The art and craft of foraging
WILDNESS JUL | AUG 2014
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: GREEN DEANE Why Forage? Green Deane the most watched forager in the world, shares why.
MILKWEED A Field Study by JJ Murphy
HIDDEN FRUITS Part 2 by Merriwether Lewis
FEATURES Green Deane shares his thoughts on foraging. A field study on Milk Weed. Hidden Fruits (Part 2). Mugwort. Fig Leaf Ice Cream Recipe. Fishing.
3
4, 6
8
EDITORS NOTE
WHY FORAGE? By world renown forager Green Deane.
MILKWEED: A Field Study by JJ Murphy
10
12
14
FIGS Featuring a Fig Leaf Ice Cream Recipe
HIDDEN FRUITS By Merriwether Lewis
A DAY AT THE BEACH Fishing With Kirk Lombard by DE Pier
16
18
DREAM A LITTLE DREAM Mugwort ‘The Dream Herb’
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
NEVER EAT A PLANT UNLESS YOU ARE 100 PERCENT SURE OF ITS IDENTITY, AND CHECK WITH EXPERT SOURCES BEFORE CONSUMING ANY PLANTS THAT ARE NEW.
CONTENT
I“ n Wildness is the preservation of the World.”
Editor and Photography Heather Pier Publisher The Wild Raspberry Contributing Articles Green Deane, JJ Murphy, Merriwether Lewis, DE Pier Design Peggy Nelsen Design www.peggynelsendesign.com WILDNESS: wildnessmagazine@gmail.com www.facebook.com/groups/WildnessMagazine/ WildnessMagazine@groups.facebook.com
© 2014 The Wild Raspberry. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2
WILDNESS
- Henry David Thoreau
Summertime, and the Livin’ is Easy A long and tough winter is over, spring is finishing up, and summer stretches before us. I remember living in Montana and realizing that one of the reasons that we endured the very long, cold and dark winter there was the spectacular 12 weeks of summer that followed. The days were long and you breathed in and relished every glorious minute. A hot day was 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Now I live in California, where the summer can last more than 6 months. Today, during this first week of June, the temperature hung around 110°. It’s the start of fruit season here, with purple stained fingers and lots of activity in the kitchen. I realize that our area may be a little bit ahead of the rest of the country. I spoke with a friend on the East Coast and she mentioned that her elder trees were just starting to bloom, while I picked a bag of the juicy berries last week. But that’s the nice thing about having a magazine that you can print out and save. You don’t have to bookmark sites and hope that you remember them when you need them. You can take it out to the field with you or even read it in bed. The publication is meant to give ideas, to help you become more confident in ability to forage and feed your family, whether it’s just for fun, for greater nutrition, because you’re experiencing hard times, or you believe that they are headed this way. We hope that you read the contributor’s articles and check out their sites. They work hard (and for free so far) to bring you relevant and interesting viewpoints about foraging. That really is a big part of the reason that this magazine exists. We’d like you to get a taste of who they are, what they do and what they have to offer. Because usually, even though you’re only reading an article or two from them in this magazine, their websites, or their books, or their blogs are packed with information. In this issue alone, we have foragers that have over 200 years of combined foraging experience. They’ve worked to gain a tremendous amount of knowledge and they are happy to share and hopefully, to make the journey easier for you. Here at ‘Wildness’ we hope you enjoy your summer and the bounty that it has to offer. Heather Pier JUL | AUG 2014
3
Why Forage?
Green Deane
There are several answers from the practical to the philosophical. Thus the value of foraging might, like beauty, lie in the personal eye of the beholder.
Regardless of why one forages now man has been doing it for a long time. “Foraging” itself originally meant finding food for kept animals such as horses and cattle. Roman armies on the move first foraged for livestock but later on “foraged” for themselves as well. No matter what it was called in various languages there was a time when everyone foraged. Even after the agricultural revolution nearly everyone foraged and did so into modern times. Most of us have grandparents or great grand parents who foraged as part of their daily life. While foraging is certainly estranged from most peoples’ lives distinct groups still forage from interested city dwellers to aboriginals.
Green Deane in the field - Photo credit: Green Deane
4
WILDNESS
The most common reason modern people give for foraging is more independence from established food supplies, or not wanting to support current food suppliers. This can range from the opinion that society is going to fall apart to wanting to be part of an alternative food source that reduces the influence of big agriculture. No matter where one lands on that controversial spectrum the goal is similar, less dependence on others for food. That is doable. I know several people who manage in their busy lives of work and raising a family to get a third of their plant food from foraging. Selection is another reason to forage. Adding wild foods to the home (or even restaurant) menu adds more tastes and textures. While the numbers vary slightly depending upon which expert you consult there are perhaps twelve dozen commercial species out of thousands of edible species. And of those one or two dozen species comprise most of everyone’s diet. In many homes perhaps only a half a dozen or less species are actually eaten regularly. The reduction of edible species in the diet was not linear. Many “wild” food were once cultivated or still are in some areas of the world. Purslane and sow thistles are two good examples, the former sold in many places outside of the United States and the latter a common food crop before modern times. Sometimes a cultivated food falls out of favor and becomes a weed such as crabgrass. In less than a century crabgrass went from an important food crop for man and beast to a million-dollar pest. (It stands out among longerlived lawn grass precisely because it is seasonal.)
Blackberries - Photo by Green Deane
One recent reason for foraging is nutrition. Eating for nutrition is only about half-a-century old, an innovation (some would say a bad invention) of the latter half of the 1900s. Governmental hearings in the 1970’s put food on the nutritional radar. Our ancestors, however, did not eat for nutrition (they also got along nicely without botanists as well.) Our ancestors ate whole food usually directly from the source and nearly everyone ate at home. Now most food is processed by someone else and most food is not eaten at home, at least in western countries. Regardless where one stands on the nutritional issue wild plants tend to have more nutrition than their cultivated counterparts. This is because they have to fend for themselves whereas cultivated crops are essentially pampered. Wild food plants have to contend with insect and fungi on their own. They also cope with the lack of fertilizer or water or sun. Plants, which are solar-operated chemical factories, often fight back or cope with these challenges with chemicals we call
beneficial antioxidants, phytochemicals and phenoles. I would also be remiss if I did not mention that there can be good, reliable medicinal uses of wild plants as well. Not all foraging is for food. Wild food is almost by definition also fresher, at its peak of goodness. Storage and transportation is minimal. Wild foods are simply handled less. When you harvest a wild food yourself there’s no chain of contamination between you and the food. Other food is handled by countless other people and machines. An apple you pick yourself off a wild tree is far less handled and exposed to this and that than one in plastic in the grocery story. A lot of folks also like wild foods for what they have not have done to them. They are not treated with various pesticides, herbicides, hormones, fertilizers or radiation. They are not genetically modified by man. With wild food there’s no chemist in the kitchen concocting additives to be later withdrawn as incompatible with life.
Continued on page 6. JUL | AUG 2014
5
continued from page 5
Why Forage? While “getting outside” is often viewed as one of the philosophical aspects of foraging — back to nature and all that — there is a practical side. First there is exercise: The walking, bending, digging, lifting, and other movements of finding, harvesting, and preparing. It’s physical activity that is in keeping with our bodily history. It’s good for us. Then there is getting out in the sun. There is a direct correlation between deadly skin cancer and LESS sunlight. As one moves from the equator north or south the rates of cutaneous malignant melanoma — one of the most deadliest forms of cancer — increases. The more sun one gets, without burning, the more vitamin D, a proto-hormone we make. Research shows the more sun we gets the less prostate cancer,
Green Deane in the field - Photo credit: Green Deane
6
WILDNESS
lung cancer, colorectal cancer, leukemia, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and lymphoid cancers we get. The trade off can be an increase in minor skin cancers. Will I trade an increase in an easily-removed skin cancer for reducing my chances of pancreatic cancer or lung cancer? Does one really have to think about that? (As a side light I have often mused that one reason why men go bald is so they can optimize sun exposure to optimize vitamin D production when they need it.) Some have expressed concern that foraging can be damaging to the environment. In the extreme, if all seven billion of us foraged the planet would certainly be damaged. Experts estimate that without agriculture Earth can support only a million foragers (hunter/gatherer’s if you prefer.) Like it or not if what humanity is alive today wants to stay alive there has to be some form of agriculture. Fortunately only an extreme minority of people are interested in foraging thus while the elements of a problem exist they haven’t turned into significant one. Most contemporary news reports of environmental damage by foragers is more a reflection of journalistic ignorance than factual reporting. For example recent stories that a state park had been depleted of mushrooms and therefore recklessly “damaged” failed to mention that harvesting mushrooms is like picking apples off a tree. You may indeed pick all the apples off a tree but that is what the tree wants you to do and when you have it is still quite alive and as happy as a tree can be. Clearly botanical facts rarely make it through reportorial agendas.
And one must admit that those who’s job is to purportedly protect the “environment” often damage it in being protective. I am not sure where the notion arose that protecting or helping a given area means leaving it totally alone. In the state where I live protecting the environment includes not letting people harvest invasive species that threaten the protected area. Indeed, if you take an invasive species home to eat — thus removing it from the environment — you can be prosecuted in this state. Some people may be a threat to the environment but bureaucracy can be a far greater threat. An alternative view is that by eating what are in many areas invasive weeds one is actually managing resources better, helping the environment, and doing one’s civic duty. Getting government (non-foragers) to understand that can be a challenge. Unfortunately one reason why people forage — to avoid certain environmental chemicals — can also expose foragers to the chemicals of pollution. It is the major problem of foraging, and far worse than learning to identify edibles. Learning identification is not difficult. Without trying we can all tell a cat from fox and a fox from a dog. It’s the same with edible wild plants. We can safely learn that. The greater challenge is trying to figure out if the local land or water is wholesome. Foraging make pollution personal. It’s a strong motivator to help make the environment better.
Green Deane in the field - Photo credit: Green Deane
When one considers all of the reasons to forage they are positive, even the pollution: More independence, more choices, better nutrition, and more people wanting a better environment. Ignoring the environment does not work. Hands totally off does not work well. Managing the environment does work, for foragers, and Mother Nature. And perhaps that is the best reason of all to forage. W
JUL | AUG 2014
7
Milkweed
A Field Study by JJ Murphy (Asclepias syriaca) and dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) are often found with overlapping distribution. Studying a plant in all seasons provides a valuable opportunity to note similarities and differences in the size and shape of the leaves, and familiarity with both species will allow for readily visible distinction in the field. It’s important to differentiate between the two species, dogbane is not edible. I attended a foraging workshop with Sam Thayer years ago. His ability to articulate the subtle differences between these two look-alikes made it much easier for me to arrive at a positive ID every time. Here are some basic field identifiers: Milkweed has fine hairs on the stem and leaf bottom. Dogbane stem and leaf surfaces are smooth. Milkweed has few, if any buds on its leaf axils. Dogbane has many leaf axils with buds. Milkweed leaves do not squeak when rubbed together. Dogbane leaves squeak when rubbed together. Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Milkweed leaves are smaller ascending the stalk, larger lower on the stalk. Dogbane leaves are slightly larger ascending the stalk, smaller at base. Milkweed stalks are hollow and green inside. Dogbane stalks are solid and white or cream inside.
8
WILDNESS
Milkweed stalks are slightly squared in cross section. Dogbane stalks are round in cross section. Milkweed exudes lots of milky latex sap. Dogbane exudes a little bit of milky latex sap.
The only way to learn field characteristics is to spend time in the field, note details of the plant, fungus or animal and consult many experts for references to these details. Sometimes the pursuit results in an identification. Often, it’s like being a detective, with the answer revealed months or years later. As knowledge is gained and information updated, many ideas once thought to be true are now considered false. Distinguishing milkweed from dogbane has moved milkweed from inedible to edible for many foragers. W
Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)
Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
JUL | AUG 2014
9
Figs
Ficus carica
Figs trees (Ficus carica) have been cultivated for several thousand years. As burgeoning agriculturists, we liked them. The trees were easy to grow and produced copiously. The fruit is sweet, dries easily, and once dried, it travels well. If you have spent time in the Middle East, you’ve probably seen figs that rival a grapefruit in size. When the first settlers brought fig cuttings and stuck them into the ground in this brave New World, I’m sure they had no idea just how successful those trees would become. Indeed, if you happen to live anywhere in the United States with a Mediterranean climate, or just a place with long hot summers, there are probably fig trees near you. Mammals and birds disperse the seeds plentifully and you cannot drive a back road in many places without seeing the familiar bold leaves of the fig tree.
While visiting South Africa, I noticed that fig was often used in cooking. Local cooks incorporate not just the fruit, which is what Westerners tend to use, but the leaves into dishes as well. Tough, older leaves are used to add flavor to rice and other dishes. Tender leaves are used as wraps for meats and vegetables. I remember sipping a frosty homemade alcoholic drink that reminded me of crème de menthe and was colored by the leaves. A quick internet search will show you many ways to use both the fruit and the leaves in your cooking magic. A nibble of the raw leaf will leave a very distinct toasted coconut flavor. I really love coconut, but don’t have coconut palms around me, so I’ve been playing with ways to bring out that exotic flavor. This ice cream is a wonderful way to enjoy the creamy exotic flavor of the fig leaf. Fig tree (Ficus carica)
10
WILDNESS
Fig Leaf Ice Cream 1 cup whole milk ¾ cup granulated sugar 2 cups heavy cream Pinch of salt 6 egg yolk 4-5 fig leaves (Ficus carica) finely chopped Warm the milk, sugar, heavy cream and the salt in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to steam and bubble around the edges of the pan. Add chopped fig leaves. Cover, remove from the heat and let steep in the refrigerator overnight.
Strain the cream mixture through cheesecloth, and return to saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring back up to heat. Don’t let the mixture boil, just hot enough to begin to bubble at the edges of the pan. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly pour several tablespoons of the warmed mixture into the egg yolks to temper them, whisking constantly. Scrape the egg mixture back into the saucepan and stir thoroughly. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a rubber spatula, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula, a few minutes, until temperature is 165-170 degrees Fahrenheit. Place in refrigerator to chill. Place the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. W
JUL | AUG 2014
11
Hidden Fruits
Merriwether Lewis
Welcome, friend, to views of foraging from another angle. We all know the nutritional bonuses of wild foods and the exercise we get in collecting it. Foragers are a healthy lot, by nature. But you know what? It’s even better for you that you realize. Come learn how you are helping your mind, body, and spirit as you walk the forager’s path. Come learn the hidden fruits of your passion. The Earth is Flat and That’s a Problem. When was the last time you had to pay attention to your step? When was the last time you couldn’t walk on autopilot? We have rendered our world flat and benign. Just about everywhere we go is
level, safe, and hazard-free for our feet. Walking no longer requires observation, strength, or sense of balance. We flattened our world to make life easier not realizing how this hurts us. We did not evolve on flat surfaces. Nature is fractal starting with the biggest mountains down to the smallest anthill. Our ancestors roamed across uneven terrain, loose scree, mud, sand, slippery leaves, and any number of hazards just waiting to break an ankle and turn us into wolf chow. Walking in nature requires a high level of attention, balance, and core muscle strength. Not surprising, focusing on these three attributes has been found to be crucial for a healthy old age. As a person ages the parts of their inner ear responsible for balance weaken and begin to fail. Coupling this problem generally weaker muscle tone and inattention leads to crippling or fatal falls in the elderly. A study by George F. Fuller, COL, MC, in 2000 for the White House Medical Clinic in Washington, D.C. found that 70% of the accidental deaths of people 75 and older was due to a fall. So what does this have to do with foraging? Well, if you are foraging often then you are often back in our native, unflattened world. You are off the path, in the wild, walking (and occasionally running!) on the same uneven terrain that our ancestors were 10,000 years ago. Your brain is assessing where your feet are going while your leg and torso muscles are staining to keep you upright. This constant brain and body challenge is amazingly good for you.
Photo credit: Merriwether Lewis
12
WILDNESS
Sure, there are exercises you can do to help with balance and core strength. Yoga is great but even just balancing on one foot whenever you are waiting in line helps a lot. Sidenote: one-foot
balancing gives you a real workout in an elevator and also gives you an interesting topic of conversation with fellow riders. Walking, running, and even dancing on uneven surfaces has been considered a key to long physical and mental health in China. Western science has come to this same conclusion in a study in 2005 by the Oregon Research Institute that has led a number of architects to incorporate uneven flooring in their designs to force people to reactivate their primate mobility skills. Not only did such an obstacle-laden path lead to improved muscles and balance but also reduced blood pressure. Please note, if you are getting up their in age you should consult with your doctor before trying to go off the beaten path. They have special tests that can determine both your risk of falling and how badly a fall may injure you. Quite frankly, this Hidden Fruit is for the young and recently young.
The more time you spend off the flattened Earth and walking in the wild the healthy and more stable you will be in your twilight years. If you can snag some wild berries at the same you are that much more rewarded! Coming up next issue: The surprising way foraging prepares you for disaster. W
References: http://matthewhague.com/2013/01/31/why-uneven-floors-might-be-a-good-thing/ http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2012/01/16/restoring_balance_in_old_age/
Photo credit: Merriwether Lewis
JUL | AUG 2014
13
A Day at the Beach DE Pier
I’ve caught all manner of things on a fish rod. I’ve caught fish of course. Occasionally, by accident, sea gulls. Once I even caught a ground squirrel (it’s a long story). But never a crab. Well, I still haven’t caught one, but I know it is possible. And now, I know how to do it.
A day at the beach (okay, San Francisco Bay) with Kirk Lombard (www.seaforager.com) is an absolute wealth of information for fish nerds. Or for foragers. Or anglers. You will be introduced to the incredible bounty of what the ocean has to offer in the way of edible organisms which are readily obtainable. Kirk discusses what you might find there, how to harvest it, where to find it. And just as important, especially for the beginning sea forager, he teaches you when to find it there. The biology involved is critical for where and when to find them, as well as avoiding red tides. First off, what is in there? Well crabs, just for starters. Red crabs, rock crabs, Dungeness crabs (which are illegal in the bay, but not outside). And Kirk teaches you how to catch them, including how to make a crab snare which attaches to the aforementioned fish rod, or crab traps which come in several designs (and seem to attract Sea Lions). Or just poking through the tide pools. Kirk discusses mussels and limpets, plus guidelines on how to harvest them safely and responsibly; Monkey Faced Eels (which is not an eel at all, but instead a stickleback (Cebidichthys violaceus), for which Kirk holds the state record. He talks about Rockfish, in all its bewildering species and Striped Bass, Halibut, Grunion, Herring, Smelt, Sardines, clams, and on and on and on.
14
WILDNESS
Kirk includes a long, seemingly endless list of common and obscure species which are readily available to a forager with a little information, and the simplest of gear. The guy is a walking, talking encyclopedia of marine life and biology for the Bay/Ocean environment. A former Fisheries Technician for the State of California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife,
Kirk bringing in a crab snare
Crab snare
Demonstrating a throw net
Stickleback (Cebidichthys violaceus)
he is a lifelong angler who combines his passion for fishing with a seafood delivery business, and fascinating educational tours of the marine ecosystem and responsible harvest.
about which organisms to avoid, due to possible toxins. All of this was in addition to the stationary organisms, and how to harvest them (limpets, clams, sea weed, and crabs).
I have spent a lifetime in the pursuit and study of fish. As an angler, diver, fishing guide, commercial fisherman and Fisheries Technician, I like to think I know a few things about fish. But there is nothing like another expert to point out the inadequacies and shortcomings of one’s knowledge. And Kirk is so straightforward and accomplished at sharing his insights and expertise regarding the aquatic world; I felt I had struck a gold mine. A thousand questions were posed by our group, and deftly explained and answered by our host. He entertained in-depth conversations of the habitat, history, geology, regulations and the ethics of harvesting. He shared his knowledge of which species of sea bird indicates fish and which tides are most productive. He taught us which time of day fish are most actively feeding. He gave us information
Throughout the day, as each new facet was explained and revealed, I felt my professional knowledge expanding. The intellectual satisfaction is tremendous. Not just for the angler, but the casual collector as well. A universe of possibilities is opened up, with the universal regret: So many fish, so little time. W
JUL | AUG 2014
15
Dream a Little Dream The genus Artemisia is a group of silvery, aromatic perennials, more than one of which is of interest to herbalists and foragers. The most famous Artemisia was used to make the artists favorite drink Absinthe, also known as ‘The Green Fairy’. The history of Absinthe is fascinating and if you have an interest, I’d recommend watching the short film ‘Absinthe, The Documentary’. It’s free and can be found here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/258227 But absinthe wasn’t the first drink derived from the Artemisia family. Polluted water isn’t just a modern problem. Early in the history of Europeans, no one really gave much thought to sanitation. People bathed in streams, threw dead bodies into rivers and used water as a carry-away for latrine effluent. Although we didn’t know what germs were, water was certainly suspected of carrying illness and disease. Because of the water quality, most people didn’t drink plain water, a tradition that still continues in many parts of the world today. Instead, they drank a variety of herbal beers and wines to quench their thirst. The beers were not todays pale ales by any means. They were dark, bitter brews, and not something that you sat and drank a 6-pack of while watching the big game. As a food ingredient, mugwort has been used in many cultures; Japanese, Chinese and Koreans use the herb as a flavoring, including in desserts. It was used as a protection herb in Europe and it has been used as a smudge to protect against all manner of evil including mosquitoes. Mugwort is also known as ‘The Dream Herb’. The species A. douglasiana was used by Native Americans medicinally, and it holds a special place in spiritual ceremonies. Drunk as a tea or smoked, the herb was used to induce vivid dreams. Note that if you’re already prone to bad 16
WILDNESS
dreams, this may not be something that you want to try. It doesn’t give you visions; it just makes your dreams more realistic. If you already suffer from nightmares, using this could just make your nightmares more real. If you have lovely, colorful dreams, then stuff a sock or a pillowcase full of mugwort and sleep with it under your head to make those dreams even lovelier. The common name ‘mugwort’ is shared by several species throughout the United States. Although the best know species is Artemisia vulgaris, almost all the species share the same chemical constituents, mainly thujones, coumarins and triterpenes. Chemically, those compounds are a little intimidating to the forager. Consuming them in quantity is, well, excuse the pun, a recipe for disaster. But as a spice, or a drink flavoring, they will commonly be found in many foraging larders.
I first learned to make mugwort beer from Pascal Baudar of Urban Outdoor Skills in Los Angeles. He and his partner Mia, are doing some amazing wild food work and I recommend you look up their Facebook pages. If you’re ever in LA, attend one of their events, you’ll be inspired.
Pascal’s Mugwort Beer 1 gallon water (NOT tap water which contains chlorine and other chemicals such as fluoride, etc.) 3/4 pound brown sugar 6 ounces Molasses 1/2 ounce dried mugwort herb Yeast (Pascal originally used a pale ale yeast, although now he’s using wild yeasts) NOTE: Make sure you keep EVERYTHING clean at all times, clean all materials with bleach beforehand (rinse at least 3 times after using bleach). Whenever you need to use something for making your beer (such as spoon, funnel, etc.) ALWAYS clean it first.
Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana)
Boil the mugwort, molasses and sugar in a large pot for 20 minutes. Place the pot in cold water to cool it down (you may need to change the water a few times) or better, pour ice in the water to cool it down faster. Keep the lid on when cooling the pot to avoid contamination. When the liquid is around 70°, add the yeast. One bag of yeast is usually enough for 5 gallons so adjust accordingly. Strain into ferment bottle with airlock OR place into a large bucket and cover with a clean cloth. Let ferment 10 days. Siphon into beer bottles and prime the bottles with 1/2 teaspoon brown or white sugar for carbonation. Close bottles and store somewhere not too hot. Your brew will be ready to drink in two weeks. Pascal usually waits 3-4 weeks for better carbonation. W JUL | AUG 2014
17
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & FORAGERS Editor
pg 12
HEATHER PIER
HIDDEN FRUITS by Merriwether Lewis
Heather began foraging with her mother as a child. She took way too many science classes in college and now mixes her knowledge of chemistry, her love of plants and vintage recipes together in the kitchen.
Forager, Father, Husband, Scientist. Merriwether doesn’t just burn his candles at both ends, he smashes them into bits and then hits the pieces with a flamethrower. His current home is Houston, TX where his days are spent creating environmentally friendly chemicals to help the oil industry, evenings are family time, and weekends are given to introducing the forgotten world of edible & medicinal wild plants to students across Texas as well as other places weeds do grow.
pg 4 - 6 WHY FORAGE? by Green Deane Green Deane is the most watched forager in the world. Visit him at his web site at http://www.eattheweeds.com/ where you can personally ask him questions in the forum. Or you can check out hundreds of his videos on his YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/EatTheWeeds
pg 8 MILKWEED by JJ Murphy JJ Murphy has been eating wild foods since her farmer parents pulled weeds from the veggie garden and she ate the weeds. JJ continues to forage and write in Highland Mills, NY, posting recipes and resource information at www.WriterByNature.com Giving Nature a Voice.
18
WILDNESS
pg 14 A DAY AT THE BEACH by DE Pier I cannot remember the first fish I caught. Suffice it to say, it was a good while back. And evidently it took, as I have been pursuing fish in one fashion or another ever since. Initially as a fisherman, which led into scuba diving. Than as a fishing guide, followed by ten years as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. Followed by ten years as a Fisheries Technician in Montana. And now, back to an angler. Tens of thousands of hours in pursuit of fish, on streams, lakes, rivers, oceans and bays. North America, Africa, Europe and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Species big and small, common and obscure. And I still find them fascinating, and enriching my life. The time has not been wasted.