After unsuccessfully attempting to sell an article he wrote about vegetarianism entitled "Being a Vegetarian Is Never Having to Say You're Sorry – to a Cow", in 1974 founder Paul Obis (1951–2018) put together a four-page hand-delivered newsletter and called it
Vegetarian Times. He made 300 photocopies and from his first issue generated three subscriptions. He launched the newsletter from his apartment in
Oak Park, Illinois. Obis grew up in
Melrose Park, Illinois, and studied nursing at the
University of Illinois at Chicago. In 1997, Obis told
Newsday that he was no longer a vegetarian. In 1999, Sabot Publishing near Richmond, Virginia, purchased the publication from Primedia (now
Rent Group), which had owned the magazine for 18 months at the time of its sale. In 2003, the magazine was acquired from Richmond-based Sabot Publishing by Cruz Bay Publishing, a subsidiary of
Active Interest Media, which relaunched it in November 2004, the 30th anniversary of the magazine, after significant investment and an editorial overhaul. The magazine expanded coverage to appeal not only to strict vegetarians, but also to people simply looking for a healthy lifestyle and seeking healthy recipes. In 2007, Elizabeth Turner was named Editor-in-Chief. Prior to joining
Vegetarian Times, Turner was the Managing Editor of
Natural Health magazine. Turner separated from Vegetarian Times in 2015 to become Editor in Chief of
Forks Over Knives, a vegan outreach portal associated with the work of
T. Colin Campbell and
Caldwell Esselstyn. In 2017
Vegetarian Times became an online magazine: instead of receiving a physical magazine subscribers can access a digital library of recipes as well as online cooking classes. The online website is operated and owned by
Active Interest Media (AIM) who specialize in "niche enthusiast magazines". and has overseen a rebrand and relaunch of the now digital-only publication. ==Past contributors==