Food for thought and belly

There are two opportunities to converge with like-minded vegan folks this weekend. The first is on Saturday, March 11, at the Conscious Eating Conference in Berkeley, where the discussion will center on the ethics and impact of agriculture, with an emphasis on how different religions—Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, atheism—view humans’ relationship with animals and nature. The conference includes breakfast and lunch and goes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the David Brower Center (2150 Allston Way). Tickets are free for students with an ID and $15-$25 for nonmatriculated peeps. The second opportunity is on Sunday, March 12, when one of the Conscious Eating speakers, Sandra Higgins of Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary in Ireland, comes to El Papagayo (5804 Marconi Avenue in Carmichael) for a 5:30 p.m. dinner, followed by a talk at the Carmichael Library (5605 Marconi Avenue) at 7:30 p.m. Sounds like a weekend filled with plenty of food for thought and belly.