Stoke your Hope at Merry Lea's Autumn Conference on Climate Change
Mark your calendars for September 17-19, check out the conference program, read up on the presenters, and get your registration on file for a stimulating weekend of fieldwork and reflective discussion on the beautiful grounds of Goshen College's Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center in Wolf Lake, IN. Questions? Contact Jennifer Halteman Schrock, Coordinator of Public Programs. For more information on Mennonite efforts to work toward a more sustainable world, check out Mennonite Creation Care Network.

Thursdays Through October: Farm Fresh Produce at 1905 Madison SE (near Burton)
If you attended Bryant Terry's unforgettable cooking demo at Wake Up Weekend 2010, you're already aware of the problem of urban food deserts--places in the city where lack of access to fresh, affordable, healthful food threatens the well-being of the people who live there. Thanks to a partnership between the Kent County Health Department and the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, there's a new food oasis in town where fresh, locally-grown produce from regional farms and community gardens are available and EBT-Bridge Cards are accepted for payment. To become a vendor or to learn more about the market, contact Yvonne or Christy with your questions. Don't miss this important opportunity to help make widespread food autonomy a reality in our community!

Now You Can Visit the Farm without Visiting the Farm!
Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY, is one of my very favorite places to visit. I have wonderful friends in the area, the Finger Lakes are spectacular, and the sanctuary itself is an amazing place not only to become sensitized to the kinds of beings that farm animals are, but to enjoy the outdoors, the company of inspiring people, and genuine fellowship with other creatures. With the advent of their new Reel Life at Farm Sanctuary Video Series, it is now possible to enjoy a "trip" to the farm any old time the fancy strikes. Watch at your own risk, however, since you may well find yourself planning a trip there upon seeing what it's like.

Making All Your Comforting Favorites One By One
Inspired by the recent film Julie & Julia, Annie and Dan Shannon set out to veganize every recipe in the fabled Betty Crocker Cookbook. Follow their epic journey of veggie transformation from Cornbread and Bacon Stuffed Porkchops to Bacon Cheeseburger Hash and beyond at Meet the Shannons. All I can say is that Harvest Health better stock up on the Fakin' Bacon.

...the occasional Slurpee might work in a pinch.
For years, I've been dreaming of the day when vegan soft serve comes to Grand Rapids. There's nothing in the world like pulling that lever and watching that creamy vegan goodness wend its way into the cone or cup like a coil of frozen rope! Eating it isn't so bad either. For now, alas, vegan Grand Rapidians must take other measures, such as crafting our own alternatives at home (The Vegan Scoop: 150 Recipes for Dairy Free Ice Cream that Tastes Better Than The Real Thing can help with that), or scouring the streets of our fair city for free Slurpees on that one day in July when childhood dreams come true. According to The Chicago Rabbinical Council, the vast majority of Slurpee flavors are kosher and vegan, but you'll still want to choose wisely, as some of the "Yo-creme" flavors contain dairy (we didn't see any such flavors on our trek, but maybe they're out there). In any case, occasional use is probably the best bet, since high fructose corn syrup isn't exactly power food. Except on July 11, of course.

Mix a cocktail, grab an Adirondack chair, and read for the cause!
Consider injecting some purpose into your pleasure reading this summer by checking out care2.com's recommendations on Animal Rights Reading: A Top Ten Summer Book List. And if you've already devoured all of these suggestions or none of them particularly strikes your fancy, there's certainly no shortage of other possibilities, as scientists, theologians, legal experts, philosophers, physicians, dieticians, and activists continue to discover new and ever more compelling evidence in favor of the importance of compassionate eating. Those of us who wish to make a difference have an obligation to know what we are talking about and to be able to refer others to the best, most recent resources.

With New-England-style buns and fixins' galore, Jonny'z always on my mind!
Prepare to crave these hotdogs. If you've already been to Jonny B'z Dogs and More, then you know exactly what I mean; the merest recollection that these dogs are readily available just minutes away is enough to get me out the door at almost any time of day (until 2:00 am Thursday-Saturday, even!).

Dine-In or Carry Out
For those who fancy eating in, there's a spacious dining room tricked out in hotdog hues and adorned with flatscreens to facilitate watching those Tigers while you clean up the junkyard. We prefer to take these puppies out for some guerrilla doggin' in the streets, at the park, on a friend's porch, or in front of the telly, tee-vee-dinner-style. One time we even snuck them onto the patio for a nightcap at The Winchester (the kitchen was closed and it was after 'last call', okay?).

"Do-It-Yourself": Assembling The Vegan Junkyard Jonny
Here's how it works: Jonny B puts a jumbo vegan dog into a fresh-grilled New-England-style bun and then you tell him how to stack it up (anyway you want it!) for one low price of $3.39 per dog. My jam is to double-down on the Vegan Junkyard Jonny with catsup, mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, kraut, housemade Amish relish, sport peppers, haystack onions, and--new this week--Jonny's veg chili, concocted by special request to answer the call of his vegan die-hards for the perfect chili-dog! Set that GPS to 638 Wealthy Street SE without delay, and we'll see you at Jonny B'z!

Gut-Busting Vegan Eats. 200 Whiskeys. Authenticity Galore. Welcome to Stella's.
The good folks who brought us HopCat have done it again, this time with with a fist in the air for GR's ever-burgeoning vegan community. If the idea of getting your veg grub on at a punk-themed whiskey bar sounds strange, rest assured that your gustatory satisfaction is in very good hands at Stella's Lounge. General Manager Garry Boyd is the brew guru who took HopCat from zero to 3rd Best Beer Bar on Planet Earth in just over a year. And Chef Ryan Cappelletti is the creative juggernaut who helped to design essential elements of the original vegan menu at Brick Road Pizza, and who is as at home producing punk and hardcore records and directing documentary films on local Michigan beer culture as he is slinging wings and the best double-decker lentil burgers you've ever failed to get your mouth around.

Chef Ryan Cappelletti with the Inimitable "Hellbent for Lentils" Burger
Authenticity is in the details, and Chef Ryan is all about the little things. When you notice, for instance, that the 85% vegan menu boasts items from Little Rooster Bread Company, a local artisan bakery on the grounds of Lubbers Family Farm just outside Grand Rapids, you may think to yourself: "Wait a minute--I've checked the label and it isn't vegan!" Well, Ryan solved that problem by commissioning custom vegan buns that are made exclusively for the hot dogs at Stella's. Other notable details include murals by local artist Erwin Erkfitz, a seemingly omniscient jukebox, and a small arcade featuring two pinball machines and a half dozen upright video cabinets retrofitted to play over 100 classic games for a quarter a turn. Zaxxon anyone? Maybe Congo Bongo?



Not Just a Bar, but a Lunch and Dinner Destination
Skeptical? If you can scroll through the following without abandoning whatever you are doing and proceeding directly to the alley behind 53 Commerce, you've got a lot more will power than I do.

Blessed Black Wings (Vegan Chicken Wings)

Refuse/Resist (Vegan French Toast and Eggs)

Jigsore Quandary (Vegan Corned Beef)

For Whom the Dog Tolls (Vegan Dog) [blogger's note: best hot dog ever]

Hellbent for Lentils (Vegan Burger)

View from the Arcade
Hope to see you at Stella's ASAP! Let's show our new friends on the alley how much we appreciate the special treatment! Check out the full menu if you need further motivation.

In case you're shopping for a new favorite animal...
I could watch baby sloths all day. They're hugging stuffed animals, scratching their bums, and hanging about in hammocks. There's even one that looks like Yoda. I'm sold on sloth watching. Can't get enough sloth footage? Check out The Amphibian Avenger's recent post on Sloth Love.

Join in the Fun and Support Our Friends at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Those of you Wake Up Weekenders who had the privilege of attending Nekeisha Alexis-Baker's presentation on Racism, Sexism, and Speciesism back in 2009 know very well that anything she puts her hand to is well worth attending. That's why I thought you might like to know about a free concert she's promoting on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, IN, featuring Seth Martin and the Menders, a band of good old fashioned folk agitators with members hailing from all over the globe (have banjo, will travel!). Elkhart is just a short drive due south, but if you can't spare the time on a weeknight, you can still check out the music, fan them up on Facebook, and spread the good word to friends and family in or around Elkhart. What's the animal connection, you ask? Seth's got a song in the new documentary film The War On Animals. Check out the trailers here, but a word of warning--they are not for the faint of heart.