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We recently made a post entitled “Don’t Debate Me, Bro!” in which we poke and prod at something we are terming “debate me bro activism”. But you know we are not into that whole brevity thing, so we are taking the time to elaborate on, and interrogate the idea more extensively in this week’s episode.  We’ll discuss what exactly is “Debate Me, Bro! Activism” and why we think it may be detrimental to creating a more just and equitable world for all. Drawing heavily from Andy’s experience as a full time street activist, we’ll also talk about ways we think healthy conversation and disagreement can be incorporated into our activism. Our transcriptionist is having a baby, so no transcription this week. Contact us: Email TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] comCall (323) 7BEARDOVisit TheBeardedVegans.comSupport the podcast and get bonus episodes and merch HERE.Follow on Instagram and Facebook The Links: Come see Andy with Compassion Co at the Vegan Mini Market in Dover NH on May 16th

This week we look at the curious case of vegan (or vegan-adjacent) phrases and messaging that are being co-opted by animal exploiters. Starting with an advertisement for plant based menthol and ending at a pig exploitation theme park, we’re taking a trip into bizarro world! Has the term “plant based” entirely lost it’s meaning? Why are dairy farms trying to add cow’s milk to plant based diets? Is fur actually good for the environment? And what fresh dystopian hell are we living in when people can be taught about how amazing pigs are, witness their complete subjugation, and come out feeling okay with eating them?  Find a transcript of the episode here! Contact us: Email TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] comCall (323) 7BEARDOVisit TheBeardedVegans.comSupport the podcast and get bonus episodes and merch HERE.Follow on Instagram and Facebook The Links: Come see Andy with Compassion Co at the Vegan Mini Market in Dover NH on May 16th  3 Reasons to Include Dairy in a Plant-Based Diet (New England Dairy, April 2021) Why Banning Fur Will Hurt The Environment National Chicken Council Calls for Balance between Animal Care, Environmental, Economic Impact in Chicken Production Shake Shack Chick’n Dairy Pride Act Reintroduced to Fight Back Against Non-Dairy Products(DairyHerd.com) What We Do Today Defines The Future (Rick Berman – CCF – Sept 2020) Taking Back The Narrative From Animal Activists. (CCF – Sept 1st 2020) The vultures are circling: Address negative perceptions of the meat industry now(Meatingplace) Fair Oaks Pig Adventure (YouTube) Visiting Fair Oaks Farms (YouTube)

This week we wrap up our run of media reviews with a look at The Last Pig. This film, by Emmy award winning director Allison Argo, started making the festival circuit rounds in 2017 but up until recently has been largely inaccessible to the general public. Now with a release on PBS, we are finally able to give an in depth review. Spoiler alert: we both really enjoyed this one! Of course, there was still plenty to talk about and we’ll get all up into it.  Where to watch The Last Pig on PBS. A transcript will be available here on April 28th. Contact us: Email TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] comCall (323) 7BEARDOVisit TheBeardedVegans.comSupport the podcast and get bonus episodes and merch HERE.Follow on Instagram and Facebook

This week we review Gunda, the long awaited film directed by Victor Kossakovsky and executive produced by Joaquin Phoenix. Gunda tells the story of the titular pig, her piglets, some chickens, and some cows. The film is presented in black and white, with no score, no narration, and no text on the screen. It’s a slow, methodical experience that is sure to alienate some viewers and inspire others. We’ll discuss the merits of this delivery method, ask who the film is for, and try to determine if it actually has a vegan message.  Gunda is currently in limited run at select theaters, but can be viewed online via Film Forum.  You can always contact The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans[at]gmail[dot]com, calling 323-7BEARDO or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  Donate to Food Love here.

This week we kick off a string of media reviews by taking a deeper look at Save Ralph, a short from produced by Human Society International. Done in the stop motion style of films like Fantastic Mr Fox, Save Ralph stars Taika Waititi in the titular role of Ralph, a rabbit who looks at his use in cosmetic animal experimentation as a necessary part of his job. With support from Ricky Gervais, Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, Pom Klementieff, Rodrigo Santoro, Rosario Dawson, and Maggie Q, the film has the potential to reach a huge audience, but what exactly is the film saying, what action is it asking viewers to take, and does the delivery method hinder or help it’s chances at reaching the most people. We both had near opposite reactions to this film, so strap in for a fun ride. We also talk about a listener reaction to Seaspiracy  [6:15 – 22:30] and cover some good news in the world of animal testing.  A transcript of this episode will be available here on April 14th You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans[at]gmail[dot]com, calling 323-7BEARDO, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  The links: Anti Speciesist Action The Problem With Dog Analogies Cranky Vegan – 3MT: Seaspiracy – An Animal Rights Activist’s Perspective Goats and Oats podcast – The One About Seaspiracy Virginia becomes 4th state to ban cosmetic animal testing (ABC News) What’s Going On With China’s Animal Testing Laws in 2021 (Ethical Elephant) Watch Save Ralph (content warning: animated animal testing) Save Ralph Premier And Panel Discussion 

This week we bring you the next episode in our “Is it time to retire…” series. This time we take a deep dive look at “Why love one, but eat the other?” While many people consider dogs to be cherished members of the family, we’ll break down what exactly it means to love a dog and if that is a desirable outcome for all animals. What are the limits of using love as a metric for judging moral worth of animals. What are the limits of comparing one animal to another?   Plus we’ll do some follow up on our discussions about Seaspiracy and the phrase “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism”.  Find a full transcript of the episode here!  You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  The Links: CripHumanimal interview with Christopher Sebastian Andy on theHope For The Animals podcast – episode 24

This week we review Seaspiracy, the Netflix original documentary examining the impact of industrial aquatic animal exploitation. Somewhat of a spiritual sequel to Cowspiracy, this film has been making waves online, becoming the #4 film on Netflix over the past weekend and earning reviews in Vogue and the New York Times. We’ll give our spoiler-free general thoughts on the film before diving into a spoiler-full analysis of the film’s content and themes.  Seaspiracy is currently available via Netflix. Content warnings for the film include non-human animal harm, exploitation, and death, as well as human slavery and on screen human murder.  You can always reach the Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  Support the podcast and get access to bonus episodes like We Call Bullshit On Penn & Teller here.

This week we are joined by Kimberly Renee Barnes, an amazing activist that gets the work done. Kimberly is a self-taught private chef, on-air personality, and the founder of Might Be Vegan.  She’s also the creator behind the​ national #FromMeatsToBeets Challenge, web series “Might Be Vegan presents The Trap Kitchen, and the world’s largest vegan-only tailgate, #VeganAtTheGame, which served more than 1500 people at no cost in the city of Atlanta during Super Bowl LIII. For today’s episode though, we wanted to talk to Kimberly about Food Love, a national, direct-to-door hunger relief effort providing families in need with nutritious, plant-based food at no cost to them, to strengthen health outcomes and work towards greater food justice in the U.S.   The program has a strong focus on BIPOC and other historically marginalized communities. We’ll talk about how the program works, what place it serves within the larger movement for food soveriegnty, and what it took to get brands to actually say yes to providing food to the program.  Then we’ll discuss her work under the Brands Behaving Badly moniker, in which she is working to hold brands accountable for taking advantage of content creators. Additionally, we’ll learn about Kimberly’s impressive online sleuthing which has exposed multiple brands fraudulently claiming to support social justice movements. A full transcript of the episode can be found here! You can always reach the Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  The Links: Food Love – Website / GoFundMe  Kimberly Renee – YouTube / Instagram / Patreon / Ca$hApp / PayPal  Brands Behaving Badly – Website  Might Be Vegan – Website / Instagram / Facebook  Referenced in this episode: Why I No Longer Support Bob’s Red Mill (Part One)  EXPOSED: How This White-Owned Brand is Preying on Black Folks | Made With Melanin Co Scam  Not referenced in this episode, but we recommend signing this petition To Require Ownership Transparency in Shopify Stores To Prevent Scams & Fraud.

It’s mailbag time, where we respond to your questions, comments and concerns, as well as do a little housekeeping. Topics covered include the future of vegfests, how to talk to someone about adopting instead of purchasing a dog from a breeder, whether or not factory farms can be considered natural, why we don’t plan to do an episode about zoos, the moral worth of “future animals”,  is our sobriety connected to our veganism, and much much more! You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  Support the podcast, get bonus episodes, early access, and merch here.  A transcript will be available here on March 17th.

Nestle recently announced they would be releasing a vegan version of their popular Kit Kat candy bar. It’s no secret that Nestle is mustache-twirlingly-evil, with a lengthy history of extra bad ethical transgressions that includes chocolate sourced from some of the worst forms of child labor. Suffice it to say, some people are stoked and others are, well, not so stoked. If an episode about divided opinions over a corporate plant based food product sounds like deja vu, you’re not alone. We WILL talk about Nestles history with the plant based food scene and some of their unsavory business practices. But mostly we wanted to reflect on the feeling of despair that descends upon the land of vegan every time these things happen. Prepare for a rant-y, ramble-y episode ahead!  You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  Support the podcast and get access to bonus episodes.   Episodes referenced: Episode 2: interview with lauren ornelas, in which we touch upon the labor issues with chocolate production.  Episode 101 Why Misanthropy is bad for veganism (first mention of Nestle acquiring Sweet Earth) Episode 153: What’s The Deal With The Miyoko’s Controversy?  Bonus episode: A Tale Of Two Lawsuits (discussion of Nestle vs Herbivorous Butcher) The Links: VEGAN BUTCHER SHOP WINS NESTLÉ TRADEMARK BATTLE(VegNews) Nestlé Is Building Its First Vegan Food Factory in China(Live Kindly) Nestlé is launching a vegan version of Carnation condensed milk (Vegan Food And Living) Nestlé Boss Urges All Employees To Do Veganuary – Bloomberg, M&S And More Also Take Part(Plant Based News) Nestle announces Vegan Kit Kat. (plant based news) Hershey launches vegan chocolate (plant based news) Cocoa’s child laborers (washington post) CHILD LABOR AND SLAVERY IN THE CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY(Food Empowerment Project) Nestle and Hershey To Face Child Slavery Lawsuit in US(The Guardian) Why Nestle Is One Of The Most Hated Companies In The World?(ZME Science) Christopher Sebastian’s Comments on Nestle Lawsuit

Over the last few months we took a “break” and then had a slew of collab and interview episodes which didn’t leave space for us to do our usual follow […]

This week brings the finale of our first ever Sanctuary Series. After exploring the ethics and efficacy of larger sanctuaries and prospect of microsanctuaries, we wanted to provide a starting point for those who are considering starting their own sanctuary. We speak with Zee Griffler, executive director of the Open Sanctuary Project, a freely accessible, always growing digital guide for any resources or information you need in order to responsibly create and successfully manage an animal sanctuary or to provide the best possible care to animals in order to help them live long, healthy, happy lives free of exploitation. The OSP is truly a remarkable resource, not just for sanctuary workers, but for activists of all stripes to learn more about the animals for whom we advocate for.  We’ll also explore why you might not want to start a sanctuary. And, of course, for those not interested in starting their own sanctuary, we’ll be asking Zee plenty of tough ethical questions that might arise when navigating within the sanctuary world.  A TRANSCRIPT can be found here. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  The Links: Purchase Brotha Vegan book here  Open Sanctuary Project / Website / Facebook / Instagram  Mentioned in this episode: So, You Want To Start A Farmed Animal Sanctuary The Differences Between An Animal Sanctuary And A Petting Zoo How To Raise Money For Your Animal Sanctuary Want to learn more about Animal-Centric Design/Architecture? Check out this great interview with the folks from Piedmont Animal Refuge on Our Hen House. 

This week The Bearded Vegans continue their Sanctuary Series by talking to Justin Van Kleeck of Triangle Chicken Advocates and The Microsanctuary Resource Center about the power of microsanctuaries.  For most of us in the movement, when we think about sanctuaries we think of properties out in the country, on dozens of acres of land, with a hundred or more residents. But what if we expanded our understanding of what a sanctuary could be? What if sanctuary could include providing a home and care for one individual animal that was previously exploited by the agriculture system?  We’ll also dig into the issues with framing animals as victims, why animals are activists, the conflict between helping animals alive right now versus preventing future animals from being born, balancing the rights of wild animals versus sanctuary residents, and so so so much more!  A full transcript of the episode is available here. You can always contact The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  The Links: We are currently doubling donations (up to a total of $200) to Full Circle Farm Sanctuary Justin Van Kleeck: Facebook / Instagram  Triangle Chicken Advocates: Website / Facebook  Vegans With Chickens Facebook Group  Microsanctuary Resource Center: Website / Instagram / Facebook  Open Sanctuary Project References: “Building a Good Home for Chickens” “Breaking The Mold: How Animal-Centered Design Can Transform Sanctuaries“

We’re finally kicking off the long awaited Sanctuary Series! Over the years, many of our discussions involving the ethical grey areas directly or tangentially related to farm animal sanctuaries have left many lingering questions that we felt weren’t fully explored. Questions such as: How should sanctuaries balance raising the funds necessary to operate with respecting their residents right to be left alone?Are sanctuaries a good use of our donation dollars or should we be donating to direct vegan education efforts instead?What consideration should sanctuaries give to free living animals that are displaced by sanctuary property? Is it okay to stop a fox from eating a sanctuary chicken? Is there an ethical conflict with housing residents in buildings initially built to further their exploitation? And many many more! So we decided to reach out to a variety of folks involved in the farmed animal sanctuary world, in a range of capacities, to see how they personally think about these tougher questions.  To get the ball rolling, we talk to Rachel McCrystal, executive director of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. We have long appreciated how Woodstock runs things both on site and in their online education work. Woodstock is a mid to large level sanctuary, and with multiple buildings set on acres of land in the country, caring for nearly 400 residents. As such we tend to think of them as the quintessential farmed animal sanctuary and the perfect place to get this conversation started.  A transcript will be available here on Feb 10th You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  The Links: Woodstock Farm Sanctuary: Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube  Rachel McCrystal: Instagram / Twitter  ConsiderTheEgg.com  MeetJo.org 

Over the last few weeks, a conversation about whether it is appropriate for animal advocates to use highly loaded terms, specifically “Holocaust” and “slavery” in their activism has reached a […]

This week Paul and Andy bring back another classic episode to help set the table for their upcoming Sanctuary Series. Peaceable Kingdom is one of the films they most often reference in other reviews. Despite looking very dated, it manages to capture the inner emotional lives of farmed animals in a way that so few other documentaries we’ve reviewed has. Of course, it isn’t a perfect film, so there is plenty to discuss here.  You can watch Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home for free HERE (warning: contains some graphic footage)  A transcript will be available here on Jan 27th. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com 

This week we kick off the start of our Sanctuary Series by bringing back a classic episode, our review of 73 Cows. The first film we reviewed from director Alex Lockwood was one that we both felt pretty dang positive about and we thought it would be a great time to bring our discussion back to help set the table for the next few episodes ahead in which we will delve into some of the more ethically complicated aspects of running a sanctuary. You can watch all 15 short and sweet minutes of 73 Cows for free on Vimeo.  Vote for us as Best Vegan Podcast in the VegNews Veggie Awards(Closes Jan 31st) You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com 

For many of us, a New Year serves as a time to reflect on where we’ve been, where we’d like to go, and set intentions for the year ahead. Paul and I recently sat down and had a frank discussion about how we’re feeling about the podcast, what works for us, what doesn’t, what we could improve upon, and how we can make sure it is sustainable for us in the long run. The good news: we both want to keep making the podcast! But we also wanted to make a few changes. So in today’s episode we are going to bring you in to that conversation. If you’re a first time listener, this one probably isn’t a great place to start (and actually, you should start here) but if you’re like us and enjoy looking behind the curtain and hearing two people over-explain their process, this one is for you! We’ll also talk about some good news in the world of animal advocacy and discuss a few of the things that brought us joy in 2020.  You can always reach the Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  Vote for us in the VegNews Veggie Awards HERE. Support the podcast here 

This week The Bearded Vegans dive into a very tricky topic, invasive species. The more Paul and Andy looked into the topic, the more they realized how highly unique every situation and species is. So while they will speak broadly on the idea of “invasive species”, they will mostly zero in on an email they received about the spotted lantern fly. These insects have been declared invasive in Pennsylvania and the state has started a campaign to promote their eradication. One of the most common solutions is to a apply a layer of sticky tape around trees, to catch the bugs. Problem is, this tape also catches all sorts of non-invasive insects, as well as some birds as large as a hawk. A local vegan group is considering making a video to show people how they can combat the lanternflies, without harming other animals. But one member is questioning if this is the work vegans should be doing. Paul and Andy will do their best to suss it all out! You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com  A full transcript of the episode can be found here. Support the podcast, get merch, bonus episodes, and early access here. The Links: Killing spotted lanternflies is the relief I needed in 2020(The Inquirer) Do Insects Matter Morally? Episode 156

In our final episode of the year, we continue our tradition of reviewing the latest installment in Plant Based News’ Vegan 20XX series. Every year PBN puts together a highlight reel of vegan related events and developments. This has served as a great way to look back on the events of the year as we take a closer look at the effectiveness of the film as a whole.  We’ll reflect on the evolution of this series, ask who these films are created for, and generally muse on the World’s Longest Year. Watch Vegan 2020 free on YouTube.  You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans [at] gmail [dot] com, or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com