In this eye-opening episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan dissects the agricultural industry’s transparent anxiety about the growing popularity of plant-based diets. From Farm Babe’s desperate defense of animal agriculture’s “sustainability” to Oklahoma’s hypocritical farmland ownership laws that conveniently exempt Chinese-owned Smithfield Foods, we witness an industry scrambling to maintain relevance as consumers increasingly recognize the environmental and ethical problems with animal agriculture. Meanwhile, avian flu makes an unwelcome return to Wisconsin dairy herds, highlighting yet another risk of our dependence on animal farming, while the industry callously discusses how to profit from “surplus calves” separated from their grieving mothers. This episode explores: How mainstream sustainability advice increasingly recommends plant-based diets, much to the ag industry’s dismay The contradictory claims about livestock’s environmental impact and the industry’s desperate “carbon sequestration” narrative The reappearance of avian flu in dairy herds and the industry’s resistance to vaccination solutions Oklahoma’s telling exception for Smithfield Foods in its ban on Chinese-owned farmland The disturbing commodification of “surplus calves” in the dairy industry and their treatment as mere profit centers We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview. _____________________________________________ Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Between now and December 31, every donation up to $20,000 will be tripled! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content! Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review! Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series. Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.