Year of Plenty: Traditional Foodways Feed Us With Trees: Ancient Wisdom for a Resilient Food System with Elspeth Hay
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Sep 4, 2025 
Elspeth Hay, a writer and public radio host known for her work on edible trees and agroforestry, shares her insights on the importance of trees in our food systems. She dives into the revival of acorns, chestnuts, and hazelnuts, exploring their historical significance and culinary potential. Elspeth also discusses the role of prescribed burns in ecosystem management and the challenges of reintroducing tree-based foods amidst modern agricultural practices. With a blend of ancient wisdom and contemporary practices, she highlights a resilient future rooted in trees.
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Why Acorns Vanished From Main Diets
- Acorn use declined because of land privatization, cultural erasure, and a one-size cultural narrative about staple crops.
- Different acorn species behave differently, so homogenized food narratives erased local knowledge and uses.
Masting Makes Acorns Unfit For Commodities
- Oaks mast irregularly, producing bumper crops some years and little others, which resists commodity-style agriculture.
- For community food systems, tannins let acorns store for decades, mitigating masting variability.
Hazelnuts As A Perennial Soy Alternative
- Hazelnuts are being trialed as perennial alternatives to soybeans in the U.S. Midwest to reduce runoff and store carbon.
- Perennial nut systems can replace some industrial crops while restoring biodiversity and soil health.
