VegMichigan's 2011 VegFest was a tremendous success! Thanks to everyone who participated, attended, and volunteered. Please feel free to click through our VegFest pages to see details of our 2011 event. 2012 details will be posted soon.

2011 Presentations

Note: Information is subject to change.

Who Knew Vegetarian/Vegan Cuisine Could Taste this Good?
Chef Tal Ronnen

Photo courtesy of Matt Prescott.

Chef Tal Ronnen is one of the most celebrated vegan chefs working today. In the spring of 2008, he became known nationwide as the chef who prepared vegan meals for Oprah Winfrey’s 21-day vegan cleanse. He has since catapulted to fame, catering Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s vegan wedding, Arianna Huffington’s party at the Democratic National Convention, and the first vegan dinner at the U.S. Senate. In October 2009, Chef Tal released his new cookbook, The Conscious Cook; it is the first full color vegan cookbook to be published in North America. He appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on October 22, 2009 and made the New York Times Best Seller List. Additionally, epicurious.com and VegNews Magazine named The Conscious Cook a Top Cookbook in 2009.

A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, Chef Tal has worked at the top vegan restaurants in the United States, including Sublime in Fort Lauderdale, Madeleine Bistro in Los Angeles, and Candle 79 in New York City. He also assisted Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders in opening her restaurant, VegiTerranean in Akron, Ohio, in 2007. Additionally, Chef Tal conducts master vegetarian workshops for students and staff at Le Cordon Bleu College campuses nationwide. For more information, visit www.talronnen.com.

Join Celebrity Chef and New York Times Best-Selling Author Tal Ronnen for a special hands-on veggie cooking demonstration at the Michigan VegFest. Chef Tal has cooked for the stars including Oprah and Ellen and promoted his vegetarian cuisine on TV stations across North America. Chef Tal promises to delight Michigan residents’ taste buds with delish recipes from his award-winning cookbook, The Conscious Cook.

Chef Tal Ronnen Recipes to be Featured

• Celery root soup with granny smith apples
• Gardein “chicken” scaloppini with shiitake sake sauce, braised pea shoots, and crispy udon noodle cakes

---

Transitioning to a Plant-Based Diet
John Salley

Photo courtesy of jsquaredphotography.com.

Most can achieve a goal and be pleasantly satisfied with their results, but to continually create new tasks to accomplish and to reinvent yourself is the mark of a versatile and motivated individual. It is the definition of father, athlete, actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, vegan and champion: John Salley.

A proud native of Brooklyn, New York, John found a love for basketball at an early age. He accepted a Basketball Scholarship to Georgia Tech to play for legendary head coach Bobby Cremins. From there Salley went on to become a 15-year NBA veteran and was the first NBA player to win four championships with three different teams. During the 80’s, Salley was a member of the Detroit Piston “Bad Boys” squad. Salley went on to Chicago playing with Michael Jordan as part of the Bulls 1996 championship team. In 1999, Phil Jackson invited Salley to come to Los Angeles to provide experience and leadership to the 1999-2000 Lakers’ championship team.

After his retirement from the NBA in 2000, Salley explored several opportunities in both television and film. John’s film credits include Bad Boys 1 & 2, Eddie, and recently in Jerry Bruckheimer’s Confession of a Shopaholic. He also appeared in the ABC Christmas film “Naughty or Nice” starring George Lopez. He’s also done recent guest appearances on The Larry King show. John has served as host for numerous award shows was also the host of The John Salley Block Party on 100.3 The Beat Morning Show in Los Angeles.

John recently concluded seven years serving as the co-host of the Emmy nominated, critically acclaimed “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” on Fox Sports Net. He was also the host of the sports talk show “Ballers” on BET. John is also the head of his own production company, John Salley Presents, Inc., where John uses his uncanny ability to find unique and interesting people and projects for television and film.

As a philanthropist, John and his brother Jerry head The Salley Foundation. John is actively involved with Operation Smile and traveled to Brazil on a mission to help change the lives of children. He recently worked with and shot public service announcements and awareness campaigns for PETA. In addition, John is actively involved with PCRM and visited Washington in Nov ’09 and May ’10, speaking to Congress about the Child Nutrition Act, asking Members to support legislation that would increase vegetarian options in meals served in public schools.

He has adopted a plant based (raw vegan) lifestyle, which helped him reach the final round of the summer reality hit “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!” on NBC. With a passion for food, wine and coffee, John has contributed articles to Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado and LA Confidential. John’s latest endeavor is in food and beverage (www.johnsalley.com) and in bringing awareness to the positive attributes of a healthy lifestyle. John currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their three daughters.

---

Making Humane Food Choices: Putting Our Ethics on the Table
Nathan Runkle

Nathan Runkle is the Founder and Executive Director of Mercy For Animals. Raised on a farm in rural Ohio, Nathan has long had a deep connection with farmed animals and agriculture. After a local farmed animal abuse case, involving a piglet slammed head first into a concrete floor during an agriculture project at a nearby high school, Nathan founded Mercy For Animals to give "food" animals a much needed advocate in his local community.

Since founding Mercy For Animals a decade ago, Nathan has overseen the organizations growth into a leading national force for the respectful and compassionate treatment of farmed animals. A grassroots organizer and coordinator for many years, Nathan has spearheaded hundreds of demonstrations and outreach events across the country - ranging from protests outside pork and egg producer conventions to parade marches, educational exhibits, and more. A nationally recognized speaker on animal advocacy, grassroots activism, and factory farming, Nathan has spoken at colleges, forums, and conferences from coast-to-coast. Through his work with MFA, Nathan has been an outspoken advocate for animal rights, appearing in hundreds of newspaper, television, and radio interviews, including National Public Radio, The Los Angeles Times, and The Chicago Tribune. Nathan works closely with MFA's diverse group of members, supporters, and employees to oversee, develop, and implement the organization's campaigns, publications, advertisements, and undercover investigations.

During the formative years of MFA, Nathan conducted numerous investigations and rescue operations at factory farms, livestock auctions, and rodeo events. Nathan led teams of MFA investigators into Ohio's four largest egg factory farms, exposing egregious animal cruelty and neglect, as well as directly rescuing dozens of animals in dire need of veterinary care. Nathan spearheaded the organization's efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and find homes for over 500 hens rescued from a battery-cage facility dilapidated by a tornado. Nathan has spoken with and worked alongside elected officials, corporate executives, heads of international organizations, professors, farmers, celebrities, and film producers to pass landmark farmed animal protection legislation, raise public awareness about vegetarianism, and implement animal welfare policy changes. Overseeing MFA's hard-hitting pro-vegetarian MTV commercials, highway billboards, and bus campaigns in Chicago, New York, and Boston, Nathan has helped the organization open the hearts and minds of consumers nationwide to the hidden cost of factory-farmed meat, dairy, and eggs. VegNews Magazine has recognized both Mercy For Animals and Nathan for making substantial contributions to the vegetarian movement, naming MFA "Non-Profit of the Year" and Nathan one of the "25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians" and one of the country's "Top 20 Activists Under 30 Years Old."

Making Humane Food Choices: Putting Our Ethics on the Table
Did you know that chickens can solve mathematical equations or that pigs are smarter than dogs? Few of us give much thought to “food” animals, yet these fascinating creatures’ lives are rich with complex emotion and intelligence. Learn how industrial farming has changed the way cows, pigs, and chickens are treated and how our food choices can become a powerful tool in preventing cruelty to animals.

---

Introduction to VegMichigan
Harry Pianko

What is VegMichigan? Why join VegMichigan? You'll learn the answers to all these questions and more as Harry Pianko, VegMichigan President, explains VegMichigan's history and purpose and the benefits of a VegMichigan membership.

A professional with a passion describes Harry Pianko, president of VegMichigan. A business graduate with bachelor's and master's degrees from The University of Michigan, he is also a CPA; vice president of finance and business operations at The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter; and a real estate developer, and he brings considerable business expertise to running VegMichigan. As a vegetarian for ten years and a vegan for five, he brings a personal passion to the role, as well. "I'm totally committed to spreading the word about how a plant-based diet benefits our health, the planet, and all its creatures," says Mr. Pianko. "The vegetarian movement is growing exponentially, and people need to know what a great resource VegMichigan is. We give you the reasons and the tools for making a change for the better. I would like to see VegMichigan grow into the largest, most effective, and relevant group of its kind, both nationally and internationally.” Mr. Pianko and his vegan wife live in Birmingham. Their vegan wedding was featured in both the February 2010 edition of Hour Detroit and the May/June 2010 issue of VegNews Magazine.

---

Prevent Not Stent: How to Take Care of Your Heart
Dr. Joel Kahn

Joel Kahn, MD, FACC, FACP, FSCAI, Director, Preventive Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation, DMC-Cardiovascular Institute and Coporate Director, Wellness for Detroit Medical Center Hospitals, is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty board of Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology. A graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Dr. Kahn completed his cardiology fellowship at the University of Texas in Dallas and has completed advanced training in angioplasty at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City.

Dr. Kahn will discuss the relationship between fitness and heart health, the relationship between diet and heart disease, evidence that existing heart disease can be reversed through changes in diet, and a comparison of stents and bypass to medical therapy including diet.

---

Environmental Veg: Caring For Our Home
Jim Corcoran

Jim Corcoran co-founded and served as president of VegMichigan for its first seven years. He is a retired fire captain/paramedic/training officer, has a BS in Emergency Medicine, and is certified in the living foods lifestyle. He is a certified fitness instructor and former softball champion/all-star. Jim has been leading life altering programs on health and the environment for over a decade. His critically acclaimed talks empower people to make informed and lasting changes in their lives.

Since retiring from the fire service, Jim has been busy starting and developing several successful outreach organizations. He co-founded Plant Peace Daily; founded Athens Vegetarians; and co-founded VegFund, an international organization that helps vegan activists spread the word through food and other means.

Climate Change is a reality, and Earth is in the midst of one of the largest "die offs" of life the planet has ever known! If you consider yourself a caring person, come learn more about where we stand and how you can be a powerful force in creating a positive change. Leave a legacy of concern, compassion, and action.

---

Going Veg for Dummies
Panel of VegMichigan Members

Photo seen here is of the 2007 "Going Veg for Dummies" panel.

Interested in going vegetarian, but not sure where to start? Or, maybe you are already vegetarian but getting a little tired of salads and tofu? Then come meet our panel of "veg experts." VegMichigan members and advisors will answer your questions and help you figure out where to eat, what to buy, where to buy it, and how to talk about your choices with your family, friends and coworkers. Going veg is easier when you have help!

---