Navigating the world wide web’s massive terrain can be daunting without a good guide. Enter the 1st Annual VegWebby Awards, where VN editors name the top virtual destinations for info-hungry veggies everywhere. From leather-free cyber boutiques to online art galleries to virtual teen hangouts, we’ll take you to the best the internet has to offer. Come along for the ride (no map needed)!
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New Website
Supervegan.com
Even though Lantern Books’ latest brainchild, SuperVegan focuses on New York City, it travels the terrain of all things V with admirable tenacity. Keeping up means reading every day—or, take the slacker approach and browse entries grouped by categories like “companion animals,” “health & nutrition” and “squirrels.” A playful, well-designed interface and an extensive, highly organized web directory complete the package. One thing’s for sure about this site—its name does not deceive. |
Site for Sweet Nothings
BabyCakesNYC.com
Erin McKenna felt robbed when doctors diagnosed her with gluten and dairy allergies, but from her frustration Baby Cakes NYC was born. Indulge in virtual fantasies about these sweet nothings by visiting the website, where mouthwatering images of sugary treats are displayed in delicious detail against a vintage ‘50s backdrop. Order these vegan cupcakes in fresh fruit-filled vanilla, lemon poppy seed and chocolate, or just drool over the pictures. |
CyberScene
MySpace.com
Before, casual acquaintances fell through the cracks, but now, thanks to MySpace, teens and 20-somethings create and maintain a thriving social network through cyber space. Connect with other seitan-loving peeps in your city, flirt with activist cuties, and discover organizations you like, such as (warning: shameless plugging ahead) this magazine. Not a month after our page kicked off, we had amassed more than 500 new friends. Who knew?
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Young Cyber Community
livejournal.com
LiveJournal rode the crest of the online exhibitionism craze when it began offering users a public place to journal in 1999. Today, the site also hosts communities where users mull over issues of the day: CheapVegan is for veggies on a budget, while IsItVeg allows members to pitch questions about whether this or that is animal-free, and wait for others to respond with corporate memos confirming or negating vegan-ness. Don’t forget to scope out Vegan_Cookoff, VeganPets and VeganPeople, too. |
Animal Rights Epicenter
AnimalsVoice.com
Acclaimed writer Laura Moretti founded and published Animal’s Voice Magazine between 1986 and 1997, and the good news for the well-read activist is that the magazine has made a recent comeback. But don’t assume this organization slacked off in the interim; it’s created the premier online resource for AR advocates, clocking in with no less than 10,000 links, 5,000 free-for-the taking graphic images, the most comprehensive e-newsletter of its kind and a rich editorial database. Prepare to lose yourself for hours in this wormhole. |
Athlete's Message Board
VeganFitness.net
The people behind veganbodybuilding.com created Vegan Fitness in early 2004. This thorough, popular message board is moderated, meaning you won’t encounter the mean-spirited banter that occasionally mars the medium. Athlete profiles and an image gallery keep the focus on community, and fellow fitness buffs swap advice about getting B12 or proper stretching before a big race.
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Naughty Shop
Vegsexshop.com
If you don’t consider milk protein and beef tallow-derived glycerin acceptable in the bedroom, get your condoms, lubes and other accessories at Veg Sex Shop for discreet delivery. The wilder at heart will dig reads like The Ethical Slut and x-rated playthings, and can also peruse the links page for all kinds of racy sites like Hot Punk Girl and the shop’s own sister site, Veg Porn. Five percent of sales goes to Scarleteen, a nonprofit sex education site for teens.
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Local Veg Group
BayAreaVeg.org
Vegetarian societies have evolved from hosting potlucks in church basements to sponsoring swank conferences and creating an online presence with sophisticated websites. What with more than 2500 members in Northern California, Bay Area Vegetarians is among the largest regional veg groups in the country. BAVeg website visitors experience a cool interface with events listed by date or region, and the ability to interact with 700+ registered forum users. Recovering carnies can take refuge in the mentor and 12-step programs. |
Restaurant Spotter
HappyCow.net
Since 1999, Happy Cow has been a sort of global CitySearch for vegetarians. On one side of the spectrum, users scour the site’s global restaurant and natural food store database for thorough listings that include price range, location, phone number, a succinct description and customer reviews. On the other, foodies worldwide submit details on favorite haunts in their own stomping grounds. |
Recipe Swap Site
VegWeb.com
VegWeb is so simple and user-friendly that even your computer-phobic grandma can surf with confidence. After perusing hundreds of member-submitted recipes, make your selection and slide it into your personal “recipe box,” an itemized grocery list for required ingredients. User reviews and ratings on a four-star scale weed out the flops, and the personals are pretty fun, too. |
ListServ for News Junkies
dawnwatch.com
Animal rights powerhouse Karen Dawn’s opinion pieces have appeared in The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. Her free listserv, DawnWatch, keeps members updated with daily news pieces focusing on animal issues, and comes complete with instructions for responding to the press. Get smart, and learn how to build a rapport with the media, right down to the intricacies of “email etiquette.”
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Virtual Gallery Space
Veganica.com
Veganica provides a venue for veg artists to showcase and sell prints, paintings, crafts, music and so on. Often these mediums take on compassionate themes—but not always. Blogs and forums add meat—er, tofu—to the community buzz that elevates this site from a potentially flat interface to one that encourages interactivity, and with it, the mingling of like creative minds. |
Fashionista Haven
MattandNat.com
The best retail spaces offer a relaxing atmosphere replete with clean lines, elegant displays and friendly service. Enjoy the virtual sophistication of Montreal-based Matt & Nat, where online shopping is so seamless you’ll feel as if you’re actually at their boutique. In lieu of descriptions, the line of classic wallets, bags and shoes communicate their own superior quality. No need to hunt down retailers for the current season, which the website sells direct. |
Pretty Portal
TheVegetarianChannel.com
An effective alternative to often-tedious Google searches, The Vegetarian Channel acts as a portal where one can find veg-friendly online resources. Browse tabs for food, shopping, lifestyle, environment, news and organizations, or just search by keyword. The fresh and lovely interface puts a mainstream face on vegetarianism for all the fence-riders out there who don’t want to live too far out on the fringe. |
Conscious Community
Zaadz.com
Zaadz founder and CEO Brian Johnson successfully networks thousands of activists representing every cause imaginable, creating an online political powerhouse where fun and action collide. His team has built a corporation in which profits are measured by positive change on a global scale rather than the bottom line. Would-be Zaadsters whose applications are accepted plug into an enlightened and dynamic social networking site where stimulated minds buzz with positive tension |
Making the Switch Site
GoVeg.com
PETA dominates the mainstream as the most high-profile proponent for animals, and this means its GoVeg website likely traffics more visitors than any other of its ilk. Good thing PETA sexes it up with a glossy interface, celebrity buzz that’s updated every two to five days, videos like Jonathan Safran Foer’s If This Is Kosher and the infamous World’s Sexiest Vegetarian contest. And don’t miss their kick-ass tools for organizers. |
Culinary Motherlode
VegCooking.com
The work PETA has invested in the web really shows at Veg Cooking. This site is of the soft-core persuasion for veg newcomers, and offers up chef Q&A, cooking tips, recipes galore and scores of other resources. Log on to experience modern design and thoughtful-yet-light editorial about whipping up an Eggs Benedict knock-off or how to get your
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Hip Online Forum
VeganFreak.net
Podcast listeners know Bob and Jenna Torres from Animal Voices Radio, and bookish types will recognize them as the authors of 2005’s Vegan Freak. These Cornell University PhD grads have now taken on the web with their Vegan Freak forum, which teems with dialogue on topics ranging from cage-free eggs, the Sopranos, David Foster Wallace and Tom Cruise’s weirdness. Thankfully, the charged and intellectual debate usually dissipates into humor. |
Hot Spot for Health Advice
PCRM.org
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a much-needed force taking on our corrupt medical system, which has become overrun by special interest groups . Thanks to heavyweight MDs like Colin Campbell, John McDougall and president Neal Barnard, PCRM is the most powerful medical voice out there for natural, animal-friendly health care. Peruse cogent research papers and scour the health pages for prevention and care ideas for maladies such as breast cancer and migraines.
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Traveler's Resource
ivu.org
For travel junkies who want to stay well connected to the veg community while they roam, the International Vegetarian Union website is a godsend. It connects users with local vegetarian groups, publications, dining spots and discussion groups in hundreds of countries around the world. Other nifty features include phonetic translations of “I am vegetarian” into dozens of languages, a free listserv for international news junkies, and a database of veg accommodations for that perfect B & B stay in Burkina Faso and beyond. |
Blog-Shop Hybrid
FoodFightGrocery.com
Food Fight Grocery posted their nominee for “the best email ever” this past April. The letter began, “Sorry, but the filthy language and immoral lifestyle promoted on your web site is something I can’t take in.” Just as Food Fight invites controversy, it uses punk rock attitude to snub the status-quo embrace of meat. In addition to the irreverent blog, the virtual storefront vends staples, oddities and activist-y gear for those not lucky enough to live somewhere progressive like Portland, where the owners also run a vegan grocery. |
Website for Nesters
VegKitchen.com
With a score of cookbooks to her name, Nava Atlas has become a prominent vegetarian personality. One of the coziest destinations on the web, her quaint Veg Kitchen includes recipes sorted by season, details on setting up a pantry, and a rudimentary nutrition reader. Browse her entertaining blog, which covers recipes, ideas for cooking lesser-used veggies and grains, and tidbits about her family—including one content vegan cat.
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Family Blog
VeganLunchbox.blogspot.com
Jennifer McCann’s Vegan Lunch Box defies the deprived-vegan-child stereotype. Enthused web prowlers have been brewing up buzz about this blog since its inception in 2005. The premise? McCann chronicles and photographs her son Shmoo’s daily lunchbox gems. With her aloo samosas, empanadas and phyllo bundles, she could well be raising the best-fed kid on the planet. We pity the parents trying to fill her apron. Insightful tips abound, like how to help the kids fit in—with Tuno, of course.
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Gourmand Blog
VeganMenu.blogspot.com
The anonymous husband and wife purveyors of the Vegan Menu blog began posting food photos online in January 2002 and have since logged thousands of posts. The lowbrow tagline, “What the hell does a vegan eat anyway?” seems ironic considering the sophisticated food photography and elegant descriptions. The blogger, “Tofu,” found his origins in rock music, but his creativity—matched by his wife’s—has found new inspiration in French stews and fluffy bunny cakes that would make Martha proud. |
Corporate Site
Gardenburger.com
Between Kraft-owned Boca Burger and Kellogg’s-owned Morningstar Farms, the quintessential vegetarian meal—the veggie burger—has been sucked into the corporate machine. Yet the original VB, Gardenburger, has remained independent and seeks to reconnect with its core consumers. The website incorporates heartland kitsch and a ‘60s throwback feel that appeals to all age groups. Join its “What’s Your Cause?” blog to dish on how you’re scoring karma points these days. |
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Are you a VegWebby Award Winner? Click here for winner resources.
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