This episode explores how writers can authentically represent animals in literature with authors and publishers John Yunker and Midge Raymond, who discuss their new book Animal Writes and their Writing for Animals workshop. They share techniques for portraying animals as individuals rather than stereotypes, and offer guidance for writers who want to advocate for animals through their work.

This episode explores:

• How to write about animals authentically, portraying them as individuals rather than stereotypes
• The challenges of publishing animal-centered literature and reaching mainstream audiences
• Using pronouns properly when writing about animals to avoid objectification
• Examples of successful books that effectively portray animals in literature
• The upcoming January 2026 submission period for Ashland Creek Press, which specializes in animal and environmental literature

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Midge Raymond is the author of the novels Floreana and My Last Continent, the short-story collection Forgetting English, and, with coauthor John Yunker, the mystery novel Devils Island and the nonfiction book Animal Writes. Find Midge online at MidgeRaymond.com.

John Yunker writes short stories, plays and novels focused on the complex and often conflicted relationships between humans and animals. He is co-author, with Midge Raymond, of the mystery Devils Island and the nonfiction book Animal Writes, and author of The Tourist Trail and Where Oceans Hide Their Dead. Find John online at JohnYunker.com.

Midge and John are co-founders of Ashland Creek Press, a vegan publisher devoted to animal and environmental literature.

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

This episode explores the changing landscape for animals as major media companies and the fashion industry take a stand against fur, while activists continue to face challenges in their fight for justice. Jasmin and Mariann discuss recent victories in the fur-free movement, including Hearst magazines and New York Fashion Week banning fur, alongside the sobering news of activist Zoe Rosenberg’s jail sentence for her work exposing animal suffering at a Purdue facility.

This episode explores:

• The significant progress in the fur-free movement with Hearst Magazines banning fur from publications like Harper’s Bazaar and Cosmopolitan
• How New York Fashion Week’s fur ban represents a major shift in the fashion industry’s approach to animal products
• Activist Zoe Rosenberg’s inspiring response to her 90-day jail sentence for exposing conditions at a Purdue facility
• The problematic $12 billion farmer bailout primarily benefiting commodity farms that produce animal feed
• Literary works centering animal perspectives, including Kendra Coulter’s novel “The Tortoise’s Tale”

RESOURCES

• • • US student who took four chickens after breaking into slaughterhouse sentenced to 90 days in jail
    • Trump Farmer Bailout Primarily Benefits Commodity Farms
    • CFDA Announces End of Fur at New York Fashion Week
    • Hearst Magazines Bans Fur From Its Publications
    • Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Animal Law

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this week’s edition of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan dives into the animal agriculture industry’s latest nightmares—which, unsurprisingly, include you. From hand-wringing about the movement’s supposed $865 million war chest to the Reddit whistleblower exposing paid anti-vegan trolls, we’re clearly living rent-free in Big Ag’s collective consciousness. Meanwhile, Iowa’s 110 billion pounds of untracked manure mysteriously “disappears,” Zoe Rosenberg faces jail time for saving four chickens, and ranchers demand a “level playing field” with wolves—as if predators who evolved over millennia should politely avoid the cattle grazing on their ancestral hunting grounds.

This episode explores:

• How animal agriculture industry leaders are tracking and fretting over the rising influence and funding of animal rights activism, particularly Open Philanthropy’s $168 million investment
• The disturbing case of activist Zoe Rosenberg, sentenced to 90 days in jail and $102,000 in restitution for rescuing four sick chickens from a slaughterhouse
• A Reddit whistleblower’s revelation about coordinated industry efforts to discredit veganism online through fake accounts and manufactured negative experiences
• Iowa’s catastrophic environmental crisis with 110 billion pounds of factory farm manure going untracked annually, coinciding with rising cancer rates
• The ongoing conflict between cattle ranchers and wolves, with producers demanding “management tools” while grazing their cows on the predators’ natural habitat

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

This episode continues our special series featuring the Animal Policy Alliance, showcasing how policy advocates are creating institutional change for animals across America. Jodi Gruhn of Wholesome Minnesota, Judy Wolf of Animal Protection New Mexico, and Brenna Anderst of the Animal Policy Alliance discuss their collaborative strategies to increase plant-based food accessibility in schools and government institutions while building powerful coalitions that amplify their impact.

This episode explores:

• How the Animal Policy Alliance connects and strengthens local advocacy organizations
• Strategic policy approaches to introduce plant-based options in schools and government cafeterias
• Countering dairy industry influence through health equity and environmental messaging, including Animal Protection New Mexico’s Dairy’s Not Fair program
• The power of framing plant-based options as an expansion rather than a restriction
• Grassroots initiatives gaining momentum for plant-based milk alternatives in school lunch programs

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Jodi Gruhn is a fierce advocate for compassionate living creating change by bringing plant-based nutrition directly to Minnesota’s youth. As Director of Wholesome Minnesota, a project of Compassionate Action for Animals, she’s transforming school food systems from the inside out—driving policy initiatives that put plant-based options on cafeteria trays while building community partnerships. Jodi works directly in classrooms teaching students to cook delicious plant-based food and energizes environmental clubs, cultivating a generation that understands the power of their food choices to honor animals, their own health, and the environment.

Judy Wolf is the Chief Program and Policy Officer for Humane Communities for Animal Protection New Mexico and has extensive professional experience working in a variety of non-profit organizations, both overseas and in the United States. Her career comprises multiple directorships and program development roles for community-based agencies, advocacy organizations, and international institutions. Judy has a passion for the protection and welfare of animals and has been a volunteer and supporter of animal welfare organizations for many years. 

Brenna Anderst is the Senior Policy Advisor at The Humane League, where she provides support to members of the Animal Policy Alliance through local, state, and federal policy research, model legislation drafting, and legislative and campaign strategy development. Prior to joining The Humane League, Brenna directed the legislative campaigns, lobbying efforts, and educational initiatives of an animal protection organization and farmed animal sanctuary in Washington state and was a founding member of the Animal Policy Alliance. In this role, Brenna led, or was involved in, the advancement of 20+ state and local level laws protecting animals. Her wide range of policy experience includes working with organizations and advocates locally and across the country on issues related to companion and farmed animal protections, animal cruelty enforcement reform, retail pet sales regulations, plant-based food procurement, and more.

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

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The Animal Policy Alliance, established by The Humane League, is a powerful collective of local and state-level animal advocacy groups throughout the United States. We serve as a trusted resource, providing knowledge, strategies, connection opportunities, and grants to our member organizations. We lead with purpose, empowering alliance members to build toward our shared vision of a world without animal abuse.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this week’s episode of The Hen Report, Jasmin and Mariann explore how animal rights themes are increasingly appearing in mainstream media – from the explicit animal liberation narrative in Wicked to the vegan consciousness in Apple TV’s Pluribus. They celebrate recent policy victories while examining why veganism often faces social resistance, emphasizing that effective advocacy keeps animals, not vegan identity, at the center of the conversation.

This episode explores:

• How the film “Wicked” presents a powerful animal liberation narrative that some viewers surprisingly miss
• Recent policy wins, including the CDC’s unexpected end to monkey research and Poland’s fur farming ban
• The psychological dynamics behind why vegans face social resistance and how to effectively navigate those conversations
• Why centering animals rather than vegan identity leads to more productive advocacy
• The importance of celebrating incremental victories in animal rights, like societal shifts away from fur

RESOURCES

• • • Have your say in the EU’s public consultation on animal welfare.
    • The Internet Loves These “Gay Sheep.” The Real Story Is Much Darker.
    • The Dutch Senate has voted to phase out public funding for primate experiments
    • Exclusive: CDC to end all monkey research
    • Poland’s president signs fur farming ban into law
    • Dr Gemma Newman Explains ‘Why People Seem To Hate Vegans’ And What To Do About It
    • Bed & Breakup
    • Governing Bodies: A Memoir, a Confluence, a Watershed
    • The Goat Conspiracy with Nicole Schonemann

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

This week, Mariann dives headfirst into the murky waters of the UK’s “Spycops Scandal,” where undercover officers infiltrated animal rights groups with tactics ranging from the questionable to the downright duplicitous. Then, brace yourself for Mariann’s special brand of eye-rolling commentary on the self-congratulatory bubble of animal agriculture, where farming isn’t just a job but apparently a divine calling passed down through generations of people who think they invented hard work. Because nothing says “perspective” quite like turning sentient beings into commodities while patting yourself on the back.

This episode explores:

• The UK’s “Spycops Scandal” where police officers infiltrated animal rights groups, including one who fabricated a gun plot against activists
• How one undercover officer ended up genuinely falling for and marrying the animal rights activist she was investigating
• The problematic culture of animal agriculture that indoctrinates children from birth and portrays farming as a superior way of life
• The Non-Human Rights Project’s ongoing legal battle to have elephants recognized as legal persons, facing opposition from hunting and “conservation” interests
• How animal rights arguments often face resistance because acknowledging the rights of one animal logically extends to all animals

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this intellectually stimulating episode of the Animal Law Podcast, Mariann Sullivan speaks with constitutional law expert Michael Dorf about his innovative course “Animals and the Constitution.” Dorf shares how fundamental legal principles intersect with animal protection, revealing both the limitations and opportunities within our constitutional framework for advancing animal rights.

This episode explores:

• Constitutional standing for animals: How courts determine whether animals can have legal standing and the challenges of representing beings who cannot speak for themselves
• Religious freedom vs. animal protection: Analysis of Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah and the complex balance between First Amendment rights and preventing animal cruelty
• Free speech implications for animal advocacy: Examination of United States v. Stevens and the constitutional challenges of regulating depictions of animal cruelty
• Comparative constitutional approaches: How other countries are incorporating rights of nature and animal protections into their constitutional frameworks
• Strategic advocacy dilemmas: The difficult balance between arguing for specific animals’ rights while avoiding implications that might alarm courts

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Michael C. Dorf is the Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, where he teaches constitutional law, federal courts, and related subjects. He has authored or co-authored six books (including, with Sherry Colb, Beating Hearts: Abortion and Animal Rights) and over one hundred scholarly articles and essays for law journals and peer-reviewed science and social science journals. His most recent work of scholarship (co-authored with Sherry Colb) is “If We Didn’t Eat Them, They Wouldn’t Exist”: The Nonidentity Problem’s Implications for Animals (Including Humans), in The American Journal of Law and Equality. He also frequently writes for the general public. In addition to occasional contributions to The New York Times, USA Today, CNN.com, The Los Angeles Times, and other wide-circulation publications, Professor Dorf has been writing a bi-weekly column since 2000 and publishes a popular blog, Dorf on Law. Dorf received his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. He served as a law clerk for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and then for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court. He maintains an active pro bono practice mostly consisting of writing Supreme Court briefs.

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

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You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be TRIPLED! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its fifteenth glorious year!

This Thanksgiving episode of The Hen Report serves up a hearty helping of gratitude alongside meaningful animal advocacy discussions. Jasmin and Mariann reflect on the growth of Our Hen House, which now reaches thousands of listeners weekly through multiple podcast formats. The episode features producer Vicki Beechler’s thoughtful review of Kendra Coulter’s new novel “The Tortoise’s Tale,” a beautifully crafted story told from a captive tortoise’s perspective that subtly weaves animal rights themes into a century-spanning narrative. Between moments of holiday reflection, the hosts share exciting developments in the alternative protein space and celebrate recent legal victories for animal activists in the UK.

This episode explores:

• How to navigate the emotional challenges of Thanksgiving as animal advocates while finding community and gratitude
• Producer Vicki Beechler’s review of “The Tortoise’s Tale” by Kendra Coulter, a new Simon & Schuster novel that skillfully portrays an animal’s perspective on captivity
• Recent breakthroughs in alternative protein technology, including cost parity achievements for cultivated chicken and fermented egg proteins
• Legal victories for Animal Rising activists in the UK, where juries refused to convict protestors who disrupted horse racing events
• The importance of finding authentic joy in animal advocacy while balancing the heaviness of awareness with moments of hope

RESOURCES

• • • BREAKING: CPS drops Grand National Crown Court case after juries refused to convict horse protectors.
    • Starting in December, 20 beagle rescuers face trial accused of burglary from MBR Acres.
    • The EVERY Co raises $55m to scale egg proteins via fermentation, crosses line ‘from promise to proof’
    • SuperMeat secures US$3.5 million to accelerate European launch after hitting cost parity on cultivated chicken
    • This Vegan Microbial Protein Made From Air And Electricity Could Go To Space
    • Tis the season to be thankful…for wild turkeys
    • Name That Meat, a poem on Andrea Gibson’s Tumblr
    • The Tortoise’s Tale on Bookshop.org
    • Defending Animals with Kendra Coulter

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

This Thanksgiving, Our Hen House proudly presents our beloved holiday tradition: “Sanctuary: A Radio Play.” First performed in 2017  at New York City’s Symphony Space during the Culture & Animals Foundation’s Compassion Arts Festival, this darkly comedic tale continues to resonate with anyone who has navigated vegan ethics around holiday dinner tables.

This episode explores:

• A retired couple’s relationship tested when one unexpectedly embraces veganism
• The hilarious and tense dynamics of planning a turkey-free Thanksgiving
• How compassionate choices can disrupt long-held traditions and relationships
• The challenges and triumphs of staying true to your values during the holidays

In this delightful performance, we follow Richard (John Frusciante) and Lisa (Mariann Sullivan), whose peaceful retirement in small-town Oregon is upended when Lisa goes vegan and befriends local animal activist Meg (Jasmin Singer). Desperate to maintain tradition, Richard enlists his friend Charley (Michael Harren), the town’s exterminator, creating a perfect storm of holiday chaos that will have you laughing while contemplating the deeper meaning of compassionate celebrations. (Featuring Emmy-winning sound design by Eric Milano.)

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this irreverent episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan unpacks the latest worries keeping animal agriculture executives up at night—from avian influenza contingency plans to the surprising alliance between premium meat brands and animal advocates. With her trademark wit, Mariann dissects the absurdity of turkey “pardoning” ceremonies, exposes the dairy industry’s push to flood schools with whole milk (while conveniently excluding it from saturated fat calculations), and reveals disturbing labor conditions at poultry plants. The episode wraps with an unexpectedly optimistic note on the global rise of meat alternatives, proving that even in the meat industry’s own publications, the writing on the wall is becoming impossible to ignore.

This episode explores:

• How the dairy industry is scrambling to create contingency plans for disease outbreaks while prioritizing milk supply over animal welfare
• Why some “responsible” meat companies are joining forces with animal advocates to support California’s Proposition 12 standards
• The bipartisan push to reintroduce whole milk in schools with a surprising silver lining for plant-based options
• Shocking labor violations in poultry processing, including children as young as 13 working overnight cleaning shifts
• The growing global acceptance of meat alternatives, with countries outside the US showing double-digit growth in plant-based eating

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this thought-provoking episode, Jasmin and Mariann sit down with Seth Green from Stanford’s Humane and Sustainable Food Lab and Benny Smith from Allied Scholars for Animal Protection to tackle the million-dollar question: how do we actually get people to stop eating animals? The conversation dives into Seth’s fascinating meta-analysis of intervention studies and sparks a passionate debate about what really works in animal advocacy. While the research suggests most current approaches show minimal effectiveness, Benny makes a compelling case for moral persuasion and worldview change as essential components of long-term movement building.

• Meta-analysis reveals most animal advocacy interventions produce only small reductions in meat consumption (typically just a few percentage points)
• Showing animal abuse footage such as that found in “Dominion” appears more effective than other persuasion methods, reducing consumption by approximately 13.5%
• Debate centers on whether to focus on incremental behavior change or transformative worldview shifts that create more vegans and activists
• Historical examples from religious movements suggest successful moral transformations require long-term community building rather than quick fixes
• Speakers explore whether choice architecture, health messaging, or emerging technologies like Ozempic might offer alternative paths to reducing animal consumption

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Seth Ariel Green is a research scientist at the Humane and Sustainable Food Lab at Stanford, a research group dedicated to accelerating the end of factory farming. He lives in Brooklyn NY and blogs at https://regressiontothemeat.substack.com/.

Benny Smith is the Programs Manager at Allied Scholars for Animal Protection, where he was the first full-time hire after graduating from Brown University in 2023.

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.

Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.