Tell the Minnesota Renaissance Festival to Say No to Elephant Rides

The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is once again promoting elephant rides from Trunks and Humps. When an intelligent, social elephant is reduced to an amusement park ride, it degrades us all in light of what we know about their complex needs. Elephants move in big, open spaces, live in large herds, have extensive social networks, and show compassion for family members. In contrast, wild animals used for rides endure confinement, long journeys in cramped vehicles, brutal control methods, and physical violence.

People who jump at the chance to get close to these animals by buying rides probably wouldn’t if they knew about the suffering the animals endure. They plod in monotonous circles day after day with hundreds of pounds on their backs, for hour upon boring uncomfortable hour. The violence that goes into training animals used for rides is not seen by the public; elephants have to be made so frightened of the bull hook the handler carries that they will behave in front of spectators. You can see the bull hook close up in this photo from the 2017 MN Ren Fest. 

The Minnesota Renaissance Festival continues to feature these rides, despite their parent company having discontinued the elephant rides at its Kansas City Ren Fest. And this year they’re adding even more animal exploitation with an “Exotic Petting Zoo” with a kangaroo, an African porcupine, and a ring-tailed lemur among other animals that clearly belong in the wild. Email Minnesota Renaissance Festival owner Jim Peterson of Mid-America Festivals today and ask that the Ren Fest stop offering elephant rides.

The New Factory Farming: Aquaponics

Urban Organics is an aquaponic fish and produce farm based in the old Schmidt's Brewery building in St. Paul. This is the new factory farming, whose products are touted as local, organic, healthy, and sustainable, and sold at local co-ops and restaurants.

Sustainable for whom? Certainly not the fish who are kept in cramped spherical tanks, in which a constant current sweeps their waste into a system to fertilize produce grown indoors.

We look forward to the day when sustainability goes beyond the current narrow definition, which always seems to exclude the effects of animal agriculture on the animals themselves.

Save the Date for the 6th Annual Vegan Hotdish Cook-off: Brunch Edition

Have a delicious time at the 6th Annual Twin Cities Vegan Hotdish Cook-off on Saturday, October 13 starting at noon at the Fuller Park Recreation Center, 48th St. and Grand Ave. in Minneapolis. By popular request, this year’s cook-off will have a brunch theme! Original and creative recipes from area cooks will compete in two prize categories: Audience Favorite and Judge’s Choice. Our judge’s panel this year will include Casey David Muir-Taylor of J. Selby’s, Kirstin Wiegmann of Reverie Mobile Kitchen, and Kara Jean Breci of SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary.

We only have three contestant spots left (a $20 deposit reserves your spot and you will get this deposit back at the contest). All contestants will receive a participation prize. Email Andrew to reserve your contestant spot now! 

Farmers Market and Open Streets Outreach 

We lucked out and had beautiful weather at Open Streets Northeast. We showed our 4-minute Virtual Reality video about the lives of farmed animals, gave out samples of Primal Strips vegan jerky, and handed out Guides to Animal Free Eating.

The outdoor event season is still going strong and we have many farmers markets and Open Streets events this fall.

Email Ashley if you're interested in volunteering at one of these events. It's a great way to get the message out about how a plant-based diet is good for the animals, the earth, and one's health. The following dates and locations are coming up (shifts may be divided):

9/7 West Broadway Farmers Market 3:00-7:00 PM
9/8 Midtown Farmers Market 8:00 AM-1:00 PM
9/22 Midtown Farmers Market 8:00 AM-1:00 PM
9/23 Open Streets Nicollet 11:00 AM-5:00 PM
9/30 Open Streets University of Minnesota 11:00 AM-5:00 PM
10/5 West Broadway Farmers Market 3:00-7:00 PM
10/6 Mill City Farmers Market 9:00 AM-1:00 PM