Trinity
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Wild food and foraging - natures harvest - 2007/09/06 15:38
All this talk of increasing food prices and decreasing availability has invited me to contemplate one of my favourite activities - foraging. None greater is the joy of sitting down to share a meal brimming with natures super food. Foraging for wild foods can help foster a sustainable way of life. Wild food requires no packaging, no pollution due to far off transportation (food miles), and it certainly doesn't require man made chemicals...
Most wild foods and greens are packed full of vitamins and minerals that far surpass any cultivated varieties of fruit and vegetables. We often pay a high cost for vitamins, minerals and superfoods from around the world, yet most of us don't realise that nature's superfood is brimming on our doorstep (and as if that were not enough - we don't even have to spend a penny!). When eating wild foods I personally need to consume much smaller amounts than with regular food. I attribute this to the fact that the nutritional content is so high.
In days gone by wild foods used to be staple diet necessary for human survival and more recently in times of famine and war foraged foods have saved lives. As intensive farming methods and consumeristism came into being, our general attunement to nature has fallen away and our knowledge there of has somewhat dwindled.
When embarking on an exploration of foraging, I would highly recommend finding a good book on the subject (or if possible attending a workshop or course). The internet is full of images and information if you would like to learn about individual species. I would recommend that you are sure about what it is you are eating. Be careful though - If in doubt, don't eat it, because there are poisonous plants out there. Plenty of species are familiar to us such as nettles, blackberries and dandelions - these are a great place to start.
There is also a great variety of flavours to excite the taste buds out there. The important thing is to explore. Some foods are better eaten raw whilst others bring out the gourmet element when cooked as part of a dish.
With the highest respect for nature and sustainability I recommend the following guidelines when foraging:
* Only pick the species that are growing in abundance and only the amount that you require. Bare in mind that the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act has determined it illegal to uproot any wild plant without the permission of the owner or occupier of the land. (It is also illegal to pick, uproot, collect the seed from, or sell, any of particularly rare or vulnerable species)
* Don't destroy on the surrounding species or disturb the homes/nests of any animals
* I would also advise against picking food from near a road or that which is on ground using pesticides or chemicals
* Avoid foraging from the sides of pathways or verges where it may be possible that weed controlling chemicals may have been used.
Most of all enjoy!!!
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