Most people walk past nettles, dandelions and docks and see nothing but weeds.

Herbalist, forager and soil advocate Claire Thompson sees nutrition, medicine, and allies that can help us thrive.

In this episode, we explore how wild plants, living soil, and a different approach to home and education can change our health, our farms, and our sense of belonging.

Read more:

https://ryanmcdaid.com/blog/claire-thompson-wild-plants-soil-health-foraging-nature/

About Claire

Claire is based in Malin Head, County Donegal, where she works to rebuild relationships between people, plants and living soil through wild food, herbal medicine, and hands-on community projects.

She co-directs KPM Soils with her husband Kevin, focusing on soil restoration, regenerative farming, composting, and a four-year European Innovation Partnership project on biologically inoculated slurry to cut nutrient runoff and rebuild soil life.

What We Talk About

• Why there is “no such thing as a weed”
• How neat-and-tidy culture and social structures contributed to the loss of traditional plant knowledge
• Why wild plants often have higher nutrient density than supermarket food
• How Claire and Kevin test soils under the microscope
• Growing biology in compost “mother piles”
• Helping farmers move from sustaining systems to regenerating land, habitat, and nutrient-dense food

Wider Conversation

The conversation also touches on conflict and hope in the face of planetary boundaries, and what overshoot day really represents.

It also explores how raising and home-educating their daughters within this work has shaped their family’s idea of success.

Why This Episode Matters

If you care about health, food, parenting, or feel the pull to reconnect with the living landscape around you, this episode offers practical ideas and a different way of seeing what is around you.

It challenges how we view everyday plants and highlights the deeper connection between soil, food, and long-term wellbeing.