getting some love from Grace at the 2011 Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down

Every year in Watkins Glen, NY there is an event that turns the quiet little town into a bustling mecca of vegandom. The Glen is known to many as a NASCAR hot spot, or perhaps a place to get buzzed while buzzing around between wineries, but for those looking to have a deeper experience the Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down is something truly special.

I arrived on Friday night and set up my tent and then hung out by the camp fire, serenading myself and whoever else wanted to listen with my ukulele. I was so happy to be at the farm after a long absence that I stayed up till almost 4 a.m. I made some new friends and hung out beneath my old friends, the moon and stars.

Saturday at the Hoe Down offered a fine line-up of vegan speakers and workshops, which this year included Crazy Sexy Cancer survivor (or thriver, as she would say) Kriss Carr, vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke, Farm Sanctuary co-founder Gene Baur, sanctuary animal caregiver Susie Coston,  FS Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives Bruce Friedrich, humane educator Zoe Weil, author Victoria Moran, cooking demos, and more.

At night the farm transformed into one of the best vegan parties around. The transition period included a cocktail hour with live music, a showing of the documentary Forks Over Knives, and a Hilda Club tour to visit the critters on the farm around twilight (a magical time on the farm). Gene Baur gave a presentation on his trip across the country in the VW van that he once sold veggie dogs at Grateful Dead concerts from to finance the farm. Kindfood from Ontario presented Gene with a beautiful cake to commemorate Farm Sanctuary’s 25th anniversary.

cake by Kindfood in Ontario commemorating Farm Sanctuary's 25th anniversary

Once darkness was firmly established the contra dancing began in the People Barn, and the crazy vegans started to let loose. Soon after a live DJ took over and the rowdy dancers shook the rafters of the barn, earning the right to call this party a hoe down. Simultaneously another camp fire began outside for those who didn’t want to dance, or who needed to take a break to roast their vegan marshmallows. That fire went on long after I fell asleep exhausted.

Most of us camped in tents and we all enjoyed big meals served on the deck of the People Barn. Sunday morning featured a yoga class led by Katya Burns, a coffee talk with the Farm Sanctuary staff, and breakfast. I got to spend some time with Gene and Susie out on the farm, and recorded an interview for an upcoming episode of Vegan Radio. By lunch there were torrential downpours, whose melodious pitter-patter struck a soothing symphony on the tin roof of the People Barn. I had to pack my tent up during the deluge, so I got a free shower before my ride home, which my fellow travelers appreciated. I am so blessed to be part of this vegan revolution.

Be sure to check out my new galleries of sanctuary farm animals. You can click this link to see only the photos I added to the galleries from the Hoe Down.

Here are my favorite photos from the event on flickr:

Dana takes a delicious taste of shaved watermelon at Karma.

The world spins too fast sometimes. I cover the souls of my shoes with velcro and still I can’t hang on. The hottest day seem to go the fastest, as if Sun is exciting Earth with his radiant splendor, making her molecules vibrate faster. We all benefit from Sun’s frolics with Earth. From their union we are blessed with an abundance of fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. Bees and butterflies and little creepy crawlies chip in to help spread life all around. The farm share I split with a friend is so abundant with fresh organic food I can barely keep up with eating it all. In our backyard we pick cherry tomatoes and wrap basil leaves around them for a succulent snack. Life is good.

There is a beauty eating plants fresh from the soil. Plants hold Sun in their cells. They hold Rain. They transmit minerals and medicines from Earth into our bodies. They have enzymes and wisdom. Cooking them may not always be bad, but it can diminish the flavor, smell and nutritional splendor of fresh veggies.

A new vegan raw foods restaurant called Karma is opening today in Northampton. It is an ambitious project with a restaurant, a juice bar, a store, and eventually a yoga studio and body work offices. Karma will be serving raw vegan dishes, as well as a few cooked vegan menu options. The juice bar will serve wheatgrass shots, green drinks, smoothies, teas, various elixirs and purified charged water. I will be working there in the juice bar and in the kitchen, learning new skills and sharing old ones.

On Saturday August 7th Karma had an invite-only dinner to try out some of their recipes on guests. I was able to get some friends from the local vegan and raw foods communities on the guest list. They were all impressed with the atmosphere of the restaurant and the delectable flavors offered in the dishes.

The food was presented in a five course meal. The first course was a salad featuring organic greens with onions, carrots and an oil & vinegar dressing. Next was a “palate cleansing’ with shaved frozen watermelon juice, which was amazingly good. The third course was tomatoes layered with sliced zucchini, almond cheese, basil and olive oil. It was heavenly. The fourth course was zucchini noodles covered in tomato marinara sauce with a cashew cream mushroom alfredo tossed with carrot and butternut fettucine. And finally the raspberry coconut cashew cheesecake in an almond crust, simply divine.

Karma opens today and I will be working my first juice bar shift. I hope you will stop in to say hello and treat yourselves to some life-giving deliciousness.

Karma owners Coree and Brian with assistant chef Rin

A view of Karma dining from above

Christopher Phillips with his two daughters Sky and Sirena

Oh Sweet Mama Megan Shackelford arrives with her friend Paul

]]> http://derekgoodwin.com/2010/08/a-taste-of-karma/feed/ 0 http://derekgoodwin.com/2009/11/farm-sanctuary-thanksgiving-nyc/ http://derekgoodwin.com/2009/11/farm-sanctuary-thanksgiving-nyc/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:49:27 +0000 Derek Goodwin http://derekgoodwin.com/?p=599 Last Weekend I went to New York City to photograph the Farm Sanctuary Thanksgiving Dinner at the Tavern on the Green, which is located in Central Park. I was looking forward to hearing the talk by guest speaker Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything Is Illuminated and the new and controversial book Eating Animals. I first [...]]]>

Jonathan Safran Foer speaking at the Farm Sanctuary Thanksgiving event in NYC

Last Weekend I went to New York City to photograph the Farm Sanctuary Thanksgiving Dinner at the Tavern on the Green, which is located in Central Park. I was looking forward to hearing the talk by guest speaker Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything Is Illuminated and the new and controversial book Eating Animals. I first heard of the book when news of it convincing Natalie Portman to go vegan was circulating around the Internet (Anyone who knows me knows I am a big fan of Ms. Portman). All the buzz around the book was surely one of the reasons the event sold out so quickly.

Performance artist Laurie Anderson introducing Mr. Foer

I have had a chance to read Eating Animals since the event, and it is pretty good. I think it will get lots of people thinking about veganism, and the atrocities of factory farming. I can’t say I agree with Mr Foer completely in his views and ethics, as he still condones some forms of animal exploitation even if he does not participate in them. It seems he avoids products from factory farms and is vegetarian, but is not completely vegan.

I find the strong points in the book to be his critical insights into the power of tradition in influencing what we eat and the stories we create around food. His book and his talk at the event revolve around his grandmother who is Jewish and spent the final years of WWII running from Nazis and scavenging for food, but who would not eat non-kosher meat even to save her own life. Her explanation was that “If nothing matters nothing’s worth saving”. In this Foer finds the kernel of reason that should convince us all not to support factory farms and to boycott their products. I applaud him for calling Michael Pollan out on his wobbly ethics, pointing out in Eating Animals that Pollan will still eat factory farmed food even though he knows the facts. Like Pollan, many people who believe the myth of humane meat will try to eat only “free range” or “organic” meat but are easily swayed into eating factory farmed meat when it is inconvenient to get the feel good flesh. Humane meat, besides being a ridiculous concept, is a slippery slope. My belief is that the commodification of animals always leads people to a system that is oppressive, violent and unnecessary. We are better off evolving towards a more compassionate and sustainable way of being in the world. Foer may find my stance unrealistic, but I am a visionary and not a skeptic. We need a critical mass, and soon.

Below are some of my favorite photos from the event. If you would like to see more check out my flickr page, but I would love to have you comment on this page first!

Thanks to my friend Andreas for putting me up Saturday night and buying me dinner!

Danielle Konya from Vegan Treats poses in front of King Kong. She says she loves gorillas.

Farm Sanctuary co-founder Gene Baur giving a thankful talk.

Farm Sanctuary’s new Executive Director Dr. Allan Kornberg gives a brief talk.

A close up of Jonathan Safran Foer

A plate full of decadent vegan deserts, mmmmm…

Me with Gene Baur and my good friend Paul Saccone

I interviewed Emily from Baby Cakes for an upcoming episode of Vegan Radio

Here I am with my dearest Farm Sanctuary friends: Samantha Ragsdale, Gene Baur and Susie Coston

Buy the Books!

Turkeys like to eat their greens

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary traditionally holds its annual Thanksliving event in November to coincide with the turkey massacre we know as Thanksgiving. They rent a huge banquet tent and heat it up nice and toasty for the hundreds of guests, who get to eat a wonderful catered vegan meal and listen to interesting talks by renown animal rights activists and vegan advocates. The highlight of the event is meeting the animals on the farm and feeding the turkeys a feast that contains squash, cranberries, lettuce, and other yummy whole foods that any turkey would enjoy. As you can see in the photo, the turkeys really enjoy this part of the event. The only down side is that in Woodstock NY when it is the last week in November it is usually pretty cold, it gets dark early, and it is even likely to snow.

This year the organization decided to have the event a month earlier so that there was a better chance of good weather. It was a great plan, since there would also be luscious fall foliage as a backdrop, and some extra daylight to enjoy. Leading up to the event it looked like it was going to rain and be crappy, but luckily Mama Nature came through and although it was a little overcast it was lovely, and the heaters inside the tent kept it warm enough where a working photographer would be fine in a tee shirt.

Turkeys forming a heart shape to show their appreciation

The event was well organized this year, and although I heard rumors of some near misses to me it seemed smooth like vegan chocolate syrup pouring into a soy mocha latte. The ever weird and witty comedian/comic/board member Dan Piraro MC’d the event. He projected strips from his syndicated comic Bizarro onto the wall of the tent and made random deadpan comments about them, weaving us all into his surreal twisted worlds as soymilk sprayed out our nostrils.

The featured speakers were Nathan Runkle of Mercy For Animals, John Phillips of the NY League of Humane Voters, and sanctuary cofounder and director Jenny Brown. Also in attendance were Sharon Gannon and David Life of Jivamuki Yoga and Joshua Katcher of The Discerning Brute. The amazing and effervescent band Ida played a couple sets as well, on a stage that seemed to be made of hay bales.

The highlights for me were getting to visit with old human and animal friends, eating the hearty vegan food, being brought to tears once again by Jenny Brown’s keynote, and winning a Comedy Central DVD set in the raffle. The vegan pumpkin cheesecake by Vegan Treats was freaking amazing too… all in all I think it was the best Woodstock Thanksliving so far.

duck by new duck pond	giving a turkey some love
kissing pigs	Ed Coffin from Vegan Drinks Philly
Chocolate Cake and Pumpkin Cheesecake by Vegan Treats	Jenny Brown and Doug Abel receive award from Ulster County Legislator Brian Shapiro
Dan Piraro talks with his mouth full	Sarah Peters and Gena Hamshaw volunteering
Dylan shows off his fancy steer tongue	Zaac chasing me around the kitchen with mushrooms
Hiding a lollipop from the turkeys	John Phillips of the NY League of Humane Voters

Farm Sanctuary is the original farm animal sanctuary in the U.S. founded in the mid eighties by a couple of vegan activists who made money selling soy hot dogs at Grateful Dead shows. One fateful day they rescued a sheep named Hilda from the Lancaster Stockyards “dead pile” and needed to find her a home. In the years since Farm Sanctuary has rescued thousands of animals, operates two sanctuaries, and has grown into one of the largest animal rights organizations in the country.

For a vegan the place is truly paradise, seeing farm animals living their full lives with dignity and the chance to be happy. I have been to photograph the sanctuary in Watkins Glen NY many times over the last decade. It is my retreat to nature. The animals give me inspiration to lead an ethical life. I try to render them photographically in a way that will give the viewer a direct experience of their being. Hopefully my photographs will influence people to choose compassionate lifestyles centered around a vegan diet.

The Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down is a chance for vegans and vegan curious people to get together. People like me come from all over the place to build solidarity and to celebrate our veganity. There are speakers and workshops, farm tours, food, and plenty of other activities to participate in during the weekend. Most participants sleep in tents on the farm, but some choose to stay in hotels nearby. On Saturday night there is a big dance party with more food as well as beer and wine. It is really fun to see people let loose. I get the added benefit of being able to put on a hula hoop performance that freaks people out every time.

I did not photograph the dance this year, I like to be able to put the camera down and enjoy myself. I did photograph the daytime activities as well as some farm animals. I hope you will enjoy the photos in this post. If you would like to see more my photographs of people and speakers are hosted on my flickr account and the photos of animals are hosted on my Pictage account where they can also be purchased. Please leave some comments on this site for me!

Jenny Brown, co-founder of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, with a Rooster

I have been friends with Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary’s founders Jenny Brown and Doug Abel since a bit before they started working on the sanctuary in 2004, and have been blessed to watch it grow into the wondrous hippy hipster refuge for rescued critters that it is today. It somehow still feels strange for me to go to the events at the farm when the animals we call people outnumber the people we call animals. The time I spend there photographing the animals is typically peaceful and meditative as I try to imagine the world through their eyes and understand who they are. There is plenty of commotion; grunting pigs, chickens and roosters chasing each other around squawking, goats bleating and maybe a cow’s ruminating bellow sounding above the crowd. And of course there is Jenny Brown making her rounds chatting with the animals and orchestrating the day to day chores involved in running a farm animal sanctuary. Still, with the mountains all around and the immense importance of what is being done here, it feels somehow quiet and relaxed.

By contrast, the June Jamboree is an event bristling with families and activity, live music and amazing vegan food being served by celebrity chef Isa Moskowitz. There are lots of people I know, social responsibilities to attend to, foods to sample, pictures to take and potty breaks. For some reason I tend to spend less time with the animals when there is an event going on (except for the ones with opposable thumbs). It is heartwarming to see kids and animals bonding, and wondering if they will grow up to be compassionate and wise. I photograph these interactions because I know they will be used to bring people and donations to the farm, even though it feels a little intrusive sometimes. Usually I just put on a big lens and stay in the background, but sometimes I have to come in close with my wide angle to see what’s up.

I had originally hoped to attend this event with the Vegan Bus, but as it turned out the bus was in the shop getting new brakes, and so my friend Meredith drove me down along with my friend Scott and her friend Wendy. It is fun to be in a car full of vegans and the two plus hour drive through the Berkshire Mountains and into the Catskills went quickly. It was Wendy and Meredith’s first time visiting WFAS, and they were both moved by the experience. Scott seemed to enjoy himself as well, didn’t you Scotty? I thought so.

Anyway, here are some photos of the trip, hope you enjoy them and will be encouraged to visit, donate, volunteer, or send some love.

See all of the photos on my flickr account.