Photo courtesy of Robin Greenfield
Robin Greenfield is an environmental activist from Wisconsin known for extreme sustainability challenges. He is currently making his way through Florida, foraging for 100% of his food throughout the course of a full year. That means no grocery stores, no farms, no gardens. Greenfield is simply relying on the food and medicine that grows freely and abundantly around us.
He recently stopped in the St. Petersburg area and shared wisdom with Eckerd College students and at Beech Kombucha.
He said he hopes he can “light little fires inside of people to help break free from destructive food systems and rediscover how the Earth can provide everything we need.”
Meet Robin Greenfield
Greenfield’s journey began in 2011, when he started questioning the impact of consumerism within our modern food system. He then made gradual changes over time, starting with supporting local food co-ops and growing his own food. While living in Orlando in 2018, he completed a full year of growing and foraging all his meals, which he writes about in his book published in 2019, Food Freedom.
“The previous challenge taught me self-sufficiency,” Greenfield said. “But this one strips it back to basics, relying entirely on what’s growing wild.”
Photo courtesy of Robin Greenfield
Daily Challenges Along the Foraging Journey
Since beginning this year of consuming 100% foraged foods in October, Greenfield has been traveling the country, scouting urban and wild areas for everything from food to medicine.
Currently in Florida, 50-75% of his diet is harvested from the area. He brought a few staples he foraged in Wisconsin, such as herbal teas, mushrooms, and wild rice.
“Time is the biggest hurdle, fitting foraging around speaking engagements and press interviews,” he said.
He is cautious when consuming plants that are new to him, but has reported feeling healthy and is monitoring his health very closely.
His tour will last half the year, and at the tour’s conclusion, he plans to retreat to a quiet life in his Wisconsin tiny home. There he will continue foraging, producing video content for YouTube and social media, as well as begin writing a “foraging empowerment manual.”
For Pinellas County Locals Interested in Foraging Safely
When it comes to foraging, Greenfield urges people to start small and safe.
One of his top tips is to research one wild plant for a month before trying a tiny amount and seeing how your body reacts. He also advises beginners to join local walks with trained foragers.
A few local plants to start your local foraging journey are:
- Bidens alba (Bidens apple or Spanish Needle): Containing white flowers with yellow centers, and the sticky seeds that stick to your shoes, they also have edible greens and flowers
- Surinam Cherry (little pumpkin-shaped red fruit): These grow on shrubs and taste tart yet sweet
- Loquats: Grown on trees and are abundant in spring
- Brazilian Pepper: Red berry clusters for flavoring (related to poison ivy, so test small amounts before consumption!)
- Dollarweed and Gotu Kola: Common ground covers for greens
- Amaranth: Nutritious leaves and seeds
Photo courtesy of Robin Greenfield
Sparking Change Amid Climate Challenges
By learning free-growing foods and medicines, folks can address food insecurity and climate threats through personal action. It’s about regeneration: His nonprofit, Regeneration Equity and Justice, plans to plant 1 million fruit and nut trees in the next decade. Ultimately, he envisions empowered communities living in harmony with the land, free from destructive food systems.
Photo courtesy of Robin Greenfield
How Gulfport Readers Can Join the Movement
Can’t attend events on his speaking tour? You can start at home by researching a plant, foraging responsibly, growing your own food, and making daily changes for a more sustainable, healthy future. You can also support Greenfield by funding or planting trees via his nonprofit.
As Greenfield puts it, “Create change in your own life to make the world a better place.”
For more resources to learn about foraging safely, visit robingreenfield.org.
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