I was vegetarian for 7 years, 1971-1978 because I believed it was important to living a spiritual life, and learned all nutrition . I gradually went back to eating animals except for cow's flesh. Yet vegetarian food remained a favorite. In spring of 2014, on Facebook I found a protest against a "pig rassle" by an animal rights group in Wisconsin (USA). These are like rodeos but for pigs, and in big mud pits. I was horrified by the cruelty, magnified because it was sponsored by a church. Through this protest I came across undercover videos of animal agriculture that shocked and disgusted me. I dove into researching more and very quickly went vegan, within a week. I learned about the many solutions offered by veganism to some of the most crucial, pervasive issues of our time. For me, living vegan is aligning my actions with the deepest values we all hold dear. It's about respecting all lives and being caregivers of the eatth.
During the first couple of vears, my advocacy was often driven by the outrage I felt in response to the inherent cruelty of all forms of commodifying sentient beings. Then I started a vegan food outreach business. BotaniCuisine. As my advocacy continued to evolve, I realized how important it is to build bridges of understanding, extending respect to those we want to reach yet maintaining an honest, uncompromising message.