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how did you get into foraging? its definitely something i’m intrigued by, but i’m not sure how/where to start learning safe & sustainable practices. i also live in a city so it’s a little more difficult, but i’m still interested!
annaguline Hi! Honestly it started with my weird obsession with mushrooms, I wanted to learn as many as I could, and then I was fascinated with how some of them were edible but also had deadly lookalikes. It them spiralled into the same fascination but with plants.
I recommend looking for books that are focused of your countries native plants. If you google “books for foraging in northern america” or wherever you’re from, a bunch of options should come up!
Even youtube videos!
annaguline I highly recommend starting out by seeing if there are local foraging groups in your area!
there used to be a mulberry tree on my walk to the grocery store and the homeowner's association had it torn down because it wasn't aesthetically pleasing enough. i'm doing research on why modernization is leading to a shift from a feeling of community and place and a big factor that keeps popping up is that people lose connection to the geography and land they live on and everyone's entire life is shifting from local to fully globalized and online. i think the loss of community foraging practices and community gardens is a big part of this. and then there's the fact that access to nature is becoming, especially in urban areas, a luxury for only the rich - which is a little terrifying. i miss the mulberry tree and its acid sweetness on sticky summer nights. they replaced it with a patch of invasive bamboo shoots and they've taken over the whole area
bluejay that is so sad about the mulberry tree ):
this is a great article to read if you’re interested in a further reason why councils and governments would like to rip out edible trees, even if they’re native:
https://www.thewildgrocery.com/p/the-racism-of-anti-foraging-laws
whalebutt i still have not found any, they don’t really grow in my part of the world 😭😭😭
Yes, but as long as it’s done responsibly and sustainably - for instance some people just rip out mushrooms from the root so they can’t regrow for other people and animals living there who may need it for hibernation.
sniffle that’s a very important philosophy for me, for every one I take, I leave two/three behind. And if it’s a floret, I only take some leaves instead of the whole plant.
One of my favourite mushroom spots got outed on a facebook page, and when I went there to forage again the area was barren and full of holes. It was actually really upsetting
jilly happy to hear you give back like that. As for those other people.. ugh.. idk if it’s because of lack of education or just rudeness
sniffle not to be ”that person“ but as far as I know, picking mushrooms can actually HELP the mycelium by dispersing spores. i haven’t seen evidence that there has been issues with mushroom overharvesting / improper foraging.
In the NE of the United States, ramps are a different story but I have yet to see real evidence that foraging is harmful
I love cooking and then running to the backyard for a lime from the tree or some rosemary it makes me feel like a homesteader. I want to hunt for some mushrooms but we’re not in the biome for it
SilenceDoGood the running tho the backyard part makes me feel like a wee lil milkmaid, but im really sad for you that you don’t live in a mushroom biome ): relaunch map
I have a note in my phone to track fruit-bearing trees in my neighborhood. it’s the best when you find an apple tree on public land. I’d love if we had more fruit tree and edible plants in the city, perhaps i should do something about it
jilly I got a Falcon guide book on edible wild plants a while back but haven’t put it to use yet
This might be the nudge I was waiting for
mattshawsome let me know how your journey goes! it can be overwhelming, for me it was easier learning about edible mushrooms first :) (the foolproof ones)
