Compassion in Action: FARM’s Year in Review

This past year at Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) exceeded all expectations as our committed and passionate team continued toward our shared mission: to end the use of animals for food.

MeatOut: A Global Movement for Change

For the 38th year, MeatOut asked people to give up meat for just one day. In addition to demonstrations and plant-based food sampling at Washington, DC’s Cherry Blossom Festival, MeatOut Day was proclaimed in several cities including Dallas, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Vernon Hills, Illinois; Burlington, Ontario; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Washington, DC; and once again, in New York City. These MeatOut proclamations reach millions of people with the message of our mission.

Planet Bethesda and Beyond

Once again in June, Planet Bethesda returned to the DMV, attracting more than 4,000 people to the “plant-based food festival for people who aren’t (yet) plant-based.” The success of this event has provided the launchpad for three planned events in 2024: Planet Virginia (Fairfax), Planet Maryland (Bethesda), and Planet DC (Washington, DC), estimated to reach 15,000 attendees with our mission.

World Day for Farmed Animals

The 40th anniversary of World Day for Farmed Animals (WDFA) ushered in new opportunities to stop and remember the billions of animals killed each year for food. As with past years, WDFA included demonstrations, protests, tabling, the fast against slaughter, and government proclamation requests to all U.S. states, cities, and territories. This year, WDFA was proclaimed in Washington state, Port St. Lucie, Florida, and Puerto Rico, thanks to our FARM PR friends.

Ditch Dairy Campaign: Raising Awareness in Major Cities

Washington Square Park and Washington DC served as the background for two Ditch Dairy leafleting events, disseminating over 5,000 informational brochures and opening discussions with social media influencer and actor Jamie Logan.

Educational Outreach

In 2023, new WDFA leaflets were printed and distributed during the Syracuse Vegfest (September 23) and the 13th annual Albany VegFest (October 1). Eric C Lindstrom took the stage as a featured speaker and emcee, respectively. Activists disseminated these same brochures on the Cornell University campus to hundreds of students and staff members of this Ivy League University.

Each day, the FARM Team comes to work with one mission: to end the use of animals for food.

Special Events and Community Engagement

In November, during the Vkind Experience in Los Angeles, FARM hosted the Reflection Room, where audience members and attendees gathered after the world premiere of The Next Girl, a short film written by FARM’s own Lisa Decrescente.

D.C. Pride Parade 2023

In June, the weekend after Planet Bethesda, FARM marched in the D.C. Pride Parade. Our team tabled during the weekend events, reaching tens of thousands with a message of kindness, inclusivity, and compassion.

Special Projects and Online Initiatives

FARM’s Special Projects continued to offer online support sessions through its interconnected micro-program and hosted online cooking demonstrations, webinars, and interactive interviews with leaders in the movement. Additionally, FARM continued supporting efforts toward a foie gras-free D.C.

Vegan Earth Day and Educational Contributions

FARM participated in nationwide Earth Day events in April as part of our Vegan Earth Day program. The DC Vegan Earth Day march brought together approximately 500 people aiming to “End the Era of Fossil Fuels” to the rain-soaked streets of Washington, DC. Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) was there with our two “Eating Animals Kills Our Planet” banners to remind people that animal agriculture is a leading cause of deforestation and climate change.

Publishing and Advocacy: Spreading the Vegan Message

In 2023, thanks to a generous donor, we published My Farm Friends coloring book with vegan illustrator Ruby Roth. More than 2,000 have been donated to vegfests, libraries, and children’s hospitals to put our mission where it belongs: into the homes of pre-vegans.

Media Outreach and Holiday Campaigns

We disseminated over a dozen editorial letters promoting veganism to hundreds of newspapers in the U.S. and Canada, including a special letter from Santa Claus reaching millions of readers. FARM also provided ongoing vegan support through our Compassionate Holidays program with tips, tricks, and recipes for surviving traditional family gatherings.

FARM continues to deliver compelling, entertaining, and informative blog posts, with over 50 features published on The FARM Buzz and C.H.A.R.M interviews to date. We eagerly anticipate seeing you at our upcoming Planet Series Events across the DMV.All of this relies on the generosity of donors. Please consider

Eric C Lindstrom
Executive Director
Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM)
eric@farmusa.org