The Voice of the Students of Montana State University Billings
Wed November 11th, 2009 by Jen Gross Of The Retort Staff
Meatless burgers were received with open taste buds at the recent “Brats, Burgers & Beer” fundraiser for the MSUB History Club. The Boca brand vegan burgers sold out long before volunteers shut their barbeque lids to call it a night at the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company.
The History Club’s grill team came supplied with a 15-pak of Boca burgers from Costco, but it proved insufficient to meet the demand of the previously untapped vegan (pronounced vee-GUN) market. “Quite a few people came up and asked for a vegan burger even after they were sold out,” said Karen Ortegal, a sociology student and a member of the History Club who volunteered at the event.
Jonnie Eggeland was lucky enough to snag one of the hot commodities before they were gone. A sophomore in the art program, Eggeland said, “I told my vegan friend I’d try one. But I’ve had veggie burgers before and I think they’re good.”
For various reasons, people may choose not to consume animal products. Vegans exclude all animal products from their diet. Vegan food is plant-based and contains no dairy, meat, or egg products.
Dr. Keith Edgerton, who grilled up the tasty vegan burgers, was not surprised that the plant-based burgers were so popular. “I know more and more folks are moving toward diversity in their diets,” he said. “It’s nice to have something different for folks.” Dr. Edgerton teaches history is a professor in the History Department.
“Brats, Burgers, and Beers” is a popular fundraising event that the History Club started about four years ago. Although this was the first time they offered a vegan option, it won’t be the last. Dr. Edgerton said they will continue to offer vegan burgers “as long as there is a market, for sure.” The proceeds help students travel to the annual Phi Alpha Theta Northwest Regional Student Conference every spring.
This article originally appeared in The Retort Volume 2 Issue 2, printed October 23rd, 2009.