Eat It to Eradicate It

On this week’s show, we explore the intersections between hunting, gathering, fishing, and our changing environment. We begin at the Best of Bycatch event – a lighthearted competition hosted by the Southern Food & Beverage Museum back in 2017 – where a highly invasive fish is on the menu: the Asian Carp. Coastal scientist Alisha Renfro talks about how these newest invaders are wreaking havoc on our state's aquatic ecosystems, and Chef Philippe Parola of the Silverfin Group shares his Can't Beat 'Em, Eat 'Em solution. Then, we learn what the states of Hawaii and Louisiana have in common. We journey to the island of Kauai and meet James Sarme, a fisherman who casts about the traditional Hawaiian way. At the age of two, James' daughter began diving with her dad on the hunt for fish. In the southwest corner of our state, another daughter began hunting animals with her dad at a young age. We revisit our 2017 trip to Violet, Louisiana, where then-18-year-old hunter Meagan Dragon and her team, the Chalmette Owls, compete in a wild boar cook-off. We speak with Meagan and her dad, Darryl Dragon – the other half of the father-daughter hunting team. Finally, we tell you about the strange history of hippos in Louisiana and meet Danlyn Brennan, who has spent her life foraging wild edibles. Her passion for wild craft is clear yet complicated by a desire to keep her methods and locations hidden. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.