THANKS FOR HELPING US CHOOSE OUR NEW LOGO
We appreciate so many of you for participating in our survey and providing thoughtful feedback as we decided between more than ten different designs. We took all of your comments and suggestions into account as we made our final decision and we are pleased to introduce our new logo, which was the top vote-getter and overwhelming favorite! The new logo features the entire state of Michigan set against a blue and green background reminiscent of the earth. We are excited that this new look reflects a modern, inclusive, and inviting approach to eating plant-based that appeals to a wide range of people, from seasoned vegans to flexitarians.
THE NEW VEGMICHIGAN WEBSITE HAS LAUNCHED
We completely redesigned the website and gave it a fresh, clean look. We hope you visit often to check out our calendar of events, blog posts, monthly newsletter, and we've even improved our Membership Page , mak ing it easier to join or renew (hint, hint). We would like to thank VegMichigan volunteer, Bob Loescher, who donated his time and expertise to this project. Now that we've launched our new website, we are looking for guest writers to contribute to our new blog! Do you have a com pelling personal story, work, activism, or a favorite plant-based recipe to share? Please consider contributing. If you are interested in learning more, email olivia@vegmichigan.org .

OUR NEXT BIG INITIATIVE, PLEASE SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK
VegMichigan is usually busy organizing festivals, free presentations, cooking demos, dinner clubs, and other types of events. While our events are on hold for now, we have been taking advantage of this time to create a new website, logo, YouTube channel, and a new campaign aimed at Michigan colleges. As we were creating this campaign, we researched different strategies on how to be most effective. We learned about new research showing promising results by Gregg Sparkman (PhD, Stanford University, Postdoctoral Scholar, Princeton University). Dr. Sparkman has helped guide us along the process and a summary of our college campaign proposal is attached below. We would love for you to read it and please share any feedback as it is still a work in progress. Please email tom@vegmichigan.org with your comments.
VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS THIS SUMMER
Join VegMichigan for two virtual presentations in July. In partnership with the Clinton-Macomb Public Library, Dr. Joel Kahn will be presenting Plant Based Immunity on July 8 at 6:30pm . Dr. Kahn will explain the immune system and discuss our diet’s role in keeping it strong. On July 14 at 7pm, VegMichigan Board President, Tom Progar, and longtime volunteer, Kim Korona, will be partnering with Citizens for Peace to discuss how peaceful actions can begin everyday on our plates by sharing the ethical, sustainable, and health benefits of a plant-based diet. For more info and to sign up, visit the events page on our new website .
CONGRATS TO LAST MONTH'S WINNERS,
HERE'S THE NEXT RIDDLE
To support vegan-friendly businesses during these difficult times, we are continuing to purchase gift cards to promote great local vegan options and support the staff. This month, you have a chance to win a $25 gift card to either Chili Mustard Onions in Detroit, Ale Mary's in Royal Oak, or Vedge Cafe in Ann Arbor!

A special thanks to Ale Mary's for donating gift cards this month! Please thank them by ordering from their delicious vegan menu, available for carryout or curbside pickup.
Congratulations to the winners of last month's contest! Morgan Muston will receive a $40 gift card to Simply Vegan Foods, Meagan Johnson will receive a $40 gift card to Unburger Grill and Liz T. will receive a $30 gift card from Chive Kitchen for coming up with the correct answer to the newsletter riddle . (The answer was bread.) Winners of our soci al media contest will receive a Simply Vegan Foods gift card and a $40 gift card to Detroit Street Filling Station. Congratulations to Alicia DMac and Ferox Liberum!
For this month's challenge, solve the following riddle and email your answer and gift card preference to tom@vegmichigan.org .  The winners will be announced in the July newsletter.
RIDDLE
I am extremely valuable, and some people even save me in a bank.
If you push me down, that will only help me rise to new heights.
I am born around others like me, grow as an individual, and die after creating more of myself.
PLANT-BASED MEALS WILL CUT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
A new study from the University of Michigan and Tulane University found that cutting our consumption of animal products in half will reduce diet-related global greenhouse gas emissions by 35%. Martin Heller, lead author of the study and a research specialist at U-M’s Center for Sustainable Systems at the School for Environment and Sustainability, says if we don't change the way we eat, "emissions associated with producing the food we eat are expected to increase 9% by 2030 due to population growth". Check out the full article here .

The good news is many consumers are already choosing plant-based meals. According to the MSU Food Literacy and Engagement Poll , 3 5% of Americans have consumed plant-based meat in the last year and 90% say they would do so again. Of consumers already eating plant-based meat, 48% are under 40 years old. And, we're seeing more encouraging trends: with the current meat shortage, more consumers are trying plant-based alternatives. Beyond Meat's revenues are up 141% from a year ago, Impossible Foods has increased its presence to 27,000 grocery stores nationwide from just 150 before April, and Tofurky has seen a 40% growth compared to the same quarter last year. For more inspiration, check out these 13 Quick, Delicious Plant-Based Dinner Recipes and read about Sens. Elizabeth Warren And Cory Booker's Bill To Ban Factory Farming by 2040 .
JUNE MOVIE PICK
As we continue to spend more time at home, VegMichigan will recommend a movie each month that provokes thought and inspiration! This month's pick is Vegucated , part documentary, and part comedy, that "follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks.” Watch the free movie here and then check out the Vegucated Challenge here .
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
With the warm weather (finally!) here and more farmers markets opening up, we're craving a delicious meal filled with seasonal fresh produce. Check out this delicious Spring Veggie Bowl with Maple Syrup Vinaigrette recipe courtesy of the Reducetarian Foundation .
BARN SANCTUARY RESCUES HENS FROM EGG INDUSTRY
Thank you to our friends at Barn Sanctuary for their incredibly important and heart-wrenching work to rescue 61 hens from an egg-laying facility in Iowa, which is in the process of shutting down due to the impacts of the coronavirus on the supply chain. Watch Dan and Kelly recount the rescue with rarely seen behind-the-scenes footage here . We applaud their life-saving work!
GOOD NEWS: ANN ARBOR ELIMINATES DEER CULL
The Ann Arbor City Council voted 9-2 last month to eliminate $140,000 in funding from the budget beginning on July 1 for its deer management plan. That's good news for the deer in Ann Arbor who were once again facing slaughter by city-hired sharpshooters under the guise of managing overpopulation. As of November 2019, 386 deer have been hunted and killed in the city's five annual hunts .
"Ann Arbor City Council's decision to de-fund this year's deer cull was based solely on financial considerations. While we are grateful for the reprieve, we know there are council members who will push this agenda forward again as soon as the budget allows. We know that Ann Arbor's deer cull program is cruel, wasteful, unnecessary, and scientifically unsound. For six years, Friends of Ann Arbor Wildlife and Nature (F AAWN) has worked diligently to encourage city council to consider more humane options and less drastic measures to address negative deer-human interactions and deer intolerance. Perhaps, the best way forward is to change the council. There are plenty of fresh faces in the running for 2020 with five seats to fill. We would urge every resident to do your research, know your candidates, and vote wisely."
-Lisa Abrams, FAAWN Steering Committee and Co-Founder
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