Dylan Stewart is a Maine-based spearfisherman, freediver, and the talented artist behind Bold Coast Burns. In this episode, Dylan gives us a glimpse into what it's like freediving and spearfishing off the coast of Maine, sharing some of his incredible experiences along the way. We discuss the species Dylan targets when spearfishing, freediving safety and breathing tips, the unique firsthand perspective of fish behavior that diving offers, the evolution of Dylan's fish artwork, and so much more. Enjoy!
Read MoreRenowned botanist Arthur Haines joins us for a conversation that ranges from deep, philosophical ideas about early human beings to extremely practical tips on harvesting wild blueberries. With a low barrier to entry, wild blueberries are an excellent pursuit for the novice and experienced forager alike! In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn about the wild blueberry's range and its important function in the diet, along with harvesting and processing best practices to get you started in the field this summer.
Read MoreIn this interview, we learn about the fascinating and complex world of lichens from Felicity Roberts — a rural Newfoundlander, lichen expert, certified herbalist, writer, and wild food advocate. "There's nothing simple about lichens," says Felicity, and she's not kidding. These extremophile organisms — often called "the lungs of the forest" — can be useful indicators of the health of an ecosystem. Felicity's enthusiasm for lichens is contagious as she guides us through the biology, folklore, and practical applications of these natural wonders.
Read MoreAlan Bergo — The Forager Chef — is back on the show! A surgeon on the plate, Alan's speciality is creative and innovative wild food cuisine. If you're looking for ways to move from store-bought food to more wild harvested food during this pandemic, tune in for Alan's unique culinary solutions that will increase your self-sufficiency and foraged culinary prowess simultaneously. A must-listen that's peppered with golden nuggets of wild cuisine wisdom! Alan also shares his newly released video-show — The Wild Harvest — which is guaranteed to inspire you to get out on the landscape to forage, fish, hunt & cook this spring!
Read MoreIf you're living in an urban environment and feeling overwhelmed about getting started in hunting, Fisher Neal is your guide to breaking down the barriers to entry and getting out into the field. A lifelong hunter based in New Jersey, Fisher is the owner and head guide of Learn to Hunt NYC where he introduces city-dwellers to the joy and satisfaction of harvesting wild game to fill their freezers. Fisher is passionate about new hunter recruitment and mentorship, and he's got some innovative ideas on how we can engage the next generation of hunters. If you live in a city or suburb and are wanting to get into hunting, fishing & foraging, this interview is for you!
Read MoreIn this episode, Daniel chats with Hank Shaw — award-winning food writer, hunter, angler, forager & chef. Hank started his wild foods website — one of the largest sources of wild food recipes on the internet — in 2007, and he shares how he's seen wild food culture change over the years. Always on the quest for new terrain, Hank gives us an inside look into how he learns about wild foods when he's in a new eco-region. Daniel and Hank also discuss foraging regulations, the hunter-forager divide and more!
Read MoreDespite the crises at hand, viruses themselves are incredible “creatures”. With all of us using the language of virology lately (without always knowing what it is we’re really talking about) we decided now was the time to learn how they fit into the ecology of our planet. We were fascinated by what we learned. “Earth's Virology Professor” Vincent Racaniello, PhD is a Higgins Professor of Microbiology & Immunology at Columbia University and host of the popular podcast This Week in Virology. Vincent joins us on The WildFed Podcast to give us a crash course in viral ecology and the virome. "We live and prosper in a cloud of viruses," he says, and most viruses are actually beneficial, not harmful. Tune in to learn some fascinating facts on viruses, as well as hear Vincent's expert insights on COVID-19 and our global response.
Read MoreLori McCarthy — Newfoundland-based wild food expert — is back on The WildFed Podcast! Lori gives us a look inside what life looks like for a forager, angler & hunter in Newfoundland during this pandemic. We discuss the value in developing food security right now and how we'll be building our own wild food and herbal medicine stores in the coming months. Passionate about preserving cultural heritage, Lori shares the importance of honoring our elders by preserving their generation's wisdom — the stories of the old ways of food.
Read MoreLive from quarantine! We chat with our friend Kevin Kossowan — creator of James Beard Award twice-nominated web-series FROM THE WILD. Kevin and Daniel share how they've been getting out on the landscape to hunt, fish & forage in their respective eco-regions during quarantine. They also discuss the implications of the global pandemic on our food supply chain and the restaurant industry with advice on how to stay nimble and adaptable during this uncertain time. Enjoy!
Read MoreTim Knedler is the Fish Culture Supervisor at the New Gloucester State Fish Hatchery of Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife where he oversees the facility's annual production of 60,000 catchable salmonids. Tim hosted us at the New Gloucester Hatchery where we got an in-depth overview of their operation and how the fish are raised. We even got to stock some brook trout ourselves! While we at WildFed prefer to chase and eat genetically-wild fish, our interview with Tim — a fisherman himself whose very passionate about his work at the hatchery — changed our perspective on hatcheries for the better. If you want to learn more about the inner-workings of the hatchery system, find yourself on the fence about stocked fish, or just want to know if these fish are worth catching and eating, this show's for you!
Tune into the intro of this episode for Daniel’s thoughts on fishing for hatchery-raised fish vs. their genetically-wild counterparts.
Read MoreDr. Stephen Rich is a Professor of Microbiology and Director of the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he researches zoonotic diseases. He's particularly focused on the tick-borne illness Lyme disease and runs a lab called TickReport where you can send in ticks to test for pathogens. In this interview, Dr. Rich gives us a comprehensive overview of ticks & their life cycles, tick-borne disease, how to prevent tick bites and more. It's the beginning of tick season in many areas — now is the time to educate yourself on strategies to minimize your risk of tick-borne illness!
Read MoreNikaline Iacono is the owner and visionary behind Vessel & Vine — an eclectic bar and bistro in Maine with a focus on locally-sourced cocktails and cuisine. We sat down with Nikaline at "The Vine" for a wide-ranging conversation over foraged cocktails. Be warned: We traverse a lot of territory in this interview — some of it taboo — including the complex horse-human relationship, how to make a Chaga Toddy, invasive species, and even eugenics. Enjoy & cheers!
Read MoreRobert Steneck, Ph.D is a professor of Oceanography, Marine Biology and Marine Policy in the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine. He's a marine ecologist whose laboratories include coastal zones in the Gulf of Maine and the Caribbean, and his lifetime of marine research is prolific, with topics ranging from coral reefs to lobsters to marine ecosystem dynamics and more. We sat down with Bob on the front porch of his seaside cottage for this conversation on ocean ecology, the management of ocean fisheries, and his hope for a community-based fisheries management model in the future.
Read MoreLearn about becoming a modern-day hunter-gatherer with Arthur Haines — hunter, forager, renowned botanist and Maine Guide. Arthur is an incredible resource on both the philosophical and practical aspects of all things wild food. This episode provides a useful framework for getting started in foraging, choosing your weapon, having a good relationship with your local game warden, developing marksmanship, and more.
Tune into the intro for Daniel's thoughts on the novel coronavirus and how it relates to the modern-day hunting & gathering lifestyle.
Read MoreCarter Heath is a lifelong turkey hunter, turkey hunting mentor and Regional Director of the National Wild Turkey Federation for New England. In this episode, Carter walks us through turkey hunting basics — from turkey terminology to in-the-field hunting calls, equipment and best practices. If you're new to turkey hunting or looking to pick up some tips from a seasoned expert, this podcast will give you a good handle on how to get started. Carter's enthusiasm is contagious and is sure to inspire you to get out in pursuit of wild turkeys this spring!
Read MoreDr. Laura Brandt is a Wildlife Biologist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in South Florida and has been studying the ecological role of alligators and other wetlands species in the Everglades region for almost 40 years. In this episode, Laura shares her passion for alligators and the Everglades as she takes us on a guided tour of the River of Grass. You'll learn about Everglades restoration, alligator ecology, where alligator & crocodile habitats overlap, the surprising gentleness of alligators in parenting and so much more.
Read MoreLifelong outdoorsman Conor Sullivan specializes in fisheries management, maritime law enforcement and is an established outdoor writer. His fishing background is what fisherman's dreams are made of — having fished in the wilds of Alaska and Hawaii and throughout the lower 48 as well. In this interview, Conor shares what it's like living amongst apex predators in the Alaskan frontier, tells tales of high speed trolling in Hawaii, and imparts his valuable knowledge on breaking down barriers to entry into fishing for those just getting started.
Read MoreKathryn Hopkins — director of the International Maple Syrup Institute and statewide resource for the Maine maple syrup industry — shares the ins and outs of modern maple syrup production. We discuss how the sap flow process works, where maple syrup is produced, best practices for the syrup harvester and the sugarbush, how the grading system works and so much more. If you're interested in getting started with harvesting your own maple syrup this year, you won't want to miss this comprehensive guide! Enjoy, and as Kathy says, if you're going to eat sugar, make it maple...
Read MoreIn this interview, Dr. Molly Lutcavage — a research professor at UMass Boston and director of their Large Pelagics Research Center — joins us on The WildFed Podcast. Molly has spent almost her entire career working on developing a better understanding of bluefin tuna ecology and their populations. What she and other researchers have uncovered through years of boots on the ground research — and what you'll be hearing about today — has not yet been widely accepted in the scientific narrative of bluefin tuna, but she hopes that will change. Her incredible story is a must-listen complete with controversy, environmental bullies and scientific myth-busting!
Read MoreArthur Haines — hunter, forager, renowned botanist and Maine Guide — is back on The WildFed Podcast for an insightful conversation about the nuances of wild food nutrition, wild ricing and its politics, black bear hunting with hounds, and many other complexities of hunting & foraging in our modern world. Fresh off of filming WildFed Episode 6 — which features both wild rice and black bear harvests — Arthur and Daniel carefully navigate these sensitive and controversial topics from both ancestral and experiential perspectives. Enjoy this thought-provoking conversation!
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