Main Street Vegan

Every vegan is a spokesperson for the movement, whether they want the job or not. The good news is there's a version of that role for exactly who you already are. Felicia Greenfield found hers creating Friends Not Food, a farcical sitcom pilot filmed at a Florida farm sanctuary.

A former marketing manager for MLB and the NHL, Felicia knows no single pitch connects with everyone and when she recognized that protests weren't the right method for her, she built something that didn't exist instead. She shares that vegan advocacy isn't just about protests and boycotts, it exists in forms you're allowed to invent, and yours might resonate with someone the existing options never would.

Together, Victoria and Felicia explore narrative transportation, the reason people let their guard down inside a story in ways they never would inside a debate, and why comedy can deliver a message that a lecture would only repel. Felicia also gets into Friends Not Food itself, a show built inside Cli-Fi, the climate fiction genre already dramatizing flooded cities and dystopian hellscapes, but one that has left out the industry actually driving the crisis it exists to depict: animal agriculture.

It's a conversation about finding a lane that's actually yours, and what happens when you let an animal just be itself and call it activism.

In This Episode
Why every vegan can find their own form of advocacy
How Felicia created Friends Not Food
Why traditional protest wasn't the right fit for her
The power of storytelling to reach people differently
What narrative transportation means and why it works
How comedy can open people up to difficult ideas
Why animal agriculture belongs in the climate fiction conversation
Finding an advocacy approach that feels authentically yours

About Our Guest
Felicia Greenfield is a former marketing manager for Major League Baseball and the NHL who found her own creative approach to vegan advocacy through storytelling and comedy. She is the creator of Friends Not Food, a farcical sitcom pilot filmed at a Florida farm sanctuary that brings animal agriculture and veganism into the world of climate fiction.

Felicia's work explores how stories can create connection and open conversations that traditional advocacy approaches sometimes cannot. Her message is simple: vegan advocacy doesn't have to look one particular way. There is room to find the form that fits who you are.

About Friends Not Food
Friends Not Food is a sitcom pilot filmed at a Florida farm sanctuary. The project uses humor, storytelling, and the relationships between humans and animals to explore veganism and animal agriculture in a way that invites audiences in rather than talking at them.

The project also sits within the growing world of Cli-Fi, or climate fiction. While many stories imagine the consequences of climate change, Friends Not Food asks us to consider the role of animal agriculture in that conversation.

Connect with Felicia
Friends Not Food: https://www.friendsnotfood.tv/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/feliciag.nyc/

Subscribe, rate, and review the Main Street Vegan Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality, and compassion.

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Complement are supplements made by vegans, Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier, and Joel Kahn, MD, to enhance diet. Check out their new product Sulfora, and enter 'MAINSTREET' in the discount box to save yourself 10%.

Can meaningful progress happen when people who care deeply about animals disagree on the path forward?

In this thought-provoking episode, Victoria Moran welcomes veterinarian Dr. Larry Carbone, author of The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals: A Vet's Vision for a More Humane Future. For most of his career, Dr. Carbone has cared for animals used in medical research, placing him at the center of one of the most ethically complex issues in animal advocacy.

Victoria approaches this conversation from her long-held abolitionist perspective, shared by many Main Street Vegan listeners. Nevertheless, she believes that meaningful dialogue requires listening to thoughtful people whose views differ from our own. Rather than debating from opposite corners, she and Dr. Carbone explore the difficult questions surrounding animal research, scientific progress, and our shared desire to reduce suffering.

Together, they discuss emerging alternatives such as organ-on-a-chip technology and artificial intelligence, as well as the legal protections currently in place for laboratory animals. They also consider what consumers can do to encourage more humane practices while supporting continued investment in alternatives that may one day eliminate the need for animal experimentation altogether.

Whether you agree with every perspective presented or not, this episode invites thoughtful reflection on a challenging subject. Above all, it reminds us that compassion can coexist with honest conversation.

In This Episode

Why Victoria chose to have this important conversation
Dr. Carbone's journey as a veterinarian in medical research
The promise of AI and organ-on-a-chip technology
Current laws protecting laboratory animals and where they fall short
Practical ways consumers can support alternatives to animal testing
The role of ethics committees in laboratory research
Finding common ground between animal welfare and animal rights advocates

About Our Guest

Dr. Larry Carbone is a veterinarian who has devoted his career to caring for animals in medical research laboratories. He is the author of The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals: A Vet's Vision for a More Humane Future, which examines the ethical challenges surrounding animal research while advocating for improved welfare and continued progress toward replacing animals in science. Throughout his career, Dr. Carbone has maintained strong relationships with both scientific and animal protection communities, seeking dialogue where others often find division.

Connect with Dr. Carbone

Website: https://larrycarbone.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larry.carbone.7

Subscribe, rate, and review the Main Street Vegan Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality, and compassion.

Sign up for the Main Street Vegan blog and newsletter at https://www.mainstreetvegan.com and receive your FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.

Become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/207997266555049
Complement are supplements made by vegans, Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier, and Joel Kahn, MD, to enhance diet. Check our their new product Sulfora, and enter 'MAINSTREET' in the discount box to save yourself 10%.

What can the American Vegan Society teach us about living compassionately for a lifetime?
In this heartwarming conversation, Victoria Moran welcomes Anne Dinshah, CEO of the American Vegan Society, for a discussion about vegan living, community, and carrying forward a remarkable legacy. As the daughter of vegan pioneer Jay Dinshah, Anne has spent a lifetime showing that veganism is not about perfection. Instead, it's about living with kindness, curiosity, and joy.
This episode is especially personal for Victoria. She shares how Jay Dinshah and the American Vegan Society helped launch her own vegan journey decades ago. Together, Victoria and Anne reflect on the early days of the movement. They also discuss the friendships that have sustained it and why building a welcoming vegan community remains just as important today.
Anne also offers practical wisdom for anyone considering a plant-based lifestyle. She explains why many people overestimate the difficulty of going vegan. In addition, she shares simple ways to begin living more compassionately. Along the way, the conversation explores voluntary simplicity, healthy aging, and the value of lifelong curiosity.
Above all, this episode celebrates the American Vegan Society and its mission to make vegan living welcoming, accessible, and joyful for everyone.
✨ In This Episode
How Jay Dinshah influenced Victoria's own vegan journey
The history and mission of the American Vegan Society
Why veganism can be simpler than many people imagine
Building a compassionate vegan community
Living your values while maintaining strong relationships
The benefits of curiosity, movement, and lifelong learning
The American Vegan Center and upcoming educational retreats
👤 About Our Guest
Anne Dinshah is a lifelong vegan and the CEO of the American Vegan Society. As the daughter of U.S. vegan movement pioneer Jay Dinshah, she continues his legacy by helping people discover vegan living through education, community, and compassionate outreach. Anne is also the coauthor of Powerful Vegan Messages. Through her warm and approachable style, she has inspired countless people to embrace a more compassionate way of living.
🌱 About the American Vegan Society
Founded in 1960, the American Vegan Society has spent more than six decades promoting vegan living through education, advocacy, and community. Its long-running "Welcome to Veganism" program has introduced countless people to the vegan lifestyle. Likewise, its "Building National Vegan Community" initiative continues to connect and inspire people across the country.
Another highlight is the American Vegan Center in Philadelphia, where visitors can explore the history of veganism in the United States. This fall, the American Vegan Society will also reopen its headquarters for weekend and weeklong living-learning retreats. These experiences will include cooking workshops, ethical discussions, wellness activities, and opportunities to connect with fellow vegans.
🔗 Connect with Anne
Website: https://americanvegan.org
Facebook: American Vegan Society
Instagram: @AmericanVeganS
LinkedIn: American Vegan Society
Subscribe, rate, and review the Main Street Vegan Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality, and compassion.
Sign up for the Main Street Vegan blog and newsletter at https://www.mainstreetvegan.com and receive your FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.
Become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/207997266555049

Can we transform the global food system without asking everyone to give up the foods they love?
In this thought-provoking conversation, I welcome Bruce Friedrich, founder and president of the Good Food Institute, to discuss his book Meat and the future of alternative proteins. Bruce explains why plant-based and cultivated meat could play a vital role in feeding a growing population while reducing the environmental and ethical costs of industrial animal agriculture.
Myself and Bruce also share a personal history that goes back nearly four decades. In 1988, Bruce got in touch after reading one of my articles on veganism. Calling from his college dorm, he told me that my writing had inspired him to go vegan. It's a full-circle moment that makes this conversation especially meaningful.
Together, they explore why humans love meat, what that means for the future of food, and why innovation, not blame, may be the fastest path toward meaningful change.
In This Episode
Why Bruce founded the Good Food Institute
The inspiration behind his new book, Meat
The future of plant-based and cultivated meat
Why "Big Meat" may become part of the solution
The environmental, public health, and ethical case for alternative proteins
What gives Bruce hope for the next agricultural revolution
About Our Guest
Bruce Friedrich is the founder and president of the Good Food Institute, a global network of nonprofit, science-focused think tanks accelerating the development of plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated proteins. The organization has been recognised by Giving Green as one of the world's most impactful climate charities for four consecutive years.
Bruce is also the author of Meat, a compelling look at how innovation can transform our food system to benefit animals, people, and the planet. A longtime vegan advocate, he has spent decades working at the intersection of food, policy, science, and sustainability.
Connect with Bruce
Website: https://meatbook.org
Good Food Institute: https://gfi.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brucegfriedrich
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brucegfriedrich/
X: https://x.com/BruceGFriedrich
About the Good Food Institute
The Good Food Institute works globally to accelerate the development and adoption of alternative proteins through science, policy, and industry partnerships. Its work has earned recognition from organisations including Giving Green, the Bezos Earth Fund, and many leaders in food innovation and climate action.
Subscribe, rate, and review the Main Street Vegan Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality, and compassion.
Sign up for the Main Street Vegan blog and newsletter at https://www.mainstreetvegan.com and receive your FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.
Become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/207997266555049
Complement are supplements made by vegans, Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier, and Joel Kahn, MD, to enhance diet. Check our their new product Sulfora, and enter 'MAINSTREET' in the discount box to save yourself 10%.

Can a story change hearts more effectively than an argument?

Buddhist Blues is an intriguing feature film that tackles life and family with a by-the-way-he's vegan protagonist. Writer/director Glen Merzer takes us into his process and celebrates "accidental activism."
In this engaging conversation, Victoria Moran welcomes bestselling author, screenwriter, and filmmaker Glen Merzer to discuss Buddhist Blues, the first feature film he has written and directed. Set in St. Louis in 1993, the film follows a young vegan living outside the law. As family tensions rise, he must confront difficult choices and the fragile bonds that connect us.
Together, Victoria and Glen explore storytelling as a form of advocacy. Glen explains why he believes in "soft vegan messaging." Rather than preaching, he creates compelling characters and authentic stories that encourage audiences to reflect. They also discuss the challenges of producing an independent film and the unique ability of cinema to inspire empathy.
Beyond the film, Glen reflects on his decades as a writer and his lifelong commitment to vegetarianism and veganism. He also shares why creativity can help build a more compassionate world.
Whether you're passionate about filmmaking, vegan advocacy, or simply love a good story, this episode offers an inspiring look at the intersection of art, compassion, and social change.
In This Episode
Glen's journey as a writer and filmmaker
The inspiration behind Buddhist Blues
Why storytelling can be a powerful form of advocacy
The philosophy behind "soft vegan messaging"
The challenges of producing and directing an independent film
How creativity can inspire compassion and change
About Our Guest
Glen Merzer is an author, screenwriter, filmmaker, and longtime vegan advocate. He is the writer and director of Buddhist Blues, a feature film that explores family, identity, and compassion through a distinctly vegan lens. Glen also co-authored Moving Medicine Forward with Dr. Michael Klaper and wrote Food Is Climate. A vegetarian for more than five decades and a vegan for over 35 years, he hosts The Glen Merzer Show, where he explores food, health, ethics, and the environment.
More from Glen
Learn more about Glen's latest projects, including Buddhist Blues, his books, and The Glen Merzer Show.
Website: https://buddhistblues.com
YouTube: The Glen Merzer Show
https://www.youtube.com/@theglenmerzershow
Also Mentioned
Moving Medicine Forward (co-authored with Dr. Michael Klaper) - https://www.movingmedforward.org
Food Is Climate - https://www.amazon.com/Food-Climate-Response-Conventional-Narrative/dp/B09CGL854K
Subscribe, rate, and review the Main Street Vegan Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality, and compassion.
Sign up for the Main Street Vegan blog and newsletter at https://www.mainstreetvegan.com and receive your FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.
Become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/207997266555049