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To forage or not to forage; that is the question. Foraging has been around since the
beginning of time. Since Adam and Eve were picking fruit and berries from the hundreds
of fruit bearing plants in the Garden of Eden, foraging has been an integral part of life.
Foraging has recently regained popularity among the homesteading and prepping
population. It is extremely satisfying to head out into quiet nature and identify edible
plants. It’s even more exciting to find medicinal plants when the search for food was the
main goal.
Forage is defined as searching widely over an area in order to obtain something,
especially food or provisions. Heading out into the great backyard might result in a few
interesting food sources, but real foraging searches for miles for a “good spot” to find
excellent sources of food, medicine, or supplies. Let’s look at some of the necessary
knowledge and supplies that are needed prior to heading into nature.
Start researching the types of native plants that grow in the area. For example, in
Southern Oregon, there are several native berry species that grow naturally:
Huckleberries, blackberries, Elderberries, and more. A simple, quick Google search will
help identify plants. Read as many articles as possible. The foraging experience begins
with knowledge. Many, many people have died because they ate a berry that was
identical to a safe one, but was on the wrong plant. The learning process never ends.
There are now apps that will help identify plants as well. Don’t rely on these because
some locations will render cell phones useless, thus destroying the handheld plant
identifier. Make sure to identify edible and poisonous plants, the best time of year to
pick, and whether the plant itself is safe or poisonous.
Go to the local library. The library will not only have nationwide foraging books, but will
have local area books that may have been written by an expert forager. Check them
out. Once they’ve been read, find them and buy them. They will become a foraging
necessity. They can become part of the foraging supply kit that will become larger as
foraging becomes more integrated into food prep.
Once the knowledge is swirling around the brain, and locations have been identified,
grab some supplies. Basic supplies for a first timer are simple. A bucket, gloves,
snacks, lunch, and a lot of water. Once these supplies are collected, head to the newly
identified possible forage source. This is a scouting expedition. Although a plant is in
season, it may not have had adequate water, a fire may have destroyed the area, or
they may not be ripe enough. Plan the day as a learning experience. If children are
coming along, make sure they are able to identify the safe foods. Help them understand
that eating wild plants can be very dangerous. Once they have been identified, let them
enjoy! It will give them incentive to help every year. Also remember that some plants are
only edible after cooking.
While out foraging, identify as many plants as possible. If cell service is nonexistent,
take pictures of plants not easily identified and search them at home. Make sure to
include the entire plant, leaves, flowers, fruits, limbs, and stems. An Oregon Grape is
identical to a highly poisonous Holly Berry bush. The only difference is their berries.
While Holly Berries are bright, shiny red, Oregon Grapes are a deep purple with a white
powdery coating when fully ripe. Foraging may be searching for food or medicinal items
in a wide area, finding several sources in one area is a major boost for the fuel budget.
Now is when the work and fun begin. Take the time to enjoy this process. Take family
and trusted friends. Make a day or two of it. If camping is allowed, take a night and
make an annual family adventure out of the trip. Take enough buckets for everyone
present, and have a larger storage container for collecting. Remember that some
berries and fruit are very delicate and stacking them will squish them and destroy all the
hard work. Blackberries, raspberries, and similar berries should never be stacked
deeply. Store no more than three inches deep and handle with extreme care.
Elderberries and Oregon Grapes are hardy berries and can be stacked deeply and
gentle hands are not necessary.
One extra important factor to keep the foraging experience fun and useful is identifying
the treacherous plants. Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac can make the weeks following a
foraging trip completely miserable, and will cause kids to miss school and mom and dad
to miss work, thus destroying the main purpose of foraging, which is to save some
money. Make sure to research plants that can cause extreme reactions with just a
touch. Also be sure kids are taught how to identify them, and not to touch until a parent
can identify the plant.
There is a solid rule to foraging, camping, or general wilderness presence: leave it as
you found it, or better. Remove all waste. Do not leave a fire unattended or make a
roaring fire that sends out thousands of sparks. Limit fires to specific camp sites and
developed areas. A single spark can destroy an entire forest, which means there will be
nothing to forage for the next three years or more.
Do not destroy an entire plant just to get one berry. If picking from trees, make sure not
to completely demolish or damage the tree. Some pruning is beneficial to fruit bearing
trees, and can help increase the production the next year. Thinning berry bushes can
also help with production. Keep it to a minimum. Leaving behind a stump is not going to
help that tree survive. Also consider that animals will need the plants to survive as well.
Foraging is invading their food source, so while filling the cellar with nature’s goodness,
leave some for the rest of nature. Treat nature with respect, and it will provide enough
food to cut the grocery budget into oblivion.
Becoming an expert at anything requires 10,000 hours of practice. Seems like a lot of
hours, but it comes out to about a year and a half of twenty-four hour days.
Now, most people won’t be foraging 24/7, so becoming an expert in a week or two isn’t going to happen. Just know that the people who have published foraging books are likely experts and have been foraging for decades. They are people that can be trusted to know what they are writing about. Use their collective knowledge to find sources for food that have been forgotten.
Foraging is fun, relaxing, rewarding, and can build family bonds. It can help people get
back to good health, and can help stretch the dwindling food budget. Nature foraging is
the best, but don’t forget that foraging can also include finding a bush of blackberries on
a public street, or down a nature trail on the edge of town. Most people already know
about these, so they are a first come, first serve forage. Local parks can also have fruit
trees, berry bushes and more. Foraging isn’t just walking out to a mountain berry patch
and picking; it’s research, sharing knowledge with trusted friends, and filling the pantry
with healthy, natural foods that were put on Earth to feed the masses.
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Photos courtesy of the author
