Foraging for Sustainable Futures

Foraging Illustration by Andi Craciun

What is Foraging?

 

Foraging is defined as the searching for and gathering of food from wild sources. Animals throughout the history of life on this planet have foraged for food, and humans for many centuries/millennia were no different. Many people know of the hunter/gatherer way of life of the early humans, but are likely less aware of the way that the latter half of the pair has persisted as a crucial part of human life and culture across the globe. So, why don’t people know about and practice it as much now? And what’s the significance of its recent resurgence?

 

A Highly Restrictive History

 

To answer the first question, particularly for North Americans, the short answer is colonialism, racism, and classism. The long answer has to do first with early European colonial perceptions of the North American continent and the practices of its Indigenous peoples. While the specifics of the practices are as far from monolithic as the peoples themselves, those indigenous to North America/Turtle Island have a long history of symbiotic stewardship practices that often include foraging. However, many European colonists regarded hunting and gathering (the latter especially) as “primitive” and “uncivilized”, and viewed the large swaths of unfarmed land as “wilderness”. The continual forced removal of groups from their ancestral lands to areas where they were less familiar with the land & species limited their ability to forage, and the later confinement to reservations with the Indian Removal Act of 1830 further inhibited this by banning hunting and foraging outside of reservation lands1. The misidentification of ‘not farmland’ as ‘untouched land’ combined with later understanding of the hazards of overdevelopment led to the development of a “hands off” approach to areas protected by the Parks service2. This effectively criminalized the gathering of food from publicly/government owned land.

 

Another force in the decline of foraging can be traced through the history of Black Americans. As enslaved individuals, it was not uncommon for African Americans to forage supplemental food from the land on and around the plantations they worked on, and post-emancipation selling foraged food was a common source of income1. However, to further suppress the Black community many Southern states began to implement restrictions on foraging rights and practices, forcing them to fund the plantations they’d just left in order to get food3.  Additionally, many states across the country changed trespassing from a civil to criminal offense2, thereby criminalizing the gathering of food from privately owned land (other than your own). But even though Black and Indigenous people could still forage on their own land, there were many laws in place that made it difficult for them to own land at all, let alone land with wild plants. Beyond this, Jim Crow era laws and redlining made it more difficult for Black people to access green outdoor spaces4, which further limited their ability to continue their foraging traditions.

foraging-trespassing-laws-against-Black-Americans
Trespassing Laws have a long history of being weaponized against Black and other historically disenfranchised Americans

The final piece has more to do with social perception and pressure rather than legal restrictions. As the 20th century continued, the culture that surrounded the booming industrial capital system made it increasingly unfashionable to be a “have-not”. As such, anything that associated one or their families with poverty or a lower socio-economic class was to be distanced from. With the popularity of supermarkets skyrocketing in the mid 1900s, accounting for ~70% of grocery sales in the US5, picking your own food from the land became uncouth. 

 

What’s Happening Now?

Foraging has been steadily on the rise again thanks to a number of factors: the spread of information on social media through influencers like Alexis Nikole (@blackforager), Gabrielle Cerberville (@chaoticforager), and Alan Bergo (@foragerchef); local and famous chefs touting unique flavors through foraged food; mass dissatisfaction with rising grocery prices; a resurgence of interest in ancestral knowledge and desire to save & connect to the environment; and people of color experiencing a growing interest and empowerment in sharing their knowledge and histories to name a few.

To expand on a couple of these points, foraging provides a useful and beneficial alternative to store-bought groceries. On the financial end of things, supplementing your diet with free and local food can reduce the cost of your grocery bills, even in the long term if gathered foods are stored and preserved correctly. From an environmental standpoint, foraging (if done properly) can be more sustainable than large-scale, for-profit farming, and cuts down on food transportation emissions by eating local. Additionally, foraging can help foster communal support systems, and encourages more people to spend time in green spaces. 

It is important to note however, that there are conditions to these benefits, and foraging can not be done thoughtlessly/carelessly, and needs to be done with a few things in mind.

 

Being ‘Wild’ Food Conscious – Identification Certainty

mock-vs-wild-strawberry
Mock Strawberry vs. Wild Strawberry, side by side. Find In Nature – mycology, fungi [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6iD367hxvc]

First and foremost is safety. Never eat things that you are not absolutely sure you know the identity of. For those who have seen Avatar: the Last Airbender think of Uncle Iroh being confused between the White Dragon and White Jade bushes. Many plants have look-alikes in the same genus or family, and while some missteps are ok (i.e. wild strawberries vs false strawberries), others are much more dangerous (i.e. chicken of the woods vs jack-o-lantern mushrooms). Always learn from a variety of sources & make sure you check every box on an identification checklist.

 

Be aware of history 

Secondly, it is important to keep in mind the history of these practices. Acknowledge where the knowledge to forage on the land you live on comes from, and go to these people & their writings as some of your resources. In particular, in the US, it might be a good idea to do some research on what Indigenous peoples have historic and current ties to the land you live on. For us in South Jersey, this is the Nanticoke and Lenni Lenape Nations6. As you learn about the plants in your area, keep in mind that some are important for and/or sacred to Indigenous communities and therefore should be harvested mindfully or left alone entirely. Additionally, it is important to understand that foraging is not just picking plants, but also a means of connecting to and caring for the land that you live on7. Ask permission (look at what barriers there are to picking) and always thank the plant/the earth in some way after.

 

Sustainable picking – for enviro & community 

On that note, when foraging it is important for both the environment and the community that you are responsible in your picking. This ranges from rules as simple as “never take more than you need” to the slightly more complex “never take more than the crop needs to survive”. On the simple end, it is a matter of courtesy. You are not the only one looking to use these plants as food. Other people and local animals rely on some of these plants for food and shelter, so be careful not to over-pick. Also, it is generally best, not to pick the first of something you find, in case it is the only one. On the more complicated end, your knowledge of the plants you are harvesting should go beyond identification. While you by no means need to be an expert on everything about the plant, some basic knowledge of its reproduction and growth process is important to ensure that the crop will be there in future seasons. 

 

Be aware of other properties 

It is also important to be aware of other properties the plants you’re foraging have because not all edible plants are created equal. Some plants that are not toxic may still cause problems for people with certain sensitivities, chronic illnesses, or if they are consumed incorrectly or in excessive quantities. For example, some plants are entirely edible (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds/fruits), while others are only edible in part. Alternatively, plants like Dandelions are edible, but are a diuretic (cause increased urine production), which may be a problem if consumed in large quantities, or for people that have existing kidney or urinary tract issues. Furthermore, many edible plants have medicinal uses as well, though they may need to be prepared/used differently to obtain these effects. 

 

“Eat your invasives”

Another benefit to knowing more than an ID for the species you gather is knowing what’s native and what’s invasive. Many native plants that are crucial to other members of the ecosystem may be in danger of being out-competed by invasives that don’t support the plants, animals, and fungi that rely on the native species. The good news is that plenty of invasive species are edible & pulling these species up can help dampen the population so that the native species can flourish. The aforementioned Alexis Nikole (@blackforager) on social platforms is fond of saying, “Eat your invasives, kids!” And she’s not alone, human consumption of problematic invasive species has been used to regulate plants and animals all over the world, including the Lionfish in the Caribbean and Greater Atlantic.  

fallingfruit.org-screen-new-jersey

Safety

It is important to be aware of your surroundings when foraging. This includes knowing how to identify harmful plants as well as edible ones (whether or not they have edible look-alikes), watching out for unstable footing (especially around rotten wood, sandy/loose soil, or wet rocks), and knowing what potential contaminants or hazards could be on top of the food you’re harvesting. Edible plants can grow beside harmful ones like poison ivy or oak, or the plants themselves may have protective measures that can harm you (i.e. thorns, burrs, photo-toxins: chemicals that can itch or burn when exposed to sunlight). Furthermore, plants out in the wild may be inhabited by bugs, urinated on by animals, or sprayed with pesticides depending on the area and time of year. Always clean what you pick/find, and keep tabs on where your neighbors or township may be spraying.


Laws – know where to forage & possible limitations

Finally, the laws mentioned at the beginning of this article have by and large not gone away3. Finding out what the local and federal laws are in your area are important to ensure that you forage safely, and are aware of both the regulations and your rights. New Jersey’s laws are still very strict in regards to state-owned parks and land8, but you can discuss foraging with other private landowners in your area, and many edible plants grow as volunteer species right in your own backyard. 

How To Get Started


Research: get to know the plants growing in your yard and general surrounding area

  • Get comfortable with proper identification (online & book resources (go to your local library!))
      • USDA PLANTS Database
      • Go Botany Native Plant Trust
      • inaturalist.org
      • Invasive Plant Atlas
      • Botany In A Day by Thomas J. Elpel
      • Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
      • Sam Thayer’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants
      • Mushrooming With Confidence by Alexander Schwab
      • Plant Identification Apps (do research for reliability)
      • https://fallingfruit.org/ (user-built urban foraging map)
  • Foraging Cookbooks (so you know what to do once you have the plants)
  • Storage & Preservation Methods (infusions, emulsions, salt-preserves, syrups, flours, etc.)
  • Vet your sources! Unfortunately there is a growing number of AI-“written” books with inaccurate drawings/pictures and misinformation
    • Walk Around: get outside and practice your identification skills (both with & without the help of apps & books)
    • Assess: take a look at your current diet and food purchasing/consumption habits and see where you can augment/supplement foraged food  
    • Plants Before Fungi: I love mushrooms as much as the next person (mb more), but mushroom identification is (with a few exceptions) tougher than plant IDs. Sometimes the main distinction between the species you are looking for and a problematic look-alike is a spore-print, which can take time & needs to be done correctly.
mushroom-spore-print
Spore Print Photo from North American Mycological Association

Beginner – Friendly IDs

These are some plants that are easy to identify and are likely to already be growing on your property. Info from the USDA Database9 & iNaturalist10

  • Common Dandelions:
    • Scientific Name: Taraxacum officionale
    • Native & Introduced in NJ
    • Active Growth in Spring & Fall
    • Perennial 
    • After Harvest Regrowth Rate: Moderate
    • Conspicuous, bright, yellow flowers
    • Flowers on single crown
    • Green, coarse leaves in sequential  triangular shapes
    • Grows low to the ground
    • Fruit/Seed Period: Spring-Summer
    • Propagated by Seed
    • Alerts: leaves are diuretic
    • Uses: Flowers can be made into tea, wine, or syrup, roots can be made into tea, leaves can be eaten raw in salads or used to supplement greens in cooked dishes 

Photo by Jeff McMillan – Almost Eden, from USDAPLANTS database
Dandelion Greens – Photo by Mox Engelman
  • Onion Grass/Wild Garlic
    • Scientific Name: Allium vineale
    • Invasive/Introduced
    • Active Growth in Spring & Early Summer
    • Perennial
    • Single main flower stem
    • No-few flowers, if present there is a small cluster on the upper end of the fruiting stalk of pinkish-purple color
    • Bulbils are yellow-brown
    • Leaves are slender, hollow tubes, highly fibrous
    • All parts of the plant smell like garlic, especially when broken or crushed
    • ~15-120 cm tall (whole plant)
    • Fruit/Seed Period: Summer
    • Propagated by Seed & Bulbils
    • Uses: Bulbs can be used in place of/addition to common garlic, leaves can be used in place of/addition to chives/green onion, can be used raw or cooked, fresh, or preserved through drying or salt-preserve 

 

flowering_wild_garlic
Flowering Wild Garlic – photo by William S. Justice – Smithsonian Institution,from USDA PLANTS database

allium wild garlic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Garlic Mustard
    • Scientific Name: Alliaria petiolata
    • Invasive/Introduced
    • Active Growth in Spring
    • Biennial
    • Small, white flowers, grown in clusters
    • Flowers have 4 petals in a cross arrangement
    • Vibrant green, triangular to heart-shaped leaves with wide, irregular toothing
    • Stems are smooth
    • Taproot smells of horseradish, leaves and stem smell of garlic when broken/crushed
    • ~30-100 cm tall
    • Fruit/Seed Period: Late Spring & Summer
    • Propagated by Seed (erect, slender, 4-sided capsule at top of mature plant)
    • Alerts: Leaves diuretic in large amounts, young first-year plants may be toxic
    • Uses: Leaves & young flowers have a garlicky, mustardy, spicy/sharp flavor that can be incorporated into salads, pestos, or anywhere greens are used, can be eaten cooked or raw

Flowering Garlic Mustard Flowering Garlic Mustard – G.A. Cooper – Smithsonian Institution, from USDA PLANTS database

 

  • Canadian Horseweed (aka Fleabane)
    • Scientific Name: Erigeron canadansis
    • Native
    • Active growth in late Spring/Summer
    • Annual
    • After Harvest Growth Rate: Slow
    • White/pale purple florets around yellow florets in dense clusters
    • Vibrant green, long, thin, coarsely toothed leaves
    • Grow in alternating spiral up the stem
    • Stem is fuzzy (sometimes sparsely), relatively thick
    • Grow up to ~5ft (~1.5 m)
    • Fruit/Seed Period: Late Summer/Fall
    • Propagated by Seed
    • Alerts: other genus lookalikes (most also edible), minor diuretic
    • Uses: Leaves are very peppery, can be used anywhere greens are used (but be prepared for a punch if using fresh), cooked/tinctured (in high-proof alcohol) leaves are sweeter and take on a rootbeery/Dr. Peppery flavor, crushed flowers have been used to ease rhinitis, stems can be used to start fires
Canadian-horseweed
Canadian Horseweed – photos by Mox Engelman

Final Thoughts

I hope this article gave you some interesting “food for thought” on the returning phenomenon of foraging, including its rich and complicated history, modern attributes, and safe & sustainable practices. Now that you are full of new information, take some time to digest, then go out and have fun! Just remember to wash all your new produce & check for hitchhikers. 

 

Other Resources

History & Regulations:

https://bangersandballs.co/foraging/freedom-to-forage-foraging-and-race/

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/wild-food-for-all

https://sustainableamerica.org/blog/foraging-inside-the-modern-resurgence-of-ancient-art/

Sources

1 Abbas, H. (2022, May 5). Decolonizing foraging: Amplifying black & indigenous knowledge. Medium. https://faithfullysustainable.medium.com/decolonizing-foraging-amplifying-black-indigenous-knowledge-69c86f72817a 

2 Nikole, A. (2024, February 12). Alexis Nikole 🌾🍀 on Instagram: “how the U.S. forgot our food – a short visual essay.” Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/blackforager/reel/C3RUXvkLrR8/ 

3 Linnekin, B. J. (2018). Food law gone wild: The law of foraging. Fordham Urban Law Journal. https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2740&context=ulj/ 

4 Douglas, J. (2023, December 18). The racism of anti-foraging laws. The Wild Grocery. https://www.thewildgrocery.com/p/the-racism-of-anti-foraging-laws

5 Macfadyen, T. (2024, May 1). The rise of the supermarket. AMERICAN HERITAGE. https://www.americanheritage.com/rise-supermarket

6About the Nanticoke lenni-lenape. Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Nation of South Jersey. (n.d.). https://www.nlltribalnation.org/14-2/118-2/ 

7 Hoff, K. (2022, July 28). An introduction to responsible foraging. NATIFS. https://natifs.org/blog/an-introduction-to-responsible-foraging/ 

8 NJDEP-N.J.A.C. 7:2, State Park SERIVCE code, as … – nj.gov. (n.d.). https://www.nj.gov/dep/njstateparkpolice/docs/Park%20Statutes.pdf 

9USDA plants database. (n.d.). https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home 

10INaturalist. iNaturalist. (n.d.). https://www.inaturalist.org/ 

 

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