Monica's Talk on Forraging
Wild Edibles and Edible Landscaping
A talk presented to the HolisticMoms.org Oneida chapter on April 18th, 2007
compiled by Monica Gandara
My recent preoccupation with utilizing and cultivating natural landscapes for food sources grew out of my interest in Permaculture. (Sources for further reading and principles of Permaculture are at the end of this paper.)
Wild Edibles I have eaten
Ox-eye Daisey (leaves and petals)
Common Wood Sorrel (leaves)
Dandelion (leaves, stem and flower petals) http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20dO.html
Purslane (leaves and stems) http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20g0.html
Marsh Marigold (leaves and unopened flower buds)
Burdock (root - but purchased this at the store) http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20cB.html
Serviceberry/Juneberry (berries, fresh & dried)
White Pine (needles)
Wild chamomile (flower) http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c212q.html
Alpine Strawberry (berries)
Black Cherry (berry)
Wild Grape (leaves and fruit)
Blackberries (berries)
wild mustard (young leaves)
Wild Edibles I will try this year (with confidence)
Lamb's quarters (leaves) http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20do.html
Milkweed (shoots)
wild raisin (fruit)
pin cherry (fruit)
Daylilly (bulb & flower)
Plants that I would like to try this year with an experienced forager
Chickweed (I am pretty confident I can identify this but want to make sure)
wild leek (leaves)
nettles (wood and stinging)
yellow dock (leaves and roots)
yellow birch (bark)
Wild Edibles Recipes
Wilde Dip http://www.geocities.com/colouringpurple/weeds.html
One pint sour cream
One heaping tablespoon mayonaise
two tablespoons cream cheese (optional)
2 cups chopped and rinsed wild greens
Basil or thyme (optional)
Steam or simmer the greens untill soft (about 5 minutes). Mix all the ingredients together, sprinkle with salt and add a pinch of herbs if you wish. Chill overnight.
Pine Needle Tea http://1stholistic.com/Recipes/A2005/recipe_herbal-teas-pine-needle-tea.htm
"...hot water (do not boil) with 1/2 cup of pine needles is the cure for scurvy, and some varieties of pine produce a tea with more Vitamin C than is contained in 6 lemons! Let the tea steep for about two hours at least. Most pine needle teas are surprisingly not bitter...but if your tea a little bitter for your taste, add a little honey, preferably unpasteurized."
Foraging for Wild Edibles (books I have read and use to forage)
"The Forager's Harvest" by Samual Thayer (EXCELLENT BOOK! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
"From Crabgrass Muffins to Pine Needle Tea: A National Wild Food Field Guide" by Linda Runyon (Drawings not pictures make this valuable only as a secondary source of info but good reading and very relevant to the Adironacks.)
"Field Guide To Wildflowers" National Audubon Society (used as a cross reference)
"Field Guide to North American Trees" National Audubon Society (used as a cross reference)
Foraging Books that I have not read but come highly recommendedby Samuel Thayer
"Stalking the Wild Asparagus", "Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop", "Stalking the Healthful Herbs" by Euell Gibbons
"Abundantly Wild" by Teresa Marrone
"Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants" by Christopher Nyerges
"Edible Wild Plants" by Weatherbee and Bruce
http://foraging.com//
Foraging With the "Wildman" http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/
winemaking: Making Wines from Wild Plants http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/plants.asp
Colorado State – Edible Flowers list http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/Garden/07237.html
Cultivated and Native Perenial Plants and Trees
that produce edible parts(fruit/leaves/roots/nuts).
This list includes plants that offer nutritional benefit and will grow in this region. This list is is by no means exhaustive, but a good place to start. While some do include medicinal properties, I did not come close to including plants specifically grown for medicine.
Golden Lemon Thyme - Zones 4-10.
Garlic Chives- Zones 4-8.
Chamomile, Roman (not native and can be invasive, hardy to zone 4)
Chicory
Comfrey (with explanation)
Mint
Pennyroyal
Provence Lavender-Zones 5-9.
Rhubarb Zones 3-9.
Horseradish- Zones 3-7.
Oregano
Lovage
Sage
OTHER PLANTS (including fruits and nuts)
Apples
Apricot (depending on type, Miller Nurseries has some)
Asparagus Zones 3-10.
Olive, Autumn (Elaeagnus umellata)
Olive, Russian (Elaeagnus angustifolia
Black Locust
Blackberries
Blueberries
Butternut
Cherry trees - (Miller Nurseries sells some that will grow in this zone (5B or 4) that will withstand -20 temperatures.)
Fall fruiting bush cherries
Chinese Chestnut
Cranberry - low bush and high bush, zone 3-7
Currant - zone 3/4-7 (depending on variety)
Daylilly
Elderberries - grows 6-8feet, zone 3/5-7/9 depending on variety
Filbert/hazelnut - can grow to a small tree or pruned to be a shrub, zone4/5-8 depending on variety
Gooseberries - height 5-6ft, zone 4-7
Grapes (cultivated) - zone 4-10 depending on variety
Grapes (wild)
Ground Cherry (Physalis heterophylla)
Groundplum milkvetch (Astragalus crassicarpus)
Hickory (eg. Shagbark)
Hops Zone3-8
Horseradish
Jerusalem artichoke
Juneberries (also called Shadblow, Saskatoon, Serviceberry and Sarvisberry)
Kale, perenial (Brassica oleracea ramosa)
Kiwi, Hardy
Lingonberry zone 2-8
Maple, Sugar
Magnolia Vine -zone 4-7
Maximilian sunflower (can eat roots and shoots)
Medlar - Zones 5-9
Mountain Ash
Mulberry
PawPaw
Peaches (zone 5 tolerant depending on variety)
Pears (Asian)
Pecans (All will grow but most will not set fruit this far north. Miller Nurseriess has developed one that will.)
Persimmons - zone 4/5-8
Plums
Quince
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Roses
Strawberry, Alpine
Walnuts
Walnuts (black)
Wild Raisin
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) Leaves make tea and the fruit can be eaten fresh. Also called Teaberry.
- Permaculture is one of the most holistic, integrated systems analysis and design methodologies found in the world.
- Permaculture can be applied to create productive ecosystems from the human- use standpoint or to help degraded ecosystems recover health and wildness. Permaculture can be applied in any ecosystem, no matter how degraded.
- Permaculture values and validates traditional knowledge and experience. Permaculture incorporates sustainable agriculture practices and land management techniques and strategies from around the world. Permaculture is a bridge between traditional cultures and emergent earth-tuned cultures.
- Permaculture promotes organic agriculture which does not use pesticides to pollute the environment.
- Permaculture aims to maximize symbiotic and synergistic relationships between site components.
- Permaculture is urban planning as well as rural land design.
- Permaculture design is site specific, client specific, and culture specific.