About us

Origins of Vegan Organic Network

What influences our lives and our life decisions? Whatever the interplay between nature and nurture, the traumas suffered especially in our childhood, possibly override all other experiences. There were a number of influences that resulted in the formation of VON, but the overriding reason was the impact WW2 had on David and Jane’s lives, especially David’s. We would never be party to loading animals onto cattle trucks to be taken to Nazi -like abattoirs ( concentration – death camps ) to be slaughtered. This was the fate of David’s extended family living mainly in Minsk, Belarus (some also in Poland and Germany) during WW2, and of the 6 million other Jews. The systematic extermination of a whole people. An unimaginable nightmare – the Holocaust. Also the wholesale murder of non-Jews, politicos, gypsies, disabled, homosexuals and others who were considered unfit to live by the Nazis. The murder of generations of children never to have life, never to be born and loved.
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Our Story

The ideals and influences in the founding of VON

We have been ethical vegans for many years because we will not participate in another extermination, that of farmed and wild animals, flora and fauna. We knew that plants could be grown without animal manure and the agro -chemicals developed by Haber – Bosch, that included Zyklon B that was used to murder men, women and children, in these horrendous death camps. We set out to support veganic farmers and promote the life enhancing veganic system. In 1996 we founded VON .

Whatever the methods and techniques of veganic farming, variously labeled, Veganic, Biocyclic-Vegan Agriculture, Natural Agriculture, Stockfree Organic, Vegan Permaculture etc., the principles are the same. However, it is crucial to reiterate that for VON these principles are informed by the same underlying aim, that is working for a nonviolent world where war has been abolished and the roots of war pulled up, including the silent, routine violence of hunger, oppression and ecological devastation. From our inception we have proclaimed the following mission statement:

VEGANS for LIFE

We must work for a World…

… where social justice prevails

… where animals and people, flora and fauna can live in harmony

… where the slaughterhouse, war and the killing fields are made obsolete

… of cooperation and compassion

… where we speak and act with the poor, the oppressed, the dispossessed, and for those who cannot speak.

VON’s members, supporters paid and unpaid, will endeavour to achieve our objectives:

VON’s Principle Objectives:
VON’s Memorandum and Articles of Association detail VON’s rules of operation. These are sent to trustees and key workers, and are available to all members.
The main Aims of the Charity are:

To advance the education of the general public in the principles of vegan organic horticulture and agriculture, in particular but not exclusively through the undertaking of research into such horticulture and agriculture and disseminating the results of such research for the public benefit.

To establish and maintain a centre or centres in any part of the world for the demonstration of vegan-organic horticultural and agricultural methods and the education of persons in vegan-organic theory and methodology, whether by means of courses open to the public or otherwise and to provide advice generally.

Much effort has been made to establish a commercial veganic farm that would operate as an International Education, Demonstration and Research centre that would advance VON’s aims. This still remains a principle objective. Given that our planet is experiencing the effects of climate catastrophe and a pandemic that is most likely transmitted and spread by animals is part of this devastation our aims becomes more urgent.

Please support VON and learn more about our work by joining us in promoting ethical farming, social and economic justice based on non-violence and friendship.

David and Jane

VON Founders

Stay in touch

For any enquiries relating to membership (or changes of address if you’re a member) please contact the membership secretary at membership@veganorganic.net – see also our Join Us page for more info.

Otherwise please get in touch with the Vegan Organic Network for any queries you have about vegan organic growing, or for more info about how to get involved.