There are a whole lot of ways to put food on your table, especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Perhaps you are a gardener, who prefers to grow some if not all of your produce in your own backyard, or through a community garden. Perhaps like many, you simply to the grocery store. But you could also take a forage California class to learn how to get your food from the wild.
No matter where you live, there is likely an abundance of food available nearby in a wooded area. A short drive can take you to a forest or open field where things like greens or mushrooms grow wild. These and any other foods you find can be used by everyone from meat eaters to vegans to provide a healthy meal that tastes great and didn't cost a dime to get.
You do not have to take a trip out into the wilds in order to forage for food, though. Urban foraging is a growing part of this movement that allows you to get food from your city. Think of abandoned lots and small open spaces that have lots of wild plants growing. There could be abandoned citrus trees, edible flowers, even vines with berries that are all available nearby if you just keep an eye out for them.
Beyond just urban and wooded areas, waterfronts are also a potential source of free food. You can go fishing, or if you are experienced and more adventurous, go looking for things like scallops and even abalone in bay areas where they tend to live. Never try this without experience or at least a guide who can help you so you know what to do, and it gets done safely.
Speaking of experience, many places where the forager movement is growing are now offering classes to learn about how to take part. For the inexperienced, this is a good idea, especially since not everything found in nature is edible or good for you. For example, some varieties of mushrooms are not only inedible, but potentially poisonous to humans. Other things like poison oak can cause a lot of discomfort, so it's important to know what you are doing.
Guided tours are another growing part of the foraging movement that lets you learn as your experience nature. You go out with a group and a forager teaches you where to find the best, most delicious edibles in that area, without having to worry about anything dangerous.
If you do not have time to forage but still want to experience a piece of this growing movement, you can always eat at a restaurant that specializes in using foraged ingredients. A growing number of eateries have a menu that is at least partially, and in some cases fully, dependent upon wild foods that grow locally.
Enjoy yourself as you try this new way to eat, but keep a few things in mind. Be considerate of others by only taking what you need, that way others get to take some home, too. Local laws have had to be passed in some places due to stripping of wild plants. Avoid this so that you and everyone else can have a good time.
No matter where you live, there is likely an abundance of food available nearby in a wooded area. A short drive can take you to a forest or open field where things like greens or mushrooms grow wild. These and any other foods you find can be used by everyone from meat eaters to vegans to provide a healthy meal that tastes great and didn't cost a dime to get.
You do not have to take a trip out into the wilds in order to forage for food, though. Urban foraging is a growing part of this movement that allows you to get food from your city. Think of abandoned lots and small open spaces that have lots of wild plants growing. There could be abandoned citrus trees, edible flowers, even vines with berries that are all available nearby if you just keep an eye out for them.
Beyond just urban and wooded areas, waterfronts are also a potential source of free food. You can go fishing, or if you are experienced and more adventurous, go looking for things like scallops and even abalone in bay areas where they tend to live. Never try this without experience or at least a guide who can help you so you know what to do, and it gets done safely.
Speaking of experience, many places where the forager movement is growing are now offering classes to learn about how to take part. For the inexperienced, this is a good idea, especially since not everything found in nature is edible or good for you. For example, some varieties of mushrooms are not only inedible, but potentially poisonous to humans. Other things like poison oak can cause a lot of discomfort, so it's important to know what you are doing.
Guided tours are another growing part of the foraging movement that lets you learn as your experience nature. You go out with a group and a forager teaches you where to find the best, most delicious edibles in that area, without having to worry about anything dangerous.
If you do not have time to forage but still want to experience a piece of this growing movement, you can always eat at a restaurant that specializes in using foraged ingredients. A growing number of eateries have a menu that is at least partially, and in some cases fully, dependent upon wild foods that grow locally.
Enjoy yourself as you try this new way to eat, but keep a few things in mind. Be considerate of others by only taking what you need, that way others get to take some home, too. Local laws have had to be passed in some places due to stripping of wild plants. Avoid this so that you and everyone else can have a good time.
About the Author:
To preserve and restore native grasses, consider learning more about forage California. Here is the blog that explains more on this topic at http://livingwild.org.
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