• FARM Issues Last Call For Meatout 2006
• FARM and IDA Place Meatout Billboards
• FARM Launches AR2006 Community System
• FARM Publishes More Letters to Editor

FARM Issues Last Call For Meatout 2006

The first day of Spring and Meatout are right around the corner… on March 20^th. Is your community represented in the world's largest annual grassroots diet education campaign? Please visit our Events page to find out, then sign up on the Registration page.

There are still lots of things you can do:

Arrange a "Meatout Walk " to raise public awareness and funds for future Meatout campaigns. Walks are a fun and effective way to spread the Meatout message, meet other local activists, and get a workout. Visit the Walk page for tips, materials, and more.

• Arrange "Food Sampling" in front of your favorite neighborhood fast food outlet to alert customers to the delicious, healthful meat/dairy alternatives at their local supermarkets. Food samples are available from cooperating producers listed on our Manufacturers page.

• Arrange a "Meatout Lunch" at your workplace, church, school, or social event by ordering posters and handouts from us, then stopping at your local supermarket on the way to pick up some vegan snacks.

• Request the 7-min. Meatout DVD from Jen for your information table or other event (the $5 charge includes shipping).

• Finally, send the latest Meatout e-cards to bring the Meatout message and your personal greetings to family and friends.

As always, we provide guidance, national advertising and media liaison, exhibit and handout items, and an online Events Directory. You provide a few hours of your time and a lot of heart.

Please visit the Sponsors of this year's Meatout observance including In Defense of Animals, Overnight Prints, and The Vegetarian Site .

Please take a look at last year's event photo gallery, review the detailed guidance page, then register your event, even if your plans are tentative.

FARM and IDA Place Meatout Billboards

FARM & In Defense of Animals are placing 20 or more giant billboards promoting The Great American Meatout in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Tampa, and Washington.

These giant 22x11' billboards, attribute a sense of power and mainstream acceptance to our slogan "Save your life and theirs! ...one bite at a time." They are up for a month and are seen by millions of commuters 20 times.

We are also placing 28x11" display cards promoting our Vegetarian Starter Kits on more than 400 buses in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle, & Washington.

To sponsor a billboard for $300 please contact Shemirah at 800 MEATOUT.

FARM Launches AR2006 Community System

The Conference Community System for the Animal Rights 2006 Conference is slated to open March 15th.

The CCS, open to all Conference registrants, speakers, and exhibitors, is designed to greatly enhance your conference experience. In this password-protected cyber space, you will be able to:

j Search and review the profiles of other registrants.
j Chat with other registrants and the AR2006 Management Team about the program and other conference-related topics.
j Seek or offer rides, housing, employment, and even lunch or dinner dates.
j Arrange special-interest meetings during meal breaks or on Monday.
j Get the latest updates on the conference.

The 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 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, adjoins a botanic garden, and runs a free shuttle to the Metro and National Airport.

More than 60 speakers have already signed on, with an expected total of 100 from all factions of our movement. They include Lorri Bauston, Marc Bekoff, Michael Budkie, Lawrence Carter, Cat Clyne, Karen Davis, Karen Dawn, Alex Hershaft, Steve Hindi, Pattrice Jones, Elliot Katz, Greg Lawson, Anthony Marr, Lauren Ornelas, Charles Patterson, Sherry Schlueter, Richard Schwartz, and Paul Watson.

Program highlights will be an observance of our movement's 25th anniversary, eyewitness accounts of Katrina animal rescue, and a report on the daring Sea Shepherd fight to defend seals & whales. Traditional features include workshops, rap sessions, campaign reports, videos, exhibits, Newcomer Orientation, Employment Clearinghouse, Networking Receptions, and Awards Banquet. Several post-conference activities are planned for Monday, August 14.

Conference Sponsors and Supporters include FARM, In Defense of Animals, VegNews, Veg Times, Animal Acres, DawnWatch, E Magazine, & Satya.

To register for this anniversary event, go online or call 888-ASK-FARM. For hotel reservations, call 800 HILTONS and note Animal Rights Conference.

FARM Publishes More Letters to Editor

Since the beginning of this year, FARM reps published more than 400 letters to the editor on 4 topics in 180 U.S. newspapers. Last year's record figures were 2,000 letters on 20 topics in 328 newspapers.

This year's letters addressed new year's resolution, high cost of medical care, Coretta Scott King being vegan, and hazards of saturated fat.

Here are some excerpts:

"According to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, national cost of medical care has escalated to $1.9 trillion in 2004. Medical care now amounts to a record 16% of our gross domestic product, or $15,500 per household. The real tragedy is that most of the associated diseases are self-inflicted, through inactivity, smoking, and meat consumption. Yes, meat consumption. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 1.4 million Americans are killed prematurely each year by chronic diseases linked conclusively with consumption of animal products. That accounts for 56% of all deaths, with an associated cost in excess of a trillion dollars."

"Coretta Scott King spoke out for peace and nonviolence, racial and economic justice, minority rights, religious freedom, housing and educational opportunities, nuclear disarmament, and ecological sanity. Coretta Scott King was also a vegan, who eschewed all products of animal suffering, including meat, dairy, eggs, and leather. Her strong belief in peace and nonviolence extended to the violence perpetrated against billions of innocentt animals in America’s factory farms and slaughterhouses. Her passion for justice extended to animals abused, and killed for food, fur, research, and entertainment."

Letters to the editor are the second most read section of the newspaper after the front page. They are a most effective vehicle for bringing our message to millions of middle Americans not reached in other ways.

Please contact Jen to join our Letters network or to obtain the full text of selected letters, or visit our Letters page.