The
Wild Foodies of Philly
In
search of the food beneath our feet!
WELCOME! COMMENTS, CAUTIONS, & TIPS!
“Re-wilding” is about learning to live with nature, again.
We need a massive "public information" and "academic education" campaign. We have an inherent right and a fundamental need to know about our wild world. It contains fantastic natural resources for food, fiber, medicine, and much more that have been cherished by many cultures for thousands of years. Yet, for many, that life-sustaining knowledge has been lost. It is our aim to educate ourselves and others about the uses of wild plants in our region, both native and non-native. During this process, it is important to keep an open mind because there are always new things to learn. It is also a good habit to refer to multiple sources of information and to keep a notebook. No one source contains all the information on wild edibles, and some information can be incorrect. Certain plants have been called 'poisonous' when only specific parts are, or they need special preparation in order to become edible, or they are for medicinal use only. Rather than rely solely on foraging, we also encourage you to grow wild plants yourself so they can be close at hand. Many wild edibles can grow anywhere - in yards, planters, and pots. So, welcome to our community and enjoy learning about our WILD WORLD OF PLANTS!
MEETUP RULES:
These tours are “walking-lectures”, so it’s necessary to establish some rules so that the tour is a success for all participants.
Wild Foodies tours are "educational only" - no foraging and no tasting for safety and liability reasons. Plus, many parks don't allow foraging of any kind, anyway.
Tour guides have various levels of knowledge and we do not certify anyone. It is up to everyone to do their own "due diligence" before eating a wild edible.
Attendees must be 16+ and no dogs unless otherwise invited by the tour host. (We do sometimes host private tours, so contact us if you would like to schedule one.)
If you signup, please show-up, otherwise it isn't fair to those on the waitlist.
Please be on time and keep up with the tour guide, as lagging behind slows down the entire tour.
When the tour guide is talking, please no talking or side conversations, as it can be very distracting.
Please don't use bug 'spray' (natural or not) as it can affect those around you, but feel free to apply it directly to your skin or clothes.
There is a lot of information on WildFoodies.org, so don't worry about taking notes.
WHY WILD FOODS?
BEST PRACTICES & SOME CONTROVERSIES:
Respect - All wild plants have a 'purpose' in the ecosystem and it is our job to respect that purpose and understand what it is.
Due your own "Due Diligence" - Don't trust any once source for plant information; consult many.
Keep an Open Mind - We're constantly learning new things about our wild world, which is always evolving anyway.
Consideration - The 1/3 Rule is common practice by most foragers to refrain from harvesting more than 1/3 of any one plant or patch, although that could be too much. For berries on a tree or bush, I would take 1/4 at most. And when it comes to plantains, I only take one leaf. Err on the side of caution. Make an effort to learn about what plants are endangered and do your part to restore stands of threatened or endangered plants. United Plant Savers does important work on these issues: https://unitedplantsavers.org
Common Names vs Latin - As we work to identify and share knowledge about wild foods, using Latin names can really confuse people and create a barrier to learning. That said, we recognize that plants can be called by several names, so use Latin if there is confusion.
Public Parks & Private Lands - It is illegal to forage on property that is not your own, unless otherwise posted. Some parks allow you to forage for your own personal needs. The Wild Foodies of Philly use public parks to learn to identify wild edibles, only, not to forage, eat, or dig up. Plus, some parks still use toxic chemicals. The best thing to do is to obtain or purchase wild edible plants for your own yard or container garden. Also, you can volunteer in many parks' weed removal programs, which can be a great opportunity to forage for wild edibles.
Non-Native Plants: "Invasive Species Or Evolving Ecosystems?
"KNOW AND GO SLOW" -
GENERAL
TIPS ON FORAGING, PRESERVATION, PREPARATION, ETC:
ADDITIONAL CAUTIONS:
CHILDREN
- Take particular care with young children and teach them not to consume any
plant without a knowledgeable adult present, as children are far less likely
to understand which plants or plant parts may be toxic.
CONTAMINATED AREAS
- Avoid certain areas, such as next to roads, train tracks, former industrial
areas, vacant lots, etc.. Lead contamination from cars and house paint (used
in houses built prior to 1970) can make plants taste sweeter. If you want to
grow plants for food, have the soil tested. Visit: http://www.wildfoodies.org/MISC.htm.
If soil is contaminated, there are plants that can remediate the soil over
time. Otherwise, purchase organic soil with as few additives as possible.
NATURAL LATEX - If a plant
(dandelions, milkweed, wild lettuce, sow thistle, etc.) leeches a
milky substance, latex, then take additional precautions because some people are
highly allergic to latex and this can
result in anaphylactic shock.
FINE STINGING HAIRS
– Wear gloves for plants that have fine stinging hairs, such as
stinging
nettle and wood nettle which can be treated
with plantain and/or jewelweed, and
prickly pear whose fine hairs must be removed
with tweezers.
OXALIC ACID
- Too much oxalic acid, such as in cultivated spinach, is said to interfere
with the processing of calcium in the body and can contribute to kidney stones
for those that are prone. However, the U.S. National Institutes of Health
have determined that the negative effects of oxalic acid are generally of
little or no nutritional consequence in persons who eat a variety of foods.
Others suggest cooking mitigates the issue.
GASSY ROOTS
- Any root plant that
contains inulin (Jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke, sunflower, burdock root, dandelion root, chicory
root, and thistle root) can give you flatulence. Therefore, it is strongly
advised to soak the roots for 24 hours, replacing the water after the first 12
hours. If that doesn't work, your can try pickling these roots with vinegar.
MOLD
- Avoid plants whose green parts have turned color -- dark or white,
particularly if conditions have turned very humid or wet.
POISONOUS V INEDIBLE PLANTS
- There is a difference between inedible and poisonous. Inedible usually
means that a food or plant is too foul tasting to be used for food, although
some supposedly inedible berries, are actually edible if used minimally or
with other ingredients.
Poisonous means that the plant could make a person ill, sometimes fatally. Many
poisonous plants still have edible parts, or some of the poisonous parts can
be used medicinally.
Learn about poisonous plants on the following page or at
http://www.wildfoodies.org/PoisonousPlants.docx
These Comments, Cautions, and Tips are to assist you in learning about our Wild World of Plants. Forage On, With Care!