Why Forage Wild Food? Primal Instinct and Benefits to Well-being 

ANSWERING QUESTIONS: 1) "Where did you get the Viking Bowl"? I got it from a craft shop on the isle of Orkney. The guy makes Bodhrans (Celtic drum) but at the time sold other wood work and there is a lot of Viking influence on the Orkney islands. Here is his website (but has no bowls on the website): www.belgarth.com/. 2) "What about herbicides and pesticides"? : Yes, you need to be aware of these if foraging near civilisation, but these chemicals are all ready in our food system and water supply. Therefore, being more aware of the plants around you will make you more aware about the management practices around you and also question what food you eat regularly. I hope then we can question authorities and all change our ways to reduce these poisons in our environment.

On God mate you could make a pitch to a TV station and I reckon you could land a pilot for a historical / bushcraft show. Your manner is perfect for hosting a show

love the message you are conveying..to get away from the madness of day to day life..to put down the electronics..to revel in the greatest theater..Mother Nature..amen..

Foraging is very deep for me. Listening to you talk about it, brought a happy tear to my eye. Thank you!

There's a YT channel that has a guy that knows all about the flora an fauna of FLA, that I'm following now, I know how to fish an hunt an trap, but knowing wild edibles is a whole nother world, love your vids bro an another great one.

Liking the meditative/philosophical vibes in the more recent videos

When I was growing up my parents pointed out the things NOT to attempt eating, especially mushrooms. We planted gardens, and fished anyway, but especially wild blackberries were foraged. I also tried some wild cherries (little/sour) and a few greens that were delectable in early Spring.

This video really inspires me to learn about local plants and try to forage some myself. Really liked the commentary as well, very interesting, especially the comment about remembering not to take too much of any plant. I feel like thats something a lot of people dont take in to consideration enough.

It's like learning the rules and intricacies of a sport but for being outdoors, you appreciate it more, you anticipate what will be around during the seasons and where is best to look for what. It gives you a focus.

Informative and fun video! Thanks for sharing.

Well Fandabi: Quite a literate video Your a very literate fellow. Thanks Brian 79

You definitely respect the nature

Edible wilds is one area where we are lacking. Trying to study and learn more. Thank you for sharing this.

"Bushcraft salad spinner" - LOL

I loved this video! I enjoy a salad with young dandelion leaves, and I’ve made a mean pesto using the invasive weed garlic mustard. Maybe I’m a skin flint, but I get such a kick out of eating a tasty meal that was virtually free. I found a whole bank of wild raspberries, and three wild apple trees, and am hoping I get to them first when they’re ripe!

I was waiting for the oats to come out! Another dressing for you to try: Cider vinegar and honey. Gives a lovely, light dressing.

Watched you with Smooth Gefixt. Found your channel & subscribed. You make good videos & very entertaining, keep up the good work.

Gorgeous salad! You glow with health from Mother Nature!

no downvotes... this had the sound and feel of ray mears. well done mate. I would love to see more of this and also hang out

Great video, I'm just starting to learn wild edibles. There is a lot of food at our feet. I just learned red bud seed pods are edible, they are great sauteed with ramps. Keep the videos coming.

A lovely salad. Nice. Like that bowl.

I have identified 12 wild eatables in our yard and eat them all summer. Last year I planted Milkweed because it produces all summer and is very tasty.

big love for this man. richard maybe's book food for free, ray mears and hugh fernly whittingstall and my own father all played huge rolls for my foraging hobby, and its heart warming to see people like you making content like this. Especially with the emphasis on the mental benefits of doing something we quite literally evolved to enjoy. When ever i meet someone who is finding life sad and with mental heath issues however slight or grievous, I will always take them for a country walk and some form of foraging,hunting or camping. And a quote from the man himself Alan Watts as well, right up my street mate cheers x

Hi Tom. On the subject of foraging for food in the Highlands, I personally take great delight in sampling the fruits of the Ronald MacDonald tree which can be easily found in most places on this sacred Earth. Usually, eating eight or nine of these tasty little buds - Gaelic name 'Bigmac' - can stave off hunger until I get home and then I can eat some real food. Bon Appetit!

I read an interesting journal article, and research piece that you may be interested in on the topic of wild food and nutrition. The authors basically examined all the existing literature on how biodiversity contributes to diets in 'developing' countries. Particularly interesting to me were the contributions to micronutrients in the diet, ill paste some excerpts; "In Gabon, Blaney et al. (2009) reported 36% of total vitamin A and 20% of iron in the diet came from wild foods, in Tanzania, Powell et al. (2013b), reported 31% of vitamin A and 19% of iron in the diet came from wild foods, and in a traditional swidden agricultural community in the philippines, wild foods contributed 42% of calcium, 32% of riboflavin, 17% of vitamin A and 13% of iron (Schlegel and Guthrie 1973)." So its interesting to ponder a UK context given how much our diet has changed over the last century. Here's the full paper link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12571-015-0466-5

I wonder if the all that stuff grows in the states. I wish I was in Scotland or you were in the US. I would love to go out walking with you and learning about all the plant life. Loved the video thanks. : )

Fantastic video Tom! I love going foraging in the local forest

Thanks

Delicious,takes me back to my childhood!

Intelligence manifest’s itself in many and varied forms - so does stupidity. You’re a genius!

Wild food is a passion of mine but I am still at the early learning stage👌

Love your salad spinner technique!! So would it be fair to argue that the original Highlanders may have been healthier than today's counterpart -- b/c they were living closer to the land?

Thank you so much for your true words and the Video!🌟 Yes, we live so unnatural today, that many of us are sick and the soul suffers😩💦 Watching your videos eases my mind a lot, but also makes me wish even stronger to live close to nature. I love them! 🍀🌷🍀🌟

Absolutely love your channel. The content is incredible.

Have you ever discovered "Meum athamanticum" and used on your tours? The plant is supposed to be spreading at least to Scotland. It's an alpine plant with absolutely great taste!!!

I really enjoyed your video, thank you!

I love the new upload schedule. Your videos are amazing!!

I enjoy making a "backyard" salad. Great stuff Sir! Thanks!

Hi Tom. Thank you once again for an outstanding video full of entertainment, information and flavour. Stay safe. ATB. Nigel

Lovely educational content as always!

Love this video. Getting into more anthropology and biology really appeals to my love of history and studies from my nutrition and health uni studies.

Spot on brother on the plants an the mind ! Take care brother

Thank you for these great videos

Nice bowl with rune decoration

very nice video. I have noticed where I live that foraging is becoming more popular, and I believe people are starting to go back to nature, but the problem I see is that they mostly pick one or two wild edibles that are more "mainstream" or being popularized by TV, for instance wild garlic and dandelions

Thank you for a great video!

Excellent. Fine video!

Interesting bowl, Very Cool.

Great video thanks

I always enjoy your videos. Well done.

Amazing video

Very well said! Will have to get myself out to learn new plants

freaking love your videos! Keep up the great work!

Got a good giggle out of your bushcraft salad spinner!

Hi tom great video and an interesting dish where is dish/bowl from?

Enjoyed that but Pig Nuts heck of a name for a Tubar. Safe journeys.

Cool salad bowl! Tom... could you do a video on traditional Scottish herbal medicine and poultice tradition?

I absolutely lost it at “bush craft salad spinner”

Absolutely awesome video! Just gotten into wild foraging myself and know of at least 5 plants in my local park that are edible (with some processing involved). Can I ask if there are any books or sources with lists of these Northern European edible plants? I have a pocket-guide handbook but it's not very extensive. ps. Big up that Wood Sorrel! edit: I just realised your Patreon has those links so I'll check it out!

*FREE FOOD!* If its free its for me! Cool vid and content, learn a thing or three here.

Absolutely wonderful stuff as usual, always glad to see a new post from you! Would you mind to include the Gaelic names for the plants (if you know them), as in your other videos? If not, no worries, great vids and keep it up!

that looked right tasty I love hunting wild mushrooms the morrels are my favorites and I love wild ramps cooked up with fried taters ,it won't be long before I will have alot of blackberries all over mt back fence.black berry cobbler is something I could eat all day .and my mouth is watering just thinking about it.lol

Aye right ye are

Great knife you have. Where could I get one like that?

Great video, thank you! Do you think you could make a video on how to recognize some common Scottish / European plants? That'd be awesome!

Great infos! Thanks for sharing. I must know though, where did you get that bowl?

I forage for edibles as well and also go mushroom hunting, and there is nothing like the rush you get when you stumble upon a clearing full of boletus mushrooms or chanterelles. It is a hunter gatherer thing. By the way, have you tried burdock root? Very nutritious, tastes great in a slow cooked stew with carrots, onions and beef, and can be found abundantly in my neck of the woods.

I'm new to your channel, thanks for your insight. Are they Runes, decorating your salad bowl?

Outstanding, Tom! Are you a botanist? How did you learn what's safe and what's not?

I'm curious about the nutrition of such a dish, the fiber is good and you get most the calories from the olive oil. Is each pignut like 20 calories? I wish I could travel back in time and see what a healthy diet actually looks like.

Whats the kife you use in this video and where did you get it.

Bon appetit you're always in the most beautiful places your bowl is really nice that has the runes on the side and the idea of using a basket to wash the leaves is a really good idea thank you again for another spectacular video it's so green and fresh looking there where you are it's really cool that you can just go and pick wild veggies if I can call them that I hope you have a nice weekend. Genesis 2 verse 7 and the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. This came to mind when when you mentioned how touching soil can affect us. I don't know too much about brain chemistry maybe it's something to do with Sensation. In the scriptures it says God told Adam and Eve that they could eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden except from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and that God created every green Herb and fruit bearing tree with seed to be food. Adam and Eve broke God's commandment and ate from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and became conscious of their nakedness and because of their sin the ground became cursed in Genesis chapter 1-2-3 gives account of these things. Genesis chapter 3: 17 to 19 it says " and unto Adam he( God) said because you have listened unto the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree which I commanded you saying you shall not eat of it ; cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow shell you eat of all the days of your life Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shall eat the herb of the field; the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return into the ground for out of it was thou taken for dust thou the art and unto dust shall thou return ".

Very cool video ! I love your rune-engraved wooden bowl, it looks awesome :)

First!

were you picking hawthorn leaves?

Be careful not to confuse wild garlic with Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) or Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale) by mistake !!!!

Don't forget to chew those nettle roots

There’s no need to remove the stems from wood sorrel.

Just bite into some fruits.... The perfect food.

:-)

You don't have to wash anything! Your body needs a bit of dirt to keep its imune system running well!

It was good... But you didn't, kilt it.... Love&Blessings

If "you are what you eat" is true then I must have been secretly only eating nuts, fruitcake, and bananas for the last 40 years.

It's not a "primal instinct" if it was even cities would be full of people ceaslessly rummaging for wild edibles - everyone would be consistently doing it and because it was a primal instinct, whatever free will or voluntariness of action one might want to ascribe to a an individual would be more or less suspended while people were deep in these set primal, reptile brain, instinctive patterns of evolved behaviour ...

You are giving dangerous advice! Don't forage in urban or suburban areas. Stick to your own yard where you know you haven't spray pesticides, or visit a park with vegetation that's allowed to grow without interference. No parks where they do landscaping or mow grasses. In urban and suburban areas, you don't know what pesticides they have sprayed, and a simple rinse may not be sufficient for many of the toxic substances that contaminate urban vegetation! Some are pesticides sprayed purposefully, but in other cases there could be contamination from unexpected places, like perhaps construction nearby. Plus, you don't know what microbes are hanging around! That's something to be very careful of in cities, where there is high population density. Who knows where there are vermin carrying disease, the vomit and fecal matter someone might be leaving if they're squatting. There could be addicts leaving paraphernalia, along with bodily fluids and pathogens and discarded paraphernalia.