Foraging

With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are making lists and checking them twice. While some people are easy to find gifts for, there’s always one or two people …

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose… Sounds about right to me as evening temperatures are dipping to just below freezing and glittering frost fills …

Oh, folks, fall is finally here; isn’t it lovely? No more back and forth, with one day in the high 70s and the next rainy and cold. Fall has settled …

Foraging can be a great way to supplement a homegrown diet. When foraging, you may be surprised by some of the great wild edibles you can find. For example, did …

Finding free food is always a cause for celebration among the homesteading types, and the pawpaw is a prized yet often forgotten option. Considered the largest native North American fruit, …

Whether we are talking about leaves from your gracious English walnut, or black walnut leaves, gardeners have a tendency to tense up. “Not in my garden!”, they say. There are …

Stellaria media is all around us, one of the numerous early wild edibles, more commonly known as chickweed. Other names for this gracious little plant include chickenwort, starweed, maruns, craches …

Is dandelion a friend or foe? A thing of beauty or a yard-blanketing beast? Well, it all depends on how you choose to look at it. If you consider it …

Springtime is my favorite time to forage. There’s an abundance of wild edibles growing this time of year. After a long winter of heavy, comfort foods, the woods and fields …

Eat this plant. It’s garlic mustard. Eat as much of it as you can. (This is where you imagine intense music playing in the background.) Um, okay, Tracey, sure, whatever …

Every winter, there comes the point where you bundle up tightly, head outdoors, and it hits you, right in the face – that little whiff of spring. Instead of bitter …

Raising perennial berry bushes on the homestead can take years of effort, often with minimal reward. A better option? Focus on foraging the wild fruit abundant in your region. Autumn …

Elderberries are one of my favorite fall-garden attractions. Where elders grow, the glossy, black berries on their reddish-pink stems are a definitive sight of the season. Here on our homestead, …

Rosehips are definitely one of the defining flavours of the fall. Yet many people are unaware that many rose bushes develop these useful hips (if they are given the chance …

Each spring, there comes a time when the new, green freshness of the season finally wears off, and the long hot days begin to take the notion of summer seriously. …

Elderflower is an ingredient with more potential than you may imagine. This common hedgerow find is often used to make a delicious seasonal cordial. But there are also plenty of …

You’ve got to love dandelions. They’re bright hey-look-at-me-yellow. You can often find these tough flowers growing up out of the cracks in the pavement in the middle of a city. …

Every gardener knows, without a doubt, that some of the most delicious and nutritious foods cannot be bought at any store. Though you can find them free for the taking, …

Nettles have long and interesting history dating as far back as the Bronze Age, where they were once used for food, medicine and fiber. Times have changed greatly since 2500 …

Have you seen our article, “25 Edible Wild Plants to Forage for In Early Spring”? Getting into foraging is a great way to supplement your diet with free, nutritious food. …

As the first signs of spring arrive, and winter fades into the rear view mirror, you will likely be busy planting many of the crops that will sustain you for …

In the forest, just before delicate spring buds at the ends of tentative branches begin to gently open, life on the forest floor is already awakening. You may even catch …

It is officially spring when little yellow flowers begin to pop up in the thousands, turning every lawn into a star-studded carpet worthy of applause. Not everyone thinks the same …

Healing herbs and wild medicines are all around us. They are to be found in meadows, forests, even our own backyards! And we should never underestimate their potential. Some of …