Go Gather Wild

This week we sat down with Fergus Halpin of Harvest Day, a company that supports small-scale sustainable Irish farms by delivering their produce straight to your door, giving every household in Ireland the opportunity to eat seasonal, local and healthy produce.

On this episode we talk to Wild Food Mary, a foraging expert based in Birr, County Offaly. Wild Food Mary is wild food chef, forager and educator who hosts foraging workshops or private forays throughout the year in the midlands of Ireland. 

On this episode we talk to Terri Ann Fox of River Run Ferments about fermentation, making sauerkraut, making sourdough, koji, miso and fermenting with kids. Terri Ann is the founder River Run, a fermentary and wood fired micro Bakehouse located on our family homestead in Glencree Co. Wicklow. They specialise in sourdough breads, koji based ferments, seasonal vegetable ferments of all kinds, and plant based cheeses.

On this episode we talk to Michael Kelly, a community food growing expert, about empowering communities to grow their own food and how people can grow food anywhere from in their gardens to on their desks. Michael founded GIY in 2008 after 10 years in IT. He started from growing garlic in his garden and now supports hundreds of thousands of people to grow their own food in their homes, workplaces or schools. 

This week on the show we chat to Bill O'Dea, one of Ireland's foremost mushroom experts. Bill studied fungi at University College Dublin and has taken groups on mushroom hunts both at home and abroad since 1996. He has appeared on national news and his mushroom hunts have even been named in the top 10 events of the year by the Sunday Business Post. Join us as we talk about beginner mushroom tips, mushroom festivals, the microbiome, surprising uses of mushrooms and lots more. 

This week on the show we chat to Cúán Greene, founder of Ómós. Cúán is an Irish chef who has previously worked in the world renowned restaurant NOMA. He is passionate about fostering a mindful food community through his newly founded Ómós. Join us as we talk about all things foraging, hear stories about what it's like to work in NOMA and the emerging craft renaissance developing in Ireland. 

For the first episode of the Go Gather Wild podcast series, I was delighted to talk to John Wright. John's one of my biggest inspirations and his books have been a constant companion along my foraging journey.  John is an expert on wild food and the author of the River Cottage Handbooks Mushrooms, Edible Seashore, Hedgerow, Booze and also The Naming of the Shrew. He is a member of the British Mycological Society and a Fellow of the Linnaean Society.Our chat covers everything from easy to make foraging mistakes to making your own Yarrow Gin, a recipe we're keen to give a go... Enjoy!