In this episode of the Year of Plenty Podcast, we’re joined by Susan Poizner, certified arborist, fruit tree care educator, author, and host of The Orchard People Podcast. We explore how to choose, plant, and care for fruit trees that fit your climate, property, and goals so you can build a productive backyard orchard that lasts for decades.

Susan also shares lessons from her newest book, Designing a Fruit Tree Garden, and explains why thoughtful planning before planting can save growers years of frustration.

Episode Overview:

• Why fruit trees are a powerful investment in long-term food resilience
• How fruit tree grafting and rootstocks work
• Choosing trees for your climate, hardiness zone, and available space
• Self-pollinating trees versus trees that need a pollination partner
• Where to buy healthy bare-root fruit trees
• Native fruit trees and faster-producing varieties
• Choosing the best location based on sunlight, soil, and drainage
• Watering, fertilizing, composting, and mulching fruit trees
• How to plant a grafted fruit tree correctly
• Fruit tree pruning principles for beginners
• Protecting trees from wildlife, pests, and disease naturally
• Companion planting and creating a pollinator-friendly orchard

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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 them
• What landscape literacy actually means and why learning to read ecosystems changes the way you cook
• Why understanding the environments plants grow in can make you a better forager and a more attentive cook
• Nick’s method for learning plant identification by studying ecosystems instead of relying entirely on field guides
• Why wild greens taste bitter — and how harvest timing and time of day can dramatically change flavor
• How chefs can use wild aromatics, herbs, and plant materials to elevate dishes beyond basic ingredients
• Creative ways to extract wild flavors into oils, vinegars, fats, and other cooking mediums
• How plants like oak leaves can be used to add tannins for better pickling and food preservation
• Why trusting your senses is one of the most important skills when fermenting and preserving food
• The fear many beginners have about poisonous plants — and how learning just a few dangerous species can unlock confident foraging
• How the same wild plant can taste completely different depending on where it grows
• Why understanding plant families helps chefs cook unfamiliar wild foods more confidently
• Why becoming a great forager is a lifelong process of learning, observation, and patience

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 [email protected] to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

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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 foraging
• What 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?

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MY ULTIMATE FORAGING GEAR LIST - Check it out

Leave a review on Apple or Spotify and send a screenshot to [email protected] to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

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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 [email protected] to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

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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 [email protected] 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

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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 [email protected] to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

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Connect with Jesse:
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Download the Gather Foraging App:
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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 modern science behind tree-based foods and agroforestry.

Topics We Cover

• The inspiration behind Elspeth’s book Feed Us With Trees and why she believes trees belong at the center of our food future.
• Acorns as a staple food: how they’ve been processed, eaten, and valued across cultures.
• Chestnuts and their importance across Europe and North America, including their culinary revival.
• Hazelnuts as both a wild foraged nut and a promising perennial crop.
• Differences between perennial tree foods and annual crops — and what that means for resilience.
• The role of trees in storing carbon and sustaining long-term food supplies.
• Why many tree-based foods disappeared from mainstream diets and what it takes to bring them back.
• Indigenous knowledge and cultural traditions surrounding oaks, chestnuts, and other nut trees.
•  Stories of modern farmers and projects reintroducing edible tree systems into agriculture.

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 [email protected] to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

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https://elspethhay.com/

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

Topics We Cover

• How Erica became “Wild Food Girl” and built her online school.
• Dandelion soup (manest), including how to blanch greens to reduce bitterness, recipe variations, and pairing ideas.
• Huckleberry foraging with seasonal timing, elevation tips, species differences, and the regional naming confusion between blueberries and huckleberries.
• Oregon grape, with tips on safe identification, its tart flavor, and how to use it in jelly, wine, and other recipes.
• Tumbleweed (Salsola), how to harvest young shoots, different cooking methods, and the ethics of foraging invasives.
• Kochia “land caviar” (tonburi), including seed processing, rinsing to remove saponins, and creative flavor pairings.
• Ground cherries (Physalis), how to identify species, clear up toxicity myths, know the best harvest times, and find their favorite habitats.
• Foraging safety tips, from avoiding lookalikes to harvesting ethically and steering clear of beginner mistakes.
• The unique challenges and opportunities of foraging in the Intermountain West.

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 [email protected] to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

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https://www.instagram.com/wild.food.girl/?hl=en

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 Foraging Onion framework: how to build confidence with new wild foods
• How to safely identify and harvest mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum)
• When mayapples are edible — and what parts to avoid
• Foraging for chicory (Cichorium intybus): ID tips, uses, and wild coffee
• The spread of golden oyster mushrooms across the U.S
• Why golden oysters may reduce native fungal diversity
• How to deepen your foraging practice beyond just identification

Use code “yearofplenty” (all lower case) 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 [email protected] to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

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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, Jerusalem artichokes, and groundnuts
• Traditional acorn processing through cold water leaching and how Indigenous peoples did it at scale
• Foraging Japanese knotweed: why it’s invasive, how to harvest it, and what it tastes like
• Practical strategies for building food resilience with wild and perennial calorie crops

Use code “yearofplenty” (all lower case) 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 [email protected] to receive a FREE EBOOK with my favorite food preservation recipes.

Watch the Video Episode on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/ZwbSdmZfjdY?si=aaKO6bVHfTf1zcE-

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