Hi Ryan! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me! To start, could you please tell us a little about yourself and your online magazine, T.O.F.U.?
My name is Ryan Patey, and I’m the Co-Founder and Editor of a vegan magazine called T.O.F.U., which is currently based in Canada. Since 2007, I’ve been releasing the magazine in one form or another, whether print or digital. Currently, it’s available online through a pay-what-you-can system to ensure access to as many people as possible, regardless of financial constraints. However, I do have plans to bring the magazine back to print in the near future, if all goes well.
Personally, I quit my job as a Copywriter for a web and marketing company based in St. John’s, Newfoundland to pursue the idea of operating T.O.F.U. full-time. So far, it’s involved a lot of juggling in terms of limiting my expenses and trying to find a cheap place to live while remaining productive. Of course, it’s also allowed me to do things like living in Costa Rica for several months and crossing North America on The Wild T.O.F.U. Tour to promote the magazine and connect with like-minded individuals and organizations in different cities.
Congratulations on committing to your passion full time! About T.O.F.U., I love that Issue #6 challenges vegans to look critically at the ‘ethical’ label of the vegan movement. Why do you think it’s important to highlight challenging topics such as this one?
There are so many reasons why it’s important to challenge people, whether they’re vegan or not. With the way so many issues are connected, there is no end point where you’ve reached peak compassion. Being vegan is just a part of it, and, in some ways, it tends to cause its own problems. Highlighting those areas, including racism, fat shaming, ageism, etc., is just my attempt to get folks to go beyond doing things “for the animals” or to at least acknowledge that those animals should include people.
If we’re not going to fight all forms of oppression, then where will we be once we end the oppression of animals? Sure, it’s hard to fight for everything, but being open to criticism from those who are fighting for something else is the easiest way to ensure you’re not being a part of the problem. Hopefully, by addressing these issues from the standpoint of already being vegan, readers will be open to considering those criticisms as well.
My name is Ryan Patey, and I’m the Co-Founder and Editor of a vegan magazine called T.O.F.U., which is currently based in Canada. Since 2007, I’ve been releasing the magazine in one form or another, whether print or digital. Currently, it’s available online through a pay-what-you-can system to ensure access to as many people as possible, regardless of financial constraints. However, I do have plans to bring the magazine back to print in the near future, if all goes well.
Personally, I quit my job as a Copywriter for a web and marketing company based in St. John’s, Newfoundland to pursue the idea of operating T.O.F.U. full-time. So far, it’s involved a lot of juggling in terms of limiting my expenses and trying to find a cheap place to live while remaining productive. Of course, it’s also allowed me to do things like living in Costa Rica for several months and crossing North America on The Wild T.O.F.U. Tour to promote the magazine and connect with like-minded individuals and organizations in different cities.
Congratulations on committing to your passion full time! About T.O.F.U., I love that Issue #6 challenges vegans to look critically at the ‘ethical’ label of the vegan movement. Why do you think it’s important to highlight challenging topics such as this one?
There are so many reasons why it’s important to challenge people, whether they’re vegan or not. With the way so many issues are connected, there is no end point where you’ve reached peak compassion. Being vegan is just a part of it, and, in some ways, it tends to cause its own problems. Highlighting those areas, including racism, fat shaming, ageism, etc., is just my attempt to get folks to go beyond doing things “for the animals” or to at least acknowledge that those animals should include people.
If we’re not going to fight all forms of oppression, then where will we be once we end the oppression of animals? Sure, it’s hard to fight for everything, but being open to criticism from those who are fighting for something else is the easiest way to ensure you’re not being a part of the problem. Hopefully, by addressing these issues from the standpoint of already being vegan, readers will be open to considering those criticisms as well.
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Well said! So what are you goals and dreams for T.O.F.U. magazine?
If you had asked me this when the magazine started, I would have simply said “To showcase vegans from around the world”. Now, it’s something more than that. The shift to critical thinking about veganism has allowed the magazine to highlight plenty of important topics, as well as a number of great people, and I want to continue that.
Ideally, I’ll be returning to print with the next issue, and then working on getting the magazine distributed to a number of places. It’s all still very grassroots, and the majority of the behind the scenes work is done by just me, so I don’t have dreams of being on every grocery store shelf in North America or anything like that. However, it would be great to know that if people wanted to hold T.O.F.U. in their hands, they would be able to. Of course, I’ll also continue to offer the digital version for whatever price folks want to pay.
Along with that, I also wouldn’t mind heading to Europe for a tour. I’ve done three across different parts of North America, and I want to bring the magazine over the Pond to connect with folks there. After that, I’d love to meet the folks in Australia who have been supporting me since the first issue, and then the rest of the world is certainly up for consideration too!
Basically, I want to bring T.O.F.U. to the world, and I’d love to do it through something other than just the Internet.
As the editor and co-creator of T.O.F.U magazine, what advice would you give someone who wants to impact more people through their vegan website or blog?
I have to admit I’m not doing so great at the blogging game, and attending the Vida Vegan Con each year has made me aware of that. The key thing I’ve taken away from that conference, and those I think are doing great with that platform, is that you have to be true and stick with your own voice. Instead of trying to do whatever the newest fad is or posting the next viral video to try and get likes, you should concentrate on writing and creating the things you want to be out there.
Thanks to the Internet, we can connect with people around the world, and, if you keep at it, those people will connect with you as well. Of course, T.O.F.U. has been around for nearly a decade, and I’m still working on spreading the word about it. So, you’re not going to be an overnight success, but you most likely will see new people joining in on the conversation as you continue. Be sure to talk with them! Be approachable and open, but only as much as you feel comfortable with. It’s hard to find a balance when you’re trying to create positive change online, but it’s important to be able to step away from it and allow yourself to breath and enjoy the world outside of a computer too. Not only will this give you a chance to be social in other ways (and maybe eat, feed your pets, etc.), it will also show you why it is you’re doing the work you do. Taking a moment to pet a cat, play with a dog in a park, or stop to smell a flower is a great way to remember that there are some beautiful things in the world, and they’re all worth protecting.
Trust me, if you spend enough time online, especially when responding to social media comments, you may forget this!
I see that you lived in South Korea for a while! Me too! I was vegetarian at the time, and bibimbap was my absolute favourite food while there. How did you navigate Korea as a vegan, and what foods were your favourites?
The first month or two I was in South Korea was tough, and my meals were not exactly interesting. I was living in Daegu, so I didn’t have all the benefits of the large metropolis that is Seoul, but I did eventually visit there a number of weekends, and each time I was able to connect with some of the people in the veg group. Plus, having Alien’s Day Out offering mail order vegan baked goods made the tough days so much better! Sadly, I left before Mipa opened Plant, but I do hope to visit there sometime to finally meet her.
Near the end of my stay in SK, I was also lucky enough to have a So Delicious Cafe open just a few blocks away from my house. Yes, So Delicious had cafes similar to Baskin Robbins in South Korea. I’ve never seen them anywhere else, but I’m glad I saw them there!
Along with that, there was Loving Hut. I can’t say I approve of their religious leanings for a number of reasons, but their food was a great safety net when I didn’t want to try and explain what “vegan” meant with my limited (basically non-existent) Korean.
As for my favourite Korean foods, I have found myself craving bibimbap and ramen many times. Of course, kimchi goes without saying, right? I put that stuff on far too many things whenever I can find a vegan-friendly version!
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Speaking of South Korea, I know that you travel a lot. What tips would you give to vegans embarking on international travels?
I think it goes without saying, whether vegan or not, that the Internet is a great resource for travelling. Along with finding cheap flight options, there are folks who have blogged about being or doing so many things in a majority of the world. Simply searching “vegan X” for wherever you’re looking to go will most likely give you a number of blog entires. If not, make an effort to write one when you’re done your adventure!
Outside of that, there are plenty of folks who are vegan and basically full-time travellers, and they’re not making my attempts to settle in one place any easier with all their lovely photos and posts!
Check out Vegan in Brighton, Mindful Wanderlust, and Burger Abroad for starters. Also, keep an eye out for the first issue of Driftwood Magazine, which is sure to include plenty of great vegan travel stories!
In your experience, what is the biggest reward and what is the biggest challenge of being vegan?
I’ve been vegan for at least 7-8 years now, and I think the biggest reward actually comes when someone decides to be vegan based partially on my actions. I like to think that being a good example and countering some of the misconceptions of vegans is a great way to change people’s minds, and each time someone tells me I helped them make the change, it’s a great feeling.
As for the biggest challenge, I’d say trying to convince people to be open to change is one of my biggest issues. Although this relates to my biggest reward, I also mean trying to open people up to issues outside of veganism, especially those who are already vegan. I’ve probably faced more criticism from other vegans and vegetarians for my stance on PETA, posts about sexism within the animal rights movement, pushes to eliminate fat shaming from the usual rhetoric used to convince people to go vegan, and other statements/actions that are not quite commonplace. Granted, I feel strongly about these issues and I also experience a great amount of privilege in being able to speak about such things without any serious threats to my safety, etc., so I’m willing to put up with the pushback. However, it’s always more disconcerting when you’re being faced with opposition from people who spend so much of their time trying to open the eyes of others to oppression of a different sort.
Thank you Ryan! Best of luck to you, and I hope that T.O.F.U. gets to see the world!
