With John Salley

I had a blast at PlanetFest 2010- the second annual Vegan Earth Day in Orange County on June 27, put on by Bob Linden of GoVeganRadio and filled with vegetarian leaders. It was a sunny day and a good flow of people attended throughout the day. Many booths provided educational info, and delicious veggie food was in abundance as were inspirational folks in the movement.

NBA champion and wellness guru John Salley was one of the speakers who also stopped to say hello to numerous people intrigued by his fame and size. He told me he was 7′ tall.

Did you know factory farming was an emerging problem in Africa? Anteneh Roba, M.D., of International Fund for Africa, was a unique and dedicated speaker who pointed out the parallels between cruelty to animals and human rights violations. Roba has also started an Ethiopian Vegan Association!

Dr. Elliot Katz of In Defense of Animals and NFL superstar Tony Gonzalez were other speakers, and live music by many bands was part of the lineup as well.

Food was provided by various organizations and restaurants such as: da Vinci’s Delight (vegan quiches), Bodhi Tree Vegetarian Cafe, a new veggie trailer called SeaBirds which made my yummy mango veggie burger, and Strictly Vegan (Jamaican jerk and curry dishes). For dessert, Stuff I Eat sold sweet potato pies, and Maggie Mudd dished up enormous servings of vegan ice cream.

Last Chance for Animals, The Living Temple and others displayed healthy and eco-friendly products for sale.

There was something for everyone, whether a longtimer or new to the veggie movement. If you are not active yet, why not become one of your community’s vegetarian leaders? Help plan events, enjoy networking, and promote conscious products — among many other ways to get involved.