Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Until last Saturday, I had never been to a farm animal sanctuary. I have read about them, raised  money for them and revered their work from afar. It is like dreaming of visiting Greece….I can imagine how the olives will taste, how the Mediterranean sun will feel on my face, but until I am actually standing on Santorini I won’t really have the entire picture. That is how I felt on Saturday as I entered  Sasha Farm Animal Sanctuary.

We were attending their annual vegan chili cook-off.  We were invited to spend time walking the farm, meeting the animals and soaking in the entire afternoon. We weren’t  led emotionally or physically by volunteers of the farm. The animals were allowed to speak for themselves and they left me speechless.

The  serenity and love on the farm took on a life of its own. You could feel it in the air, see it in the faces of the animals and hear it in every oink, cluck and meow. Even through the chaos of a chili cook-off, cover band, face painters and fundraising, the atmosphere felt like sacred space. There was a reverence and appreciation in the air. It felt like gratitude.

Many of the animals I met were the same that I have worn, eaten and enjoyed throughout my life, but have never met in person. I had never seen a Texas Longhorn Steer, a 900 pound pig,

or witnessed an entire flock of sheep running through the grass.

I  befriended a turkey on the farm and he let me pet his wrinkly head.  He loved the affection and returned it by allowing me to stroke his feathers over and over as if he were a spoiled chihuahua.

As we walked around snapping photos, noshing on vegan chili and corn bread, a powerful thought came to me, these animals that had been destined for dinner or fashion boots had stories. In contrast, a meal, no matter how extraordinary is transient. The food comes and goes within 24 hours.

The animals I met that were previously destined to be our food or clothing had personalities that had developed through time and experiences. They had a story.  By consuming meat and dairy or wearing leather or wool, I had been placing more value on my desire for a temporary experience or a thing than the worth of the living beings it took to create those things.

It was such a stark revelation.  I would have thought that since I was already on the vegan  band wagon that  it would not have felt like news to me but I was stunned by how profound this basic realization felt. I didn’t see the coat or the chicken wings as having a previous existence. It did not occur to me that before they were on my plate or in my closet they had unique  expressions, movements or sounds all their own.

They had lives with day to day experiences, playing with other animals, responding to affection, until their lives were cut short to serve me.

The most powerful  revelation for me on this journey has been recognizing that I have a choice, we all do. We don’t have to continue to do what we have always done or eat the foods we have always eaten.  We can  choose to feed and cloth our bodies in ways that do not harm other living things. This can be through small changes one meal or one sweater at a time. It is now easier than it has ever been to find, purchase and enjoy foods and products that are free from animal products. These small steps not only change our lives but the lives of animals we may never have the opportunity to meet.  Their lives and experiences aren’t ours to take.

Tags: animal sanctuary, compassionate eating, compassionate products, going veg, plant based diet, SASHA Farm, trying vegan, trying vegetarian, vegan, vegan challenge, vegan experience, vegan wannabe, vegetarian transition