• AR2006 $100 Registration Extended to April 2
• Meatout 2006 Sets New Participation Records
• Meatout Mondays Maintain Meatout Momentum
• FARM Launches Billboards in Seven Cities
• FARM Gears Up for Earth Day Outreach
• CHOICE Poised to Enact Florida Resolution

AR2006 $100 Registration Extended to April 2

The highly discounted $100 registration fee for the historic Animal Rights 2006 National Conference in the nation's capital has been extended through Sunday, April 2 for subscribers to FARM Campaign Updates.

You can now register online through our new Conference Community System (CCS) as well as by calling 888-FARMUSA or by sending a check with the Registration Form to FARM/AR2006, 10101 Ashburton Lane, Bethesda MD 20817.

The CCS, open to all AR2006 registrants, speakers, and exhibitors, is designed to greatly enhance your conference experience. In this password-protected cyber space, you will be able to:

j Complete your own profile
j Search and review the profiles of other registrants.
j Chat with other registrants and AR2006 Management.
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 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.

Program highlights will be an observance of our movement's 25th anniversary, as well as eyewitness accounts of Katrina rescues, Sea Shepherd's battles for seals & whales, and the SHAC trial. Traditional features include workshops, raps, campaign reports, videos, exhibits, Newcomer Orientation, Employment Clearinghouse, Networking Receptions, and Awards Banquet. Post-conference activities are planned for August 14.

Conference Sponsors and Supporters include FARM, In Defense of Animals, Animals Voice, VegNews, Vegetarian Times, Animal Acres, DawnWatch, E Magazine, Satya Magazine, and Impact Press.

Please visit our website, then register online or at 888-FARM-USA

Meatout Sets New Participation Record

A thousand communities in all 50 states and 28 other countries welcomed spring this month with colorful educational events ranging from information tables, exhibits, and lectures to cooking demonstrations, receptions, and elaborate “lifestivals.”

Visitors were asked to “kick the meat habit on March 20 (first day of spring) and to explore a nonviolent, wholesome diet of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.” The observance had widespread support from celebrity entertainers, health authorities, public officials, and the media.

Please check out our preliminary Meatout 2006 Report.

Meatout Mondays Maintain Meatout Momentum

Meatout Mondays is FARM's free, colorful weekly e-newsletter that delivers a delicious veg recipe, a vegan product or book review, a recent development in health/nutrition, and an inspirational message to new and potential vegetarians. It's a virtual support group for those who need some direction and encouragement in transitioning to plant-based eating.

Take a look at some recent issues. Then sign up your family, friends, and associates. Give them the gift of Meatout all year long!

FARM Launches Billboards In Seven Cities

FARM received donated billboard space from Clear Channel Outdoor in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Tampa, and Washington. All we have to pay is $300 for printing and posting.

These giant 22x11-foot billboards, confer a sense of power and mainstream acceptance to our slogan "Save your life and theirs! ...one bite at a time." They are are seen by thousands for one month, and bring hundreds of inquiries.

To sponsor a billboard for $300 please e-mail Jen or call 800 MEATOUT.

FARM Gears Up for Earth Day Outreach

FARM is gearing up for Earth Day on or about April 22 with the latest edition of our "Saving Our Planet" postcard. The cards explain the devastating impacts of meat and dairy production on forests and other wildlife habitats, on water supplies, and on air quality. Last year, you distributed 10,000 of these cards at dozens of Earth Day events across the U.S.

Please visit our Literature Request Form to order a pack of cards. Visit our Veggies for Ecology website for more information.

CHOICE Poised to Enact Florida Resolution

CHOICE prevailed on Florida Representative Susan Bucher to sponsor a House resolution urging all school districts and parents in the state to provide plant-based diets consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, as well as daily vegetarian entrée options. Several state health advocacy organizations have pledged their support. Similar resolutions were passed in the last two years by the Hawaii, California, and New York legislatures.

The California CHOICE Coordinator has been making great strides in getting students, parents, teachers, and school officials in the San Francisco Bay area to implement the California legislative resolution. She is compiling a compliance record throughout the state. She works closely with related efforts by PCRM, PETA, and other groups.

CHOICE continues to advise a number of parents across the country on how best to introduce vegan meals and nutrition education in local schools. The CHOICE website offers valuable guidance and news of the latest developments for students, parents, teachers, and school officials.

CHOICE postcards are available for distribution to interested parents and teachers. Several brochures are going into print shortly.

For assistance in introducing vegan lunch options in your school district, visit the CHOICE website, or e-mail Susan, or call her at 877-6 CHOICE.   Use our Literature Request Form to order CHOICE postcards for tabling.