Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants: Recent Episodes
Robin Harford
An audio journey through the wonderful wild world of plants. Episodes cover modern and ancient ways wild plants have been used in human culture as food, medicine and other uses.
This week on the Eatweeds podcast, we travel to the remote, idyllic region of Abruzzo, Italy, a haven for foragers, to meet our special guest, Marta Udalowa. Originally hailing from Poland, Marta has turned her passion for wild foods into a lifestyle, immersed in the bounty of nature.
Join host Robin Harford as he engages in a fascinating conversation with Marta, a master pickler, about life in the Italian countryside, the art of foraging, and the delightful practice of pickling and preserving. This episode shines a spotlight on how Marta bridges the gap between the wild and the kitchen table, making the most of both cultivated and uncultivated plants.
In episode 46, "Foraging In Italy", you'll discover:
- The magic and abundance of Abruzzo’s unique flora, a true paradise for foragers.
- The secrets and techniques of pickling and preserving, passed down through generations and honed by Marta to perfection.
- The value and satisfaction of country living, and how the line between wild and cultivated foods can blur in a beautiful synergy.
- Marta’s personal experiences and stories of foraging in Italy, offering a fresh perspective on wildcrafting.
Whether you're a seasoned forager or just starting to explore the world of wild foods, you won't want to miss this insightful and inspiring episode. Discover how Marta's Italian adventure can provide you with new ideas for your own foraging practices, and maybe inspire you to try your hand at pickling!
Connect With Marta (Forager In Italy)
- Marta's recipe for pickled cherries
- Book your stay on Marta's smallholding, Il Monte Farmhouse
Join us for a breath of fresh air with episode 45 of 'Eatweeds,' a podcast dedicated to celebrating the joy and richness of wild food. Our host, Robin Harford, transports us away from the bustle of daily life, inviting us to pause, reflect, and savor the exquisite moments of being at one with nature.
In this special episode, Robin trades his traditional role as host to become our storyteller, bringing to life his personal essay on the pure, simple beauty of gathering Hawthorn flowers for syrup.
Key topics covered include:
- The art and wonder of foraging, in this case, focusing on the hawthorn.
- The transformative process of wildcrafting, turning simple hawthorn flowers into a tantalizing syrup.
- Embracing nature's cycles and the magic of spring when hawthorns bloom.
Robin takes us on a sensory journey, painting a vivid picture of an English spring, when Hawthorn trees burst into life, their branches heavy with cream-colored blooms. As he walks us through the process of gathering these delicate blossoms, we are immersed in a fairy-tale landscape where bees dance joyously around the flowers, and the early morning dew brings a glistening freshness to the day.
But this episode is about more than just the act of gathering hawthorn flowers; it's a meditative exploration of our connection to the natural world. As Robin shares his experience, we learn how foraging becomes a kind of alchemy, transforming not just the flowers into syrup, but the forager into an integral part of nature's narrative.
Robin eloquently conveys the sheer joy and vitality that come from engaging directly with nature, infusing life with a rustic simplicity that's often missing in our urbanized existence. Making hawthorn syrup becomes a meaningful ritual, a way to weave nature into our everyday routines, creating an escape from emails, screens, and the never-ending scroll of modern life.
In this enchanting episode of 'Eatweeds', Robin invites you to join him in saying yes to the delight of gathering Hawthorn flowers and invites you to rediscover a connection that nurtures not just our bodies, but our souls.
Tune in, step out, and allow the wild to feed your spirit with Eatweeds!
My guest for this episode of the Eatweeds podcast is the remarkable Mo' Wilde. An author and experienced foraging teacher, Mo' has done something few could even contemplate: she lived for a full year completely sustained by wild food. Her fascinating journey and profound insights will have you rethinking your daily meals and your connection to the world around you.
Key topics for this episode include:
- The incredible diversity of the microbiome and its importance for gut health.
- The essential practice of foraging and how it connects us to our ancestors.
- The astounding variety and nutritional richness of wild food.
- An in-depth discussion on food choices, their impact on our bodies, and the environment.
Throughout the episode, Mo' shares the highs and lows of her year on wild food, detailing how it impacted her health, wellbeing, and particularly her microbiome. You'll hear about the changes she observed, the challenges she faced, and how the experience deepened her connection with nature.
Robin and Mo' also delve into thought-provoking discussions about our food choices and how they directly influence not only our personal health, but the health of our soil and the broader ecosystem. Mo's unique perspective brings a refreshing and much-needed critique of our contemporary food systems, inspiring listeners to consider their own role within these systems.
Join us for Episode 44 of Eatweeds, 'A Year on Wild Food', and take a step into the wild side of nutrition and ecological awareness. Whether you're a seasoned forager or just starting your wild food journey, this episode is a trove of knowledge, inspiration, and food for thought.
Connect with Mo Wilde
- Website
Selected links from the show
- The Wilderness Cure book
- The Wildbiome Project
- Eatweeds podcast archives
- Napiers the herbalists
- Association of Foragers
About Mo Wilde
Mo is a forager, research herbalist and ethnobotanist. She lives in West Lothian in a self-built wooden house on 4 organic acres where she is encouraging medicinal and foraging species to make their home, creating a wild, teaching garden. She has a Masters degree in Herbal Medicine, and is a Fellow of the Linnean Society, a Member of the British Mycological Society and a Member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). She also teaches foraging and herbal medicine courses, with the aim of “Restoring Vital Connection”.
- Folk: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/folk/9781408884317
- Mischief Acts: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/mischief-acts-joyous-the-times-best-summer-reads-2022/9781526628800
- A Wild and Precious Life: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/a-wild-and-precious-life-a-recovery-anthology/9781783529643
- London Lit Lab: https://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/
- Zoe's website: http://zoegilbert.com/
- Zoe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindandlanguage
About Zoe Gilbert
Zoe's first novel, Folk (Bloomsbury), was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and adapted for BBC Radio (read by the brilliant Samantha Spiro). She has just finished turning some of the chapters from Folk into a libretto, for a song cycle that will have its world premiere in 2023.
Her second novel, Mischief Acts (Bloomsbury), is released in March 2022, and is inspired by the past and future of the Great North Wood, which used to cover a large swathe of South London.
Since completing Mischief Acts, Zoe has moved from London to the Kent coast, which is (not surprisingly) influencing her third novel. It turns out that place - alongside folklore, nature and social history - is a starting point for her writing.
Besides novels, Zoe has been writing short stories for most of her adult life. You can find a few of them in anthologies by Comma Press, and they have also appeared in books and journals worldwide including The Stinging Fly, Mechanics' Institute Review, and the British Fantasy Society Journal. Some of her stories have won prizes, including the Costa Short Story Award.
Zoe is co-founder of London Lit Lab with Lily Dunn, where she teaches creative writing, and the co-editor with Lily of A Wild and Precious Life (Unbound 2021), an anthology of writers in recovery.
- Folk: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/folk/9781408884317
- Mischief Acts: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/mischief-acts-joyous-the-times-best-summer-reads-2022/9781526628800
- A Wild and Precious Life: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/a-wild-and-precious-life-a-recovery-anthology/9781783529643
- London Lit Lab: https://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/
- Zoe's website: http://zoegilbert.com/
- Zoe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindandlanguage
About Zoe Gilbert
Zoe's first novel, Folk (Bloomsbury), was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and adapted for BBC Radio (read by the brilliant Samantha Spiro). She has just finished turning some of the chapters from Folk into a libretto, for a song cycle that will have its world premiere in 2023.
Her second novel, Mischief Acts (Bloomsbury), is released in March 2022, and is inspired by the past and future of the Great North Wood, which used to cover a large swathe of South London.
Since completing Mischief Acts, Zoe has moved from London to the Kent coast, which is (not surprisingly) influencing her third novel. It turns out that place - alongside folklore, nature and social history - is a starting point for her writing.
Besides novels, Zoe has been writing short stories for most of her adult life. You can find a few of them in anthologies by Comma Press, and they have also appeared in books and journals worldwide including The Stinging Fly, Mechanics' Institute Review, and the British Fantasy Society Journal. Some of her stories have won prizes, including the Costa Short Story Award.
Zoe is co-founder of London Lit Lab with Lily Dunn, where she teaches creative writing, and the co-editor with Lily of A Wild and Precious Life (Unbound 2021), an anthology of writers in recovery.
- Folk: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/folk/9781408884317
- Mischief Acts: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/mischief-acts-joyous-the-times-best-summer-reads-2022/9781526628800
- A Wild and Precious Life: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/a-wild-and-precious-life-a-recovery-anthology/9781783529643
- London Lit Lab: https://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/
- Zoe's website: http://zoegilbert.com/
- Zoe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindandlanguage
About Zoe Gilbert
Zoe's first novel, Folk (Bloomsbury), was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and adapted for BBC Radio (read by the brilliant Samantha Spiro). She has just finished turning some of the chapters from Folk into a libretto, for a song cycle that will have its world premiere in 2023.
Her second novel, Mischief Acts (Bloomsbury), is released in March 2022, and is inspired by the past and future of the Great North Wood, which used to cover a large swathe of South London.
Since completing Mischief Acts, Zoe has moved from London to the Kent coast, which is (not surprisingly) influencing her third novel. It turns out that place - alongside folklore, nature and social history - is a starting point for her writing.
Besides novels, Zoe has been writing short stories for most of her adult life. You can find a few of them in anthologies by Comma Press, and they have also appeared in books and journals worldwide including The Stinging Fly, Mechanics' Institute Review, and the British Fantasy Society Journal. Some of her stories have won prizes, including the Costa Short Story Award.
Zoe is co-founder of London Lit Lab with Lily Dunn, where she teaches creative writing, and the co-editor with Lily of A Wild and Precious Life (Unbound 2021), an anthology of writers in recovery.
- Folk: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/folk/9781408884317
- Mischief Acts: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/mischief-acts-joyous-the-times-best-summer-reads-2022/9781526628800
- A Wild and Precious Life: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/a-wild-and-precious-life-a-recovery-anthology/9781783529643
- London Lit Lab: https://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/
- Zoe's website: http://zoegilbert.com/
- Zoe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindandlanguage
About Zoe Gilbert
Zoe's first novel, Folk (Bloomsbury), was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and adapted for BBC Radio (read by the brilliant Samantha Spiro). She has just finished turning some of the chapters from Folk into a libretto, for a song cycle that will have its world premiere in 2023.
Her second novel, Mischief Acts (Bloomsbury), is released in March 2022, and is inspired by the past and future of the Great North Wood, which used to cover a large swathe of South London.
Since completing Mischief Acts, Zoe has moved from London to the Kent coast, which is (not surprisingly) influencing her third novel. It turns out that place - alongside folklore, nature and social history - is a starting point for her writing.
Besides novels, Zoe has been writing short stories for most of her adult life. You can find a few of them in anthologies by Comma Press, and they have also appeared in books and journals worldwide including The Stinging Fly, Mechanics' Institute Review, and the British Fantasy Society Journal. Some of her stories have won prizes, including the Costa Short Story Award.
Zoe is co-founder of London Lit Lab with Lily Dunn, where she teaches creative writing, and the co-editor with Lily of A Wild and Precious Life (Unbound 2021), an anthology of writers in recovery.
Online: Course: Medicinal Trees and Their Healing Properties
https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/medicinal-trees
Website: Medicinal Forest Garden Trust
https://medicinalforestgardentrust.org/
- Twitter: @herbaid
- Instagram: @medicinalforest
- Facebook: @medicinalforest
About Anne Stobart
Anne Stobart is a medical herbalist, herb grower and historical researcher. Previously, she directed the professional programme for clinical herbal practitioners at Middlesex University, UK.
Her research interests span domestic medicine in the early modern period to present-day sustainable herbal medicine supplies.
She is a member of the advisory board for the Journal of Herbal Medicine and is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Exeter, UK.
Her publications include Household Medicine in Seventeenth-Century England (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016) and The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (Permanent Publications, 2020).
Anne co-founded the Holt Wood Herbs project in Devon based on permaculture design principles, transforming a redundant conifer plantation into a thriving medicinal forest garden.
Currently, she is developing the Medicinal Forest Garden Trust and working with several groups on medicinal forest garden projects.
Her latest online course is on Medicinal Trees and Their Healing Properties.
Online: Course: Medicinal Trees and Their Healing Properties
https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/medicinal-trees
Website: Medicinal Forest Garden Trust
https://medicinalforestgardentrust.org/
- Twitter: @herbaid
- Instagram: @medicinalforest
- Facebook: @medicinalforest
About Anne Stobart
Anne Stobart is a medical herbalist, herb grower and historical researcher. Previously, she directed the professional programme for clinical herbal practitioners at Middlesex University, UK.
Her research interests span domestic medicine in the early modern period to present-day sustainable herbal medicine supplies.
She is a member of the advisory board for the Journal of Herbal Medicine and is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Exeter, UK.
Her publications include Household Medicine in Seventeenth-Century England (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016) and The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook (Permanent Publications, 2020).
Anne co-founded the Holt Wood Herbs project in Devon based on permaculture design principles, transforming a redundant conifer plantation into a thriving medicinal forest garden.
Currently, she is developing the Medicinal Forest Garden Trust and working with several groups on medicinal forest garden projects.
Her latest online course is on Medicinal Trees and Their Healing Properties.
A short audio essay on sustainable harvesting and ethical wildcrafting. Spoken by Robin Harford from Eatweeds. Receive more audio essays, articles and wild food recipes by email. Sign up at https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/subscribe
Related articles
- Archive of shows of the Eatweeds Podcast
- Botanical Society Code of Conduct
- Sustainable foraging guidelines
- Foraging safety guidelines
- Careful with that plant ID app
In this episode I talk with natural plant dye artist, Flora Arbuthnott. We discuss here fascinating with using wild plants to create beautiful art and how the practice of gathering feedsback into nurturing creativity and wellbeing.
Mark Duffell is one of Britain's foremost botanists and ecologists. We discuss...
- The best way for beginners to learn plant identification.
- Why the ecology of a plant is important to know before harvesting.
- Forager or pillager? Which one are you?
- How to overcome your fear of botany and science jargon.
- Why learning plant families is important.
- Sustainability and commercial wild food harvesting. Is there a problem?
- How ecology can guide us to live harmoniously with the Earth.
Full show notes at eatweeds.co.uk/ep39
Nick Hayes author of the 'Book of Trespass' discusses the reason why Right to Roam is so important to the nation's mental health and wellbeing. Why access to the countryside helps people deepen their connection to nature so they become better stewards of the planet. We discuss the concerns landowners have over littering and damage to their property including fences, gates, livestock etc. Also covered is the criminalising of trespass and its potential impact on already marginalised communities, as well as the rest of the general public. How will it impact your life and liberty? Show notes at eatweeds.co.uk/ep38
Emma Welton, a musician who lives locally to me discusses listening as a nature connection practice. How active listening can develop a deep empathic relationship with the natural world. The section on using sound to identify trees is very revealing. As well as creating soundscapes of botanical gardens and different habitats where plants grow. If you have followed my work for any length of time, you will know that I teach sensory engagement with plants, yet the practices I teach can be applied to the whole of the natural world. Show notes at eatweeds.co.uk/podcast
Tom Hirons is a nature based poet and storyteller. In this interview we discuss his work and how as creative humans we can all express our inherent wildness through creative and magical acts. Show notes at eatweeds.co.uk/podcast
A quick plant talk on silver wattle, Darwin's barberry and catkins which I found a few hundred metres from my house.
Nicole Rose runs Solidarity Apothecary which materially supports revolutionary struggles and communities with plant medicines to strengthen collective autonomy, self-defence and resilience to climate change, capitalism and state violence. Show notes at eatweeds.co.uk/podcast
Lucy O'Hagan takes us on a journey exploring ancestral ways and rewilding, foraging and nature connection. Why do it and how relevant is it in a hyper connected digital world. Show notes at eatweeds.co.uk
Fergus Drennan and Courtney Tyler discuss their pioneering work exploring the cutting-edge of food and medicine using the fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria). Show notes at eatweeds.co.uk
Ethnobotany is the study of the interrelationship between people and plants, historically and cross-culturally, particularly the role of plants in human culture and practices, how humans have used and modified plants, and how they represent them in their systems of knowledge.
John Rensten (author of Edible City) discusses how to keep foraging in a city during the coronavirus lockdown. How to stay safe, keep your distance and why foraging is vitally important for mental and physical wellbeing.
A discussion on foraging, stillness and mindfulness as a way to work with difficult feelings during the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
Introducing Plant Talk, a new supplement to the regular Eatweeds podcast show that encourages and prompts you to deepen your relationship with plants.
Chris Holland (Talks With Tellers) interviews wild food author and forager Robin Harford. They discuss the importance of restoring vital connection to the ecosystem. Teaching plants through the power of story. Empowering self and community through sensory-based nature connection practices and more.
It’s round two with the Seed Sistas. Britain’s most irreverent herbalists.
For the past few years, they have been making waves in the plant community.
Overthrowing the colonialism that has turned herbalism from something we all used to do, into a profession where you’d think you need a PhD just to touch a plant!
Colourful, fun and full of vim (No, not the cleaning product), they discuss:
- why plant medicine is for the people.
- how they got threatened with jail time for selling a herbal balm.
- why educating people in self-care and herbal rebellion is a revolutionary act.
Always a laugh, never tame and with firecracker energy that makes the Y2K firework display look positively drab.
The Seed Sistas are a joy to listen to and an inspiration for anyone who wants to wrestle control of their health back from Big Pharma, and government control.
Hold on to your knickers. Here we go…
Acorns are a massive, under-utilised and forgotten food source. Join Robin Harford (your host) and Marcie Mayer (Europe's foremost acorn food producer), as they explore the edible uses of acorns as a food and in cooking. How to properly process acorns to remove tannins. Long term food storage. Acorns nutritional content, as well as establishing community acorn festivals around the country, plus much more.
Masanobu Fukuoka's one-straw revolution inspired Krishna McKenzie to start his own organic farm in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India. In this interview he talks about the importance of nutritional cultural identity, wild food volunteer plants, soil fertility, and collective wellbeing.
How to create your own local wild tea ceremonies and celebrations for community building and wild wellbeing.
An interview with Miles Irving, author of the Forager Handbook and creator of The Wildbox, on why we must include humans in our conservation models in order to look after wild spaces. Why foraging is sustainable. How foraging can help feed an ever growing population, and how we can restore our vital connection to Land.
A poisonous plant in one culture can be a food plant in another. In this rare interview, one of Europe’s leading ethnobotanists, Łukasz Łuczaj shares his passion for wild food plants. Prolific in his research, Łukasz reveals some surprising facts about what is considered ‘food’.
Hilltown Organics are revolutionising how we farm. Incorporating wild edible plants into their polyculture farming systems, they grow high-nutrient food plants that are sold at farmer’s markets. According to soil scientists, their revolutionary farming practices have produced some of the richest soil found anywhere in the UK.
Fermented foods are a delicious and rich source of nourishment. The fermentation process can transform the flavour of food from the plain and mundane in to delicious flavours enlivened by colonies of beneficial bacteria and enhanced micronutrients. In this episode I talk with former plant biochemist Viola Sampson turned "fermentation passionista" on the benefits of wild fermented foods.
Notorious New York vegan forager Steve Brill was busted by the cops for picking a dandelion. In this interview the father and daughter double-act discuss their foraging antics around New York. While revealing how to craft delicious vegan cuisine from their foraged finds. Including some truly unique ways to use wild edible plants.
An interview with Becs Griffiths and Annwen Jones from Herbalists Without Borders (Bristol) - talking about social justice, radical herbalism and providing free healthcare to people fleeing conflict, persecution, and intolerable living conditions.
In this episode I talk with two amazing herbalists about why we need to build ‘health resilience’ using herbal medicine, in an age of NHS cuts and a national health crisis. When is the best time to self-medicate, and when should you visit the doctor? Why modern medicine isn’t always evil, and what our grandparents could have taught us about how plants, herbs and other foods can empower us.
Robin Harford discusses with Pete Yeo from Future Flora why invasive plants may actually be good for the environment. Does the science stack up in favour of the balsam bashers? As well as the parallels and phobia over ‘immigrant plants’ with nationalism and the racist hysteria of ‘foreigners’. Is there such a thing as a native plant?
T.A. Breaux, one of the world leading experts on the distillation of absinthe, reveals its forgotten history, sings its praises and dispels the common myths of this much maligned liquor.
The Seed Sistas (radical herbalists extraordinaire) discuss passion potions, wild herbalism, wellbeing, resilience, anarchy, connection, community and activism.
Nathaniel Hughes discusses intuitive herbalism. How to develop deep relationship with the healing plants that live around us. How to know plants beyond the intellect, and meeting plants as friends. Lay-herbalism; the controversy of regulation, and certification. Do you actually need them in order to practice herbalism in your community?
A walk in the woods fungi foraging with the wild and wonderful Craig Worrall from Edible Leeds. I recently visited Craig at his home in Leeds, and he kindly took me out to one of his favourite fungi patches to talk all things fungi. In this walk in the wilds we discovered Penny Bun, The Miller, Amethyst Deceiver and Hedgehog Fungi.
A very special interview with foraging grand-master Francois Couplan. In this podcast Francois talks about his early influencers, animism, human and non-human relationships, plus the new wave of using wild edible plants in gastronomy.
Practical ways to deepen your relationship with plants, by enhancing your ability to 'see' plants more fully, in a way that no mainstream botany class can ever teach you.
Miles Irving from Forager Ltd, talks about commercial foraging and sustainability, and why the old conservation paradigm is now obsolete.
Michael Cole the creator of Leafu a commercially available leaf protein product, discusses why it is so beneficial to humans and the planet.
On the anniversary of Frank Cook's passing, friends remember him and how his work continues through the organisation Plants & Healers International. Includes interviews with Sandor Katz, Mary Morgaine & Marc Williams.
An interview with Craig Holdrege from the Nature Institute on "Plant Observation & Goethean Science". How to truly know a plant beyond the traditional classification & pattern methods of plant identification.
An interview with Simon Mills, herbal practitioner and author of Principles & Practice of Phytotherapy, The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety, Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. In this interview Simon's talks about : Why plants are not pills. Taking back control our health from experts, and much more.
Beyond Botany: How to discover the edible and medicinal uses of plants without books, herbalists or teachers.
In this episode wild food chef Paul Wedgwood from Edinburgh talks about using Jack-by-the-Hedge (Alliaria petiolata) leaves as a dolmades wrap. Research herbalist Monica Wilde takes us through the latest research on whether comfrey is safe to eat, is it? And finally Alex Laird from Living Medicine talks about the importance of using common plants found around you and in your kitchen for self care health care and to support your own path to wellbeing.