Imagine living off the land, gathering food from nature to survive. That’s exactly what Mitch and Greg set out to do! They decided to forage for their meals, learning how to find food in the wild and become more self-sufficient. Let’s dive into their adventure and see what they discovered about living sustainably.
Mitch and Greg, known for their YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE, wanted to take their passion for the environment beyond just talking about it. They decided to live off the grid, meaning they would rely on nature for their food and energy. This meant no more grocery store trips or using electricity like they were used to in the city.
With the help of an indigenous chef named Shawn Adler, Mitch and Greg learned how to forage for wild plants around their cabin. They discovered watercress, a leafy green full of vitamins, and cattails, which are rich in fiber and minerals. They also learned to be cautious, as some plants, like deadly nightshade, are not safe to eat.
All the energy in our food originally comes from the sun. Plants use sunlight to create glucose, a type of sugar, which they use to grow. When we eat plants or animals that have eaten plants, we get this energy in the form of calories. Mitch and Greg aimed to get as many calories as possible from natural sources.
To grow food without soil, Mitch and Greg set up an aquaponics system. This involves using fish waste to provide nutrients for plants. The fish live in a tank, and their waste is converted by bacteria into food for the plants. This method allows for growing fresh food sustainably.
Protein is essential for our bodies, and Mitch and Greg needed to find sources of it in the wild. They discovered that earthworms are a good source of protein, although they need to be boiled to remove bacteria before eating. While it might sound unusual, it’s a way to get necessary nutrients when foraging.
This adventure taught Mitch and Greg a lot about where food comes from and how it impacts the environment. They realized how much they rely on grocery stores and modern systems for food. By understanding the origins of their meals, they hope to find ways to make food systems more sustainable and less harmful to the planet.
In the end, Mitch and Greg’s journey showed them the importance of knowing where our food comes from and how we can work together to protect the environment. It’s a reminder that even small changes in how we get our food can make a big difference.
Explore your local park or school grounds to identify edible plants. Use a guidebook or app to ensure safety. Document your findings with photos and notes on each plant’s nutritional benefits.
Create a small aquaponics setup using a fish tank and a few plants. Observe how fish waste helps plants grow and discuss the benefits of this sustainable method. Share your observations with the class.
Conduct an experiment to understand how plants convert sunlight into energy. Grow a plant under different light conditions and track its growth. Discuss how this relates to the energy we get from food.
Research alternative protein sources, such as insects or plant-based options. Present your findings on their nutritional value and environmental impact compared to traditional protein sources.
Keep a journal for a week, reflecting on where your food comes from and how it impacts the environment. Write about any changes you could make to eat more sustainably.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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This is a cattail heart, and we are foraging essentially for our lives. Today, we are going to be trying to forage for our calories. We’re cooking tonight! We’re going to create food without soil, and essentially learn how to become farmers. I really have to think about how to get protein. Oh! There’s a bit of sandy texture. I can’t believe we broke being vegetarian for this.
Mitch: We’re feeling the heat, and it’s not just our good looks. It’s climate change.
Greg: And through our YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE, we detail some of the biggest issues we’re facing.
Mitch: But that’s no longer enough. We know how to talk the talk; now we have to walk the walk, and there’s no time to waste. We’re gonna go to the farm.
Mitch: So we’re taking our passion for the environment and scientific know-how out of the classroom and into the country.
Greg: We are going off the grid.
Mitch: One by one, we’ll shut off our basic necessities. Production has officially turned off our power. I’m freaking out. This allows us to experiment with everything from new technology to traditional methods to find solutions that promote sustainability.
Greg: And with help from our team, we will use science for a little self-reliance.
Mitch: See ya, city, because this is “Shut It Off Asap!”
I’ve never lived on a farm. Have you? No, are you kidding? Everything about my personality is very on-grid, so I am nervous about what we are about to do.
Mitch: Oh, my God. I feel crazy. We’re here.
Greg: It’s nice. It’s cute.
Mitch: Oh, an outdoor kitchen.
Greg: This is what Mitch was scared of, so it’s gonna be a long time here at this little chalet.
Mitch: Stop shaming me on camera. I am afraid of bugs.
Greg: The accommodations are rustic, for sure. I know there’s a lot of work and discomfort to come, but for right now, I’m feeling excited.
We are no longer little city boys. We want all of our knowledge of sustainability and going off-grid to relate to the climate crisis, to relate to the bigger picture, to relate to our life in a city.
Today, our groceries are officially being shut off.
Greg: So that means we’re not gonna have things that we usually have in our trusty fridge in the cabin, but we’re being left with some staples over here, some pasta, some oatmeal, some things that will make sure that we somehow survive.
We’ve been curious about where our food comes from and how it grows, so we’re gonna learn a lot about agriculture and the climate crisis during this experiment.
I’m very nervous. I hate being hungry. We need to figure out how we’re going to be subsidizing our calories with the environment around us, which is going to be very nerve-wracking, so we need to think of a plan.
Let’s talk about where the energy in our food comes from. It all starts with the sun. Green plants containing chlorophyll absorb light energy from the sun, and then, using water and carbon dioxide, create glucose which the plant uses for energy to grow. When you eat that plant or eat an animal that eats that plant, you consume calories that were once light energy from the sun.
Chemist Wilbur Atwater calculated their approximate caloric content to be four calories per gram of protein and carbs and nine calories for fat. The average adult male eats around 2,500 calories per day, but we’ve been tracking ourselves with an app, and we only eat around 1,800 calories per day.
So we want to get as many of those calories from alternative sources.
Mitch: We have a classic fish tank, and of course, in that fish tank, we got our little fish.
These fish, basically, we feed them and they produce waste. We’re gonna use bacteria that grow on all these rocks at the bottom to turn that waste into a usable energy source for our plants.
This is called aquaponics, and if all goes to plan, we’ll be able to grow fresh food without using any soil.
I found an indigenous chef named Shawn Adler who is gonna help us forage from around our cabin and teach us about the wild flowers that are there and how we can prepare them and eat them.
So this is Shawn Adler, who is our expert forager. We are Canadians foraging for the first time and think it’s very important that we acknowledge we’re on indigenous land, specifically the treaty land and territory of Mississaugas of the New Credit.
Shawn: I think this looks like a great place to start foraging.
Greg: Oh, my gosh! A supermarket.
Shawn: From here I can see watercress.
Greg: Watercress is a great green.
Mitch: That’s so good.
Greg: Watercress is packed with vitamins.
Mitch: Cattails are a good source of fiber and minerals.
Shawn: The next one I think we should grab for our salad is jewelweed.
Greg: Oh, my God!
Shawn: When you put water on it, it looks like a jewel.
Greg: It’s a really cool plant.
Shawn: Yes, you don’t want to pull the roots.
Greg: What about that?
Shawn: This is deadly nightshade.
Greg: If we eat these berries, we would die?
Shawn: Yes, this is not edible.
Greg: The forage was a success, but we are going to need more calories and protein. Since we’re on a working farm, neither of those things are very far away.
Mitch: So you’re telling me that you want to work so you can eat?
Yes, we need eggs.
Shawn: So if I go get my tractor, can you guys just round up all these chickens and get them in the coop?
Mitch: Like, we physically get them in there?
Shawn: Yes.
Mitch: All right, so…
Greg: That seems not catchable.
Shawn: It should not take more than 20 minutes.
Mitch: Okay, we’ve got this one.
Mitch: Chicken poop has the highest nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of all animal manure.
Greg: I got her!
Mitch: We just finished.
Shawn: I think it’s really great that Mitch and Greg are doing this.
Mitch: One dozen eggs as promised.
Greg: Thank you so much.
Greg: Soil is a living, breathing ecosystem with a complex structure of plants, roots, and microorganisms working together.
Mitch: The global population is expected to increase by almost two billion in the next 30 years, and over a third of the world’s farmable land is currently being lost to pollution and erosion.
Greg: It’s clear we have a huge problem.
Mitch: Happy animals make for a happy microecology, which makes for happy soil and a happy environment.
Greg: Well, Wolf, thank you so much.
Mitch: With the help of experts, we’re ready to get our system up and running.
Mitch: Time to fill her up!
Mitch: Plants need nitrogen to make the amino acids that are their building blocks.
Mitch: Our very first aquaponic system is built and complete.
Greg: While our staples are helping to sustain us, we are still hungry, and I think I know why.
Mitch: So I’m calculating how many calories I have foraged, and I’m nervous.
Mitch: Everything that is edible on this table only adds up to 117.9 calories.
Greg: Proteins are made up of amino acids strung together in chains.
Mitch: Since essential amino acids are vital for survival, it’s time to head back into the woods and forage for some protein.
Greg: Earthworms are a great source of protein.
Mitch: While earthworms are edible, they must be boiled to remove any bacteria before you can eat them.
Mitch: Our aquaponic system has been up and running for a bit now, but we want to check in on the progress to make sure it’s working.
Greg: It tastes like lettuce.
Mitch: Our aquaponics setup is working, and although the lettuce hasn’t grown enough for us to eat, we’re leaving this system on the farm where they can use it to grow crops in the future.
Mitch: I never planned to eat earthworms.
Mitch: This whole meal has been foraged.
Greg: It actually doesn’t taste that bad.
Mitch: This experience made me realize we rely on current systems to get our food, like grocery stores, but I want to figure out how we can work together to make these systems less damaging.
Mitch: We also need to acknowledge that our food has a huge impact on the environment.
Mitch: When you know where your food comes from, it can actually change your behavior.
Mitch: Considering this just came from the ground near our cabin, it’s pretty amazing.
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This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains the essence of the original transcript while ensuring it is suitable for all audiences.
Forage – To search for food or provisions, especially in the wild – During the nature hike, we learned how animals forage for food in the forest.
Sustainable – Capable of being maintained over the long term without harming the environment – Using solar panels is a sustainable way to generate electricity for our homes.
Energy – The ability to do work or cause change, often derived from resources like the sun, wind, or fossil fuels – Plants use energy from the sun to grow and produce food through photosynthesis.
Plants – Living organisms that typically grow in soil and use sunlight to make their own food – In science class, we learned how plants play a crucial role in providing oxygen for us to breathe.
Protein – A nutrient found in food that is essential for growth and repair of the body – Beans are a great source of protein for people who do not eat meat.
Aquaponics – A system that combines raising fish and growing plants in water in a sustainable way – Our school has an aquaponics system where we grow lettuce and raise fish together.
Environment – The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates – Protecting the environment is important to ensure clean air and water for future generations.
Calories – Units of energy that measure how much energy food provides to the body – We learned that different foods provide different amounts of calories, which our bodies use for energy.
Wild – Living or growing in a natural state, not domesticated or cultivated – The wild animals in the forest are adapted to survive without human help.
Nutrients – Substances that provide nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life – Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients that help keep our bodies healthy.
