322 Best Of: How to Use 'First-Hand Food’ to Get Outside (Tamar Haspel)
Release Date: 08/17/2023
Humans Outside
Did you know I’m a journalist? I mean, you probably do because I mention it in the intro of many episodes of Humans Outside. But you probably didn’t know I’m launching a local nonprofit newspaper. It’s an all-consuming project, and going outside has been key to helping me get it off the ground. Going outside daily has also been key to helping me understand how to manage my time, how to prioritize what’s important to me, how to make all of it happen in one day. But it’s also taught me that the world is full of natural beginnings and endings as a part of the seasons. Listen now....
info_outlineHumans Outside
Do you have one person whose work you’ve looked to for inspiration? For me, that’s Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project, and it’s why I was so excited to get her on Humans Outside for a sit-down. It was such a fun conversation that I want to make sure you get to hear it in this best of humans outside episode. I hope you love this interesting and inspirational conversation with Gretchen Rubin. Connect with this episode: (affiliate link) Some of the good stuff: [3:05] Gretchen Rubin’s favorite outdoor space [4:10] How Gretchen became someone who likes to go...
info_outlineHumans Outside
What happens if you say "yes" to just one adventure or step out of your comfort zone? Maybe you'll create a single unforgettable experience. Or maybe that "yes" will lead you down a path where you encounter more interesting (and maybe a little scary) ideas and opportunities. That's what today's guest, author and physician Mimi Zieman, found when she stepped out of her comfort zone in New York City to try something new. From the streets of the city to the base camp of Mt. Everest, Mimi discovered how saying yes to ideas and taking up space in the world can lead to a lifetime of growth. In this...
info_outlineHumans Outside
There are a lot of reasons to spend time in nature, but as I reflect back on all of the things I’ve learned by heading outside every day for more than 2,500 days in a row, some takeaways stick out more than others. The biggest thing I’ve learned by spending time outside is also both my favorite lesson and the thing I least expected. What is it? Listen now! Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:45] The start of my outdoor challenge [01:39] There were some benefits I expected [02:21] And then there is one big benefit I didnt see coming [03:33] I realized while doing this...
info_outlineHumans Outside
There’s something both comforting and amazing about the way nature takes the reigns no matter what happens. During a recent walk in the woods, I saw startling new growth on top of recent harm, and it was just the reminder I needed about nature’s power to reclaim itself and me. Maybe it’s a reminder you need, too. Listen now! Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:23] Here’s what I did outside this week [00:35] Nature just out there healing its own self [01:37] Here’s where I face the music [02:32] And here’s what I saw when I did [04:03] Oh yeah, nature heals...
info_outlineHumans Outside
No matter how you define “hard,” heading outside offers plenty of chances to tackle it. Many people who choose to tackle hard stuff outside are pushed to do so to honor some kind of “why.” For some of us, that “why” is health or to push our own personal boundaries. For others, the “why” is on behalf of someone else. Ultrarunner Emily Halnon’s “why” has everything to do with her mom, who died from an aggressive form of cancer in early 2020. To honor her she headed out to tackle a major challenge running on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It’s a story she’s now shared in...
info_outlineHumans Outside
There’s something special about the way spring sounds in Alaska. Maybe it’s how dramatic the experience is as compared to the sounds of winter. Maybe it’s that they’re happy sounds that I can hear through my windows. Maybe it’s that the weather is so much nicer than it had been, that I’m outside more to hear sounds at all. Whatever the reason, I love the outdoor symphony. Here’s what I’ve been noticing. Listen now. Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:35] I’m feeling really grateful for my ears [00:52] Here’s the source of my leaning into my senses...
info_outlineHumans Outside
I do it to myself and over and over again. That feeling of overwhelm sneaks right in, and it’s entirely because of my own poor choices. (You would think I’d learn my lesson, but I have not.) So when the going gets crowed, what do I do? I think you’re probably going to guess. But the wild thing is just how much adding more of it to my schedule helps. Listen now. Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:23] Yeah, OK I do this to myself [01:17] We know the signs -- truly [01:32] Maybe I could do this before [02:25] This is the part where we come up with a solution [02:43]...
info_outlineHumans Outside
Florence Williams has learned a thing or two about making the most of what you have right outside your door and the tools you already possess to do so. Since Florence, author of “The Nature Fix,” literally wrote the book on how going outside creates positive impacts on our mental health and wellbeing, that’s really saying something. I learned about Florence before we even started going outside every day. It was her book, published shortly before we knew we were looking for it, that gave us the 20 minute daily goal. We are so honored that she gave some of her time to share her latest...
info_outlineHumans Outside
I used to hear friends talk about the crazy wonderful things they were spotting outside and wonder how it was I was missing out. Why didn’t I see that stuff? Were they trying harder? Going places I didn’t want to go? Getting up in tbe middle of the night to do it? And then one day I stumbled upon their secret by accident. And now that I’ve figured out the trick to seeing wonders outside, I just can’t stop. It’s not that hard It doesn’t take any extra work It does take intention Listen now! Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:35] Yes, I’m an early riser...
info_outlineSpend enough time outside and you’ll start to notice all of the things growing around you -- and that some of those things look delicious. From greens to berries, to gardening, fishing and evening raising chickens, nature in your backyard can be full of food.
For today’s guest Tamar Haspel, the possibilities of gathering or growing at least a portion of her own meals, an experience she calls “first-hand food,” became the spark for a personal challenge to eat at least one thing she sourced herself each day for a year. In this episode Tamar talks about first-hand food, how growing and sourcing it connected her with spending time outside and how you can get started on a first-hand food journey, too.
Connect with this episode:
Join the Humans Outside Challenge
Follow Humans Outside on Instagram
Follow Humans Outside on Facebook
Visit Tamar Haspel’s website
Read Tamar’s book, “To Boldly Grow” (affiliate link)
Some of the good stuff:
[2:41] Tamar Haspel’s favorite outdoor space
[3:47] How Tamar became someone who likes to go outside
[6:14] Tracking her first-hand food challenge
[8:10] Going from city-dweller to farmer
[9:33] Best and worst first-hand food experiences
[11:59] Why first-hand food is such an appealing idea
[14:17] Don’t be afraid of foraging, Amy
[17:54] How to balance first-hand food around the rest of your life
[19:43] Amy is a first-hand mooch
[25:07] How first-hand food has changed Tamar’s experience of nature
[27:41] Has it changed how she feels about her place in nature?
[31:23] Why first-hand food doesn't have to be extreme
[32:52] Is there a middle ground and what is it?
[33:50] How to get help doing it
[38:32] Tips for getting started
[39:34] Tamar’s favorite outdoor gear
[40:33] Tamar’s favorite outdoor memory