Veganism is becoming a more popular lifestyle choice with every passing day, and with good reason: consuming tons of animal products is causing irreparable harm not just to the animals themselves but to the landscape on which they’re bred and the environment as a whole. While many vegans get a bad rap for being pedantic and having a “boring” diet, The Vegan Cowboy is here to dispel those rumors once and for all and prove just how fun plant-based eating can be.
- Veganism can be fun too. While many carnivores enjoy hunting and insist that killing their own food makes their way of eating more sustainable, 32-year-old Dusty has turned that idea on its head and gone “hunting” for vegetables with bananas instead of guns in one of the best social media accounts out there. Try not to smile at his posts, I dare you!
- Dusty was a meat-eater until recently. According to Unilad, the Vegan Cowboy only adopted plant-based eating in the past few years. Having grown up around animals on farms and having a butcher for a grandfather meant that he was the “rootinest tootinest pollutinist carnivore that ever walked the earth” for much of his life and that he idea of veganism “didn’t even come up in the realm of possibility.” My, how things change!
- He made the change to hopefully help with his anxiety and depression. Dusty hoped that changing his diet would help improve his personal wellness and deal with his anxiety and depression issues. Incredibly, it worked! “Switching to a plant-based diet was one thing that helped me out significantly,” he explained. “I’m happy to say it has helped me on all fronts and that I won’t be going back anytime soon. Also, I know that if I can do it, anyone can!”
- The Vegan Cowboy has been going strong for two years now. Dusty recognizes that he’s still a baby in the vegan game bu he can’t imagine changing back to being an omnivore anytime soon, saying, “I’ve been plant-based and blessed for two years now. No greenhorn, but still a young fledgling and going strong.”
- He wants to change how people see veganism. Dusty realizes that many people assume vegans are “judgmental, angry activists” and he wants to change that narrative, as well as the idea that veganism is somehow emasculating. In reality, you can be brawny and manly and still be compassionate and thoughtful about your approach to eating.
- The Vegan Cowboy isn’t here to judge, only to spread some food for thought. Dusty insists he’s not judgmental about anyone’s diet and instead just wants to share his own experience and encourage a dialogue. “My goal with the vegan hunting pictures is to avoid making you feel bad about yourself for not being vegan, but to find some common ground and poke fun at wherever masculinity and empathy may collide,” he explained. “Then, when the time does come and you might want to try a plant burger or ditch some dairy, it won’t seem like such a grave decision, because in reality it’s easy and not such a big deal.” You’re a national hero, Dusty!
