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New Virginia License Plates for Vegetarians and Vegans

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The new Virgina license plate for vegetarians

One of the best things about living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, like almost anywhere else in this agricultural state, is a wealth of fruits and vegetables from local growers. And you can see this natural treasure almost any week at one of the Farmers’ Markets in a given city–lots of green, red, yellow, and orange, things to take home and cook and things to eat raw right out of the bag.

Local selections like this make it easy to be a vegetarian or vegan (a.k.a. “veg*n”) in Virginia…and soon Virginia veg*ns will have their own license plate to celebrate a meat-free lifestyle!

Information on the new plates, an example, and application forms are available online at www.veggieplates.org. They are being sponsored by the Richmond Vegetarian Festival, Vegan Action, the Vegetarian Society of Richmond, and other organizations, and were designed by Richmond artist Noah Scalin.

The plates cost $10 (or $20 for personalized plates), and there is even a “deferred payment” plan…or barter system, where you can work for your plates by distributing fliers or submitting a financial statement to receive a subsidy.

But if you want your veggie plate, you need to get your veggie juices flowing and sign up: The sponsors need at least 350 applications before they can move forward with getting the plates approved.

New License Plates Celebrate Virginia’s Diverse Food Heritage

These veg*n license plates are a great way to celebrate both the natural splendor of Virginia’s fruits and vegetables and the benefits of veg*n living. Both vegetarians and vegans, by avoiding meat products, have a positive impact on many levels: reducing suffering of animals, having less of an impact on the environment by reducing the large amounts of pollution and resource use by livestock, and promoting healthy diets, just to name a few.

This is especially relevant today, when upwards of 99% of animal products consumed for food come from factory-farmed animals. While there are some excellent exceptions to the rule of factory farming, many of which are right here in Virginia and offer products at Farmers’ Markets (selling ethically raised meats, eggs, and dairy), being a veg*n in Virginia is an important way to avoid benefiting from the suffering of animals–directly or indirectly. And Virginia has a lot of factory farms, unfortunately…an awful lot.

So Virginia’s vegetarians and vegans have plenty of reasons to be proud and to celebrate their “green,” compassionate lifestyle. And soon we can do so with colorful veg*n license plates…

Or… skip the license plate (and the car), and use a bike for you main means of transportation… check out our current offerings from well-known brands like Raleigh, Fuji, and Jamis.

Image credit: VeggiePlates.org

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