Mountain View News Saturday, July 4, 2026 
99BEST FRIENDS & MORE Mountain View News Saturday, July 4, 2026 
99BEST FRIENDS & MORE 
CHRISTOPHER NYERGES 

[Nyerges is the author of “Urban Survival Guide,” “ExtremeSimplicity,” and other books. Information about his books and 
classes is available at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com] 

PIONEER ROBIN GREENFIELD One 
Year of 100% Foraging 

Greenfield and Nyerges collecting dock seeds on the outskirts of Pasadena. 

Robin Greenfield is a man on a mission. 

Greenfield describes himself as a truth-seeker, activist, social reformer and servant to Earth, humanity and our plant and animalrelatives. Through living closely connected to Earth, he rejects the status quo of consumerism and demonstrates a way of being ingratitude, mindfulness and presence. He describes his life as an experiment with truth and integrity. 

His ”experiments” have been both bold and radical. A recent campaign of his was his commitment to earn below the federalpoverty threshold for life and donates 100% of his media earnings to grassroots nonprofits. 

In fact, during our short conversation, I offered him a $20 bill as appreciation for getting some of the plants he was giving away for 
free. He gave it back to me, telling me that he was currently in a period where he is seeing what it is like to not handle any money! 

ONE YEAR 100% FORAGING 
His most recent campaign is to go for one year eating nothing but food foraged from the wild. That’s right, no supermarkets, no 
farms. Is that even possible? 

Foraging! Is that even a thing anymore? Part of the way of life from the “hunter-gatherer” period aeons ago, foraging hasexperienced a steady increase in interest since the 1970s. It refers to collecting foods and medicines from the wild. 

From his homeland in Wisconsin, Greenfield has been travelling around the country during his year of foraging, conductingforaging workshops along the way to teach people what he’s actually doing for a whole year. Recently, about 50 people walked withGreenfield in the hills of Griffith Park to learn about some of the wild plants and how they can be used. 

When he came to the Pasadena area on his U.S. tour last month, he was nearly into 8 months of 100% foraging. I asked him how 
he was able to fill his caloric and other needs with wild plants alone. 

“I’m eating about 120 pounds of greens a year,” he explained, while showing me large bags of the leaves of lamb’s quarter andwatercress that he had just collected along a waterway. Both of those plants can be harvested world-wide, when in season, and 
are both powerhouses of vitamins and minerals. 

“Gardeners generally regard the lambs quarter as a weed and they pull it and toss it,” said Greenfield, “but it’s loaded with vitaminsand minerals, and can be boiled, sauteed, added to soup, and used in salads.” Greenfield went on to explain that the watercressonly grows along slow-moving waters, such as around the edges of streams and lakes, which means that watercress is only foundin more specific environments. 

I asked Greenfield how he gets his body’s needed protein, and oils and carbohydrates for energy. 

He smiled, and told me that he did lose a bit of weight after starting this experiment, though his weight has leveled off. “The one 
food I really miss is olive oil,” he added. 

Greenfield doesn’t just try to forage each day, eating only what he finds that day. He carries with him a rack which has bottles of 
wild foods and meats which he has collected. The bottled foods included dried foods, pickled foods, fruits, nuts, and meats. The 
meat includes fish and deer. 

He caught the fish in XXX and he pickled it. The deer was roadkill that he processed and canned. 

In the normal course of foraging, the availability of foods varies with the season, and diminishes as summer comes. So he collects 
plenty of food plants, and dries, or pickles, them for later. 

At his recent foraging walk in the Pasadena area, he collected a bag of cattail shoots, about two gallons of curly dock seeds, a bagof lamb’s quarter greens, a large bag of watercress, and some wild currants, most of which were eaten on the spot. These plants 
were in season, and are fairly easy to forage just about anywhere in the U.S. 

Cattail shoots, mostly available in just the spring, were once called “Cossack asparagus,” when they were widely used during thewars in Europe. They are the white interior part of the young plant, crisp, with a flavor like cucumbers. 

Lambs quarter is another European weed that is now found everywhere in North America, but most commonly in the spring and 
summer. The leaves are used raw or cooked, just as you’d use spinach, and they are regarded as a powerhouse of vitamins and 
minerals. 

Curly dock is so widespread that it’s regarded as an agricultural pest. The roots are used medicinally, and the leaves are mostly 
used in cooked dishes. The seeds, which are produced in abundance every fall, persist on the plant so they can be harvested over 
a long period. Robin collected over a gallon of the curly dock seed, intending to grind it into a flour to use for bread, or a cooked 
mush. 

This is just a sampling of the foods that Greenfield is eating during his year of foraging. But just imagine the task of getting all your 
nutritional needs met, and enjoying your meals too! That’s why Robin carries along his rack of foods that he’s already collected.
His supply of food includes acorns which he has leached and ground, ready to be used for flour. He has hazelnuts, and hickory 
nuts. He has collected elm tree samaras (“seeds”) for flour, and 75 pounds of wild rice that he collected during the beginning ofhis adventure. 

Though he uses lots of fresh greens as he travels, such as mallow, fennel, mustard, and sow thistle, he carries a container of driednettle leaves which he uses for soup, stew, and tea. 

He has containers of certain dried mushrooms, which he uses for soups, or flavoring. 

“I like to harvest fresh fruits,” says Greenfield, such as pears, apples, and plums from feral trees, which he dries or makes into 
canned sauce. He also collects wild elderberries, cherries, and currants. 

He has a pressure cooker which he makes a daily stew of greens, meat, rice and other seasonings. The seasonings that he carries 
includes maple syrup, ocean salt, Brazilian pepper, garlic, ramps, sea weed powder, and more. 

During one of his public foraging walks in Los Angeles, Robin told the small group that he once had a good paying job but heturned his back on it because he didn’t want to be a part of a lifestyle that was destructive. Robin has committed to earning belowthe federal poverty threshold for life and donates 100% of his media earnings to grassroots nonprofits, with a focus on supportingBlack and Indigenous women-led organizations. 

In fact, during our short instructional session with Robin, I offered him a $20 bill as appreciation for giving out free toilet paperplants. He gave the bill back to me, telling me that he was currently in a period where he is seeing what it is like to not handle any 
money! 

You can learn more about Robin and his mission by checking the web site at http://robingreenfield.org/tp 

The Green EyesHave It! 

Meet “BISCUIT.” 

Born approx. 2022 

Looks like a 
Russian Blue 
Spayed &
Microchipped

Fully vetted/tested negativeVery sweet; loves belly rubsLoves making “biscuits”
Wants a furever home! 

Meet Biscuit, the sweetest little kneader you’llever meet. She once lived in a loving home, but when her family moved away, she washeartbreakingly left behind. Alone on the streets with coyotes nearby and no one to protect

her Biscuit somehow kept her gentle spirit intact.
She’s cautious at first, but once she trusts you, she melts into a 
soft, affectionate companion who loves to curl up close and make 
biscuits to show she feels safe. Biscuit thrives as the only pet and 
would be happiest in a calm adult home where she can finallyexhale and be cherished. 
If you’re looking for a tender, loyal friend who just needs patience 
and love to bloom, Biscuit is ready for her forever home. See her 
cute video and apply to meet her at https://www.lifelineforpets.
org/biscuit.html, or use the qr code. 

Pet of the Week 

Meet Wallace! With his captivating mismatched eyes andplayful spirit, this 4-year-old shepherd mix at PasadenaHumane is ready to find his perfect match. He loves goingon "sniffaris," exploring the world on walks with great leashmanners, and keeping his mind busy with enrichment liketreat puzzles, agility, and toys. Wallace is a gentle guy whotakes treats politely, enjoys soft chest scratches once he getscomfortable, and has a sweet, independent nature. 

Wallace is adoption trial eligible, giving you the chance to 
get to know him at home before making things official. He's 
also part of our Pawsitive Start Program, which includescomplimentary training to help you both start off on theright paw. If you're looking for a fun, loyal companion with aone-of-a-kind look, come meet Wallace and make him partof your family! 

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, andage-appropriate vaccines. 

Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. View photos of adoptablepets at pasadenahumane.org. 

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA AnimalHospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phonecalls or email. 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com