Central Florida Veg Fest features several great speakers on a variety of veg-related topics.
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Peggy Hoyt, Center for Animal Advocacy
The Legal Side of Living With Companion Animals (5:00 p.m.)
Companion animals are fully integrated members of our family. If our companion animals are valued, they should be included in our estate plans and durable powers of attorneys, as well as in our wills or trusts. Companion animal owners spend millions on veterinary care each year. If your companion animal is a victim of veterinary malpractice, what can you do? Learn how to protect yourself and your companion animals from veterinary malpractice. An important up-and-coming topic is new legislation for companion animals. The Florida legislature is considering a change to our law that would impose penalties for domestic violence against companion animals.
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Ellen Jaffe Jones, The Veg Coach
Eat Vegan on $4 a Day---a Game Plan for the Budget Conscious (11:00 a.m.)
Eating well doesn’t have to break the bank! Not only can a plant-based diet be good for your health, it can also be easy on your pocketbook. Celebrate a positive relationship with food, putting joy back into cooking, and never worrying about your food budget. Ellen will offer her favorite tips on how to save money, shop smart and eat well.
Ellen Jaffe Jones has been an award-winning investigative and consumer reporter, journalist and columnist. She has won 2 Emmys and the National Press Club Award for Consumer Reporting. She was also a financial consultant devoted to socially responsible investing. She has taught cooking classes for Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. She is a certified personal trainer and running coach. She is the assistant volunteer coach for the Manatee High School Girls Cross Country Team.
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Andrew Kirschner, The Humane Party of Florida
The Future of the Vegan and Animal Rights Movement (2:00 p.m.)
Andrew will provide some historical perspective about the animal rights and vegan movements, share personal experiences as a volunteer grassroots activist, discuss the impetus for his decision to run for U.S. Congress, and provide a framework for how best to serve the cause of human health, environmental protection, and animal rights.
Andrew Kirschner, Ed.D., a recipient of the Florida Teacher of the Year award, currently works as a university professor teaching educational leadership and law. He educates people about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle and the horrors of factory farming through leafleting, special events, school presentations, social media, and letter writing campaigns for various animal organizations. A voice for animal rights, environmental protection, human health, education reform, and fiscal responsibility, he recently received the Humane Party nomination to run as a candidate for U.S. Congress in the 22nd District of Florida
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Lynette Pate, Organic Infusion
OMG....GMO!!! We all have the right to KNOW! (12:00 p.m.)
Lynnette Pate will speak on the importance of “FUELING” your body with REAL/ORGANIC clean foods and enlighten the public of the truths and myths about how we can get our protein from plant based foods such as hemp and chia. I will also enlighten the public about what delusions have been provided from the food industry. What is your health worth to you? What is great energy and optimum weight worth to you? Priceless! Just because you choose to be vegetarian/vegan does NOT mean you are eating clean and healthy. Find out what the real culprit is lurking in your veggies. Those who control the food supply, control the people!
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Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, The Compassionate Cook
From Excuse-itarian to Vegan: Debunking Myths and Tackling Excuses (1:00 p.m.)
Whether you're already vegan and want to hone your communication and advocacy skills or you're veg-curious and want answers to the typical questions about veganism, you won't want to miss this inspiring and informative lecture. Combining humor and wisdom to tackle the most popular excuses for not eating a plant-based diet, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau leaves no rationalization unexposed and offers sound and practical tips for anyone who's ever said: "I tried eating vegetarian, but I just craved meat/dairy." "I don't eat a lot of meat/dairy/eggs." "I don't have time to chop vegetables." "What about protein?"
For over 12 years, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has guided thousands of people to becoming and staying vegan through sold-out cooking classes, bestselling books, inspiring lectures, engaging videos, and her immensely popular audio podcast, “Vegetarian Food for Thought.” Using her unique blend of passion, humor, and common sense, she empowers and inspires people to live according to their own values of compassion and wellness. Colleen is the award-winning author of five books, including the bestselling The Joy of Vegan Baking, The Vegan Table, Color Me Vegan, and Vegan's Daily Companion, debunking the myths surrounding a vegan lifestyle.
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Matthew Rice, Mercy for Animals
Effective Activism (3:00 p.m.)
Armed with the knowledge that adopting a healthy, vegan lifestyle means sparing countless animals almost unimaginable misery you may be eager to share your wisdom with the world – and more power to you! But if we want to have the greatest impact possible, we need to think strategically about the most effective ways to go about promoting veganism. We need to learn how to effectively talk with people without turning them off. This presentation is designed to give you the tools you need to most effectively advocate for animals.
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Sophia Seeramlal, Humane Education of Central Florida
Humane Education and Leadership (4:00 p.m.)
Learn about humane education and how it can be easily implemented into your classroom, your lifestyle and/or your community. Discover ways that you can become an empowered advocate for humans, animals and the environment.
Sophia Seeramlal, M.Ed, founded Humane Education of Central Florida (HECF) to inspire individuals to make informed and compassionate choices that are geared towards creating a humane and compassionate world. A graduate of the Institute for Humane Education, she currently works through HECF to teach presentations/ workshops to children and adults, and design/launch humane education centers at community festivals.
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