Year of Plenty: Traditional Foodways

In this episode of the Year of Plenty Podcast, we’re joined by Elspeth Hay — writer, public radio host, and author of Feed Us With Trees. Elspeth takes us deep into the overlooked world of edible trees, exploring how they’ve sustained humans for millennia and why they hold the key to building a more resilient food system today. From acorns and chestnuts to hazelnuts and maples, this conversation uncovers the ancient wisdom and mode...

In this episode of the Year of Plenty Podcast, we sit down with Erica Davis — better known as Wild Food Girl — to explore the fascinating world of wild edible plants. Erica has spent more than a decade teaching, writing, and foraging across the Rocky Mountains and beyond, and she shares her deep knowledge on identification, harvesting, and cooking techniques for some of the most interesting wild foods in North America

Topi...

Hoosier Forager joins us for a thoughtful conversation about how we approach foraging, why it matters, and how to build confidence with new wild foods. We also dig into two standout plants: chicory, one of the best wild coffee substitutes, and mayapple, a native fruit with a short, tricky harvest window. Plus, we talk about a surprising fungal shift with Golden Oyster Mushrooms happening across the U.S.

Episode Overview:

• The Fora...

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend Bryan from Healing Ecosystems. He’s someone who’s not just talking about food resilience—he’s living it, experimenting with wild foods, and creating abundance on the land in ways most people haven’t even considered.

Episode Overview:

• Guerrilla grafting edible pear varieties onto ornamental Bradford pears in public spaces
• How to grow and forage wild carbohydrates like turnips, sweet potatoes...

This episode is a conversation with Shane Edwards, also known as Wild Dryad—a self-taught botanist, illustrator, and foraging educator. We explore the lost legacy of the pawpaw, America’s largest edible indigenous fruit, and how reconnecting with this tropical-flavored wild food is also a path to cultural restoration, land stewardship, and ancestral knowledge. If you’ve ever wondered what pawpaws taste like, where they grow, or why...

This episode is a deep conversation about traditional foodways and how food is so much more than calories. We explore how eating seasonally, preserving food, and building relationships with the land and each other can help restore our health, culture, and sense of belonging. From wild fermentation, to foraging, to regenerative land practices, this episode reconnects us with the flavors—and meaning—of food.

Episode Overview...

Wild mustard and cow parsnip are two edible plants hiding in plain sight—and they’re packed with flavor, nutrition, and foraging value. In this Year of Plenty Podcast episode, expert forager Orion Aon of Forage Colorado breaks down how to identify, harvest, and use both plants.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to identify wild mustard plants and cow parsnip in the wild
• Key lookalikes to watch for when foraging mustard or cow...

This episode is a conversation with Savanna aka Foraging_KY who is a lifelong forager passionate about mushrooms, gardening, and native plants. We chat about some of her favorite spring mushroom to forage for and do a deep dive into Pheasant Back (aka Dryad Saddle) mushrooms.

Episode Overview:

• Learn about spring mushrooms like morels, pheasant back, scarlet ear cup, woods ear mushrooms, lions mane, and more.
• How to safel...

Cattails are one of the most abundant and overlooked wild foods in North America— providing nutrient-dense food all year long. But why aren’t more people taking advantage of this superabundant plant? In this episode, expert forager Clay Bowers breaks down everything you need to know about identifying, harvesting, and preparing cattails, plus tips for avoiding toxic lookalikes. If you’re interested in wild food, survival skills, or ...

In this episode, we dive into functional nutrition, gut health, metabolic resilience, and heavy metal detoxing with returning guest and functional nutritionist Natalie Erle. Natalie combines ancestral wisdom with modern science to help people reclaim their health, and today, she’s breaking down the connections between metabolic dysfunction, gut health, chronic fatigue, brain fog, and even the rising epidemic of Alzheimer’s—all link...

Want to grow healthier, stronger seedlings? In this episode, permaculture expert Kareen Erbe reveals her best seed-starting secrets, covering everything from ideal grow lights and humidity levels to common mistakes to avoid. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned gardener, these tips will help you grow resilient plants from the start.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The best seed-starting setup for strong seedl...

This Year of Plenty Podcast episode is a conversation with Mathew, the visionary behind Little Way Farm and Homestead, a family-owned and operated farm and homestead training center. Over the past few years, Mathew has transformed his farm into a thriving direct-to-consumer business—an inspiring story filled with innovative farming practices. We explore topics like silvopasture systems, raising soy-free chickens, and how Mathew is ...

We've been doing research into the history of Victory Gardens and were blown away by some of the facts we uncovered…so Poldi decided to sit down and record a rant about this amazing gardening movement of the early 1900s and give his reasons for why we should bring it.

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This episode is a Youtube livestream recording where we cover 5 wild edible plants to forage for in winter here in North America. Come join us and learn about these amazing edible plants so that you can start foraging for them yourself. No need to be one of those foragers that hibernates in the winter!

What plants do we cover in this episode?

• Foraging for wild rose (how to harvest rose hips in winter)
• Foraging for pine b...

In this episode of the Year of Plenty Podcast, Chef Will Morton and Spencer Freehling join Poldi Wieland for a Foodies Roundtable that’s all about celebrating the outdoors through food. Chef Will is a professional chef with a specialty in wild game and fermentation, while Spencer is a professional photographer and videographer in the hunting and fishing industry. Both are passionate foragers, outdoorsmen, and food enthusiasts. Toge...

In this episode, we explore the world of wild apple foraging, with a focus on crabapples and feral apples found across the U.S. This masterclass is packed with practical tips for identifying, harvesting, and using wild apples. We dive into their fascinating history, genetic diversity, and how to make the most of these unique fruits in your kitchen.

Episode Overview:

• The history of wild apples and why there is so much ge...

In this episode, we explore the tradition of rendering animal fats, focusing on tallow and lard and their unique uses in cooking and beyond. We discuss the role of animal fats in human history, why they fell out of favor, and their modern revival. Plus, Lindey shares her experience with homemade tallow soap, highlighting its skin benefits.

Episode Overview:

• The differences between tallow and lard, including texture, coo...

This episode is a conversation with Danielle Prewett. Danielle is the founder of Wild + Whole and a Wild Foods Contributing Editor for MeatEater. Danielle believes that every meal should tell a story, and that sustainable eating starts by reawakening our connection to food and relying on the seasons and the inherent rhythms of nature to guide our choices.

Episode Overview:

• Why are food system is broken and how eating co...

Today’s guest is Matt Skoglund, a first-generation bison rancher and the owner of North Bridger Bison in Montana. Matt is passionate about raising bison regeneratively, using holistic methods that improve biodiversity and soil health on the land. In this episode, we dive into his journey into bison ranching, why bison are so vital to the landscape, and how regenerative farming can reshape our food system.

Episode Overview: