About Wild Foods
Wild Foods is an environmental food and travel series that invites audiences to rediscover food in its natural environment.
The show combines documentary-style filmmaking with classic narrative storytelling to create authentic, captivating episodes that leave a lasting impact. Wild Foods highlights creative approaches to wildland ecosystems, climate resilience, and the rewilding of America’s food systems.
At its core, Wild Foods focuses on agroecology, emphasizing the rewilding of our food system. It offers an adventurous approach to environmental stewardship that is both accessible and entertaining.
Each episode features host Kevin Chap, an environmentalist, educator, and professional forager, who gathers local wild ingredients for a feast prepared with the assistance of local chefs and community members.
Travel enthusiasts will appreciate the access to unique locations, while food lovers will find inspiration and recipes to enjoy.
Meet Kevin Chap
Kevin Chap grew up on a small farm in Stockbridge, Vermont, situated next to the Chateauguay—a sprawling 100,000-acre wilderness area known as a gore. His long days spent working the land, combined with adventures into the wilderness, built the foundation of Kevin’s love of nature and instilled in him a deep love for the environment.
Foraging became an escape for Kevin long before it turned into a potential economic venture. When neighboring farms faced difficulties and crop prices declined, Kevin was surprised to discover that his foraged goods sold for a better price at local restaurants than the organic crops his family produced.
The income he earned from foraging soon led to steady work in the restaurant industry, resulting in a love-hate relationship with food service that lasted two decades and revealed the elegance and complexities of our food systems.
Storytelling played a central role in Kevin’s upbringing on the farm. The desire to craft stories for a broader audience motivated him to pursue a degree in Film and Television at Stevenson University in Baltimore.
To finance his education, he acted and worked in restaurants. Kevin then attended the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts while continuing to work in various restaurants, where he was exposed to diverse chefs and global cultures. After a stint in network television, he made his way into some of New York’s most esteemed dining establishments, including Redeye Grill and Sushi Samba.
Ultimately, his passion for storytelling and the environment brought him back to Vermont, where he collaborated with the National Park Service and the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, teaching a pilot environmental science program at a local high school. He also taught foraging and primitive skills to youth in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Kevin’s strong connection to nature and the environment inspired him to create the educational video series, The Explorer Series, which introduced viewers to more sustainable food-sourcing methods and promoted local businesses.
This venture ultimately led to the development of Wild Foods, a project representing his three greatest passions—food, storytelling, and the environment—and an opportunity to share it with a national audience.