Table of Contents

1. World Farm Animals Day Observed Globally
2. AR2006 Conference Set In DC August 10-14
3. Letters From FARM Cover Variety of Topics
4. FARM, IDA Run Joint Billboard Campaigns

World Farm Animals Day on October 2 (Gandhi’s birthday) has been exposing the devastating impacts of animal agriculture on animal welfare, environmental quality, and public health since 1983.

This year, hundreds of animal activists are hosting educational events in all 50 states and two dozen other countries. The latter include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Malta, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Spain, Tanzania, Uganda, and UK.
Typical events are information tables, video screenings, exhibits, street theater, leafleting, vigils, marches, and festivals.

Two dozen governors and mayors are issuing special proclamations calling for humane treatment of animals, sustainable farming practices, and a wholesome nonviolent diet. Hundreds of bus display cards and billboards in a dozen major markets will carry the World Farm Animals Day message. More than 50 letters to the editors of major dailies reflect public concern with this issue.

An all-night vigil is taking place at the flagship slaughterhouse of Smithfield Foods, which kills 20 million pigs per year. A vigil in Pine Ridge (AR) features a former Tyson Foods slaughterhouse worker.Marches to call attention to farmed animal abuses are being held in 50 U.S. and Canadian cities. Graphic factory farm and slaughter videos are screened from TVs mounted on cars and vans. Many activists are targeting KFC outlets to reduce mistreatment of chickens.

Boston, Charlottesville, Kansas City, Orlando (FL), and San Francisco are holding vegetarian festivals, with speakers, entertainers, exhibits, videos, and food samples. The Healthy Lifestyle Conference/Expo in Burbank (CA) features national nutrition experts and dozens of exhibits.

A number of people are planning WFAD events throughout October. Please visit WFAD.org for guidance, past events, and to register your event.

AR2006 Conference Set In DC August 10-14

The Animal Rights 2006 National Conference will be held on August 10-14 at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, a suburb of Washington, DC.

This is our most attractive venue since we started hosting the national animal rights conferences in 1981. The building has lots of sunlight, and we have the entire conference level. It is located on a small lake and adjoins a botanic preserve with running trails. It is located off I-395, just South of DC, and provides free parking and free shuttle to the Metro and National Airport.

For the 25th anniversary of the launch of the U.S. animal rights movement and the 10th anniversary of the March on Washington for Animal Rights, we are planning a very exciting program.

Please mark this date and look for more details on our website in January.

Letters From FARM Cover Variety of Topics

Since the beginning of the year, FARM's letter-writing network has published 15 letters to the editor promoting vegan eating in more than 200 different newspapers. The topics include Mad Cow disease, Dietary Guidelines, heart disease, Meatout, global warming, and hormones in beef and milk, antibiotics, EarthDay, Mother'sDay, breast cancer, milk and obesity, Independence Day, fall of Atkins diet, and bird flu. Here are selected recent excerpts:

Last week, a coalition of public health and environmental advocates petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ban the routine use of antibiotics in factory farms. FDA should ban the routine use of antibiotics in factory farms for those addicted to animal products. The rest of us should simply replace these products with vegetables, fruits, and grains. These foods are touted by every health advocacy group and were the recommended fare in the Garden of Eden.

The 25th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 should spur each of us to ensure that our irreplaceable natural environment will survive another 25 years. Meat production dumps more pollution into our waterways than all other human activities combined. It degrades our forests to pastures, feed cropland, then arid wasteland. It is the greatest threat to wildlife habitats and endangered species. This Friday, let’s celebrate Earth Day by replacing animal products in our diet with a rich, tasty variety of vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains.

This Sunday, May 8th, is Mother’s Day, when we celebrate the cherished bond between mother and child. But dairy cows, worldwide symbols of motherhood, never even get to see their babies. The newborn calves are torn from their mothers at birth and chained by the neck in tight wood crates. They are denied mother’s milk and love as well as natural food and water, fresh air and sunshine, straw bedding, or any movement. This Sunday and every day, we should honor motherhood by dropping veal and dairy from our diet.

Letters to the editor are a most effective vehicle for broadcasting our message. They are the second most read section of the paper after the front page. We estimate that our Letters From FARM program reaches 5 million readers in middle America who have few other ways to get our message.

Please contact Jen to join our Letters network or obtain text of the letters.

FARM, IDA Run Joint Billboard Campaigns

FARM and In Defense of Animals are running 25 billboards in five major markets: Wash/Baltimore, Philadelphia, Orlando, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles. The first series is depicted on the left. The second will feature vegan body builder Kenneth Williams, with the legend "Go Vegan and No Body Gets Hurt."

Billboards are a powerful vehicle for opening the eyes, minds, and hearts of American consumers to the tragedy of animal agriculture. Unlike newspaper ads or TV spots, they are seen by commuters every day for a month or more. They are a key component of our national grassroots education campaigns.

Please contact us to sponsor a billboard for a mere $250, as the space is donated by the billboard company.