Finding treasures in odd places - thoughts on Foraging

(originally published by my friends at stridepost.com.  Re-printed here, for posterity, with their permission.)

Recently, after bad timing had prevented us from doing so numerous times this year, we finally made it to a foraging class.

We Drove 45 minutes to a place kind of in the middle of nowhere (in an area that is, to many, already the middle of nowhere) and enjoyed some lovely tea brewed from foraged roots and herbs, while awaiting everyone else.  About three dozen of us followed the instructor down a two track into undeveloped farm land. After which, we parked in a field, got out, covered ourselves in bug spray, and clad in long pants, long sleeve shirts and boots….

We headed out. Into the woods. The thick, totally wild, damp, buggy, woods. I am a big fan out the outdoors, but questioned my judgement as we entered. What had we signed on for?

Foraging for Treasure

I got over it fairly quickly as we wandered around for nearly three hours. Occasionally we held up finds to the instructor, to see if they were foraging trash or treasure. (The glow-in-the-dark mushrooms by the way – Not edible.  You’re welcome.) About 90 minutes in, I was asked to shake a tree. I was warned to quickly get my hands above my head to deflect whatever should fall out, after I gave the tree the requested shake. Because… why not? I shook the heck out of that tree, ducking and covering as instructed. The sound of fruit hitting the ground was very satisfying.

The next half hour was spent going from tree to tree, shaking and covering up. Oblong green fruits fell from the paw paw trees, and we all scurried around to pick them up. What looked like nothing more than wooded scrub land, dense with weeds and frequently marshy, hid an abundance of interesting edibles and medicinals.

The Result

Photo credit: Patrick Murray

When we were finally done, we went back to the farm. The instructor had already prepared some manner of stir fry from all the various mushrooms and other vegetables that she could find growing wild.   We drank more tea and ate together, three dozen dirty, smelly, sweaty, happy strangers.

I offer this tale as a reminder to all of us, my friends. Cool stuff is EVERYWHERE. You just have to work a little harder to find it, sometimes.