52: Why We Should Be Feeding Ourselves With TREES: Nuts, Forests, And The Future Of Food | Elspeth Hay

In this episode, we sit down with Elspeth Hay, Cape Cod journalist and author of Feed Us with Trees, to explore how we can solve our collective separation from nature through the power of tree crops. We dive deep into her journey from learning the “no farms, no food” mantra in childhood to the paradigm-shifting realization that our surrounding forests are actually overflowing with staple foods like acorns. Elspeth deconstructs historical narratives like the term "hunter-gatherer" and the concept of "enclosure," arguing that modern industrial farming models were built upon a violent legacy of privatizing land and erasing highly managed indigenous food systems. The conversation highlights how traditional communities managed ecological resources collectively through the "Commons" and specific cultural rituals. Finally, we discuss how local communities can reverse the "shifting baseline syndrome," her advice on cultivating ecological joy and rituals for the next generation, and her vision of a future rooted in regional food resilience and connection to community and place. 

Elspeth’s book, Feed Us with Trees: https://newsociety.com/book/feed-us-with-trees

Timestamps 

[00:00] Intro - Acorns are a human food!

[03:09] Reflecting on a childhood feeling of being separate from the natural world.

[10:51] Deconstructing the term "hunter-gatherer" and rethinking evolutionary food stories.

[12:22] Learning about traditional indigenous forest management and the sophisticated uses of cultural fire.

[19:56] Explaining the violent legacy of the historical "enclosure" movement and land privatization.

[34:40] Analyzing how the intentional destruction of indigenous food systems won historical wars.

[45:32] Parallels between changing Cape Cod fisheries and regional nut co-op resilience networks.

[49:57] Replacing the concept of "nature" with the "living world" through the lens of fire-dependent Oak Savannas.

[59:26] Exploring the deeply embedded concept of the Commons versus modern private property.

[1:10:09] Painting a picture of a thriving utopian future driven by rural ecosystem tending and food networks.

[1:19:31] The technical mechanics of processing water-soluble bitter tannins for acorn flour and oils.

[1:44:52] Rapid-fire questions on formative books, career advice, empathy, and weaving willow baskets

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Guest Social Media Links

Elspeth Hay:

Book: https://newsociety.com/book/feed-us-with-trees 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elspethhay 

JM:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier

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