This is one way to cut back on spending when it comes to college living, though I'm not sure how many freshmen are willing to try it.
Is Neil J. Reed (BS ’16) nuts, or does he just enjoy gathering them in his free time?
Reed’s foray into foraging—finding and harvesting wild foods—began simply enough, collecting fruits, nuts, and edible foliage. But at BYU the environmental science major took his gathering to new heights—like trying to go his entire freshman year without spending any money on food.
His archaeology class sparked the idea. He wanted to put the primeval hunter-gatherer lifestyle to the test—in an urban sort of way. He subsisted on locally foraged plants and free food from campus and church events, from extended family, and from roommate leftovers. “I didn’t really discriminate,” says Reed. “[Foraging] is finding food in the landscape around you,” he explains.
Did he make it all the way through fall and winter semesters?