Free food foraging

[Paula Cook]

Hi I was wondering if anyone has had any experience doing this? Therefore going out onto public land and finding wild garlic, chestnuts, fennel, blackberries etc and then picking it and cooking with it? I have never done it before as I would not know what to look for! :) Has anyone in the Hutt Valley area also done this and would be keen to show me what and how to look for edible foods? thanks, Paula

[Nancy]

Hello Paula -- I do a lot of foraging, which is to say, I eat from mother nature's garden. Miner's lettuce, nodding onions and fiddleheads, various berries, and of course mushrooms are some of my favorites. However, I ALWAYS have a mushroom expert double check my pickings. My dad used to point out "survival" foods when we'd go out hiking, and now, later in life, I've become deeply interested in plant spirit medicine. The Forest Service, local herbalists, master gardeners or community college extension type courses may be resources for you to check out. Also, you may want to research what the native americans in your area used as food sources...

Journey Well --

[Shona Cullen]

Hi Paula, Some of the dirtict councils are trying a new method of burning the weeds with boiling hot water as a spray. you could check with your local council and see which method they are using, but each council is likely to be different, so if you are going to travel in new zealand you will need to do your homework.

[Paula Cook]

Hi
thanks for your response. There is quite a few free foraging books out there now and it apparently is gaining momentum. It is big in the UK. But yes I get your point re the spraying esp as NZ is the biggest sprayers in the world (esp blackberries).
cheers

[C.Urchin]

Interesting concept Paula ,,,,, however the Regional Councils who usually 'maintain' such lands have an 'if it looks like a weed spray it with 2-4-D' policy largely ... so stick to your 'own back yard' for all the reasons Ooooby deposes :-))