Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation

Molly Elwood joins us to discuss how Elwood’s Organic Dog Meat has brilliantly channeled repulsion into activism that gets people thinking about who they might have on their plate. ABOUT OUR GUEST Molly Elwood is a writer, copywriter, storyteller, and creative strategist. Between creative agencies and in-house creative teams, she has spent more than ten years writing and humanizing for her…

Billboards. They’re everywhere, whether you like it or not, so why not use them to help animals? Jane Casteline & Shannon Johnstone join us this week to discuss their project, Picturing Pigs, and the challenges they had to overcome to get their message onto billboards in the home of factory farming and why this is a form of activism that we…

We all know that China is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to vegan advocacy, but what is the status of advocacy there? Join us as Jian Yi sheds light on his work with The Good Food Fund and China Vegan Society. ABOUT OUR GUEST JIAN Yi (简艺/簡藝) is an independent filmmaker and food activist. He is currently…

Factory farms destroy lives, both animal and human. Jamie Berger joins us this week to discuss the making of the documentary The Smell of Money and the devastation caused to eastern North Carolina and its residents by this evil industry. ABOUT OUR GUEST Jamie Berger is a writer and filmmaker born and raised in North Carolina. Her writing has been featured in…

Are you excited about ChatGPT? Do you hate the very thought of Chat GPT? Have you never heard of ChatGPT? No matter, you need to listen to this episode to find out how generative AI can help activists get more done for animals in less time. Join us as Tom Conger reveals all about new tools to help us help animals.…

Recently, we had a very special excursion that we cannot wait to share with you. Land that used to be a farm is now overflowing with native plants, which, of course, draw in native insects. So then the native birds move in, and suddenly, it’s heaven! And did we mention the beavers??? Join us for this guided tour with Matt Perry,…

It isn’t easy to write about animals, especially if the goal is to actually portray them as they are and not just use them, as so often happens, as symbols, metaphors, and mirrors. In order to confront these difficulties, Sangamithra Iyer recently launched The Literary Animal Project to bring writers and readers into conversation to explore the many quandaries in writing…

Organizations in the animal protection movement are overflowing with passion, but how can they create more efficient systems and healthy workplaces? Tania Luna is here to tell us more about her organization, Scarlet Spark, which just might have the answers to make the movement more effective. ABOUT OUR GUEST TANIA LUNA, who is the author of LEAD TOGETHER: Stop Squirreling Away…

Students today really want to learn about the future of food, but sadly, and amazingly, most universities have little or nothing to offer that is of value. Enter Samantha Derrick, who decided to do more than complain about it and just make it happen, not only in her own university but everywhere! Join us to be inspired by Samantha and the…

It’s not every day that you come across a book that has been reviewed in The New York Times with “vegan” in the title, but somehow Andrew Lipstein managed it. He joins us this week to discuss his latest novel, The Vegan. ABOUT OUR GUEST Andrew Lipstein is a New York-based writer. He is the author of Last Resort (2022), The…

What started with the question, “Is there a spiritual way to kill an animal?” has become the newest investigative documentary from Kip Anderson, of Cowspiracy fame, and Kam Waters. Join the journey to discover why so many religions who hold compassion as a sacred tenet turn a blind eye to animal suffering. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Kip Andersen has changed the way…

We are thrilled to present this very special holiday episode of Sanctuary: A Radio Play, an annual Thanksgiving tradition at Our Hen House! This special performance marks the world premiere of John Yunker’s Sanctuary at New York City’s Symphony Space during the Culture & Animals Foundation’s Compassion Arts Festival. ABOUT THE PLAY A dark comedy, Sanctuary tells the story of Richard…

Vegan SoulFest, the Black Veg Society,  Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month, plus fabulous vegan soul food restaurant, The Land Of Kush. What do all of these things (and more) have in common? Naijha Wright-Brown, that’s what. Join us to find out how Naijha does it all, and how she keeps it all edu-taining (education and entertaining) for her audience.  Plus, we have…

Ever wondered where the movement would be if we could just stop infighting? Melanie Joy joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her most recent work that aims to tackle the issue of infighting and to get activists communicating more compassionately. ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Melanie Joy (she/her) is an award-winning psychologist and educator and she’s the author of…

Factory farming octopuses? Hell, no! Laura Lee Cascada joins us to tell us what happened when she found out about a planned octopus farm in Hawaii and how she got to work putting an end to it. ABOUT OUR GUEST Laura Lee Cascada (she/her) has led environmental and animal protection campaigns for 15 years, overseeing victories like the protection of Virginia’s…

Do you ever wonder where all of the vegan veterinarians are? This week, we talk to one of the few, Daniela Castillo, about animal rights, wildlife conservation, environmentalism, and medicine for farmed animal rescues. ABOUT OUR GUEST Daniela Castillo is a veterinarian born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. She earned her Veterinary Medicine degree from Universidad Veracruzana and Master’s degre...

Philadelphia is known as a great destination for vegan food, but it wasn’t always so. This week we talk with Carmella Lanni, one of the activists who helps to cultivate the plant-based abundance Philly is known for via pop-up events and Philly Vegan Restaurant Week. ABOUT OUR GUEST Carmella Lanni is co-owner of V Marks the Shop, which operated  Philadelphia’s first…

Can factory farms become real farms growing real food? Of course they can! But they might need a little help. Tyler Whitley is here to tell us all about Transfarmation, a program of Mercy for Animals working with contract growers of chickens and other animals to help them get out from under corporate agribusiness and shift to plant-based production. ABOUT OUR…

Ever thought about eating a banana peel? Ok, that’s an extreme example (sort of) but if you want to know more, you will love this week’s interview with Max La Manna, a self-taught plant-based chef who is looking to end food waste with easy-to-recreate recipes that use every part of the ingredients. ABOUT OUR GUEST Born and raised in North America,…

What can we do to convince people to change their behavior? Strategy is always the hottest of topics amongst activists in the animal rights community. This week we are joined by Aidan Kankyoku of Pax Fauna to discuss just what it may be that is holding people back from behaving in a more pro-animal way. ABOUT OUR GUEST Aidan found their…

We love hearing from people around the world who care about animals, and this week’s guest definitely fills the bill. Tune in to hear about all of the work Musisi Mike, founder of Luv4All Uganda, is doing to grow compassion for both animals and humans, including running Uganda’s first all-vegan school. ABOUT OUR GUEST Musisi Mike is the Founder of Luv4All…

We love hearing what’s going on in the world of veganism and animal rights around the world, and this week we catch up with Gina Song Lopez, who is conducting research on the vegan and animal rights movement in Taiwan and China. ABOUT OUR GUEST Gina Song Lopez is a PhD candidate at the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies…

Strategy is a big topic of debate amongst animal activists. What is the best way forward to create the most change? Esther Salomon of Animal Think Tank joins us to discuss the strategies and many lessons the animal rights community can learn from other justice movements throughout history. ABOUT OUR GUEST Esther Salomon helped kick-start Animal Rising as a full-time member…

Every activist knows that journalists who are willing to cover serious animal stories are all too rare, but this week we will be talking to someone who has carved out a career doing exactly that. Freelance journalist and animal advocate Jessica Scott-Reid shares her experience in the world of animal-related journalism. ABOUT OUR GUEST Jessica Scott-Reid is a freelance journalist and…

There’s nothing we love more than talking to people who are saving animals in places we’ve never been to, and today we’ll be talking to Sneha Shrestha in Nepal about her extraordinary work saving dogs, helping farmed animals, and spreading veganism through her organization, Sneha’s Care. ABOUT OUR GUEST Sneha Shrestha is a prominent animal advocate and vegan activist based in…