Morals harvested during a Forage and Feast event.
Hayden Stebbins, SP’06 alumnus, and S’12 Faculty has found his passion for plants and put it into action. Since Hayden’s semester eleven years ago, he has woven his way through academic and experiential education experiences focused on sustainable food. He is now an ethnobotanist, a clinical herbalist, and an entrepreneur. Under the slogan, “We never left Eden. We just forgot it”, Hayden has started his own company, Hayden’s Harvest. Through teaching and educational experiences, he hopes to raise awareness about the plants and fungi found all around us.
At Cornell University Hayden earned a degree in the Science of Natural and Environmental Systems. A study abroad opportunity called “Rethinking Globalization” took him to India, Tanzania, New Zealand, and Mexico. Through this program, he realized his love for botany and global food systems. While receiving a Masters of Science in Sustainable Horticulture and Food Production from Schumacher College in England, Hayden focused his expertise even further. At Schumacher his studies revolved around Sustainable Food Forests. His master’s thesis focused on how foraging and wild plants can inform the sustainable food production conversation. This was partly inspired by the nutritional value of Stinging Nettles, a common weed that has more nutrients than any other vegetable in the grocery store. Hayden has taken this knowledge and started hosting events called Forage and Feast. Each event includes an ethnobotany walk, a harvest of common plants from the woods, and a full meal for 20-30 people cooked from their own harvest.
Now This, a digital news company, featured Hayden’s Harvest this June. Check out this video about Hayden’s work. To read more about Forage and Feast events and learn more about the different teaching events he offers check out at his website. We are excited that Hayden has taken the question, “How to live better in a place?” and made it his own mantra every single day.