When I travelled to Minneapolis to speak at the Midwest Animal Advocacy Conference, I was happy to see grassroots activism alive and well.  The conference was organized by Compassionate Action for Animals, and prior to attending, I read and very much appreciated the group’s core values. Around 200 registered for the event, including some who had visited and worked at Farm Sanctuary and several who had attended our demonstration at the South St. Paul stockyard back in 1991 to call for an end to the suffering of downed animals.  I’m glad to say that all farm animal suffering has ceased at the South St. Paul stockyard, which closed earlier this year.