VEGGIEFEST 2008

Mike Goldberg is known to most as a local television and radio meteorologist. You can now find his daily forecasts on the web at www.mikegoldberg.tv. He is currently Staff Meteorologist and Supervisor for the new web site MyWeatherLive.com, as well as Meteorological Consultant and Forecaster for the Richmond Braves. On the national scene, he serves as Chairman for the Broadcast Meteorology Committee of the National Weather Association and appears as a guest meteorologist on The Weather Channel’s evening show “Abrams & Bettes: Beyond the Forecast. Mike holds the Television Seal of Approval from both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, and has been nominated for a Capital/Chesapeake Bay Region Emmy award for best weathercasting.
What you may not know is that Mike is also a graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, holding a Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance. Highlights of his musical career include performing with the original Broadway production of "Into The Woods" and touring the major concert halls of the Northeastern U.S. and Canada with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. He has recorded for CBS Masterworks, and remains active as a professional musician and teacher. In Richmond, Mike has played with the Richmond Symphony, Richmond Philharmonic, Commonwealth Winds, Richmond Symphonic Winds and the Richmond Chamber Players. He is the founder and Artistic Director for Crescendo, a professional chamber music ensemble. Also an accomplished conductor, Mike is the Music Director of the Central Virginia Wind Symphony, a group comprised of the most talented high school musicians in the region. The ensemble performs several concerts throughout the year in local malls, helping to raise awareness of the local school music programs.
Mike is always out in the community, promoting science and arts education in the schools and presenting talks to various groups of all ages. He has been a judge for the Virginia Science and Engineering Fair and has served as Master of Ceremonies for various events held by the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Arthritis Foundation, American Diabetes Association, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, Richmond Vegetarian Society, Richmond SPCA, Richmond Animal League and Cat Adoption and Rescue Efforts. An avid animal lover, Mike is dedicated to helping local animal adoption and welfare groups and you’ll see him at many of their events. He is on the Board of Directors for the Henrico Humane Society and has received a Guardian Angel Award for outstanding contribution to animal welfare in Virginia.

Website: www.mike-goldberg.com

Jane Wilson, RN, RD, CDE, CSR

Will be answering your nutrition questions at the Ask the Nutritionist booth during the entire festival.

Biography: Over the years, Jane has seen the powerful role that nutrition plays
in achieving and maintaining good health while working in the roles of a
registered nurse, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. As
a nutrition and health educator in private practice, Jane is available to
work with you individually or in a group setting to help you learn how to
achieve better health by incorporating a plant based dietary approach.

12:30 Ralph Estevez

Title: You Can Have Your Tofu and Eat It Too

Ralph will try to show the simplicity of the humble bean curd. He will make brown rice with shiitake mushrooms and then complimentary tofu dishes. He will try to find as many ingredients as possible at local stores so people will be able to get ingredients readily. The accompanying
tofu dishes will be: Chili Lime Tofu, BBQ Tofu, Lightly Blackened Tofu,Tofu with Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette & Walnuts.

Biography: Ralph Estevez has been a professional chef for 21 years, having satisfied the dining needs of a variety of high-profile companies and institutions including Disney MGM Studios, Citibank, JP Morgan, Legg Mason, Verizon, and Sinai Hospital (Baltimore).

He is currently team chef for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League, and is responsible for preparing food for the entire team and staff.

Ralph has been a chef at Super Bowl XXXVII and six U.S. Open golf tournaments. Celebrities such as Donald Trump and Michael Jordan have enjoyed his cooking at these events.

He has received training from a number of renowned culinary experts including Certified Master Chefs Reimund Pitz and Rudy Speckamp.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he grew up in a Cuban-Italian household where cooking was a strong passion. Travels to Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean have also influenced his cooking style.

Ralph is married with two daughters, ages 7 and 11. Though he frequently works seven days a week in his current role with the Redskins, he finds time to volunteer for the Vegetarian Resource Group (Baltimore) and the Harford Humane Society. He’s been vegetarian since 1996.

Website: www.ridgewells.com

1:30 John Goodwin
Manager, Animal Fighting Issues
The Humane Society of the United States

Title: Political Advocacy to Protect Farm Animals

Through ballot initiatives and legislation in state capitols, animal advocates are starting to turn the tide against the worst forms of factory farm abuse. Yet even with new momentum, much work needs to be done. How can animal advocates organize politically to save farm animals? What steps must be taken to abolish the battery cage, gestation crate, and other confinement systems that prevent animals from having anything close to a natural life? John Goodwin will answer these questions, and more.

Biography: John Goodwin is the manager of Animal Fighting Issues for The HSUS's Animal Cruelty and Fighting Campaign. He is a nationally recognized expert on animal fighting issues who has been involved in the passage of both state and federal legislation to curb animal fighting. Additionally, he played a major role in the outlawing of cockfighting in Louisiana and New Mexico, which were the last two states to ban the bloodsport. Goodwin's investigative efforts have led to the arrests of hundreds of individuals involved in illegal animal fighting rings.
In January 2007, Goodwin worked closely with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police on a raid on the South Hill cockfighting pit in Boydton, VA, where 145 people were arrested. Later that year, Goodwin collaborated in the investigation and raid of a large Ohio dogfighting pit and seven fighting dog kennels based in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas. That investigation culminated in one of the largest and most successful criminal animal fighting crackdowns in U.S. history.
In June 2005, Goodwin assisted the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations in a raid on what was believed to be the nation's largest illegal cockfighting pit. In late 2004, he assisted law enforcement authorities with the confiscation of 95 dogs from a South Carolina breeding operation that provided animals for hog-dog fights. He also led efforts to stop a Kentucky based cockfighting organization from raising funds through a Toyota dealership that was donating $500 for every truck sold to one of their members.
Goodwin, who has been active in the field of animal protection since 1989, joined The HSUS in 2000 as a staff member in The HSUS's Government Affairs department. In that capacity, he helped to manage campaigns to pass or defeat animal-related ballot initiatives in several southern and western states.
Mr. Goodwin has been quoted in numerous newspapers on animal fighting issues and has appeared in over five-hundred news broadcasts, radio interviews and televised debates regarding animal protection issues. He has been featured in coverage from Fox News, CNN, NPR, Court TV, MSNBC, ESPN, the Associated Press, USA Today, and The New York Times.

Website: www.humanesociety.org

2:45 Jannequin Bennett

Title: Hot off the Grill --- Grill basics for Vegans

Title: Grilled Tempeh with Orange-Chipotle Barbeque Sauce
Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables
Fire Roasted Corn

Biography: Jannequin Bennett is currently a chef at Ellwood Thompson's. Before coming to Richmond, Chef Bennett honed her culinary skills in New York, working in restaurants from SoHo to the Upper East Side. She also worked at some of the best restaurants in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rutledge Hill Press, Nashville, Tennessee, published her book, Very Vegetarian, in November 2001. Very Vegetarian is presented by Carl Lewis, the nine-time Olympic Gold Medalist and endorsed by the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine. It features basic nutrition information and over 300 vegan recipes.
Chef Bennett was featured in the December 2002 issue of Vegetarian Times, and the December 2003 issue of Vegetarian Voice. Her recipes are included in the 17th Street Farmer's Market Tomato Cookbook, Best of the World II from the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, Restaurant Favorites at Home published by Cook's Magazine, Masterpieces: A Celebration of Food and Art in Virginia published by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Chef Bennett is the 2001 recipient of the Restaurant Manager of the Year Award from the Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism and the 2003 Stars of the Industry Award from the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association of Virginia. She participates in a wide variety of charity events including Eyes on Richmond and the March of Dimes Signature Chef's Auction.

Website: www.ellwoodthompsons.com

4:00 Kristine Vandenberg, M.S.

Title: Veg Pregnancy and Parenting - Simple and Healthy

Krissi will review the basics of maintaining a healthy vegan pregnancy and lead a discussion regarding raising children on a healthy veg diet.

Biography: Krissi is the Executive Director of Vegan Action, a children's educator, a hobbist gardner, and proud parent of a 3 and a half year old son. She has successfully had a healthy vegan pregnancy, a natural birth, and is raising her son vegan.

Website: www.vegan.org

5:00 Leah Engel

Title: Satisfying the sweet tooth on a vegan diet

Summary: Leah will prepare a sinful vegan concoction and provide samples
to share.

Biography: Leah has been experimenting in the kitchen since the age of
five. Throughout her teenage years and into young adulthood, she enjoyed
cooking and baking for friends and family in her hometown near Cleveland,
Ohio. Leah never lost her passion for adventures of the kitchen variety
and has always maintained an especially "sweet" spot for baking. Now, as
a vegan of more than 12 years, Leah enjoys re-introducing friends and
strangers to vegan versions of some of their favorite foods at dinner
parties and potlucks.