrition deficiencies as a result from the deplorable living conditions. After some time, the rescue finally happened and over 130 birds were brought to sanctuary.
Before rescue (Photo credit – Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary)
Before rescue (Photo credit – Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary)
Before rescue (Photo credit – Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary)
Thanks to the valiant efforts of the folks at WFAS and with a little help from the Ulster County SPCA, these sweet things no longer have to live in those horrible living conditions! Check out the video of their first exposure to water, which has gone completely viral!
The best part of all is that these ducks, chickens and roosters are all now looking for a home! Have you always wanted to rescue some chickens or maintain a little duck pond? This is your chance. Even the most unconventional homes will be considered for these guys. If I had a backyard, I’d totally get a baby pool and adopt some of these guys. I’d want some chickens, too, because I have learned how amazingly loving they can be. 
If you or someone you know is interested in adopting a little mini-flock of ducks or chickens, please get in touch with Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary today!
I have been a bad blogger, and for that I do apologise. But it’s not without good reason…
I’m getting married! My partner Melissa and I have decided to get married. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of organization and budgeting and venue picking and tablecloth choosing and all that sort of fun stuff that happens at the beginning stages of this kind of journey. My typical blogging time was replaced by Etsy and wedding blog browsing and comparison shopping. Oops! I’m hoping within the next few days to get a better balance on my time, now that some of the bigger hurdles (booking the venue, finding a caterer – vegan!, etc.) is done.
I have a backlog of recipes that will get typed up and posted as well as some action alerts and events to write about that are coming up soon. In the meantime, here’s a set of photos from a recent day volunteering at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary!
As always, I’m constantly looking for people to feature on Vegan Like Me… get in touch with me if you are interested in participating!
Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world! We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that. If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.
Name: Nicole Graziano
Nicole, vegan 3 and a half years
Where do you live? Northampton, MA
How long have you been vegan? ”3 and a half years”
What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet? ”I have been vegetarian since I was 8 years old. As a kid, I simply thought it was “really weird” to eat animals, so I stopped. My parents dealt with it just fine, and I was a healthy teenager. I was vegan for a short time in my early 20s as a result of being immersed in the NJ hardcore scene. Truthfully, though-I didn’t fully understand the reasons for being vegan, so eventually I reverted back to eating dairy and eggs. Later, in my mid 30s, my boyfriend stumbled upon Colleen Patrick Goudreau’s Vegetarian Food for Thought podcast because we were very interested in veg. cooking, and we both listened. Little did I know that after listening to just three of these podcasts, my choices and diet would be forever changed. I am embarrassed to admit that until listening to Colleen’s words, I had no idea that cows did not readily give milk and had to be impregnated in order to do so. It was all I needed to hear, and I became vegan the very next day after hearing her speak the horrific truths of the dairy and egg industries. My boyfriend also decided to become vegan just a few days later. We’ve been much more at peace and healthier ever since!”
What do you love most about being vegan? “I was pleasantly surprised by the 15 pound weight loss I experienced after becoming vegan and have found that I don’t gain a pound on a vegan diet no matter what I eat. This is fortunate, as I love vegan food. I also feel that my vegan diet has halted the aging process for me. I’m 38 and feel better and more energetic than I ever have before. It just keeps getting better. Also, as a food lover, I also really love scouting out vegan restaurants and recipes. But, what I most love about being vegan is knowing that I am doing my absolute best to ensure that no harm comes to any animals. I feel much more at peace and in line with my belief system as a result of my food choices.”
What three items do you always have in your pantry? “Nutritional yeast is a must for us. I LOVED parmesan cheese before becoming vegan, and nutritional yeast mixed with nuts and sea salt is a fine substitute. I also think that some wonderful sauces can be made with tahini and miso, and I make a delicious macaroni and cheese with these ingredients that could fool anyone. Perhaps most importantly, we always have a bunch of fresh, local vegetables on hand as a result of our summer and winter farm shares. We love coming up with new recipes for whatever we receive each week.”
What is your favorite vegan comfort food? “It’s hard to name just one, but I really do love pastas with creamy sauces. We do wonders with nutritional yeast, fresh herbs, vegetable broth, white wine, and soy milk. I’ve been enjoying quinoa pasta lately as a healthy alternative. I also really love making different nut cheeses. They’re delicious!”
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet? “I would tell them to go for it and explain that when I did, I never looked back, not even for a second. It’s the best decision I have ever made, and I can smile every day knowing that I am doing what I can to help my health, animals, and the environment. I’d also tell them to visit a local farm sanctuary and find out what happens to animals whose bodies and secretions are used for food. After educating themselves and meeting the animals, they’re most likely to go come to veganism naturally.”
Do you find anything difficult about being vegan? “I have never experienced any difficulty being vegan in terms of finding delicious, satisfying food. I do tend to sometimes struggle though when friends and family know the truth about how animals are treated and still remain omnivores or vegetarians rather than vegan. When this happens, I try to remember that it took me a long time to come to veganism, and I try my best to practice acceptance. Thanksgiving is a tough holiday for me especially because I absolutely adore turkeys. I got a chance to hang out with a few at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and was amazed and impressed by their personalities and gentleness.”
Any other comments you or words of wisdom you would like to add? “We also have two vegan dogs, as well an occassional foster dog who all seem very happy and healthy.”
I can totally relate to Nicole’s sentiments about Thanksgiving. Over the course of this year, I have become very close with a turkey at WFAS named Beatrice… I am not looking forward to the holiday this year, particularly because I know how awesome these creatures are. However, I am looking forward to celebrating them at the annual ThanksLiving celebration at WFAS! And that is what is important to me. Tickets go on sale this weekend and they sell out like hotcakes!
Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world! We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that. If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.
Name: Ellen Mass
Ellen (far right), vegan 3 years, and her family – also vegan!
Where do you live? Northern NJ
How long have you been vegan? ”3 years”
What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet? ”Three years ago my husband and I visited Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary because I heard how wonderful it was. We were vegetarians for years, but when we took the tour and I saw how the chickens were treated (for eggs) and the cows were treated (for milk) I said “I’m done” and became vegan. When I got home my older daughter, then 17, said she would join me. My husband and younger daughter, then 14, joined shortly after.”
What do you love most about being vegan? “The belief that I am doing the right thing, for my ethics, my health and for the environment. It becomes hard to understand why everyone doesn’t feel the same. I also love that I haven’t given anything up, just found substitutes, for ice cream, cheese, meat, etc. (Who knew!?) I also am vegan in my clothes, so my favorite designer brands are Vaute Couture and Matt and Nat, and favorite shoe store is MooShoes in NYC. Actually, my favorite part is being vegan with my family.”
What three items do you always have in your pantry? “Standard vegan items include nutritional yeast, Braggs kelp seasoning and Marigold vegan vegetable bouillon. Also lots of different grains.”
What is your favorite vegan comfort food? “As a foodie, anything that is cheezy or creamy. We all love Daiya cheese when the soaked cashews and nutritional yeast homemade version takes too long. (Huh? This is why you need new cookbooks!) There is also Vegenaise for a good homemade potato salad.”
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet? “Talk to vegans and read their blogs. Toss your old cookbooks and buy new vegan ones. Read about health benefits. Join Farm Sanctuary and Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. If you are doing it for health, read “The China Study” or “Eat to Live.” If you are doing it for the environment, read “Animal Factory.” If you are doing it for compassion, read the upcoming “The Lucky Ones” by Jenny Brown and Gretchen Primack or “Farm Sanctuary” by Gene Baur. And check out your local farmers market for veggies that you never tried before!”
Do you find anything difficult about being vegan? “People who think being vegan is a joke and like to shove bacon in your face. And restaurants that don’t offer vegan options. And coffee places that don’t have non-dairy milk.”
Any other comments you or words of wisdom you would like to add? “I am 50 and so many of my friends are starting to need drugs for cholesterol, diabetes, etc. It is often as simple as changing your diet. Don’t always trust your doctors. Depending on your current diet you may have to go slowly or your stomach may have issues and you will give up. And always believe in the right thing to do. It will keep you going when no one else does. (Also, have your answer ready when (often unhealthy meat-eating) friends ask you where you get your protein! )”
Ellen (right) with Jenny Brown (left), co-founder of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
Ellen offers some AWESOME book suggestions! I just finished “The Lucky Ones” and it was incredibly moving and wonderful read. I also love the fact that Ellen has made veganism a family affair. Thank you so much, Ellen!
It’s no secret that I am hopelessly devoted to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. It is a magical place that changed my life. I discovered it by chance, back in 2007. Melissa and I were getting ready to celebrate our one year anniversary. She had always wanted to take a class at The Center for Photography at Woodstock… so we ended up booking a weekend up in the area so she could take a class and we could spend some time away together. Her course was two days long, during the daytime hours, so I was on my on for several hours during the day. I knew the town of Woodstock was adorable, so I occupied myself discovering all the sweet shops and flea market on the first day up there. While I was walking around town, I kept seeing posters for something called “The Blessing of the Animals” at a place called “The Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary”… I thought, oh, I love animals, this sounds right up my alley! At the time, I was still eating meat and dairy full-time – the complete opposite of what I am now. I even remember going to Woodstock Meats to buy some bacon! Regardless, I decided to attend the Blessing ceremony, conducted by some peaceful Buddhist monks from the nearby monastery. That was when the seed got planted. I recall driving away from our rental cabin expressing feelings about wanting to give up eating animals. I felt timid and overwhelmed at first, but knew that there was something to be said with that, and it was going to be the beginning of my journey.
Over the next few weeks, I had this nagging thought that was always in the back of my mind… I really don’t think I want to eat meat anymore. It only took a few weeks before we took the plunge and gave up eating animals. We made attending the Blessing a yearly anniversary tradition. Each time I went, the nagging changed, and got louder and louder, urging me to go vegan. Finally, last year we made the connection and went vegan. And it’s all because of a woman named Jenny Brown, her husband Doug Abel and their magical farm sanctuary.
Jenny Brown’s journey was similar to mine in the fact that her enlightenment came in increments. The path might have been different, but the final destination was the same. And it is all recounted with joy, humor and honesty in her first book, The Lucky Ones: My Passionate Fight for Farm Animals. Co-written by Gretchen Primack, Brown recounts her journey from a cancer-stricken 10-year-old amputee to her thriving career in film which led to passion projects for PETA and finally turned her into a full-time animal activist, hero and co-founder of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.
Interspersed with her personal journey, she includes mini-biographies of past and present residents of the farm. She tells their story, as well as hers, in truth and with love. She doesn’t shy away (nor does she ever) from exposing the truths of animal agriculture. The key thing, though, is that she does so with such finesse that she leaves you willingly questioning your own contribution (read: consumption of animals) to the industry. She makes you think. She helps guide you to make that connection. While she admits that she didn’t always have this knack of graceful truth-telling, it is something she can do now with ease.
This book was a pleasure to read. It reminded me of my own journey, why we do what we do, and inspires me to continue in my own form of activism whatever it might end up looking like. This world is a better place because of Jenny Brown, Doug Abel, and the other devoted animal caretakers and volunteers at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary… and for that, I am grateful.
If you live in or close to the New York City area, there will be a party to celebrate the release of The Lucky Ones tomorrow night (August 7) at MooShoes. Jenny will be there, signing and selling her books. Stop on by for some vegan camaraderie and to celebrate the release of such a wonderful book. Hope to see you there!
I spent an extended weekend with some dear family and friends up in Woodstock last weekend. Of course, we paid a visit to see my critter friends at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary! We went on full tour, with co-founder Doug Abel leading the pack. I brought along a bag full of goodies to share with my friends, including some grapes, watermelon and celery! If I can’t win their love by slinging their poo, I sure as hell will try winning their love through their stomachs. ;) All photos by Melissa Cacioppo
Do you “Like” Jersey City Vegan on Facebook? No?! What are you waiting for?! I’ve uploaded the photos there, too. Come and gush your love about the critters!
Got nothing to do tomorrow? Want to love on some critters and eat some yummy vegan food?
Come join us tomorrow at
From 11am-4pm you can visit with the critters, listen to some great live music, participate in arts & crafts, get some humane education, storytelling, face painting, kids yoga, VEG-E-Q!, PLUS a BOUNCY CASTLE! Now who doesn’t love a bouncy castle?! Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids (members and toddlers are free!) and I’d love to see you there (I’ll be the one telling stories!). On a food note – there will be the brand new, revolutionary, delicious, succulent BEYOND MEAT chicken salad, so if anything come to try that! It isn’t even available on the East Coast yet. If you don’t have a car, WFAS is easily accessible by bus (just click the link for detailed directions).
Hope to see you there!
