What happens when a casual vegan dinner leads to one of the most significant open rescue cases in US animal rights history? This week, we’re joined by Adam Durand, who went from rule-following citizen to jailbird activist after exposing conditions at Wegmans Egg Farm back in 2004. Adam shares the wild journey of sneaking into a factory farm with a ragtag crew, rescuing hens who then lived long sanctuary lives, distributing DVDs via BitTorrent (oh, the early 2000s!), and ultimately facing down a vindictive judge who sentenced him beyond what the law allowed. All because he couldn’t unsee what he saw inside those dusty, forgotten sheds filled with living beings.

In this episode:

• How a simple vegan dinner party in 2002 set Adam on his path to activism
• The shocking discovery of Wegmans’ “mechanical monstrosity” housing 750,000 hens
• The rescue of 13 birds, 11 of whom went on to live long lives at sanctuaries
• Adam’s experience facing felony charges that could have meant 21 years in prison
• What it was like serving time in jail, including being forced to serve eggs to inmates
• The concept of “vystopia” and how activists can care for themselves while fighting for animals
• Adam’s current work protesting Marshall BioResources, America’s largest breeder of beagles for experimentation
• Why animal sanctuaries remain vital to both rescue work and movement building

Adam’s story reminds us that individual actions matter, courage is contagious, and sometimes the most effective activism comes from ordinary people willing to question “how it’s always been done.”

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Adam Durand is a videographer and animal rights activist with over two decades of history in the movement. He gained recognition in 2005 for exposing cruelty at Wegmans Egg Farm in a case where he spent 35 days in jail before being released by an appellate court. Adam’s advocacy has included open rescues, strategic campaigns, and support for farm animal sanctuaries such as Mockingbird Farm Sanctuary where he serves as a Lead Caregiver. His impact has been featured in national publications (including earlier this year in Vox) and cited by Our Hen House’s own Mariann Sullivan.

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Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

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