1: Scottish Deer Management and Trendy Urban Foragers

For this first episode of the Wild Food People podcast hosted by Richard Prideaux and Amy Green we take a look at wild food related news from around the world. We start in Scotland discussing the changes to deer management laws and doe/hind hunting season extensions which have already seen unions challenging the Scottish government due to the mental health implications associated with culling or processing with pregnant and lactating female deer. From Scotland we move on to London and the ever increasing popularity in foraging and wild ingredients, whether at home, a restaurant or Borough Market – is an increased desire for foraged greens and wild meat sustainable on our small island; and is it even a real interest if you only ever forage when the world (or at least instagram) can see? A brief interlude to question why people would try to pull antlers off deer, sadly we still haven’t found the footage which was submitted to police in Surrey and a quick hop across the pond to the USA for a discussion about sustainable foraging after one man, who has been sustainably harvesting wild ramps for decades, has been accused of ‘destroying the earth’ by local students.

We round off the episode with three things to do this week:  Gather in some Wild Garlic whilst you still can; Make Beech Leaf Noyau with young leaves; Take a trip to the coast for some fresh, carroty Rock Samphire

In Summary: The recent changes to deer hunting seasons in Scotland and implications of Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders on the mental wellbeing of land managers and professional stalkers; The rising popularity of wild ingredients on social media and in urban places; People trying to pull the antlers off deer at Richmond Park near London; and how one man has been attacked for sustainable foraging in New York State.