Today on Mushroom Hour we have the joy of interviewing Jess Starwood. Jess is a master forager, plant-based chef, teacher, and herbalist with a Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the American College of Healthcare Sciences. She hosts wild food workshops in Southern California as well as other sites in the Western US and Mexico.
We kick things off with our own observations on how a connection to the natural world aids in balancing in our spiritual, mental and physical health. Then get your forage gear together for a trip into the wild, or maybe even just the backyard, to meet some amazing wild plants and mushrooms. We'll chat about the nutritional virtues of wild foods that are all around us and how to embody what Jess calls "The Forager's Mindset" - What can we forage from forests (or even situations!) to make things work and tap into the invisible abundance at our fingertips?
Looking at foraging and its growing popularity in the context of a broader ecological framework, foragers are faced with some important questions. Is there enough wild food for everyone to go foraging in places like LA? What are sustainable practices we can be mindful of in picking wild plants and mushrooms? In the effort to manage invasive fungi and plant species, could be the best solution be found in learning how to harness and eat them?
We finish our conversation with a dazzling display of wild food recipes that will leave you feeling inspired.
Thanks for listening and Mush Love!
Directed, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour
Music by: Ancient Baby
Art by: Wyn Di Stefano
Episode Resources
Jess Starwood Instagram
https://jstarwood.com/
Ep. 38: Hiking the Long Trail - Forest Pathology, Fungal Relationships & Protecting Rare Plants (feat. Matt Berger)
Ep. 37: Mycomaker - Building Mycotectura and Spreading Mycophilia in Ecuador (feat. Nelson Dueñas)
Ep. 36: Uncharted Mushrooms - Tropical Fungi in South America and Central Africa (feat. Prof. Terry Henkel)
Ep. 34: Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast & the Future of Biodiversity Research (feat. Christian Schwarz)
Ep. 33: Marrow of the Mountain - Defending Biodiversity in Ecuador (feat. Dr. Roo Vandergrift)
Ep. 32: Empowering BIPOC Communities by Going Back to the Land (feat. Indy Srinath)
Ep. 31: How to Quit Your Job and Devote Your Life to Mushrooms (feat. John Michelotti)
Ep. 30: Leah Mycelia - Making Friends with Mushrooms, Mycoheterotrophs & Slime Molds (feat. Leah Bendlin)
Ep. 29: Researching the Mysteries of the Mycorrhizal Network (feat. Professor Tom Bruns)
Ep. 28: Fungi Foundation - How to Save the World by Protecting & Promoting Fungi (feat. Giuliana Furci)
Ep. 27: MushRoaming - Yartsa Gunbu Cordyceps of Tibet & Amazon Adventures (feat. Daniel Winkler)
Ep. 26: Entangled Life - How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures (feat. Merlin Sheldrake)
Ep. 25: Sweden's Legends, Myths, Magicks and Mushrooms (feat. Saga Mariah Sandberg)
Ep. 24: Saga Mariah Flora - Illustrating Biology & Sweden's Enchanting Mushrooms (feat. Saga Mariah Sandberg)
Ep. 23: Malama Mushrooms - Powering The Hawaiian Mycoflora Project (feat. Ben Lillibridge)
Ep. 22: Fungi Academy - Sacred Mycology & Transformational Community in Guatemala (feat. Oliver Merivee)
Ep. 21: Mycosymbiote - Cordyceps, Citizen Science & Systemic Change (feat. William Padilla-Brown)
Ep. 20: Yellow Elanor - Sharing a Love of Mushrooms with Self, Family, Community and the World (feat. Rachel Zoller)
Ep. 19: Fascinated by Fungi - Foraged Cuisine, Science Communication & the Hidden Universe of Yeast (feat. Dr. Gordon Walker)
Ep. 18: Breakfast of Champignonz - Exploring Nature as Therapy, Mushroom Taxonomy & Etymology (feat. Anna Henning)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Strange by Nature Podcast
Blurry Creatures
Bigfoot Society
Living Planet
Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks