I spent a lot of time in Seattle last fall and it was great to be back. We held the morning Outreach Event right in front of the Pike Place Market, one of Seattle's most famous landmarks. Lots of people were out and about and either received a leaflet about factory farming or saw our signs declaring that "meat = animal cruelty." Numerous volunteers showed up for the evening Video Event. Afterward it was nice to hang out with everyone at Highline Bar, a local vegan bar.
The Farm to Fridge Tour received quite a bit of media attention while in Seattle. The local affiliate of FOX ran a two-minute pre-story and then also came out and covered the events themselves. We also received coverage from KING, a Seattle TV news station. It was great to receive this media attention in such a large city. Countless people were exposed to the horrific realities of factory farming.
The Farm to Fridge Tour really made an impact in Spokane. The Spokesman Review ran a nice story on the events there. Vic, many of the activists, and I all had quite a few one-on-one conversations with people after they watched Farm to Fridge on the truck. I spoke with one man for about ten minutes and he was holding back tears nearly the entire time. He was deeply moved by the film and had a lot of questions. As he was leaving, he thanked us for being there and said, "I can't do this anymore. I am never eating meat again." I gave him an MFA Vegetarian Starter Kit as he went on his way.
I spoke with another man who was horrified to learn that most of the abuses shown in Farm to Fridge are considered standard practice and legal. He said he wanted to move toward a vegan diet. I ran into this man again the next morning in downtown Spokane. He said after watching the film he walked to a burrito shop and ordered a vegan burrito. He excitedly remarked, "It was really good!" I want to thank all the activists for helping make this such a wonderful event.
The Farm to Fridge Tour hit two cities in one day! We held an Outreach Event in the morning in Billings and then hustled over to Bozeman for another Outreach Event in the evening. Both events were awesome. The Billings event elicited more reactions than any other city we have been to. The first person to drive by got so excited she did a u-turn and pulled over to give us words of encouragement before getting on her way. We received many honks, thumbs up, and waves from people driving by.
We decided to add the stop in Bozeman about a week or so before the event. I am so glad we did. Even on such short notice, volunteers showed up to help out with leafleting and holding signs. And yet again, we received media attention. NBC Montana provided some great coverage and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle ran a story as well.
I am thrilled with all the media attention the Farm to Fridge tour has been consistently getting. The tour is awakening people all over the country to the cruel realities of factory farming and I feel very blessed to be a part of it.
Minneapolis was yet another great stop for the Farm to Fridge Tour. We teamed up with Compassionate Action For Animals there, and although it was a little rainy, we held two fantastic events. Volunteer turnout for both was wonderful. The local affiliate of ABC covered the events. The Star Tribune provided some nice coverage as well!
We held the Outreach Event in downtown Minneapolis and reached lots of people on their lunch breaks with leaflets and signs. I spoke extensively to one woman about factory farming, veganism, and farmed animals in general. I handed her an MFA Vegetarian Starter Kit and before she walked away, she made a commitment to move toward a vegan diet. I want to thank all the volunteers in Minneapolis for making it such a memorable stop!
Our stop in Madison, Wisconsin, was fantastic! We reached lots of people with the message of compassion for all animals. Some very dedicated activists came out to the event. A few of them drove from as far as two hours away! We handed out hundreds of leaflets to the lunchtime crowd, as well as the late-night crowd. Many people expressed interest in adopting a plant-based diet. One man asked lots of questions, took an MFA Vegetarian Starter Kitand read it for about thirty minutes before asking more questions, and then finally getting on his way. We also received some great coverage from the major newspaper in Madison, TheCapital Times. Vic and I really enjoyed our time in Madison.
About a month ago, I gave an extensive interview with All Things Vegan Radio, which airs on Bend Community Radio in Bend, Oregon. I spoke about the amazing experiences we have had on the Farm to Fridge Tour. The interview was recently aired and can be listened to here.
The Farm to Fridge Tour received more international media attention while in Chicago. South Korean TV station, MBC, is filming a documentary about factory farming and veganism, and will feature the Farm to Fridge Tour in their film. They covered both events and spent over an hour talking to me in the truck between the events. I am excited to see how the documentary turns out!
It was thrilling to be in Chicago, the headquarters of Mercy For Animals. A record number of volunteers showed up to both events there. We held the Outreach Event in downtown Chicago, near the Chicago Public Library. Numerous people leafleted on the various nearby street corners, while lots more held signs for both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Thousands of people either witnessed the signs or received a leaflet at this event.
Although it was quite cold, I felt warm on the inside because there was such an outpouring of support from the activist community in Chicago for the Video Event, even on a Tuesday night. It was awesome meeting so many new people. We parked the truck at a busy intersection right near the Mercy For Animals office. I saw several people sitting in their cars at the stoplight, aghast at the routine abuse farmed animals face during their lives. Thank you, Chicago!
Indianapolis was amazing! We met a tremendous number of vegans during our events. Our outreach there also impacted many people. The local affiliate of NBC covered our events, running a nice two-minute live story during the twelve o'clock news, and another great two-and-a-half-minute story during the five o'clock news. They even showed some footage from Farm to Fridge!
During the Video Event, I spoke to a man and a woman who came to watch Farm to Fridge on the truck after seeing one of the news stories. The film had a powerful impact on both of them. The woman began crying. They both had lots of questions at the end. We spoke for quite a while and they both left with an MFA Vegetarian Starter Kit.
After the Video Event, Vic and I did some bonus outreach on Broad Ripple Ave., a bustling street with lots of bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. While the video was playing on the truck, we slowly traveled up and down the street. Hundreds of people stared at the video as we drove by. Sometimes when we stopped at a red light we looked out the window and saw everyone at the restaurant next to us mesmerized by the video. I feel this late-night outreach had a drama and power different from the daytime outreach. We could tell that this started numerous conversations among the diners. All the outreach combined with the great media coverage made for a banner day for the Farm to Fridge Tour!
Vic and I had a really great time in Cincinnati. The Farm to Fridge Tour received some nice coverage from the local FOX affiliate. There was a great turnout of volunteers for both the Outreach and Video Events. We set up right in the heart of downtown at the bustling cultural hub, Fountain Square. During the Outreach Event, one man, who was just walking by, was inspired to stop and volunteer.
During the Video Event another man, after watching Farm to Fridge, incredulously asked, "Is this real?" After I explained to him that most of the abuses in the film are standard practice and legal, he told me he would never eat meat again. The friend he was with echoed his sentiment and said they would both move toward a vegan diet together. It is greatly inspiring to meet so many people who care about animals and resolve to switch to a cruelty-free lifestyle, once Farm to Fridge awakens them to the mistreatment of animals on factory farms.
The events in Columbus were fantastic! During the Outreach Event, a group of us held signs for the vehicle traffic, while some of us leafleted the pedestrians. I heard from quite a few people who were already vegan. I am forever inspired meeting so many different vegans on the streets in each city we visit. A few people also stopped to ask questions and left the conversation with an MFA Vegetarian Starter Kit.
In Columbus the Farm to Fridge Tour garnered lots of media coverage, exposing tens of thousands of people to the horrors farmed animals endure. Local affiliates of FOX, ABC, CBS, and NBC covered the events. NBC ran two stories! The Columbus Dispatch, the U Weekly of Ohio State University, and the Examiner also ran stories. What an amazing day!
Cleveland was yet another amazing stop for the Farm to Fridge Tour! The local affiliates of Action News and FOX covered our events there. During the Outreach Event, we heard from quite a few people who were already vegan and gave them our thumbs-up and encouraging words. During the Video Event, we had some meaningful conversations with people who stopped to watch Farm to Fridge on the truck. One viewer came back later and told me he had diverted from his usual routine of eating a hamburger from the restaurant he frequented and opted for a vegan dish instead. I talked with others who expressed interest in adopting a vegan diet from that night forward. Our events in Cleveland were both successes for farmed animals!
In Erie, Pennsylvania the local affiliates of Action News and NBC covered our events. The major newspaper in Erie, the Erie Times, also ran a great pre-story and a story on the events themselves. We had conversations with quite a few people who expressed interest in adopting a vegan diet. During the Outreach Event, Vic Sjodin had a lengthy conversation with a man who had no idea farmed animals endured such egregious abuse during their lives. At the end of the conversation he asked for a copy of Farm to Fridge and an MFA Vegetarian Starter Kit and said he wanted to adopt a vegan diet. This tour continues to have an amazing impact!
The Buffalo News covered the tour as it came through Buffalo, New York. The paper ran a pre-story one day before the events and then an outstanding piece on the events themselves! The online version of the article even linked to meatvideo.com!
The Outreach and Video events went extremely well. We were absolutely thrilled with the overwhelming response from Buffalo's local activist community. I'd like to send out a huge thank you to Morgan Dunbar of Animal Allies of Western New York, for rallying so many volunteers! Thanks to everyone's help, we really made a positive impact for farmed animals in Buffalo, and I am confident many people have been moved to adopt a vegan diet.
The Farm to Fridge Tour was met with a warm and enthusiastic response from the people of Rochester, NY. During the Outreach Event many people stopped to ask questions after receiving leaflets. Numerous drivers gave us honks and thumbs-up. We heard from lots of people who were already vegan, and many more who expressed interest in adopting a vegan diet. Volunteers from as far as two hours away showed up to both the Video and Outreach Events! How incredibly awesome to meet so many dedicated people on this tour!
Univision in Philadelphia aired coverage of the Farm to Fridge Tour twice. Check it out here.
The Farm to Fridge Tour received quite a bit of media attention while in Seattle. The local affiliate of FOX ran a two-minute pre-story and then also came out and covered the events themselves. We also received coverage from KING, a Seattle TV news station. It was great to receive this media attention in such a large city. Countless people were exposed to the horrific realities of factory farming.
The Farm to Fridge Tour received quite a bit of media attention while in Seattle. The local affiliate of FOX ran a two-minute pre-story and then also came out and covered the events themselves. We also received coverage from KING, a Seattle TV news station. It was great to receive this media attention in such a large city. Countless people were exposed to the horrific realities of factory farming.
