Bill Manson stopped by the Gazette the other day. He wasn’t wearing a loin cloth, but he was chewing on a slice of marsupial and washing it back with some cricket and earwig tea. That’s just the kind of guy he is.

Mr. Manson is the inventor, organizer and out-of-the-ordinary food aficionado who started up the Wild Food Challenge, now in its third year on the Island. This year’s challenge takes place on Monday, Oct. 8, at the Rod and Gun Club in Edgartown. The contest is open to everyone and the entry fee is wild, too. Free, no cash, just food caught or grown in the wild and cooked for consumption.

Mr. Manson returned just in time for this year’s challenge from his other challenge events. Last week he was in Finland, east of Helsinki just 40 miles from the Russian border, dining on Sheep Cheese salad with Lingonberry puree. Before that he was in New Zealand for contests on both the south and north islands filling up on mint ice cream with Gorseflower sprinkles and wallaby.

“I didn’t know there was feral wallaby in New Zealand,” he said. “I thought it was only in Australia.”

For more information on the Vineyard challenge visit localwildfoodchallenge.com.

Registrations are being taken now, but if you’re a last minute forager, no worries, just show up on Oct. 8 with a plate of sea robins.