On any given day, we are flooded with a deluge of fictions from the multi-billion-dollar food marketing and media empire designed to manipulate our purchasing decisions. They follow us wherever we go — in the grocery store, on the internet, in the restaurant, on the TV, and on the street signage. 
As a marketing communications professional for over 20 years, Robert Grillo worked on large food industry accounts where he acquired a behind-the-scenes perspective on food branding and marketing.
His book Farm to Fable reveals how these powerful cultural fictions trigger our food choices, often without our even knowing it.
Morning Robert… OK so what’s a typical day in the life of Robert Grillo like?
I start out with a strong cup of coffee scanning news feeds for articles on veganism, animal rights, animal agriculture, etc. and then I share standout articles with my social media following, write letters to the editor and emails to journalists expressing my views.
This is usually the first hour or two of my morning. It’s important to me to take the time to develop a voice and engage with the media to get our AR perspective out there to the masses!
The rest of the day is a juggling act of managing upcoming events, writing articles or preparing speeches, working on our website, training staff, setting up email blasts, caring for our rescues or helping others with rescues and looking for opportunities for public appearances and media coverage.
Wow, it sounds rather non stop! When and why vegan?
2009. I’m fed up with the animal exploitation industries and we should all be outraged There’s only one way to stop contributing to their outrageously bad behavior which they try so desperately to hide from the public, and that is to stop supporting them. Replace their products with something else. And there are a lot of options for most of us.
Then once we no longer contribute to the perpetuation of the animal exploitation industries, many of us feel that we want to do much more, and that’s where activism comes in.
What inspired you to write Farm to Fable? Who must read this book? Who will it appeal to?
Farm to Fable was a culmination of years of observing how animal products are branded and marketed to us everywhere, from TV shows to network news and from the grocery store shopping experience to browsing the internet. In my book I argue that exposing these culturally-ingrained fictions is the first major step in dis-empowering the animal exploitation industries.
Well, I wrote this for the general public as well as the activism community. My hope is that some of those who read the book as passive observers may feel compelled to take a more active role in changing society. 
What’s it like being vegan in Chicago? 
I guess it’s all relative, isn’t it? Relative to London or New York or Portland, Chicago is less of a vegan-friendly metropolis, but it is quite easy to be vegan.
What is a typical day of food for you?
Cereal or oatmeal in the morning. a wrap or sandwich and salad for lunch, and some kind of stir fry or for dinner. 
How can we find out more about you Robert?
I’m launching a personal website soon but for now the best place t
o connect with me is on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/robert.grillo.7. You can also email at [email protected]
Praise for Farm to Fable 
“Robert Grillo has written a challenging and provocative exposé of the unconscious beliefs we hold that allow us to feel superior to animals and entitled to abuse and consume them.  This is one book that is sure to be controversial.”
— John Robbins, author Diet For A New America, and President, Food Revolution Network
Farm to Fable is a passionate and informed call for an awakening from the official narratives that delude and injure us, and provides inspiring and valuable insights into how we can positively transform our lives and our world. Robert Grillo pulls back the curtain of subterfuge in this lively and unsettling book.”
— Will Tuttle, Ph.D., author of the best-selling book, The World Peace Diet, and editor of Circles of Compassion, is a recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award
Farm to Fable is an easy-to-read, accessible book that will compel readers to think deeply about the nonhuman animals they choose to eat.
Grillo clearly highlights the fiction and lies behind many of those who claim that it’s possible to give food animals ‘a better life’ when we are concerned with their welfare. Read this book and share it widely. It could be a game-changer.”
— Marc Bekoff, evolutionary biologist and author of Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence
“Through exhaustive research and keen observations, Robert Grillo shines a light on what is hidden in plain sight. He deftly exposes the ugliness of animal agriculture with sensitivity and compassion. An essential read for anyone who considers themselves a conscious consumer.”
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, animal advocate, ethicist, and bestselling author of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge 
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