Although eating a meal prepared from foods from Salatin’s farm came closer to Pollan’s ideal, he determined that he wanted to prepare a meal that came entirely from his own hands. He wanted to eat a meal that was derived only from foods that he had grown, hunted, or gathered on his own. Because Pollan wanted to include fungi on his table, he knew he would have to find someone who could help him identify safe mushrooms for eating.

Pollan recognizes that the hunting and gathering lifestyle is not a viable option for humans moving forward: Increased population and the prevalence of the agriculture industry translates to not enough wild food and game to support human life. However, Pollan believes that engaging in hunting and gathering provides important information about the relationship between humans and food because it reconnects people with their original source of survival.

Pollan employed a guide to help him answer his questions about hunting and gathering. Pollan then took a hunter’s education course and passed a test to obtain a hunter’s license. He found that, as he began to anticipate foraging in the woods, he began to look at the forest differently. Suddenly, he noticed new and edible plants that grew naturally around him.