Man attempts to forage for food for a full year, shows Eckerd students how to join

Forager plans to survive off land for one year

Robin Greenfield, an environmentalist and author, started his journey to only forage for his food on October 9. FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky reports. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Robin Greenfield is an environmentalist and author who teaches others how to forage for food and part of his goal is to inspire others to start doing their own research to forage food.

He does not sell himself as an expert at teaching you plant identification.

Eckerd professor Dave Himmelfarb invited him to campus.

"He gave a plant walk and educated people on the importance of eating wild plants and the opportunities that are all around us all the time but we often take for granted," said Himmelfarb.

He provided the group at Eckerd College with some resources on how to start while he was on a "plant walk."

There he led a group of students and community members around the grounds and pointed out edible plants that were freely growing on the campus. He even gave people some of them to try.

Timeline:

Greenfield is four months into his challenge to not step inside a grocery store or restaurant to buy food.

"I am breaking free from the grocery store," Greenfield said. "For one year I am only eating food that I can forage."

READ: Florida ‘Granny Flat’ bill could expand backyard housing in Tampa Bay area

He shared his journey at Eckerd College on Wednesday night during a lecture.

What they're saying:

"I am just immersed in this year of foraging all my food because this is exactly what I want to be doing," Greenfield said. "I'm not telling anyone to be doing anything but for people out there that are excited about this, then I am here for them."

He gave a demonstration to a group of students and community members on finding food right there on the college campus.

Greenfield did this challenge once in Orlando but allowed himself to garden for food.

Now he is living in Northern Wisconsin on Lake Superior and doing it without the luxury of gardening.

"I preserve a lot of food, so there's canning and freezing and dehydrating," Greenfield said.

Some students said they might even join him in foraging for a little food.

Madison Prikryl and Calli Marshall are seniors at Eckerd studying environmental science.

"I think that learning about this will definitely change my perception about food and how we view food as a society," Prikryl said.

"He brought a new lense for us to look at," Marshall said. "A lot of the plants that he brought up were weeds and things that we may bypass on a normal basis but with his knowledge now I know there are so many other possibilities."

Greenfield said it is not an all or nothing commitment if you want to start.

"For me foraging is a deep connection to the earth. It's a breaking free from the illusion of this separateness of the humans and plants and animals," Greenfield said. "So, it's a practice of finding a deep home like I really want to feel at home on this earth and everywhere that I am and by harvesting all of my food from the lands and the waters here everywhere I go, I'm at home."

Click here for more information on Greenfield.