“He’s a quail!” Aaron called from the computer. “A Japanese quail.” I looked at the brown ball of feathers in the cat carrier and cocked my head. The bird pecked at the walls and tilted his head, looking at me with one bright little eye. “Are you sure?” I yelled back. “He doesn’t look

My Japanese quail, Trevor, joined our family after we found him wandering our backyard in St. Paul, Minnesota. Trevor, like so many other “poultry species”, is a victim of the interest in backyard farming. He likely is an escapee from a farmer intending him for the dinner plate, or was dumped when recognized as a “worthless” rooster

In the discussion about “ethical eggs” it is rare to hear much about the cruelty inherent in hatcheries, or of the smallest victims of the industry: male chicks

In recent months and years many groups have been focusing on campaigns to turn consumers and companies away from battery eggs, asking that they replace them with “humane” eggs. Many consumers, appalled by the conditions chickens are forced to suffer at battery farms, have been attracted to (and/or totally confused by) labels such as “humane”, “cage-free”, “organic”, and more. But what exactly do all these labels mean, and do they actually help birds in a meaningful way

Wondering about iron in your vegan diet? Check out these 10 great sources of vegan iron!

As vegan issues become increasingly familiar to a mainstream audience, legislation all over the world is changing. Many organizations and individuals are working hard, every day, to fight for better rights and conditions for animals, for the eradication of the factory farming system, for the way large companies are marketing food to our children, and more

This week on the Vegan Mainstream blog we are talking about vegan cities, and what it’s like to live in a city where veganism is an accessible way of life. This afternoon look for an opinion piece from columnist Zoe Eisenberg on life in the city as a vegan, versus life in the country as a vegan. Other highlights this week include our infographic with YOUR answers to “what is the best vegan city in the US?” (Thursday), and features on some great vegan events in cities near you

Vegan products and companies are becoming increasingly commonplace in the mainstream marketplace (yay for us!!) and this week on the Vegan Mainstream blog, we have all kinds of interesting articles about great vegan products and great vegan companies. Watch out for guest posts from Cow Jones Industrial on changes in the fashion market that are moving us toward a kinder world, a piece from Sweet Earth about the increasing demand for healthy plant-based prepared foods, and more!

Doing  your own gardening – and doing it smart – is one of the ways vegans can save money on their organic produce. Plus, there’s no better way to know EXACTLY where your food is coming from, and how it has been grown. This week on the Vegan Mainstream blog we are going to be

Is being vegan good karma? Can vegans still earn bad karma? That’s what we’re talking about on Vegan Mainstream this week! Tune in this week for ways to avoid bad vegan karm, a guest post from vegan monk, Derrick Elkins, as well as an opinion piece on the ethics of pest control and the karma boomerang!