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http://www.vegparadise.com/

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In each issue Vegetarians in Paradise presents the 24

Carrot Award to an outstanding person or organization

that endeavors to practice or promote education,

natural health, wholesome nutrition, and ecology

techniques or the mutual benefit of humans, animals,

and the earth.

 

Vegetarians in Paradise proudly presents its 24 Carrot

Award to Joseph Connelly and Colleen Holland for their

work in establishing VegNews, a successful national

vegan newspaper that reaches over 100,000 readers each

month. Through their efforts they are achieving their

goal to " further the ethical vegetarian movement

through unity while promoting plant-based and

compassionate goods and services. "

 

What follows are the questions asked by Vegetarians in

Paradise (VIP) and the answers of Colleen Holland (CH)

and Joseph Connelly (JC).

 

VIP: What events led to the beginnings of VegNews?

 

JC: In December 1995 Dr. Neal Barnard gave a talk in

Syracuse, NY where I was living. Although there was no

vegetarian society in Syracuse at the time, Dr.

Barnard's talk was well received and well attended.

During the question and answer session at the end of

his lecture, someone asked if there was any local

group or organization where people could turn for

similar information after he left town.

 

One month later, in January 1996, I founded the

Syracuse Area Vegetarian Education Society, and with

it, a quarterly newsletter, The SAVES Paper. At the

time there were more than a half-dozen local,

independent veg groups in Upstate New York. Within

nine or ten months of leading a group and producing a

newsletter, I began to see the inefficiency, due to

overlap of efforts and limited resources, within all

of these organizations.

 

One example was newsletters. Most of the groups

produced their own bimonthly or quarterly newsletter.

Anyone who has ever put out a newsletter, even a

small, eight- or 16-page effort, knows that it is not

an easy task. Too much effort was being input for too

little output -- much like turning grain into flesh.

 

 

 

CH: By the end of 1996 Joe had an idea: Maybe these

organizations could produce one regional newsletter.

The western half of Upstate New York is known as the

Finger Lakes Region. Joe ran his idea by Gene Bauston

(last month's 24 Carrot Award winner!) of Farm

Sanctuary, which is also located in the Finger Lakes.

Gene even thought of a name for the project: FLAVORS,

or Finger Lakes Area Vegetarian Organizations. Gene

and Joe brainstormed for the next few years about

whether to do a newsletter or a regional calendar. For

one reason or another, FLAVORS never got off the

ground.

JC: But good ideas do not die. The thought of

producing a community-type periodical focusing on all

things veg remained. In 1999 I met Colleen, and

shortly thereafter visited California, where she was

living. At the time Colleen was on the board of the

San Francisco Vegetarian Society and active in the SF

vegetarian scene. Her professional background was in

marketing, and she had a wealth of experience with

graphic design and event planning.

 

The talent and experience needed to get VegNews

launched was in place. I moved to California in

December 1999, and on July 1, 2000 VegNews debuted.

 

VIP: What goals did you have when you initiated the

publication? Have those goals changed? We're curious

about the Vegan News Network. Could you tell us about

the organization?

 

CH: After Joe moved to California, he transformed

SAVES (the organization) into The Vegan News Network

and The SAVES Paper into VegNews. So when we speak

about goals, it is important to look at them in the

larger context of the organization, of which VegNews

is the initial project.

 

JC: The goals of VNN have remained consistent since

the beginning: To further the ethical vegetarian

movement through unity while promoting plant-based and

compassionate goods and services. VegNews does this by

promoting what other organizations are doing through

its Society Page program, where any organization,

small or large, can use VegNews as their group's

newsletter. We also promote any and all vegetarian

events in one of our two free calendar sections and

through sponsoring events throughout North America.

Whether through articles, product reviews, or

advertisements, promoting Vegan products and

Vegan-owned companies fulfills a third facet of our

mission. The goal is to encourage vegans and

vegetarians to support companies with values that

align with their own.

 

CH: A second project of VNN was the highly successful

Bay Area Veg Fair held in Santa Clara, CA in February

2002. This first-time event attracted over 4,000

people to a free food festival held at a modern

convention center in the heart of Silicon Valley. The

goals of the organizers were the same as VNN's, and it

was this dedication to the mission of furthering and

promoting Veganism that made the Bay Area Veg Fair a

stellar event.

 

VIP: What is the current circulation? What kind of

growth has the publication experienced?

 

CH: We print 40,000 copies of each monthly issue and

have a readership of over 100,000. VegNews has

experienced phenomenal growth during its first two

years, and we expect this to continue as more and more

people discover the publication and vegetarianism!

 

VIP: How much of your time is devoted to the

publication of VegNews?

 

JC: It seems like 25 hours a day, eight days a week!

We both work full-time on the project. A lot of our

time is spent in our home office, but we also do a lot

of traveling to promote the paper.

 

VIP: How much of your time is spent at trade shows to

publicize VegNews?

 

JC: We attend at least one trade show a month to

promote VegNews whether it is a one-day food festival

or a weeklong conference. Fall always seems to be a

busy season; between September 7 and October 26 this

year we will have a presence at nine events. Already

this year we have been to Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Los

Angeles; Seattle (twice), Vancouver, British Columbia;

and Washington, DC, in addition to our own fair in

Santa Clara, California.

 

VIP: Is VegNews currently self-sustaining? Was the

project difficult to finance at the outset?

 

CH: While printing and postage costs are extremely

high, currently the paper is supported by

subscriptions and advertisers -- vegan, of course --

and is thankfully self-sustaining.

 

JC: We work on a shoestring budget and have the

benefit of many wonderful writers, columnists, and

volunteers who generously donate their time and

services due to their belief in the project. In the

future we hope to receive grants and other funding

that would support the continued growth of the paper

as well as allow us to remunerate our contributors.

One of our goals is to help create a financially

sustainable veg community in which individuals could

combine their passion and livelihood rather than

working for a paycheck at an unfulfilling job only to

do activist-type work during their " free " time.

 

CH: We were blessed with support from both of our

families, including greatly subsidized housing, which

allowed VegNews to get off on the right foot. We

recently moved into our own home. Now comes the real

test. So, if you have not yet d to VegNews,

we would love for you to become a r today!

 

VIP: What were your occupations before VegNews?

 

JC: I've been self-employed for most of my working

career. For 15 years I was the proprietor of a music

memorabilia company. I also owned a small vegan baking

company and a companion animal sitting service.

 

CH: I worked for a marketing agency in San Francisco

before leaving to launch VegNews. We also do some

property management on the side to bring in a little

extra income.

 

VIP: Joseph, we understand you did quite a bit of

traveling in your pre-VegNews days. Can you tell us

about your work at that time and how you managed to

maintain your vegetarian regimen on the road?

 

JC: During the years that I owned the music

memorabilia business I was on the road constantly. It

was during this time that I transitioned from

meat-eater to vegan. I used to carry my food in my

vehicle, along with a blender, hot plate, and

dorm-sized refrigerator. I knew where all the health

food stores and veg restaurants were in whatever town

I was in. This was in the time when there were far

fewer products than there are today, and they couldn't

be found in " mainstream " grocery stores.

 

Looking back now I can see how colorful a story this

is, but then I was young and foolish. I'm still

foolish. All kidding aside, I was determined to be

true to my new lifestyle, and I hope my story can

assist others who fear that changing their diet would

be too difficult. It's not. Today, it's actually easy,

and it is getting easier all the time.

 

VIP: Tell us about your education. Are you using your

education in your current endeavors?

 

CH: I graduated from UCLA with degrees in Sociology

and Asian Studies. I also have a Culinary Arts Degree

from the Natural Gourmet Cookery School in New York

City. I believe any education is useful in our daily

endeavors, even if not in a direct way. My interest in

Asian history and culture led to post-graduate travels

through Asia. That's when I experienced tremendous

personal growth and became vegan.

 

JC: I have a Liberal Arts degree from the State

University of New York and have taken post-graduate

courses in several disciplines although most of my

education has been self-taught from simply believing

in myself and diving into a project. Neither of us has

taken any journalism courses!

 

VIP: What previous experiences did you have in writing

for publications?

 

JC: Prior to The Saves Paper, I wrote book reviews for

the North American Vegetarian Society's Vegetarian

Voice magazine.

 

CH: I did a lot of writing and editing at my previous

company but never contributed to any publications

prior to VegNews.

 

VIP: What personal goals have you set for yourselves?

 

JC: We feel that the projects of the Vegan News

Network is our contribution to making the world more

compassionate and conscious. We also want to help the

many budding vegan companies promote their products

and services and to see them thrive. And most

importantly, to live fulfilling, balanced, and happy

lives.

 

VIP: Can you tell us about your personal odysseys that

brought you to veganism?

 

CH: I became vegetarian in high school. I couldn't

stand the taste and smell of meat and decided to

totally eliminate it from my diet. I went through

college as a lacto-vegetarian.

 

One week after graduating from UCLA, I left on a

two-year journey through Asia. I taught English in

Japan and then traveled all over China, Hong Kong,

Southeast Asia, and India. I lived on a traditional

Asian diet and had no dairy during my trip. I

befriended an Indian family in Japan who were

advocates of alternative medicine. The grandfather had

been cured of cancer by juice fasting.

 

During my free time, I began to read books about

non-conventional approaches to health and learned

about the problems with dairy products and the

political power held by many US organizations. Feeling

healthier than ever, having not consumed dairy in

months, I decided to become vegan.

 

Upon my return to the US, a Whole Foods Market had

just opened less than a mile from my parent's home. I

discovered all of the new milk alternatives and

wonderful array of vegan foods. I took some vegan

cooking classes and eventually enrolled in the Chef's

Training Program at the Natural Gourmet. I also became

involved with the San Francisco Vegetarian Society. I

have been vegan for eight years.

 

JC: I was influenced by a People for the Ethical

Treatment of Animals mailing that listed " 10 Things

You Can Do To Help Animals. " One item on the list was

" Go vegetarian. " My initial thought was " What's that

got to do with helping animals? " My cat soon provided

the answer, and I was veg shortly thereafter. So it

can be said that VegNews was partially influenced by a

piece of " junk " mail!

 

VIP: What organizations do you belong to and support?

 

JC: Other than leading VNN, we are members of the San

Francisco Vegetarian Society. Personally or through

VegNews, we support many local and grassroots

organizations. In the most recent issue of VegNews we

spotlighted five up-and-coming organizations:

AmeriCAD, Compassion Over Killing, Mercy for Animals,

Students Animal Rights Alliance, and Viva!USA. We also

try to support organizations around the country with

discounted or in-trade advertisements for events they

are coordinating.

 

VIP: How do your family and friends react to you being

vegan?

 

JC: Both of our families are very accepting, though

jokes are still made. Since Colleen loves to cook,

everyone has enjoyed a fair share of her vegan

cuisine.

 

CH: My brother is now about 90 percent vegan, and my

other two other siblings are extremely health

conscious and watch their meat and dairy consumption.

Thanksgiving is now vegan except for a small turkey

left in the kitchen which two or three family members

serve to themselves before sitting down.

 

JC: Most of our friends are vegetarians and vegans.

When dining with non-veg friends or family, we choose

a restaurant that can accommodate everyone. As we live

in such a veg-friendly area, this never presents a

problem.

 

VIP: What individual or individuals has had the most

profound influence on your lives?

 

CH: Actually, Joe and Dog have had the most impact on

my life. I was vegetarian and then vegan for many

years, motivated mostly by politics, the state of the

environment, and health. It was Joe and Dog who have

brought out my love for animals and burning desire to

eliminate their suffering. I am now totally driven by

promoting the ethical treatment of animals.

 

VIP: What do you predict for the vegan movement in the

next ten years? What do you see as your role in that

movement?

 

JC: The movement will continue to grow as the issues

of the poor treatment of animals, unhealthy and

contaminated foods, environmental destruction, and

many others become more open and discussed in public.

Just recently (July 2002) these issues have received a

cover story in Time, significant coverage in the New

York Times, and segments on national newscasts. The

tide is changing slowly but significantly. Young

people ages 10 to 20 know the issues and are becoming

veg; this was not true as recently as 15 years ago.

 

CH: Over the next ten years we see Veganism becoming

more accepted, just as vegetarian diets have become in

recent years. There will be fast-food veg restaurants

in every city, and all of the major cow-burger chains

will have at least one veggie burger on their menus.

More people will discover and support organic foods.

And as is already happening in the LA-area, major veg

and animal rights conferences will " discover " the West

Coast.

 

VIP: What brought the two of you together?

 

JC: We met at a conference, NAVS's annual Summerfest.

Certainly both of us being Vegan was very important,

as neither of us would want to be with a non-veg

partner.

 

CH: My involvement with the SFVS and Joe's role with

SAVES also played a significant role in our

partnership and the birth of VegNews.

 

VIP: What activities do you enjoy in your leisure

time?

 

CH: I like to walk, practice yoga, cook, dine at

vegetarian restaurants, and salsa dance. I also love

to travel to developing countries and watch foreign

films.

 

JC: I enjoy writing, jogging, reading, traveling,

gardening, watching movies, and an occasional baseball

or hockey game.

 

VIP: Do you have any companion animals?

 

JC: When I was growing up, my family had dogs who I

always seemed to bond with more so than my siblings.

After college I was living on my own and a friend

brought me a kitten that she had found at a garage

sale. Because I thought I was a dog person, I named

that kitten Dog. Forgive me, I was young.

 

That was September 1984. Dog has been my constant

companion ever since. At the moment she is lying on my

desk, as she does daily, checking to make sure I don't

do or say the wrong thing. She supervises all aspects

of VegNews. Last week we celebrated her 18th birthday.

 

 

Dog was my first companion after the canines of my

youth. She has outlived six other cats, two rabbits,

and a dog. She has truly had nine lives. In much the

same way as Eddie Lama, the subject of the documentary

The Witness, I too was transformed by a kitten.

 

Dog is the most intelligent and perceptive individual

I have ever been around. There is not a thing she

doesn't understand, and she can always explain what

she is thinking. She can communicate better than most

people who speak a recognizable language. My exposure

to her deep intelligence completely changed my life.

Shortly after she came to me, I started volunteering

at an animal shelter. One thing led to another and the

path toward veganism and VegNews began.

 

While I have read Gandhi, Schweitzer and many others,

and worked alongside most of the leaders in the

contemporary veg and AR movements, the one person who

has had the most profound influence on my life,

because she was so able to bridge the gap between

humans and non-humans, is a cat named Dog.

 

For a free sample copy of VegNews, or to ,

email [subscriptions].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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