This episode is a conversation with Robin Greenfield, activist, forager, and author of Food Freedom. Robin has spent years experimenting with what it means to step outside the industrial food system, first by growing and foraging all of his food for a year, and now by eating only wild food. In this conversation, we explore what food freedom actually looks like in practice, the role of community, and why food sits at the center of ecological and personal resilience.

Episode Overview:

• Robin’s background and journey away from the industrial food system
• Why food became the central focus of his activism and life experiments
• What “food freedom” meant during his year of growing and foraging all of his food
• The real challenges of food freedom, including time, processing, and preservation
• Why community support is essential for living closer to the land
• What motivated Robin to take the next step and eat only wild food for an entire year
• How he plans calories, protein, fat, and nutrients on a wild food diet
• Key wild food staples including wild rice, venison, fish, nuts, fruits, greens, and herbs
• The hardest parts of eating wild food, including fat scarcity and food storage mistakes
• How seasonality and travel shape his wild food strategy
• Ethical foraging and reciprocity, including harvesting invasive species
• Why learning individual plants matters more than following blanket foraging rules
• How foraging can deepen connection, purpose, and gratitude for the natural world
• Practical advice for beginner foragers who want to start building food resilience

Use code “yearofplenty” for 15% OFF at www.mtblock.com

MY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it out

Leave a review on Apple or Spotify and send a screenshot to theyearofplenty@gmail.com to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

Watch the Video Episode on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/UJ97dq8yVM0?si=huhuFqMRf7BkSs54

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Poldi and Lindey are joined by Orion (Forage Colorado), Tim (Ironwood Foraging Co.), and Bryan (Healing Ecosystems) for a relaxed, end-of-year conversation about wild food. We’ll reflect on how the season unfolded, what the harvest was like, lessons learned from the land, and the traditional food projects and skills we practiced along the way. We’ll also share our foraging goals and intentions for the year ahead.

Use code “yearofplenty” for 15% OFF at www.mtblock.com

MY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it out

Leave a review on Apple or Spotify and send a screenshot to theyearofplenty@gmail.com to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

Watch the Video Episode on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBzbHWZUhso&t=1407s

Sign up for the newsletter:
www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletter

Support the podcast via Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/yearofplenty

Subscribe to the Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@yearofplentyvideo

Do you follow the podcast on social media yet?
IG: https://www.instagram.com/poldiwieland/
X: https://x.com/yearofplentypod

I want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53R

This episode is a conversation with Jesse from Feral Foraging about two of North America’s most overlooked wild foods — Wild Plums and American Lotus. Jesse is a skilled forager and educator who shares practical tips on plant identification, wild tending, and cooking with these forgotten staples. His work blends deep ecological knowledge with hands-on techniques that help people connect to their food in a meaningful way.

Episode Overview:

• Jesse’s background and the mission behind Feral Foraging
• The Gather Foraging App — features for plant ID, seasonal timing & lookalikes
• Wild Plum species in North America (American, Chickasaw, Mexican, Pacific, Canada plums)
• How to identify wild plums vs. Bradford pear or crabapple
• Why wild plums are disappearing (invasive species, habitat loss, fire suppression)
• Tips for scouting wild plums in bloom, best harvesting techniques, and seasonal timing
• Wild plum flavor profile, traditional uses, and recipes (jam, wine, sauces, fruit leather)
• American Lotus basics — how it compares to Asian lotus and its overlooked history
• Foraging lotus seeds and tubers: canoe gathering, wading, and digging in mud
• Lotus recipes & nutrition: porridge, bread, flour alternatives, and long-term seed storage
• Why American Lotus and Wild Plums are still worth foraging today for resilience and food culture

Use code “yearofplenty” for 15% OFF at www.mtblock.com

MY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it out

Leave a review on Apple or Spotify and send a screenshot to theyearofplenty@gmail.com to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

Watch the Video Episode on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/pU2202bP58Q?si=o5_hNZ6Bq7UCNA2k

Sign up for the newsletter:
www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletter

Support the podcast via Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/yearofplenty

Subscribe to the Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@yearofplentyvideo

Do you follow the podcast on social media yet?
IG: https://www.instagram.com/poldiwieland/
X: https://x.com/yearofplentypod

I want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53R

Connect with Jesse:
https://www.youtube.com/@FeralForaging

Download the Gather Foraging App:
https://gatherapp.co/