Hackberries (Celtis occidentalis) are native to eastern & central US and Canada, and they are commonly planted in parks, yards, boulevards, and other urban areas. They have a tasty fruit, which is easiest to harvest during the winter months. Learn how to enjoy them in this video!
Read MoreWhere I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, winter is generally a cold and quiet time of year. Birds fly south, animals hibernate, and plants go dormant during this challenging season. However, don’t let that fool you into thinking that winter is lifeless! There is still vitality to this season, for those who care to look! And there is still an array of wild foods to harvest.
Below is a list of five types of foods that can be foraged in the winter. I’ve opted to describe broad groupings rather than focus on individual species, just to show the diversity of winter foods. As such, this list is meant more for inspiration than to provide technical details. However, the links in each category offer more information for those wishing to dive deeper!
Read MoreAs a child growing up in urban Milwaukee, family walks on Sunday afternoons were routine. I remember going by rows of neatly trimmed juniper bushes, and my father stopping us all as he picked a few leaves, crushed them between his fingers, put them to his nose, and inhaled. We were made to follow suit. The smell was strong but pleasant— resinous, slightly citrusy, and stimulating. To this day, I can’t resist picking small amounts of juniper and inhaling the invigorating scent.
Obviously I didn’t know this as a child, but those distinctive smells are essential oils, and they often signal important medicinal qualities, such as fighting infections in wounds and treating coughs, colds, or fevers. In fact, I didn’t even know that the plant was called juniper, much less realize that it was edible and medicinal. But that uplifting smell always stuck with me; and once you smell it, I’m sure it will for you, too!
Read MoreWintertime in the north is often seen as barren: birds fly south, animals go into hibernation, plants die or drop their leaves and go dormant. The landscape often looks grey, empty, and bleak. However, for the adventurous naturalist, winter can be as great a time of learning and discovery as other seasons. It is possible to practice plant identification in the winter; in fact, I encourage it! Learning to recognize plants year-round is a valuable skill that helps improve your foraging practice. To that end, I have created a short guide on getting started with winter plant identification! Unfortunately I can’t provide a comprehensive manual to identifying every single plant you’ll find in winter, but I can provide general guidelines and recommend resources to learn more.
Read MorePart two of winter foraging! Like the first part, this video is less focused on detailed plant identification and more stream-of-consciousness general information. It's meant to show the diversity of wild edibles you can forage in the winter, and get you excited about trying it yourself!
Read MoreI frequently get questions about winter foraging, so here is a short video going over some of the things you can find during the cold months. This video is less focused on identification and more meant to be a source of inspiration for you to get out there and start exploring!
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