Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants

A guided contemplative practice. Lean your back against a tree for five minutes of sensory presence. Robin opens with Tommy Cooper's "pick a card, any card." It becomes a playful doorway into stillness. He walks through breath, posture, and bodily sensation. The body settles into rhythm with its surroundings. The episode then turns reflective. Civilisation has distanced us from sensory, embodied i...

In the 17th century, Descartes, Galileo, and Newton transformed a living world into mechanical clockwork.  Descartes drew the fatal line between mind and matter, rendering everything beyond the thinking self inert and available for measurement.  This lens birthed science and medicine, but cost us what Goethean scientist Craig Holdrege calls living thinking - thought that is responsive, relational,...

Chris Holland has spent over three decades helping people - young and old - find their way back to the natural world. In this warmly personal conversation, Robin and Chris reflect on the threads that have woven their lives together: a shared love of plants, the legacy of plant mentor Frank Cook, and the quiet revolution taking place in nature connection education. Chris is the author of I Love My...

Robin Harford meets storyteller Clare Viner beneath a flowering hawthorn tree in Devon to explore the living tradition of oral storytelling. Clare shares how stories belong to everyone - not fixed texts handed down by celibate monks, but breathing, evolving things shaped by the teller's felt sense and relationship with land. They discuss how patriarchy silenced women's stories, how rivers and plan...

Show Notes: Understanding Domei This episode explores Domei , a contemplative practice designed to bridge the gap between humans and the living world through sensory engagement and "deep listening." Domei Resources The official Domei website 30 Days of Domei: A Month of Botanical Attention Key Takeaways The Origin of Domei: A neologism blending the Gaelic roots Domhain (deep) and Éist (listen). Be...

In this new short-form episode, Robin Harford challenges our relationship with common sorrel ( Rumex acetosa ) – a plant we've dismissed for centuries simply because it grows freely everywhere. This episode introduces a new podcast format: short observations (2-5 minutes) with a call to action. Robin doesn't want you to just listen, he wants you outside, engaging with plants where you are. Safety...

In this episode of the Eatweeds Podcast , Robin Harford is joined by Dr Sarah Edwards, ethnobotanist at the University of Oxford.  Together they explore the 400-year history of Oxford Botanic Garden — Britain’s oldest physic garden — and why ethnobotany is vital for preserving both cultural knowledge and biodiversity. Dr Edwards shares her remarkable journey from Kew Gardens to working alongside F...

Tom Baxter is the founder of Bristol Fungarium, the UK’s first organic-certified medicinal mushroom farm. A former organic vegetable grower and forest school leader, Tom has spent years foraging in the wild across the Pyrenees, Siberia, and the forests of Somerset. Today, he leads a pioneering operation that not only cultivates native strains of mushrooms but also funds neuroscience research and r...

In this episode, herbalist and Ayurvedic practitioner Jo Webber joins Robin Harford to explore how Ayurveda — the world’s oldest system of natural health — can be rooted in the wild plants of Britain. Together, they unpack the Ayurvedic concepts of the five elements, the three doshas , and the six tastes — and how these ancient principles can guide your modern life, food choices, and foraging prac...

In this episode of the Eatweeds Podcast , Robin Harford sits down with Vivien Rolfe, a herbalist and researcher with a fascinating background in both science and herbal medicine. Recorded outdoors in the serene gardens of Penny Brohn in Bristol, this conversation delves into the art and science of herbal teas, the power of plants, and the rich cultural history surrounding their use. SELECTED LINKS...

In this episode of the Eatweeds podcast, Robin Harford is joined by filmmaker Nirman Choudhury to explore the deep connection between India’s indigenous communities and their traditional ecological knowledge of plants. Nirman shares insights from his project "Shifting Narratives," which highlights how tribal and Dalit communities use visual storytelling to document their relationship with their en...

In this powerful episode, host Robin Harford welcomes Hannah-May Batley, founder of Hedge School, to discuss her groundbreaking work in plant-based healing and community regeneration. Hannah-May shares her journey from a post-mining community in South Yorkshire to creating a unique curriculum that addresses trauma, particularly sexual violence against women, through reconnection with nature. She e...

Welcome to Episode 50 of the Eatweeds podcast, where host Robin Harford takes us on an auditory journey into the world of sound art and ecoacoustics with guest Jez riley French. In this episode, titled 'The Sound of Trees', we dive into the fascinating world of listening to plants and the hidden layers of sound that surround us. Jez, a leading British sound artist, shares the behind-the-scenes det...

In this episode, #49 of the Eatweeds podcast, I sit down with Helen Kearney at the Betonica herb school on a lazy Summer day in the Devon countryside. We dive into the added value herbalists bring to the strained National Health Service (NHS) and discuss Helen's path from being inspired by her grandmother to becoming a medical herbalist and educator. We tackle the evolution of medicine since World...

In this episode of the Eatweeds podcast, Robin Harford invites the seasoned forager, Andy Hamilton, for a deep and meaningful conversation about the evolving world of foraging, wild food, and wildcrafting. They take listeners on a journey, reflecting on their first meeting years ago and exploring the transformation of the foraging community's online presence over the years. Connect With Andy Hamil...

In this episode of Eatweeds, host Robin Harford interviews Matthew Pennington, co-owner of The Ethicurean restaurant.  Matthew discusses the restaurant's philosophy of using 80-90% of its ingredients from its own Victorian walled garden and orchard, as well as from local suppliers. He also talks about the importance of foraging for wild food, and how it can help to connect us to the natural world....

This week on the Eatweeds podcast , we travel to the remote, idyllic region of Abruzzo, Italy, a haven for foragers, to meet our special guest, Marta Udalowa. Originally hailing from Poland, Marta has turned her passion for wild foods into a lifestyle, immersed in the bounty of nature. Join host Robin Harford as he engages in a fascinating conversation with Marta, a master pickler, about life in t...

Join us for a breath of fresh air with episode 45 of 'Eatweeds,' a podcast dedicated to celebrating the joy and richness of wild food. Our host, Robin Harford, transports us away from the bustle of daily life, inviting us to pause, reflect, and savor the exquisite moments of being at one with nature. In this special episode, Robin trades his traditional role as host to become our storyteller, brin...

My guest for this episode of the Eatweeds podcast is the remarkable Mo' Wilde. An author and experienced foraging teacher, Mo' has done something few could even contemplate: she lived for a full year completely sustained by wild food. Her fascinating journey and profound insights will have you rethinking your daily meals and your connection to the world around you. Key topics for this episode incl...

In Episode 43, "Plants, Enchantment and Wild Words," Robin and Zoe delve into the enthralling world of plant lore and explore how enchantment and folklore have shaped our connection with the natural world. Zoe shares her unique insights into the role of plants in mythology and how anthropomorphism and gender have influenced our understanding and stories of the plant world. This episode also uncove...

Online: Course: Medicinal Trees and Their Healing Properties https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/medicinal-trees Website: Medicinal Forest Garden Trust https://medicinalforestgardentrust.org/ Twitter: @herbaid Instagram: @medicinalforest Facebook: @medicinalforest About Anne Stobart Anne Stobart is a medical herbalist, herb grower and historical researcher. Previously, she directed the professional program...

A short audio essay on sustainable harvesting and ethical wildcrafting. Spoken by Robin Harford from Eatweeds. Receive more audio essays, articles and wild food recipes by email. Sign up at https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/subscribe Related articles Archive of shows of the Eatweeds Podcast Botanical Society Code of Conduct Sustainable foraging guidelines Foraging safety guidelines Careful with that plan...

Flora's website: Plants and Colour Find Flora on Instagram: @plants_and_colour About Flora Arbuthnott Flora Arbuthnott. Flora came to this practice through a desire to connect with the land. Working with plants such as camellia and buddleia flowers, oak galls, and dock roots, or growing dye plants in her garden such as madder, woad, and coreopsis. Creating drawings, paintings, and prints as one-of...

Mark Duffell is one of Britain's foremost botanists and ecologists. We discuss...  The best way for beginners to learn plant identification. Why the ecology of a plant is important to know before harvesting. Forager or pillager? Which one are you? How to overcome your fear of botany and science jargon. Why learning plant families is important. Sustainability and commercial wild food harvesting. Is...

Nick Hayes author of the 'Book of Trespass' discusses the reason why Right to Roam is so important to the nation's mental health and wellbeing.  Why access to the countryside helps people deepen their connection to nature so they become better stewards of the planet. We discuss the concerns landowners have over littering and damage to their property including fences, gates, livestock etc. Also cov...