It’s All About Food Progressive Radio Network

Ellie Laks is the founder of the Gentle Barn Foundation, a national organization that rescues and rehabilitates unwanted animals and heals people with histories of trauma. She is an animal communicator, energy healer, TEDx speaker, educator, and the author of My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope. Ellie founded the Gentle Barn in 1999 and has since hosted hundreds of thousands of people who have come there seeking hope. She is the creator of Cow Hug Therapy as well as her Gentle Healing method, which allows old, sick, injured, and terrified animals to recover using a mixture of Western medicine, holistic healing modalities, holding therapy, and lots of love. Ellie lives at the Gentle Barn’s California location with her partner, Jay Weiner, who runs the organization with her. They have three children, hundreds of animals, and much to be grateful for. Ellie wants to spend the rest of her life improving the lives of animals and opening the hearts of humanity toward them in any way she can.More at GentleBarn.org and EllieLaks.com.

Bill Crain, Animal StoriesWilliam “Bill” Crain is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at The City College of New York. In 2008, he and his wife Ellen founded Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary in Poughquag, NY. The sanctuary provides a lifelong home to farmed animals rescued from slaughter and abandonment. Bill is the author of a major textbook in developmental psychology and other books and articles. In 2018, he received a PETA Hero to Animals Award for his efforts to protect black bears.

“If you can’t solve the problem, eliminate the problem!” was a favorite expression by Harold Hartglass, Caryn Hartglass’ father. H5N1, known as Bird Flu is a problem, that is only getting worse, spreading to at least 42 cattle herds in nine states, and infecting over 200 mammals. The government answer is to bailout industrial chicken farmers allowing them to kill their infected chickens, start over with a new batch, and pay them for their losses. The government is also paying cattle farmers to test their herds. This is a waste of taxpayer money and will not solve the problem. Bird flu is a symptom. Industrial animal agriculture is the problem, and this problem must be eliminated. Industrial animal agriculture is bad for many reasons, but to prevent the spread and mutation of this virus, which can be lethal to humans, this industry must be eliminated.
Robert Grillo, End USDA’s Bird Flu BailoutsAs an activist for all species (including the human ones), Robert Grillo has played the role of thought leader as well as front line activist, leading campaigns, large-scale protests and other creative actions since 2012. He has learned as much from academia as he has from the streets, from first-hand experience in grassroots activism. Most figures involved in social change are either academics on the theory side or activists on the practice side. Rarely do you find those who engage equally in both the theory and application, providing a unique perspective that bridges that gap between the two important sides of every movement.
Grillo is also the founder and director of Free from Harm, a non profit dedicated to advancing a plant-based food system and challenging the dominance of animal agriculture since 2009. He founded Slaughter Free Network in 2018 with the intent of building a powerful grassroots base and carrying out dramatic and innovative actions to capture the attention of media, public and food industry powerholders.  
American Journal of Lifestyle Magazine, Primary Pandemic Prevention, by Dr. Michael Greger
Michael Greger, Vegan MD
WHO, How does H5N1 influenza spread to people?
CDC, Current H5N1 Bird Flu Situation in Dairy Cows
Q&A on H5N1 Bird Flu
Take Action on the Farm Bill Workshop – REGISTER

Hartglass & De Mattei, What’s The Question?Caryn Hartglass and Gary De Mattei are back to ask the question to which there are so many wrong answers! Topics covered in the podcast: the recent ban on cell meat in Florida; morning routines and habits; featured NYC restaurants and bakeries; REAL’s Banana Date Walnut Oat Bread.
Links mentioned in the podcast:
A Little Night Music performances in Brooklyn.
Meat, Freedom and Ron DeSantisHow Far Should We Carry the Logic of the Animal-Rights Movement?
 

Mini Banana Date Walnut Oat Bread Loaves, Wheat-Free
Luanne’s Wild Ginger restaurant
Mia’s Brooklyn Bakery
Insomnia Cookies

Luke Wilson, Canary Clean ProductsLuke Wilson is the Founder of Canary Clean Products, LLC.
In this show Caryn reviews the recent story regarding Matthew Kenney, the celebrity chef who along with his companies have been named in dozens of lawsuits in at least nine states. She discusses recent news about octopus farming. Gary De Mattei joins in to talk about their favorite NYC vegan establishments that they visited yesterday on Caryn’s birthday, Earth Day, highlighting vegan entrepreneurs who are motivated by kindness, community and compassion.
Links mentioned in this program.
Angel Moreno, Caravan of Dreams
Vlad Grinberg, Organic Grill
A Trailblazing Ban On Octopus Farming Becomes Law In Washington State
Euroviews. Reckless and harsh octopus farming plans must be stopped
As Hawaii Takes Action Against Octopus Farm, Washington State Looks to Impose Its Own Ban
Read about Caryn’s birthday in Manhattan with all the food pics here.

Simon Lester, Pascha Chocolate, a REAL Favorite!Simon Lester is an Entrepreneurial CEO & strategist who focuses on consumer facing industries & investment opportunities. He founded PASCHA born from a desire to create the simplest, purest and most delicious chocolate, without any of the additives or ingredients that might trigger allergic reactions for those with food allergies or intolerances. More at PaschaChocolate.com.
  Listen to the IT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD interview with Simon Lester from 2015 for more on how Pascha Chocolate started and is made.
We created the The Chocolate Report in 2015. Some of the information has been updated since we made the report but all the issues highlighted in this program are important and things we all need to be aware of, including Child Slavery, Allergens, and Toxic Metals like Cadmium and Lead.
There are a number of class actions suits going on at the moment regarding Consumer Reports claims about toxic metals in chocolate. Recently, “a lawsuit accusing Trader Joe’s of failing to disclose that its dark chocolate products contain dangerous “heavy metals” was mostly dismissed by a judge. We will report on the cadmium and lead in chocolate issue once all these class action suits have ended.