Speakers announced for Rehoboth VegFest June 12 to 14

Top-name experts in the fields of animal advocacy, health, and the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle will be among those speaking at this summer's Rehoboth Beach VegFest, set for June 12 to 14. Rehoboth VegFest is a weekend-long celebration that focuses on the many benefits of plant-based living. The free outdoor festival takes place Saturday, June 13, and the Speakers Tent is always a popular part of the event.

Guest speakers this year include:

Bruce Friedrich, Farm Sanctuary: "For The Animals: Eating with Conscience"

A luminary in the animal protection field, Bruce Friedrich is director of policy and advocacy at Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Friedrich heads Farm Sanctuary’s policy and litigation efforts, and has introduced the world to who farm animals are as individuals through the Someone, Not Something project.

His articles on farm animal issues appear regularly in The Huffington Post, and he has penned numerous opinion pieces appearing in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and New York Daily News. In addition, Friedrich has discussed farm animal issues on television programs including the "Today" show, "CBS Evening News," MSNBC, "Fox News" and CNN.

At Rehoboth Beach VegFest 2015, Friedrich will give a presentation titled "For The Animals: Eating with Conscience." As voiced in 2012 for an article appearing in The Huffington Post, Friedrich said, "There is no moral or rational difference between consuming a dog or a pig, a cat or a chicken."

Friedrich has previously worked as a public school teacher in inner-city Baltimore, as vice president for policy at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and at a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in inner-city Washington, D.C. A progressive activist for 25 years, Friedrich is coauthor of The Animal Activist’s Handbook. He has earned degrees from Grinnell College, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Johns Hopkins University.

Milton Mills, MD: "The Plant-Based Path to Good Health"

Dr. Milton Mills is an internist based in the Washington, D.C. area and frequent speaker on the health benefits of plant-based eating. Mills' prescription for patients is likely to include some dietary advice: go vegetarian.

“Medical research shows conclusively that a plant-based diet reduces chronic disease risk, so that’s something I absolutely encourage my patients to move toward,” said Mills, a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine who became interested in the connection between diet and health when he went vegetarian as a teenager. “I find that when people are ill, they are very open to adopting practices that will improve their health.”

In his work with patients, Mills has seen plant-based diets improve or even eliminate the symptoms of diabetes, heart disease, HIV and AIDS. His speaking engagements span the country at hospitals, churches, and community centers. His presentation at Rehoboth VegFest 2015 will be "The Plant-Based Path to Good Health."

Victoria Moran, Main Street Vegan: "The Hows and Whys of Vegetarian Living"

Victoria Moran is the bestselling author of 11 books, including "Creating a Charmed Life" (in 30 languages around the world), the plant-based weight loss classic "The Love-Powered Diet," and "Main Street Vegan," coauthored with daughter Adair Moran. Victoria Moran is also an inspirational speaker, corporate spokesperson, certified holistic health counselor, graduate of the T. Colin Campbell Foundation/eCornell program in plant-based nutrition, a certified life coach, a vegan lifestyle coach in private practice, and founder and director of Main Street Vegan Academy, training and certifying vegan lifestyle coaches.

Cited by VegNews among the Top 10 Contemporary Vegetarian Authors, Moran appeared twice on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and she’s one of the celebrity coaches for PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. Her articles have appeared in Yoga Journal, Mothering, Natural Health, Woman’s Day, Martha Stewart’s Whole Living, VegNews, and Vegetarian Times. Her work has been noted in USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, Self, Elle, Glamour, Allure, and O, the Oprah Magazine.

More information about other speakers and cooking demonstrations, as well as full details about Rehoboth Beach VegFest, can be found at www.RehobothVegFest.org. Registration for sponsors and exhibitors is open now, with early-bird pricing in effect until Sunday, March 1.