there was a time when my daily life consisted of all day, outdoor, sweat-dripping work. i love this type of work. the type of work during which water is evaporating as quickly as it is soaking in. the type that requires clothes to be peeled off to step under a cold shower at the end of the day. these past few days, we’ve been building rock walls, moving around and… Keep Reading
During the late 90’s, I began to really devote my attention, time and energy toward making some sort of difference regarding the ways that we interact with our planet. By then, it was apparent that population growth was the largest threat to our imposing resource use and to the natural stability of our planet. The collection of “stuff” (the journey that our material commodities take from production to packaging to… Keep Reading
i visited the well, today. after a stretch of being closed, barricaded, tested, touched, tinkered with and “sanitized” after a monthly water test came up positive for two forms of bacteria; it is, again, open and freely fluid. the last time that i visited, it was wrapped in orange, protective netting. i sat, silently, amidst the outskirts of this sacred space and place and prayed for its health, wholeness and… Keep Reading
When walking through a forest~ or any other natural place that radiates abundance~ I feel most alive. I know that I am far from alone when I write that I deeply sense the power behind and artistry within the way ‘eco~pieces’ fit so perfectly into a rich and dynamic whole. I lack an adequate description for how this harmony puts me at ease…… While enjoying the nutritionally rich ‘sparkle’ of… Keep Reading
Dandelion It would be a shame not to include a ‘shout out’ to nutrient rich, liver loving dandelion—which is plentiful…errr…everywhere. Pausing to laugh as I think about visually describing this beautiful, well-known plant. Spanning across all of the United States, only backing down from a lush spread when it reaches the most northern stretches of Canada—is there really such a thing as unfamiliarity with dandelion?? Ha! Still, here’s a little… Keep Reading
Elderberries Clusters of small white flowers dropping from the elder tree give signal to the nearby arrival of small, round, juicy, deep-purple elderberries. Hanging in clumps from the busy branches of the 5-12 foot elder tree (or shrub)- they’re not difficult to spot. The most well known species is the American elder. This medium to large shrub is a member of the honeysuckle family- and has smooth, gray bark and… Keep Reading
Hazelnuts There are two main varieties of hazelnuts in North America; the beaked hazels stretch across the northern United States and parts of Canada…while the American hazelnut rules these Midwestern parts and is what you will want to (officially) look up if you would like to do more research before collecting—from this point forward, I’ll simply refer to these beauts as hazelnuts. My first experience collecting hazelnuts was over a… Keep Reading
Purslane “I learned from my two years’ experience that it would cost incredibly little trouble to obtain one’s necessary food even in this latitude; that a man may use as simple a diet as the animals, and yet retain health and strength. I have made a satisfactory dinner, satisfactory on several accounts, simply off a dish of purslane (Portulaca oleracea) which I gathered in my cornfield, boiled and salted.’ ~Henry… Keep Reading
Spring Beauty In nearly every wild food book covering this plant, I have found an advisory against harvesting spring beauty, with exception of ‘desperate need’ or where ‘extremely plentiful.’ The reason? Its beauty. I, personally, don’t limit my wild gatherings to unattractive plants and, in general, believe that it is important to mindfully gather every plant while foraging~ always keeping ecological considerations and the health of each plant’s population in… Keep Reading
Mulberries I grew up picking black raspberries, and occasionally found interest in the deep purple gems hanging just overhead, yet it wasn’t until recently that I took a more serious look at these often unnoticed, untouched ‘beauts.’ There are two common mulberry tree species (plus many ‘off shoot’ hybrids) here in the U.S.—the native red mulberry and the Asian white mulberry. The red mulberry, which reaches a height of about… Keep Reading
Wild Spinach (Also frequently called Lambsquarters) While nutrient data varies depending on soil location/composition~ wild spinach is, consistently, one of the more nutrient dense wild greens. It is high in vitamins A & C, riboflavin, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese and copper. With a smooth taste, that entirely resembles domesticated spinach, it is one of the easier greens to incorporate into your diet if ‘bitter’ is not (yet;)) your… Keep Reading
Wild Spinach Seeds My enthusiasm for wild spinach (also called ‘goosefoot’ and ‘lambsquarters’…which I’ve already written about and, consequently, plan to side-step an identification recap here and now) successfully ventures past its greens. The entire plant, with each new facet and manifestation, is generous in its spread, growth and wide spectrum of nutrients. While the greens are well-known and easily accessible throughout many of the warmer months, the seeds~ which… Keep Reading