Thursday, April 24, 2014

Foraging for Food







When I look forward twenty years, one of the things I hope to have passed on to Reece is a deep connection and love, with and for nature. Our time together exploring in the woods is so very special to me, and while I pass on my love of nature, I am continually surprised at the things he brings to my attention, and in turn, teaches me while we are out there.

Every Wednesday in our home is nature adventure day. Sometimes we head into the woods with friends; hiking, climbing trees, looking at fairy houses, feeding birds and exploring together. Other times it is just Reece and I, finding our way through the tall trees, often hand in hand, deepening our connection not only to nature, but to each other. These days are so soul filling for me, and although Reece doesn't explain it that way, I can tell by the smile on his face and the look in his eyes, that it is the same for him.

Yesterday we headed to the trail by my parents place, a trail I spent many hours exploring as a child. On Sunday, after Easter dinner my parents, my brother and his family and Justin, Reece and I enjoyed a lovely walk on the same trail, and while walking and chatting I spied some wild ramps. With that spy I knew exactly where Reece and I were headed on our nature walk this week.

While the ramps are not totally ready for harvesting, we did harvest just enough for dinner last night, and I brought home a few trout lily leaves to enjoy in a salad today. We also spotted some fiddle heads just starting to peek through the ground. It is an exciting time in the woods right now, so much is coming to life and yesterday my little man and I witnessed it first hand. We carefully walked so we didn't trample any plants, we gingerly removed leaves from the wild ramps and trout lilies and we offered our gratitude, both to the plants and the earth, for the wonderful food it provided for us.

I am reminded, on days like yesterday, that I often receive so much more from nature than I give, more than I can possibly repay. So my hope is that I might instill in my little man, both love and gratitude for this beautiful planet we call home, and that one day he might share this same love and gratitude with someone in his life.

Joining Country Kids

27 comments:

  1. Mother Nature....there is nothing better. Enjoy. xxoo

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  2. Another beautiful post, my friend. One day, when we are blessed to be able to be in the same space together, you must teach me about foraging for food in the woods. It's something that I don't know about but would love to learn! xo

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    1. Thank you Shel. And I would love to. How much fun would that be, you and your girls and me and Reece in the woods together...good times for sure. One day we will make it happen. xo

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  3. I don't think there's any doubt but that you're passing that on to Reece, it shines through in all your photos and words. And I think you have the most appropriate, perfect for what you do, blog name of any blog I've ever come across! Lovely thought that Reece will continue the sharing and connecting. To me, that's the kind of thought that gives sense and purpose to our lives more than anything else.

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    1. You are going to make me cry, thank you for those lovely words, they mean a lot. xo

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  4. foraging is so fun. What a fantastic skill to pass on to Reece!

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    1. It is. And we had a great time yesterday.

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  5. How fun to forage! I love it! The best thing I ever found was an old brambled blackberry vine bursting with berries in the center of town behind a gym....no one knew about it. I don't know if that is foraging...but....it was still cool. ; )

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    1. It sure it and we love it too! We have a little blackberry spot that we go to each year, so looking forward to those lovely berries in August.

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  6. I miss foraging for edibles. That was one of my favorite parts about France. I miss the nettles. I need to learn more about the wild edibles here. There are lots of them if you know where to look and how to gather them.

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    1. I am sure there are tons KC, just need to get that field guide out :)

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  7. I think it is really wonderful that you strive to instill the importance of the natural world with Reece. It is so important to realize that if we take care of Mother Earth she in turn will take care of us. My husband and I work hard to instill those same values and it isn't always easy with our lifestyle but I am happy to say that I am raising girls and a boy that would much rather explore trails, woods, and the natural world than be indoors. I would love to learn more about wild edibles. Any book suggestions?

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    1. That is awesome Kathleen. I love that Reece is comfortable in the woods and enjoys being out there.

      Books....Newcombs Wildflower Guide (this is great for general identification of any wild plant), Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs, and The Foragers Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting and Preparing Edible Wild Plants (great resource). Hope that helps.

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    2. Thank you! I will be sure to check these books out!

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  8. I wouldn't know where to start foraging foods like this, I think I know what wild garlic looks like, but I think I would stick to growing things I know are safe to eat! Looks like fun though.

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    1. Yes, you definitely need to be careful, but once you know what everything looks like it is pretty easy to identify what you can and can't eat. And our rule is, if we don't know for sure we don't eat it :)

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  9. The lifestyle that i really want to adopt. Thanks for sharing your day. #countrykids

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    1. Happy to share. Now get yourself a field guide and get out there :)

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  10. I do envy your foraging skills and knowledge and it's great to hear that you are passing that onto Reece along with an appreciation for nature and the world around us. It's a great opportunity to spend some quality time together too, thanks for linking up and sharing with Country Kids.

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    1. We love our time together in nature, we both feel so at home there and always feel wonderful after returning from time spent in the woods.

      Thanks for hosting :)

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  11. Ooh - is that wild garlic? We forage for loads of that and love it is a leek risotto.

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    1. We call them wild leeks here, and I agree, so delicious however you cook it up. Enjoy your harvest.

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  12. I wouldn't even know where to begin in terms of foraging, but it's great that your little boy is learning all your skills and you get to enjoy the great outdoors. Lovely post #countrykids

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    1. I didn't either when I started, you learn as you go. Thanks for stopping by.

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  13. What a lovely thing to pass onto your boy. I remember foraging with my Grandparents when I was little, lots of fun :) x

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    1. Thank you. What a lovely memory to have, I can imagine that was wonderful.

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