Our Hen House

The Standard American Diet—heavy in dairy and meat products—has long been known to contribute to chronic, diet-related illnesses, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Long-time vegans know this quite well, but what about the general public?  Dr. Ted Barnett and Carol Barnett join the podcast to discuss the Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute and how they support those looking to switch…

Last autumn, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game canceled the crabbing season for the Alaskan snow crab for the first time in history after the crustaceans’ population dropped an astonishing 87 percent. This is only one of the stories recently covered in depth by ecologist and journalist Spencer Roberts, who joins us on the podcast for an overarching conversation about…

Just five years ago, a very small herbivorous chef who resides in a modest tree stump took Instagram by storm, impressing thousands with his culinary expertise and tiny, plant-based eats—and he hasn’t slowed down since. In fact, he even helms his very own show on Nick Jr. The Tiny Chef has captured hearts worldwide, and this week, director and animator Rachel… The post The Tiny Chef! w/ Rachel Larsen appeared first on Our Hen House.

In September of 2021, Alicia Santurio and Baywatch actor Alexandra Paul rescued Jax and Ethan, two gravely ill chickens, from a transport truck heading for a slaughterhouse owned by Foster Farms. The activists faced misdemeanor charges for petty theft, and this March, they stood before a 12-person jury as part of a nine-day trial, previously unheard of for such charges.  Alexandra… The post The Foster Farms Rescue and Trial, w/ Alexandra Paul and Alicia Santurio appeared first on Our Hen House.

Since its founding in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has advocated for farmed animals and large-scale institutional reform with the ultimate goal of removing animals from the food system. Senior Director of Advocacy Aaron Rimmler-Cohen joins the podcast this week to discuss Farm Sanctuary’s Food Systems Shift program. In our conversation, Aaron discusses the disastrous policy of government subsidies of animal products and… The post Farm Sanctuary’s “Food Systems Shift” w/ Aaron Rimmler-Cohen appeared first on Our Hen House.

Humor can be a powerful tool to promote change – and vegan actress and musician Kate Nash knows how to wield it to hilarious effect. We’re thrilled to welcome Kate for a discussion about her recent film, Coffee Wars, which manages to deliver a powerful pro-animal message while, at the same time, making everyone laugh. As we all know, that’s not… The post Coffee Wars w/ Kate Nash appeared first on Our Hen House.

Dr. Milton Mills, a prominent advocate for plant-based diets and a practicing physician, joins us this week for an in-depth discussion about the misconceptions surrounding vegan diets and how such misunderstandings have evolved over time. Dr. Mills, who offers extensive evidence that humans aren’t innate omnivores, thoroughly debunks the myth that humans need meat to be healthy and explains how taking… The post Plant-Based Nation w/ Dr. Milton Mills appeared first on Our Hen House.

Did you know dietary supplements often contain hidden animal-based ingredients, and there are no requirements for this to be disclosed on the label? This week, Terraseed founder Maria Cebrian joins the podcast to discuss vitamins for vegans and the challenges of sourcing high-quality plant-based ingredients and truly eco-friendly packaging. She also describes how Terraseed has partnered with Animal Save Movement for… The post Supplements without Suffering w/ Maria Cebrian appeared first on Our Hen House.

When Marcus Daniell isn’t on the tennis court winning Olympic titles, he’s focused on high-impact charitable giving. He joins us on the podcast from New Zealand for a conversation about his organization, High Impact Athletes, which helps athletes create world-changing impacts through charitable donations. In our discussion, Marcus details athletes’ historical donating patterns and how High Impact Athletes helps connect them… The post High Impact Athletes w/ Marcus Daniell appeared first on Our Hen House.

Before he was a cat rescuer, Sterling “TrapKing” Davis was a rapper—a unique trajectory in the field of animal rescue. Sterling—who dedicated himself to improving the lives of stray cats after a lifelong connection to them—joins us today for a delightful conversation about, among other things, trap-neuter-return (TNR) and how he’s working to increase diversity within cat rescue.  In our discussion,… The post A Cat Rescuer You Need to Hear From w/ Sterling “TrapKing” Davis appeared first on Our Hen House.

Disrupting the global food system is one of the most pressing issues of our lifetimes—and it’s no small lift. Today, we welcome two powerhouses working to help the world shift to a kinder, plant-based food system. David Meyer and Galina Hale serve as the CEO and Chief Research Officer, respectively, of Food System Innovations (FSI). They join us this week to… The post Food System Innovations w/ David Meyer and Galina Hale appeared first on Our Hen House.

Why do women in the institutional animal rights movement often feel unable to speak up? Why are animal rights organizations losing too much talent to burnout because of negative employment experiences? Dr. Krista Hiddema joins us to discuss her doctoral research on women’s experiences working professionally within the animal rights movement and the factors that, she asserts, too often drive them… The post Always for the Animals w/ Dr. Krista Hiddema appeared first on Our Hen House.

Sometimes it is easy for all of us who care about animals to forget what an extraordinary contribution sanctuaries make to our understanding of the animals we try to serve. Elan Abrell joins us this week to remind us never to take sanctuaries for granted. Elan is a cultural anthropologist who’s dedicated himself to animal studies and, recently, to a close… The post The Importance of Sanctuary w/ Elan Abrell appeared first on Our Hen House.

When Josh and Wendy Smith adopted Roswell, the dog, they didn’t imagine caring for him would lead them to start their very own animal sanctuary. We’re thrilled to welcome Josh and Wendy to the podcast this week to hear this and more inspiring stories about their sanctuary, Odd Man Inn, their animal advocacy work, and their recent move across the country.… The post Odd Man Inn w/ Josh & Wendy Smith appeared first on Our Hen House.

You’re in for not one but two interviews with incredible activists in this episode! We’re thrilled to welcome both Gwenna Hunter and Sue Fischer back to the podcast for updates.   First, we catch up with Gwenna about her newest project, the Vegans of LA Food Bank. Gwenna tells us how she turned a longtime dream into a reality after partnering with… The post A Vegan Food Bank w/ Gwenna Hunter and the Tule Elk w/ Sue Fischer appeared first on Our Hen House.

This one just might move you to tears. Why? Because it’s about ELEPHANTS! Need we say more? Scott and Kat Blais have dedicated their careers to helping captive elephants live out the rest of their lives the way nature intended. This week they join the podcast from rural Brazil, home to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, a project by the organization they founded,… The post Global Sanctuary for Elephants w/ Scott & Kat Blais appeared first on Our Hen House.

What if you could feed your companion animals real meat without ever having to slaughter an animal? Because Animals is working to make this dream a reality, and the CEO and co-founder, Shannon Falconer, Ph.D., joins the podcast this week to tell us how they’re doing it. Traditional companion animal foods are made with byproducts of animal agriculture, including meat found… The post Why Mouse Meat? Because Animals w/ Shannon Falconer appeared first on Our Hen House.

We love hearing from fellow animal advocates in different parts of the world, and this week we are thrilled to welcome Linda Ncube for an exceptional conversation about animal activism in rural Zimbabwe. Linda is the founder of Humane Africa Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a “compassionate, healthy, and just environment” for animals. She joins us to explain how she’s… The post An Animal Rights Activist in Zimbabwe w/ Linda Ncube appeared first on Our Hen House.

How annoying is it when you are just getting into a good book, starting to identify with, or at least sympathize with, the protagonist, and then get thoroughly turned off when they sit down to enthusiastically eat a dead animal? Today, author Christine Melanie Benson joins us for a conversation about her recently published debut novel, Marrying Myself, in which, happily,… The post Where are All the Fictional Vegans? w/ Christine Melanie Benson appeared first on Our Hen House.

Have you been wondering about the state of veganism and animal rights in Uganda? Well, we’ve got you covered! Nabaasa Innocent Kashobera, founder of the Uganda Vegan Society and a passionate advocate for animals, joins us this week and fills us in on the state of veganism and, on the other hand, the growth of factory farming, in Uganda and Africa… The post Vegan for the Animals, in Uganda W/ Nabaasa Innocent Kashobera appeared first on Our Hen House.