Hope
Benjamin and I attended the Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary’s Farm Tour and Yard Sale yesterday.
Despite my idea that it would be a rough drive up there and back, the baby boy slept both ways–the entire 45 minute drive! Very nice. I was quite happy to not have to pull over in the back country with no cell phone service to feed the little guy.
Tim and I are committed to raising Benjamin vegan–no doubts. The fact that he will be challenged by some people, ostracized by others (not only children but parents of friends and teachers as well) is something that makes me sad–but he will be stronger for it, and I believe that for every child who misunderstands him, there will be another who learns from him about animals being our friends.
As cheesy (or cheezly, or another dairy-free brand of cheese–what have you) as it is, this song popped into my head at Poplar Springs yesterday–”I believe the children are our future…” you know the rest. I think it had something to do with the fact that at work 97.1 (sing it: wash eeefff eeeemmmm) is always on and they feel the need to play that song once every two hours or so. But it also had to do with the fact that there are just so many families at Poplar Springs events. Whether or not they are vegan or vegetarian when they go home–when they are at the beautiful, sprawling sanctuary they are learning about the animals that live there, interacting with the pigs and cows and sheep, and most importantly, subtly learning that the animals were rescued from places that didn’t treat them well–which makes kids ask questions. Case in point: the little girl who went with us, she’s seven, asked her dad why the animals need a sanctuary. I didn’t hear his answer–but I know that when I was seven I had no idea that a human could possibly treat an animal in any other way than nicely, and I blindly shuffled the chicken nuggets from (shudder) good ‘ole Mickey D’s into my mouth on a daily basis.
Maybe if I had been exposed to a place like Poplar Springs I would have had more questions, inklings. Maybe I would have become a vegan at a younger age.
Poplar Springs, schools offering soymilk as an option and beginning the process of improving their menus–among other things, is so hopeful to me.
While I was waiting in line for my veggie hot dog, a little boy (maybe five years old) ran up to his mother (with whom I was chatting) and she asked him what he wanted on his “hamburger”. He looked at her and said “No, mom, VEGGIE-burger, not HAM-burger!”
Pretty cool.
Sing it, Whitney Houston.
-Megan Meinberg
Herbivore Clothing: New Design…Benefits Woodstock Farm Sanctuary
I am a big fan of of Herbivore Clothing! They have come out with a new t-shirt “Factory Farms Are Mean And Nasty”. Besides it being another cool design! 15% of all sales of this shirt will go to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in New York!
[http://herbivoreclothing.com]
Poplar Spring Farm Tour
Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville Maryland will be having a farm tour on July 26th. There will be hay rides , ice cold lemonade, veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs. Shop for t-shirts, sweatshirts, and handmade crafts in their gift shop, and for hidden treasures at the giant yard sale in the carriage barn. Poplar Spring is just an hours drive from DC (directions here) and is worth a visit if you have never been. Also check out their Spring 2008 Newsletter, there is more information about how you can help, other events, and sanctuary news (download it here).