SCREW THAT! You TOTALLY did the right thing! If they want to preach their views on you, then you have every right to defend your own WOL.. AND to tell them something they may not know, such as using blood and bone meal or whatever to enrich the soil.. Im damn proud of you..!

Most vegans dont 'mean well' when they preach.. they do it to try to make you feel bad about the way youre choosing to live..

I have a friend whos a diehard vegan/activist.. The only reason we're friends is because we knew each other from 8 years ago when she WASNT vegan.. anyways, its neat to have her as a friend because she certainly offers her side of the story.. but once in a while she'll start to go off on a rant about meat or something, and I have to tell her,
"Sarah, I dont want to hear it.. I dont want to argue with you because it wont do us any good.."

and she'll stop.. now maybe in my case shes trying to 'help' me.. but when she goes on and on about others who do things she doesnt like or believe in, shes definitely belittling them, accusing them of doing the wrong thing.. because they dont agree with her.. shrug.. just offering my two cents..