WILD FOOD WORKSHOP
Spring is in the air and plants are springing back with fresh new growth. For the March Global Gardens supper we celebrated the arrival of spring with a focus on WILD and FORAGED FOOD.
In preparation for the supper, Vaida and Poppy harvested some wild garlic and nettles from the Coed Hills Rural Artspace.
We also spoke a little bit about the benefits and ethics of foraging wild food.
Here are some of the key things you need to know if you want to forage wild foods...
Make sure you identify the plant, fungus or seaweed you are gathering.
Do not gather produce from any areas that have been sprayed with insecticide or herbicide.
Avoid areas near busy roads that may have been contaminated by car exhausts.
Never strip a plant of berries or leaves.
Do not take more than for your own needs.
Always make sure there is a plentiful supply left for birds and other foragers. The plant shouldn’t look as if it has been harvested.
Never dig up the plant –this is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Be careful not to damage other vegetation.
Do not harvest the seeds or flowers of annuals (otherwise they will not be able to reproduce!)
Adhere to the code of conduct by the Botanical Society of the British Isles.
To find out more we highly recommend the following resources:
'Food for Free' by Richard Mabey
'The Thrifty Forager' by Alys Fowler
The River Cottage 'Hedgerow Handbook' by John Wright
'Hedgerow Medicine' by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal
The Rhizome Clinic also offer brilliant talks and workshops on wild food and wild medicine.
Foraging through the year
Here is a little list of some delicious foods you can forage around South Wales.
Wild rose flowers