Our Hen House

Factory farms destroy lives, both animal and human. Jamie Berger joins us this week to discuss the making of the documentary The Smell of Money and the devastation caused to eastern North Carolina and its residents by this evil industry. ABOUT OUR GUEST   Jamie Berger is a writer and filmmaker born and raised in North Carolina. Her writing has been featured…

Are you excited about ChatGPT? Do you hate the very thought of Chat GPT? Have you never heard of ChatGPT? No matter, you need to listen to this episode to find out how generative AI can help activists get more done for animals in less time. Join us as Tom Conger reveals all about new tools to help us help animals.…

Recently, we had a very special excursion that we cannot wait to share with you. Land that used to be a farm is now overflowing with native plants, which, of course, draw in native insects. So then the native birds move in, and suddenly, it’s heaven! And did we mention the beavers??? Join us for this guided tour with Matt Perry,…

It isn’t easy to write about animals, especially if the goal is to actually portray them as they are and not just use them, as so often happens, as symbols, metaphors, and mirrors. In order to confront these difficulties, Sangamithra Iyer recently launched The Literary Animal Project to bring writers and readers into conversation to explore the many quandaries in writing…

Organizations in the animal protection movement are overflowing with passion, but how can they create more efficient systems and healthy workplaces? Tania Luna is here to tell us more about her organization, Scarlet Spark, which just might have the answers to make the movement more effective. ABOUT OUR GUEST   TANIA LUNA, who is the author of LEAD TOGETHER: Stop Squirreling…

Students today really want to learn about the future of food, but sadly, and amazingly, most universities have little or nothing to offer that is of value. Enter Samantha Derrick, who decided to do more than complain about it and just make it happen, not only in her own university but everywhere! Join us to be inspired by Samantha and the…

It’s not every day that you come across a book that has been reviewed in The New York Times with “vegan” in the title, but somehow Andrew Lipstein managed it. He joins us this week to discuss his latest novel, The Vegan.   ABOUT OUR GUEST   Andrew Lipstein is a New York-based writer. He is the author of Last Resort…

What started with the question, “Is there a spiritual way to kill an animal?” has become the newest investigative documentary from Kip Anderson, of Cowspiracy fame, and Kam Waters. Join the journey to discover why so many religions who hold compassion as a sacred tenet turn a blind eye to animal suffering.   ABOUT OUR GUESTS   Kip Andersen has changed…

We are thrilled to present this very special holiday episode of Sanctuary: A Radio Play, an annual Thanksgiving tradition at Our Hen House! This special performance marks the world premiere of John Yunker’s Sanctuary at New York City’s Symphony Space during the Culture & Animals Foundation’s Compassion Arts Festival. ABOUT THE PLAY A dark comedy, Sanctuary tells the story of Richard…

Vegan SoulFest, the Black Veg Society,  Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month, plus fabulous vegan soul food restaurant, The Land Of Kush. What do all of these things (and more) have in common? Naijha Wright-Brown, that’s what. Join us to find out how Naijha does it all, and how she keeps it all edu-taining (education and entertaining) for her audience.  Plus, we have…

Ever wondered where the movement would be if we could just stop infighting? Melanie Joy joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her most recent work that aims to tackle the issue of infighting and to get activists communicating more compassionately.   ABOUT OUR GUEST   Dr. Melanie Joy (she/her) is an award-winning psychologist and educator and she’s the…

Factory farming octopuses? Hell, no! Laura Lee Cascada joins us to tell us what happened when she found out about a planned octopus farm in Hawaii and how she got to work putting an end to it.   ABOUT OUR GUEST Laura Lee Cascada (she/her) has led environmental and animal protection campaigns for 15 years, overseeing victories like the protection of…

Do you ever wonder where all of the vegan veterinarians are? This week, we talk to one of the few, Daniela Castillo, about animal rights, wildlife conservation, environmentalism, and medicine for farmed animal rescues.   ABOUT OUR GUEST Daniela Castillo is a veterinarian born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. She earned her Veterinary Medicine degree from Universidad Veracruzana and Master’s degree…

Philadelphia is known as a great destination for vegan food, but it wasn’t always so. This week we talk with Carmella Lanni, one of the activists who helps to cultivate the plant-based abundance Philly is known for via pop-up events and Philly Vegan Restaurant Week.   ABOUT OUR GUEST Carmella Lanni is co-owner of V Marks the Shop, which operated  Philadelphia’s…

Can factory farms become real farms growing real food? Of course they can! But they might need a little help. Tyler Whitley is here to tell us all about Transfarmation, a program of Mercy for Animals working with contract growers of chickens and other animals to help them get out from under corporate agribusiness and shift to plant-based production.   ABOUT…

Ever thought about eating a banana peel? Ok, that’s an extreme example (sort of) but if you want to know more, you will love this week’s interview with Max La Manna, a self-taught plant-based chef who is looking to end food waste with easy-to-recreate recipes that use every part of the ingredients.   ABOUT OUR GUEST Born and raised in North…

What can we do to convince people to change their behavior? Strategy is always the hottest of topics amongst activists in the animal rights community. This week we are joined by Aidan Kankyoku of Pax Fauna to discuss just what it may be that is holding people back from behaving in a more pro-animal way.   ABOUT OUR GUEST Aidan found…

We love hearing from people around the world who care about animals, and this week’s guest definitely fills the bill. Tune in to hear about all of the work Musisi Mike, founder of Luv4All Uganda, is doing to grow compassion for both animals and humans, including running Uganda’s first all-vegan school.   ABOUT OUR GUEST Musisi Mike is the Founder of…

We love hearing what’s going on in the world of veganism and animal rights around the world, and this week we catch up with Gina Song Lopez, who is conducting research on the vegan and animal rights movement in Taiwan and China.   ABOUT OUR GUEST   Gina Song Lopez is a PhD candidate at the Centre for East and South-East…

Strategy is a big topic of debate amongst animal activists. What is the best way forward to create the most change? Esther Salomon of Animal Think Tank joins us to discuss the strategies and many lessons the animal rights community can learn from other justice movements throughout history.   ABOUT OUR GUEST   Esther Salomon helped kick-start Animal Rising as a…