This year marked Meatout’s 25th anniversary, and what better way to do it than with the theme “Eat for Life- Live Vegan!”? A thousand communities throughout all 50 U.S. states and 31 other countries welcomed spring with colorful events to celebrate the world’s largest grassroots diet education campaign.

Outreach activities included leafleting, information tables, exhibits, lectures, video screenings, feed-ins, cooking demonstrations, festivals, walks, and more. Visitors pledged to “kick the meat habit” on March 20th (first day of spring) and explore a healthy, compassionate plant-based diet. Caring Meatout supporters distributed approximately 79,000 colorful handouts! Each handout offers a free Veg Starter Guide and Meatout Mondays, a weekly e-mail with vegan recipes, product suggestions, health news, and inspiration.

This year’s celebrations were emphasized with huge media coverage and some controversy! Meatout coverage this year included over 400 newspaper, online publications, and blog articles, including press by the New York Times, CBS, AP, and more!

Much of this press was generated because of the decision by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to sign a Meatout Day Proclamation in the face of public scrutiny. Following the Governor’s signing, animal exploiters across Michigan went to the press, calling it “insensitive” and “unconscionable” that Granholm suggest citizens try plant-based eating. Not missing a beat, FARM and supporters across the country countered with dozens of media interviews, over 150 published letters to the editor, and even a Meatout TV ad that ran in Lansing during the Michigan State basketball game on March 19th, Meatout Eve. The TV ad draws a parallel between the animals we call “pets” and ones we call “food”, and asks viewers to consider a vegan diet. View the ad and then help us run it in more states!

Rhode Island and Connecticut also issued statewide Meatout Proclamations, and the mayors of Baltimore, Cleveland, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City, Sacramento, San Antonio, and State College (PA) declared Meatout in their communities.

In addition to television ads, 8 Meatout billboards and 400 bus ads were displayed in major cities including Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle. The ads encourage viewers to think about the implications of their food choices and to order a free Starter Guide with recipes and information.

Meatout 2010 received global video coverage by a number of sources, networks, and internet videos of worldwide Meatout activities, including eye-catching protests and street theater.

Around 700 events took place in the United States alone, with hundreds more events taking place across the world. Many communities used creativity to capture public attention. In Boston, the "Barnyard Trio" of people in animal costumes dressed as "Courageous Chicken," "Cuddly Cow," and "Precious Pig" hit the streets to educate the public. In the style of a 60’s sit-in, Philadelphia folks staged a Meatout “Veg-In” complete with a cooking class and art project, and Seattle hosted a bike ride across the city. In Munich, Germany, activists held a festival that included a dramatic die-in. Bloodied activists were wrapped in cellophane as “meat” displays, while another laid in a coffin. In Spain, colorful marches took place. 

Feed-ins were again popular this year, with almost 200 food-related events. In the nation’s capital, FARM hosted its third Meatout Feed-In for Peace, promoting a non-violent diet to thousands of attendees at a massive peace rally with literature, signs, videos, and free vegan food. Check out the report.

The Seattle VegFest drew thousands of visitors, and additional festivals took place in Atlanta, Brooklyn, Dallas, Detroit, and several other cities. They featured live bands, speakers, exhibits, video screenings, health screenings, food vendors, cooking demonstrations, vegan food samples, and games.

Eighty-five universities hosted on-campus activities such as exhibits, information tables, video screenings, and/or a vegan cafeteria line. FARM Underground conducted youth outreach in Florida. Elementary, middle, and high schools showed videos, hosted special Meatout presentations, and gave out vegan food samples to educate students about the benefits of a plant-based diet. A teacher in Pembroke Pines, FL even introduced preschoolers to veganism!

FARM Underground, the new youth outreach program of FARM, coordinated local events across the country, including vegam ice cream socials in New York. FARM Underground staff and volunteers spread the Meatout message to thousands at the Harvest of Hope festival in Florida.

Food manufacturers again supported this year’s observance by supplying samples of their vegan products (see below). More than 175 health food stores and restaurants throughout the U.S. offered free vegan starter guides, hosted displays, or had free or discounted vegan food samples.

Also in the United States, many national groups supported Meatout by hosting their own Meatout events. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held over a dozen events, ranging from college feed-ins to demonstrations. Farm Sanctuary’s Gene Baur spoke at several Meatout events, and Mercy for Animals (MFA) and Compassion Over Killing (COK) held local movie screenings, food giveaways, and leafleting events. MFA again worked with FARM to distribute free copies of the compelling Fowl Play documentary.

Additionally, COK and PETA pulled together last minute support during the Michigan Meatout controversy. PETA put on spur of the moment feed-ins in Michigan, and COK launched the Michigan Meatout Facebook page to keep Meatout in the state!

Meatout 2010 has a record 31 other participating countries! France, Germany, and Italy maintain their own Meatout websites complete with events and resources. France had over a dozen events, including feed ins, while German activists took part in extensive street theater. A Spanish Meatout website has been set up by Anima Naturalis, hosting events by half a dozen countries!

Other countries who took part in this 25th anniversary of Meatout include Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

What's next? Earth Day is April 22nd! Request a Vegan Earth Day Pack with handouts and stickers.

What else? Join us for the Animal Rights 2010 National Conference July 15-19 in Washington, DC. Visit ARConference.org to register at the early discounted rate!

Special thanks to the Meatout 2010 dedicated coordinators,
generous food manufacturers, and exceptional sponsors!

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