A couple of weeks ago, I entered a book giveaway for a book about foraging called Dandelion Hunter: Foraging the Urban Wilderness. I was lucky enough to win, and I started reading it last week.
At about the same time, without having discussed the book I won, Shane joined a Facebook group centered on foraging Missouri wild edibles.
Also at the same time, without any of us knowing what the others were doing, my son-in-law began foraging for wild edibles in his own neighborhood.
While we've each eaten the occasional berries, nuts, wild mushroom or wild greens, as far as I know, none of us have ever had a driving interest in foraging wild edibles for either culinary or medicinal uses.
Some say there are no coincidences, so I'm taking this as a sign we're on the right track in taking up this line of study, whether for fun now or for more serious reasons in some unforeseen future. Many plants and fungi can be mistaken for others, causing skin irritations, illness or even death. The way I see it, three sets of knowledgeable eyes are better than one or two.
Meanwhile, I'm beginning to believe we have a lot more to eat in our garden than we planted!
Do you forage wild edibles or do you know anyone who does? If so, are your reasons more culinary or medicinal?
