There are a whole lot of ways to put food on your table, especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Perhaps you are a gardener, who prefers to grow some if not all of your produce in your own backyard, or through a community garden. Perhaps like many, you simply to the grocery store. But you could also take a forage California class to learn how to get your food from the wild.
Foraging out in the wild is the most popular way to participate in this movement. Even if you live in a big metropolis, it is usually only a short drive to get to a more rural, wooded area where there is generally an abundance of wild food available for the picking. Mushrooms and greens are especially popular when going out into the forest to try and find something to eat.
Thankfully, those without transportation or who just don't have time to drive out into the woods are not out of luck. Urban foraging is a growing branch of this movement that requires you only to walk around your neighborhood or city to find goodies to eat. Look for places that are abandoned or open spaces with bushes and vines and perhaps trees that are bearing fruit. Pick, wash an serve for your next meal.
California is home to a very long coastline, and this close proximity to the water makes it easy to forage for proteins that other areas just can't provide. Some people love to get a pole and fish, but many foragers prefer diving to get bay scallops or even the delicacy abalone to give themselves a delicious and nutritious treat. Just make sure you take an experienced guide with you if you've never done this before.
Speaking of experience, many places where the forager movement is growing are now offering classes to learn about how to take part. For the inexperienced, this is a good idea, especially since not everything found in nature is edible or good for you. For example, some varieties of mushrooms are not only inedible, but potentially poisonous to humans. Other things like poison oak can cause a lot of discomfort, so it's important to know what you are doing.
Another alternative to classes is a guided tour. Think of this as learning on the job. You get to pick things to eat later while ensuring that they are not only edible, but delicious as well. You will learn how to avoid things that are dangerous and only get the best of the best.
If you do not have time to forage but still want to experience a piece of this growing movement, you can always eat at a restaurant that specializes in using foraged ingredients. A growing number of eateries have a menu that is at least partially, and in some cases fully, dependent upon wild foods that grow locally.
As you prepare to go out into the wild and pick your food, there are a couple of points to remember. You should only take what you need to leave some for others. Do not over harvest an area. Laws have had to be enacted in some places to prevent this from happening. Keep it fair that way everyone can enjoy.
Foraging out in the wild is the most popular way to participate in this movement. Even if you live in a big metropolis, it is usually only a short drive to get to a more rural, wooded area where there is generally an abundance of wild food available for the picking. Mushrooms and greens are especially popular when going out into the forest to try and find something to eat.
Thankfully, those without transportation or who just don't have time to drive out into the woods are not out of luck. Urban foraging is a growing branch of this movement that requires you only to walk around your neighborhood or city to find goodies to eat. Look for places that are abandoned or open spaces with bushes and vines and perhaps trees that are bearing fruit. Pick, wash an serve for your next meal.
California is home to a very long coastline, and this close proximity to the water makes it easy to forage for proteins that other areas just can't provide. Some people love to get a pole and fish, but many foragers prefer diving to get bay scallops or even the delicacy abalone to give themselves a delicious and nutritious treat. Just make sure you take an experienced guide with you if you've never done this before.
Speaking of experience, many places where the forager movement is growing are now offering classes to learn about how to take part. For the inexperienced, this is a good idea, especially since not everything found in nature is edible or good for you. For example, some varieties of mushrooms are not only inedible, but potentially poisonous to humans. Other things like poison oak can cause a lot of discomfort, so it's important to know what you are doing.
Another alternative to classes is a guided tour. Think of this as learning on the job. You get to pick things to eat later while ensuring that they are not only edible, but delicious as well. You will learn how to avoid things that are dangerous and only get the best of the best.
If you do not have time to forage but still want to experience a piece of this growing movement, you can always eat at a restaurant that specializes in using foraged ingredients. A growing number of eateries have a menu that is at least partially, and in some cases fully, dependent upon wild foods that grow locally.
As you prepare to go out into the wild and pick your food, there are a couple of points to remember. You should only take what you need to leave some for others. Do not over harvest an area. Laws have had to be enacted in some places to prevent this from happening. Keep it fair that way everyone can enjoy.
About the Author:
To preserve and restore native grasses, consider learning more about forage California. Here is the blog that explains more on this topic at http://livingwild.org.
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