Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants

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 note: If you suffer from kidney stones or sensitivity to oxalic acids, avoid sorrel due to its high oxalate content.

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 First Nations communities in Australia, documenting traditional plant use and wisdom.
She reflects on the threats facing global plant diversity, the role of botanic gardens in conservation, and why re-establishing kinship with plants is essential for our future.

About Dr Sarah Edwards
Dr Sarah Edwards is the author of The Ethnobotanical (link) and co-author of Phytopharmacy (link).
She teaches Ethnobiology and Biological Conservation at the University of Oxford and manages plant records at the Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum (link). 
Her work bridges science, culture, and art, from field collaborations with First Nations communities in Australia to recent projects with the Richmond Arts Service’s Cultural Reforesting programme.

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 runs the only dedicated analytical lab for medicinal fungi in the UK.
In this episode, Tom joins Robin Harford for a rich and far-reaching conversation about the power, mystery, and challenges of working with medicinal mushrooms. They explore the rise of lion’s mane, the pitfalls of the supplement industry, why most mushroom powders are misleading, and what makes a mushroom extract genuinely effective. It’s a frank and passionate look into one of nature’s oldest and most complex kingdoms.
🎧 Listeners get 15% off at https://bristolfungarium.com/ — use the code WILDPOWER at checkout.

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 practice.
Jo shares how local herbs like nettle, dandelion and wild garlic can be powerful food medicines, how foraging supports physical and emotional balance, and why bioindividuality is key to healing.
This is a lively, grounded conversation blending Eastern philosophy with native plants, seasonal eating, and self-care rooted in the land.

Links & Resources:
Visit Jo’s course at: www.theayurvedaacademy.com
Follow Jo and her work on Instagram: @theayurvedaacademy
Learn more about Robin: www.eatweeds.co.uk
Mentioned books:
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Quiet by Susan Cain
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend — especially someone curious about the intersection of traditional medicine, foraging, and seasonal wellbeing.

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 FROM THE EPISODE
Curiosity Research
Free Subscription: Robin Harford's Daily Plant Practices
Book: Self Sufficient Herbalism by Lucy Jones
ABOUT VIVIEN ROLFE
Viv is a keen herbal researcher, educator and tea blender (and drinker). She splits her time between the National Centre for Integrative Medicine in Bristol teaching on the diploma, and researching herbs as part of her own business Curiosity Research. She is keen that people have fun and learn more about herbs, so co-founded the Cotswold Herb Centre to provide workshops and herb walks in Gloucestershire where she lives.