Foraging is simply going out and finding food. It can be anywhere, from dumpsters behind grocery stores to remote wilderness areas, to old industrial lots growing over with blackberry brambles. In all cases, it’s good to do a little research to see if the food or area meets your standards for purity and non-toxicity. Even public lands including BLM, State Lands, and Forest Service Lands may be sprayed with herbicides, especially near roads, so it’s a good idea to ask about herbicide spray before harvesting, or pay close attention to the health and diversity of the plants growing.
Foraging is Fun!
Bluebird Forest Garden offers foraging experiences in the nearby forests. We find mushrooms, berries, greens and occasionally some roots, like wild ginger. Please contact us for details.
I’ll state in the description of each plant whether they are native to Idaho and the Northwest, or naturalized (growing wild, but originally from another continent.) In the case of native plants, it’s important not to over-harvest, or harvest from rare plants if it means killing them or digging them up. Some wild plants have been harvested to the point of scarcity. Included are plants such as glacier lily that have historically have been used as food, or could be used as food in a survival situation, but now in general it’s better just to enjoy their beauty and leave them for others to enjoy as well. Pictured at right: a triple-blooming glacier lily that grows wild in my garden!
The Foraging Connection -an essay-
We strongly recommend foraging with someone experienced, or looking at pictures and descriptions from several online or printed resources to be sure of identification before harvesting and eating. Bluebird Forest Garden and the author of this content assume no liability for improper identification of wild foods.