I teach people how to use wild plants as food and medicine.
For twenty years I’ve been helping people see the edible and medicinal plants growing all around them. Wild garlic in spring woods. Nettles by footpaths. Elderflowers in June hedgerows. Plants our ancestors knew intimately, now invisible to most of us.
I teach foraging through in-person courses, online courses, books, and a weekly newsletter. Over 65,000 people own my field guide. Thousands have joined my courses. My work has been ranked number one by BBC Countryfile.
This is practical education, not mystical nonsense. Plant identification. Safe gathering. Real knowledge you can use.
Who I Am
Name: Robin Harford
Occupation: Ethnobotanical researcher and professional forager
Location: United Kingdom
Experience: 20+ years fieldwork, 15+ years teaching
I’ve documented wild food use across four continents. Southeast Asian jungles. African bush. Remote parts of India. I’ve talked with indigenous communities about traditional plant knowledge. I’ve spent over fifteen years teaching thousands of people to forage safely.
I wrote Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland. It’s sold over 65,000 copies. People actually use it, dog-eared, mud-stained, carried on walks.
BBC Countryfile ranked my foraging courses number one in Britain. The Times put my website in their top 50 for food and drink.
I’m a member of the Society of Ethnobotany, the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, the Herb Society, and the Association of Foragers. I bring scientific rigour to traditional knowledge.
But here’s what matters: I don’t just teach plant names. I help people see what’s been there all along.
Eatweeds and Domei: Two Sides of the Same Coin
I work with wild plants in two ways:
Eatweeds is the practical side. Plant identification. Safe gathering. What you can eat, what you can use for medicine. This is the work you’re reading about now.
Domei is the contemplative side. Slower work. Philosophical inquiry into attention, presence, kinship with plants. Not mystical, rational contemplation. There’s a difference.
They’re not separate. They’re two approaches to the same relationship with wild plants. One teaches you to see what’s edible. The other teaches you to see what’s there.
This website focuses on Eatweeds, the practical foraging education.
What I Offer
In-Person Foraging Courses
I run seasonal foraging courses throughout Britain. Small groups. Hands-on identification. Safe gathering techniques.
These courses are ranked number one by BBC Countryfile magazine.
Location: Various sites across the United Kingdom
Format: Day courses and weekend intensives
Approach: Practical field identification with scientific accuracy
View upcoming in-person courses →
Online Foraging Courses and Resources
I offer online courses, identification guides, and seasonal factsheets. Learn at your own pace, wherever you are.
Available online courses include:
- Seasonal foraging guides (Spring, Summer, Autumn)
- Plant identification courses
- Wild medicine training (in collaboration with medical herbalist Simon Mills)
I also run monthly Herb Hour webinars with Simon Mills where we answer questions about plants and health.
Plant Identification Database
Free plant profiles covering common wild edible and medicinal plants of Britain and Ireland.
Weekly Newsletter
Join thousands of plant lovers receiving my weekly newsletter. Practical advice, plant stories, what’s ready to harvest now.
Email frequency: Weekly
Content: Seasonal foraging tips, plant identification, harvesting guides
Cost: Free
No hype. No spam. Just useful information when the seasons change.
Background and Experience
Years of experience: 20+ years foraging, 15+ years teaching
Lifestyle: For over twenty years I’ve foraged for my daily meals
Notable project: Lived nomadically for one year following seasonal plants around Britain and Ireland
Media appearances:
- Featured on national television and radio
- Written about in BBC Good Food, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, and Sainsbury’s magazine
Fieldwork:
- Conducted ethnobotanical research across multiple continents
- Recorded how communities use wild plants for food, medicine, and daily life
This isn’t a hobby. It’s what I do.
Books and Publications
Author of:
- Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland
- Sales: 65,000+ copies
- Format: Comprehensive field guide
- Purchase link →
- Forage In Spring
- Seasonal identification guide
- Purchase link →
- Forage In Summer
- Seasonal identification guide
- Purchase link →
- Forage In Autumn
- Seasonal identification guide
- Purchase link →
Professional Memberships
- The Association of Foragers
- Society of Ethnobotany
- Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland
- The Herb Society
Collaborations
Wild Medicine Training with Simon Mills
I collaborate with medical herbalist Simon Mills on:
- Wild Medicine for Beginners courses
- Monthly Herb Hour webinars
- Q&A sessions about plants and health
Simon Mills is a registered medical herbalist with decades of clinical experience.
Learn more about Simon Mills →
Quick Reference Information
Contact: hello@eatweeds.co.uk
Website: https://www.eatweeds.co.uk
Primary focus: Wild food foraging and ethnobotany
Geographic area: United Kingdom (primarily England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland)
Teaching style: Scientific rigour combined with practical field experience
Course ranking: Number one by BBC Countryfile magazine