Why foraging is making a resurgence in towns..

[ënagualí~ᏉL𝐀ᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Why foraging is making a resurgence in towns..

With the economy as it is and the standard of living rising by the hour,while living in the suburban streets means it's fair to say I don't dabble in a lot of foraging - unless searching through the broccoli at Countdown supermarket counts. I do however grow a few vege to support my visits there..

But as our food waste epidemic grows out of control and people seek a more sustainable option, foraging - searching for wild-growing herbs, fruit and vegetables - is becoming more popular. 

There's a Google maps-esque site which shows you where to find the best local edile flora and fauna, and this one is even attempting to eat only what he grows and forages in the year.

But far from a fad controlling how and when we eat, foraging actually is rooted in New Zealand history. 

Our ancestors had the necessary knowledge to identify and prepare wild plant foods. It was crucial to survival. And while some of this knowledge has been passed down through generations, much of it has gotten lost along the way.

These days, most of us would find it hard going to even identify each of the different herbs in our mum's garden.

Bringing foraged ingredients to the dining room table is a passion of mine as well as a experience. 

"Pretty much everywhere you look you'll find something you can pick and eat. 

"What I want to do is to educate the diner. And I want them to go out into the bush and forage," I'd love to see diners bring the practice into their own kitchens.

"Have a look and make sure you identify it and you know what it is. Take it home and taste the product, see what the characteristics are and see what it goes with."  Last night while weeding my garden before the huge deluge rains came crashing down, I found these furry balls under my sword ferns,and the plant said eat me, so of I went to google search just to be safe, and sure enough they are edible..I just have to get over the skin & fur in my teeth lol..

But its well known that during the deep depression people were making all kinds of foods they found around their streets and in fields part of their stable diet,why cant we all keep this thought going even if we are not in financial trouble..

I love my wild greens pesto. Dandelion greens, chickweed, purslane,etc. Most of the so called weeds on my 1/4 acre are totally superfoods to me.,but many people have no idea they can even be eaten,let alone to go foraging for others.. I’ve always kind of imagined foragers could specialize so that we all benefit. You may have the mushroom people, the acorn processors and foragers, fruit pickers and tenders, etc. we’d all come together with our skills to get the food we need. And of course to help sow native edible plants and carry on these traditions of gardening beneath the forests..

I watched a wonderful programme on Country Calendar TV this weekend on a couple who bought a section of land in Brooklyn, Nelson with an orchid 'Little Shaggery Farm' they called it and they are now making their own cider vinegar, natural fruit juices & selling their products & produce at farmers markets..its the way to go..

check out their facebook page & be inspired:-

https://www.facebook.com/people/Little-Shaggery-Farm/10006492897101...

I can see how this movement of thought can be beneficial for those who are struggling monetarily or people who may find things they enjoy substituted from nature.

"What if we all foraged?" It made me think if we all foraged, we would blow the dandelion puffs we see growing in yards and parks, encouraging growth so we could eat more dandelion greens! Then, we'd be excited about them and smile more because it's a fun way to connect with the Earth and our true selves... Food sovereignty is critical. ..If we found a abundance of fruit or vege just rotting, in the community why not pick it and share it on a stall for the community to harvest from, in a trade off system, take what you need but replace it with your own abundance produce..we could all be helping each other financially as no money changes hands its a green dollar system..

I'm also horrified at how much vege & fruit waste their is at supermarkets, a bruise,or odd fruit is just discarded, where it could be cut off and used in baking of pies or casseroles..this type of passion is truly inspiring to cut down on waste..

I personally havn't got the abundance of produce to start bottling,canning and or drying produce, but some people may just have that in their surroundings,& the time to do so...

I do randomly make a huge meal and then divide it up into smaller portions & freeze these meals though, as some nights I dont get home till way after 6.30pm, no time to cook or I'm tired, so then out comes a delicious pre-made meal I can reheat fast..

I also havnt gone as far or steep as to making my own medicines, but we can start small like we don’t need cough syrups or other medicines for sore throats when we have honey, turmeric, ginger root, & apple cider vinegar etc.

I also grow my own root Ginger as its a staple in my home for my stir fries..

I have even tried eating banana stem core? Its very good for health, high in fibre, great for people who suffer from kidney stones. You can make stir fry or stews of it..

weeds,dandelion etc I also have tried and this one below Purslane it has a slight peppery taste, so great in a salad..

I have fruit trees,Satuma mandarines, Feijoa, Lemons, Grapes & Black Doris plums to also bump up my produce supplies when in season,

I let Pumpkins self seed from the compost and got a huge one this season, I know not much compared with the 9 I got last year..but I let them do their things naturally..cut this off this morning before writing this..

I traded a abundance of Mandarines before the birds get to them for tree ripened Persimmons with a client,I've also traded green grapes for my red ones last summer..

There’s a real shift in town towards sustainable living... its part of our right to be able to enjoy nature and able to forage but there needs to be more of it..There are so many places in parks, in schools and universities, around hospitals, around ministries and churches, on rooftops and balconies, up the fassades of buildings... we can grow our food everywhere. We then would not need packages and transport and nasty chemicals anymore... I have been growing my own vegetables for the last ten years+ and will never go back to fully store bought, only in the winter of course but even then I like to bring somethings in doors in the winter eg a odd pumpkin or some slim leaf silverbeet...

So people time to start thinking about this foraging bug and get your gardens created,cos the cost of living isnt going to go back down or go away in any real  hurry..check out the videos and your community to see how to set up a food green dollar stall..

Raven Leads My Way Again..

Ꮙℓἇ∂ἇ..aka Reɪvən ღ

©2024 - All Right Reserved

[Taikunping avatar ~ Julie Parry]

I was watching a narrow boating video a couple of weeks ago on how to make dandelion syrup if I can find the video I'll add it here Vlada.  

I've eaten things like wild garlic but it didn't suit me, there's loads in the woodlands around here.  Blackberries certainly, the brambles grow in my garden but often need taming as they grow so quickly.  There's a little plant called Self Heal which I've tried the leaves from.  I've never tried nettles from around here but mum in wartime used to have nettle soup.  I've tried shop bought nettle tea.  

Found the video

[ënagualí~ᏉL𝐀ᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

oH woah I loved that video,thank-you for sharing it on here....I BnB stayed in one of those canal boats when I was in Holland, it was moored on a canal & not in action on the canal,...yet I so wanted to go up the canals in one but couldn't afford it at the time,you know you only have so much spending money on your OE and you want to do everything but have to choose LOL..I also stayed BnB in a real old style Gypsy caravan,

similar to this one below..

it was huge had these same old wagon wheels on it, it had a pot belly stove,a small shower box & kitchen bench & sink,chemical toilet,small fridge,and a bed in it,and a tiny TV as well,just enough for me it was real cosy,much like staying in one of the DOC huts over here in NZ..and this was in the middle of winter and then it snowed didn't it & real bad overnight and the snow banked right up against the door real thick,so I was stuck in there for 2 days,happy chiseling out the door with a bloody fire poker LOL.thats all I had unless I used a knife & fork....and luckily I had a chemical toilet or I'd have been in deep trouble I tell yah, but the owner  of it finally also came to the rescue and he started digging on the other side,I met up with him, we both laughed,he spoke broken English and apologized profusely to me big time,he said he didn't think the snow would do that over night,..but thought he'd better come check on me..it was -15 degrees bloody bitter, my breath froze on my lip forming small ice balls it was that cold..but I was warm in the caravan with that fire,then I went off to Belgium in the same weather on a train LOL that broke down and we all spent the day trapped on that till they fixed the lines..fun times I tell yah aye,but we shared our drinks & sweets,sandwiches etc it was fun,like a party,we had music on Ipods with tiny speakers,so I made traveling friends too ..

As for the dandelion honey I  just laughed when she said:- "she did it to protect the bees from dying when collecting honey"..., she dosn't know much about bee keeping then, cos any good bee keeper anticipates a few bee deaths plus the bees die after a short time anyway,they dont live forever and they even have to kill a queen themselves if it produces all male bees,which will kill the hive also,..plus they have to kill & replace the queen with new ones after a certain time also anyway to keep the colony going and to keep diseases out of the hive..the number of bees injured or killed during honey taking is very minimal if your a good bee keeper..but I will try making this dandelion honey when I find enough of them,usually they flower in summer,so it will have to be next year now as were going into winter..

[Taikunping avatar ~ Julie Parry]

Yes, I caught that too Vlada, she doesn't know too much about countryside matters but loves boating.  She made some garlic bud pickle on another video, that's probably an acquired taste;)  She's scared of cows too!

I was watching a youtube last night on beekeeping and bought a book on beekeeping from the place I order honey from a couple of years ago, its all so interesting and seems a wonderful way to live, looking after the bees.

Sounds like you had a great adventure.  I've been out several times on short holidays on my friends boat, but haven't taken the boat out in a couple of years.  It's a narrowboat that we call Brave Egbert but we haven't actually changed the name officially.  She was originally christened Natalie.  I love spending time on the boat Vlada even when its moored at the marina.  I like being in the quiet of nature.

This year the beekeeper in the video had to feed the bees for a month, he lives up in the highlands of Scotland and like all over the British Isles its been a long wet, windy and cold few months.  Weather in the last couple of weeks has seen a big improvement.  Today though, back to rain, think rain's forecast for tomorrow too.  The bees are super busy, he showed himself making extra supers as he thinks the bees will need extra space this year.

I'd like one day to paint a narrowboat... there's a certain romance to narrow boating, although it's lots of hard work and upkeep.

[ënagualí~ᏉL𝐀ᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Yes I had a great time in the UK,though would have liked to see more of Europe but didn't have the finances...

but I just laughed at that comment she made, it was like she felt making the dandelion honey was a huge thing to save the killing of bees lol..I love the picture you've posted here of the narrow boats,that would make a beautiful painting for sure..you have a load of lovely pictures to paint from..

They feed bees over here all the time,often during Spring clean of the hives & also when queen bee raising they feed royal jelly to the larvae to make more queens usually for new hives,or a good bee keeper will help out other keepers if he has too many by giving them the over flow of queens,that way the hives around the community all have a different gene running in the hives,this helps with disease control thus healthy hives..but also every time they collect the honey and really clean out the hive,like start from scratch,they add a liquid into the back of the hive that looks like the sticky glucose,but its just thick cane sugar syrup and this gives the bees a added boost to start working in remaking the hive again,they also clear the hive out of a number of male bees too,you cant have too many males, as that makes more queens..they check the queen is healthy etc,if shes not they replace her with a new one and kill the old one..I'd so love to do bee keeping, but the cost & equipment to set up a hive is very high here in NZ,and I'm just a novice on it,I'd rather have someone experienced to come and work along side me until I would be more confident..but I certainly have the passion for it..I could have had my own hive years back, I think I mentioned this in past convo, there was a hive in my neighbours garage for years, and when they swarmed thy landed in my feijoa tree,but I had no hive to put them in,nor did I have any bee suit to collect them,I was stumped really.

I asked online in the community newsletter if anyone wanted them, I thought gees they would jump on this, but not one person came forth,loads of interest though and they had a time frame to get them,that passed so they flew off the next day, I was gutted cos they had split twice since I lived here.. then the neighbour sold the house,and the new owner killed the whole lot, he just got a exterminator in to spray it all, I was so peeved to hear that,like really gutted...cos they were also pollinating my feijoa & plum trees now I dont get as much fruit off them.. I saw on a tv programme the other it was that dude who lives in Wales his name is Drew Pritchard,he deals in antiques & salvage and puts stuff at Tiffany's...he showed some really rare bee hives on this programme, he believed were from a back yard monastery bee keeper,they were old & small easy to handle,with viewing ports in the back & so gorgeous,dont think he bought them...

But I thought seeing them 'Oh I didn't know they made small hives' so now I'm thinking I could get something smaller than the usual box stack types,but I'd have to buy the bees now instead of getting them for free as they arnt cheap damn!......and when I get round-to-it lol..but again we are off the topic of foraging,our convo's just flow in all directions but its cool..

I love this bee he had for sale once,though I dont think it was a extremely old antique,it was just different & unique,its been sold now,..not even sure where he got it from maybe a honey store?...

https://www.drewpritchard.co.uk/products/bee

[Taikunping avatar ~ Julie Parry]

I hope at some point you can get a hive...the old style I've seen too when visiting a national trust garden

are these the kind you've seen Vlada

Yes I've watched quite a few antique programmes with Drew Pritchard

[Taikunping avatar ~ Julie Parry]

One of the best herbs I have in the garden is lemon balm, great brewed as a tea with a small amount of honey or chopped into salads...

[ënagualí~ᏉL𝐀ᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

I tell yah I had that in mine too and it took over and self seeded everywhere,it became more like a weed to me,you have to keep control of it cos its from the mint family and mint too can get out of hand..love the smell of it though..and yes great as a tea,havn't tried it in a salad,but I did put it in potatoes..

[ënagualí~ᏉL𝐀ᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

The ones he had I think were called 'flow hives'..they were very old and beautiful,cant find them online, but these are other old flow hives..people made them look like buildings so cute..they still make modern versions of them too..

Modern one..

old ones..

Taikunping avatar ~ Julie Parry said:

I hope at some point you can get a hive...the old style I've seen too when visiting a national trust garden

are these the kind you've seen Vlada

Yes I've watched quite a few antique programmes with Drew Pritchard

[Taikunping avatar ~ Julie Parry]

They do spread rapidly Vlada... I'll have to try the potato idea, thanks for the tip.  The plant used to grow near my apple trees at the bottom of the garden, then somehow it died there are took up residence in a clump near to the rain tub in the front garden, it seeded into the limestone chipping and grows healthily and keeps itself to itself in that position.  I used to grow mint in one of those herb wheels, then I tried the native variety which grew well in "Newt Pond" that didn't seem so vigorous and got contained in the pond.

ënagualí~ᏉL𝐀ᗪἇ ኔጡ። said:

I tell yah I had that in mine too and it took over and self seeded everywhere,it became more like a weed to me,you have to keep control of it cos its from the mint family and mint too can get out of hand..love the smell of it though..and yes great as a tea,havn't tried it in a salad,but I did put it in potatoes..

[ënagualí~ᏉL𝐀ᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Do you ever have newts in the pond?,if so did you take any photo's of them?,we dont have those here in NZ we only have tadpoles,and I had some given to me and I put them in a fish pond and they turned into frogs and went into my Bromeliads, but eventually they hopped off to ghod knows where,.. never to be seen again.lol..think I have a photo here of one in the centre of a Bromeliad,not sure..

[Taikunping avatar ~ Julie Parry]

Ahhh newt pond last time I walked that way it was still dried up, it's been like that for a few years, but there used to be another pond which was deeper along the track, not sure if its still there as the track became overgrown.  It's a green space as they're called now and houses weren't built there because of the newts.  I had a few magical moments over the years gazing at the newts.  I did take pictures and if I can find them I'll post them up.

My goddaughters brother from down the road brought a newt to the pond in my garden years ago when he was still at school, but I don't think it stayed put because I never saw it again.  Tadpoles used to be numerous in my pond, and there was spawn earlier this year but I never saw evidence of any tadpoles.

[ënagualí~ᏉL𝐀ᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Awhh love to see your photos of them..these are some of my photo's of the tadpoles that I had in my pond which then turned to frogs and I let loose in my Bromeliad.