WEWP#73: Ben Grant (@4plexdining)

WEWP#81: Delicious Shoots and The Hosts That Eat Them! Michael and Steve run around the forest to find delicious wild vegetable shoots and talk about what they foraged as well as what maristematic growth is. In the second half, your hosts dry-fry their harvest and taste-test various vegetables.New merch items were hinted at in this episode... Maybe if you check the store, you'll find something new ;)

Wood Sorrel has been featured in our wonderful logo by Laura Feller (@laurafeller.creates) since the start of our show over THREE YEARS AGO (!!!) and we still have never done an episode on it. So here it is!! It is an extremely common plant and one of many people's first experience with a wild food so Steve and Michael do a speed run of identifying factors & flavors and in the second half provide a personal update of the hosts' lives. We've been a little slow to update the show but we are in the process of making a permanent studio to seriously upgrade the show so stick with us!!!!!(content warning: some cursing)

WE'RE BACK! A FORAGER'S STORY!! We return to the show after an extended hiatus to chat with JJ Reich (@blackwalnutdaddy ), author of "Nuts About Black Walnuts". JJ's self-published book all about black walnuts offers a detailed and in-depth analysis of almost every topic you could possibly imagine involving ye olde Juglans Nigra. Available on Amazon, this collection of essays is definitely a must-have for anybody curious about black walnuts, whether you're an old experienced forager or a new one!! JJ is such a pleasure to chat with and has such a great attitude and sense of humor; we loved having him on the show and we hope you enjoy our conversation!We know we couldn't cover everything about black walnuts in one episode so look forward to hearing from JJ again in the future!!!

Gorgeous Gorgeous Panelists: GABRIELLE Cerberville @chaoticforager JIM McDonald @herb.craft CHRIS Gavin @eagle_outdoor_skills SEAN Zera @macludrania Pretty Pretty Panel Hosts: JB Douglas @thewildgrocery STEVE Cantu @snoopdoggydogwood Huge thanks to Rachel and the Will Forage For Food team for making the GLFG happen every year, it is truly one of our very favorite events to attend and participate in! Join the "Will Forage For Food" Facebook group to be a part of the amazing community!

We had the pleasure of being accepted to host a panel at the Great Lakes Foragers Gathering in Michigan! While at the event, Steve had the opportunity to sit down with several attendees and chat about foraging, origins, and their activities that weekend. You'll hear from @clay__bowers, 12-year old Joselle, & @wildernut Tim Coddington! Enjoy this short-form episode and we'll be back next week with the full panel episode with several VERY COOL GUESTS!!!!

"Re-peopling Prairie: History, Ecology, & How They Can Bettter Inform Prairie Science" is available for pre-order on Dr. Liz's Etsy page so give her a follow @chase_prairie to keep up with her exploits and awesome art!! We're back from "Summer Break" (AKA Michael had a baby) with an awesome interview with Dr. Liz Kozik @chase_prairie about her incredible comic dissertation: "Re-Peopling Prarie". Her dissertation is full of incredible information about Illinois' past as "The Prairie State" and suggests directions moving forward that harmonize with the pre-colonial history of this land. Not only that, it is only of the most visually stunning and comprehensive works of science we have consumed with our own eyes. Congrats on successfully defending your thesis and we are so grateful you are sharing your work with the rest of us!!

Mike Snyder is a passionate mushroomer in Missouri with his wife, Cara, and daughter! We were psyched to have him on the show- Michael met Mike at the Flyway Fungi Festival in 2023 and they connected on sheer love of nature and passion for sharing. We delve deep into Snyder's origin story and how he feels called to educate folks on mushrooms. Mike teaches log innoculation classes and has his own product line with nourishing body butters and balms for whatever ails ya! Check out everything they do at @wildwisebotanicals !!

In this loose and silly episode, Steve and Michael discuss their gratitude for the past two years of the show and set out some goals and plans for what they'd like to see in the future for the show! This episode has almost nothing to do with foraging but we wanted to take a moment to feel so lucky to be able to make this show where we get to meet and work with so many awesome and talented folks. Love you guys! here's to two more years!!!

Ben (@4plexdining) is a chef in Missouri that overcame the difficulties during the pandemic by wielding foraged ingredients to create a a baked good/fermented beverage pop-up out of his kitchen. Most recently he helped start and lead Temperence Kitchen, a dining experience whose proceeds are forwarded to "Ben's Friends" an awesome organization that offers support to members of the food and beverage industry that struggle with substance abuse or addiction. Ben is such an inspiration and we hope you find his message as hopeful and encouraging as we do! Check out the new episode on all streaming services (yes ALL) and give Ben a follow!

Danny Pejsa is a Chef working in the Lansing, MI area! Chef Danny is passionate about close-to-source dining and there's plenty of overlap with foraging within that scope. We also chat about his experience cooking with previous guest Alan Bergo @foragerchef at the Midwest Wild Harvest Festival in 2023. Say "YES, CHEF!" to this episode of WEWP!!