He left his home in San Diego, Calif., on June 2. Along the way, he has been volunteering at nonprofits, planting wildflowers and vegetables in what he calls “freestyle gardening,” and promoting a happy, healthy, carefree and waste-free existence.

“I tend to do extreme things,” said Greenfield, who stopped in La Crosse on Thursday and Friday before continuing his journey east through Vernon County and on to Madison and Milwaukee.

He doesn’t expect people to copy his lifestyle, but he does believe that drawing attention to U.S. problems like pollution and consumerism will send a positive message and spur meaningful change.

“Even if people start with little things, it creates a ripple effect,” he said. “I want people to feel inspired.”

An Ashland, Wis., native, Greenfield will fuel his journey across his home state solely on food he finds in dumpsters. He dropped by the Kane Street Community Garden Friday afternoon to do a little weeding, but he said he planned to check out the local grocery stores (well, the dumpsters behind them) to see what he could forage.