Year of Plenty: Traditional Foodways

Landscape Literacy: Wild Flavor Is Everywhere | Nick of North

This episode is a conversation with Nick of North, a wild food chef, forager, and educator from Prince Edward Island who works at the intersection of cooking, ecology, and landscape literacy. Nick has built a unique career teaching chefs how to understand the landscapes around them and translate wild ingredients into meaningful food. His work focuses on flavor, aromatics, fermentation, and developing a deeper relationship with the land through cooking.In this conversation, we explore Nick’s journey from working as a line cook in restaurants to becoming a forager who now teaches chefs around the world how to work with wild ingredients. We also dive into how landscape literacy can transform the way we cook, why many wild foods are misunderstood, and how learning to work with flavor, aroma, and seasonal timing can unlock entirely new possibilities in the kitchen.Episode Overview:How wild ingredients often enter restaurant kitchens — and the surprising problems chefs face when working with themWhat landscape literacy actually means and why learning to read ecosystems changes the way you cookWhy understanding the environments plants grow in can make you a better forager and a more attentive cookNick’s method for learning plant identification by studying ecosystems instead of relying entirely on field guidesWhy wild greens taste bitter — and how harvest timing and time of day can dramatically change flavorHow chefs can use wild aromatics, herbs, and plant materials to elevate dishes beyond basic ingredientsCreative ways to extract wild flavors into oils, vinegars, fats, and other cooking mediumsHow plants like oak leaves can be used to add tannins for better pickling and food preservationWhy trusting your senses is one of the most important skills when fermenting and preserving foodThe fear many beginners have about poisonous plants — and how learning just a few dangerous species can unlock confident foragingHow the same wild plant can taste completely different depending on where it growsWhy understanding plant families helps chefs cook unfamiliar wild foods more confidentlyWhy becoming a great forager is a lifelong process of learning, observation, and patienceUse code “yearofplenty” for 15% OFF at www.mtblock.comMY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it outLeave 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/n6C0k9XC5bA?si=pZkwtN5qSSq3xfHkSign up for the newsletter:www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletterSupport the podcast via Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/yearofplentySubscribe to the Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@yearofplentyvideoDo you follow the podcast on social media yet?IG: https://www.instagram.com/bigforagingguy/X: https://x.com/yearofplentypodI want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53R

Food Sovereignty, Wild Food, and Borderlands Cuisine with Hank Shaw

This episode is a conversation with Hank Shaw, wild food chef, author, and the voice behind Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. Hank has spent decades hunting, fishing, foraging, and writing about wild ingredients, and his newest book, Borderlands, explores the rich food traditions stretching from the Rio Grande to the Pacific.Episode Overview:How did Hank Shaw go from political journalist to James Beard nominated wild food authority, and what pushed him to go all-in on hunting, fishing, and foragingWhat does food sovereignty really mean in practice, and why does cutting out the middleman change how we relate to land, habitat, and wild places?What exactly are the Borderlands, and why is this region between the United States and Mexico one of the most culturally rich and misunderstood food landscapes in North America?What are the defining wild proteins of the Borderlands, from venison and quail to javelina and jackrabbit, and how are they traditionally prepared?Why is seafood king in parts of the Borderlands, and what makes Gulf snook, smoked marlin, shellfish, and Baja style cooking so unique?What are quelites, and which wild greens and indigenous food traditions still shape Borderlands cuisine today?How do fire, mesquite coals, pit cooking, and slow grilling define Borderlands flavor?What traditional preservation methods still matter in hot, dry climates, including salting wild chilies, drying and smoking meats, and burying ingredients in salt or sugar?Which mushrooms can foragers find in the Borderlands during monsoon season, from porcini and lobster mushrooms to chanterelles and regional Amanitas?Use code “yearofplenty” for 15% OFF at www.mtblock.comMY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it outLeave 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/WOqNe8ut90M?si=4fziqCsltuGbtiEASign up for the newsletter:www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletterSupport the podcast via Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/yearofplentySubscribe to the Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@yearofplentyvideoDo you follow the podcast on social media yet?IG: https://www.instagram.com/poldiwieland/X: https://x.com/yearofplentypodI want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53R

Can You Really Live on Wild Food? Robin Greenfield Is! | Food Freedom

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 systemWhy food became the central focus of his activism and life experimentsWhat “food freedom” meant during his year of growing and foraging all of his foodThe real challenges of food freedom, including time, processing, and preservationWhy community support is essential for living closer to the landWhat motivated Robin to take the next step and eat only wild food for an entire yearHow he plans calories, protein, fat, and nutrients on a wild food dietKey wild food staples including wild rice, venison, fish, nuts, fruits, greens, and herbsThe hardest parts of eating wild food, including fat scarcity and food storage mistakesHow seasonality and travel shape his wild food strategyEthical foraging and reciprocity, including harvesting invasive speciesWhy learning individual plants matters more than following blanket foraging rulesHow foraging can deepen connection, purpose, and gratitude for the natural worldPractical advice for beginner foragers who want to start building food resilienceUse code “yearofplenty” for 15% OFF at www.mtblock.comMY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it outLeave 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=huhuFqMRf7BkSs54Sign up for the newsletter:www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletterSupport the podcast via Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/yearofplentySubscribe to the Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@yearofplentyvideoDo you follow the podcast on social media yet?IG: https://www.instagram.com/poldiwieland/X: https://x.com/yearofplentypodI want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53R

Foragers Roundtable: 2025 Foraging Season in Review | Harvests, Lessons & What’s Next

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.comMY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it outLeave 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=1407sSign up for the newsletter:www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletterSupport the podcast via Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/yearofplentySubscribe to the Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@yearofplentyvideoDo you follow the podcast on social media yet?IG: https://www.instagram.com/poldiwieland/X: https://x.com/yearofplentypodI want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53R

Forgotten Staples: Foraging Wild Plums & American Lotus with Feral Foraging

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 ForagingThe Gather Foraging App — features for plant ID, seasonal timing & lookalikesWild Plum species in North America (American, Chickasaw, Mexican, Pacific, Canada plums)How to identify wild plums vs. Bradford pear or crabappleWhy wild plums are disappearing (invasive species, habitat loss, fire suppression)Tips for scouting wild plums in bloom, best harvesting techniques, and seasonal timingWild plum flavor profile, traditional uses, and recipes (jam, wine, sauces, fruit leather)American Lotus basics — how it compares to Asian lotus and its overlooked historyForaging lotus seeds and tubers: canoe gathering, wading, and digging in mudLotus recipes & nutrition: porridge, bread, flour alternatives, and long-term seed storageWhy American Lotus and Wild Plums are still worth foraging today for resilience and food cultureUse code “yearofplenty” for 15% OFF at www.mtblock.comMY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it outLeave 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_hNZ6Bq7UCNA2kSign up for the newsletter:www.theyearofplenty.com/newsletterSupport the podcast via Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/yearofplentySubscribe to the Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@yearofplentyvideoDo you follow the podcast on social media yet?IG: https://www.instagram.com/poldiwieland/X: https://x.com/yearofplentypodI want to hear from you! Take the LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KZW53RConnect with Jesse:https://www.youtube.com/@FeralForagingDownload the Gather Foraging App:https://gatherapp.co/