It's Only Slow Food Until You Try to Eat It

Book excerpt: From the beloved Field & Stream columnist: “Heavey takes us back to the joys—and occasional pitfalls—of the humble edibles around us” (The Wall Street Journal). For Bill Heavey, being a sportsman is more than a hobby—it’s a way of life. So despite living inside the DC Beltway, raising a daughter who has an aversion to “nature food,” and having zero experience with foraging or gardening, Bill attempts the ultimate sportsman’s dream: living off the land. Unsurprisingly, Bill’s foray into catching, finding, and growing his dinner doesn’t go exactly as planned. From battles with tomato-eating squirrels to a grizzly attempt at gutting perch to multiple failures at harvesting an appetizing salad, Bill stumbles through his quest for wild food with blood loss, humiliation, and hard lessons. Still, with the help of his locavore girlfriend and an eccentric neighbor who runs an under-the-table bait business, he manages to eat the way our ancestors did—and uncovers the true meaning of being full. “Bold, courageous, hilarious, honest, and touching” (Duff Goldman), Bill Heavey’s first full-length book is a must-read look at how we consume, consider, and source our most basic of needs.