Introduction
One of the basic skills we had as humans was foraging. Handy is sad that not many people do this anymore. There is a lot of things that we can eat without relying on stores and fast food chains. In this article, we are going to help you to get your start in foraging. It is an activity that you can do with your family. Not only will you save money at the store if you can get things from the wild, but you will also get some exercise while you are looking for food. It is pretty much a win no matter how you look at it.
Getting Started
Every year, thousands of companies go out of business. One of these is farms. With more and more massive farms being built, the small-town farmer is being put out of business. They will simply walk away from the farm and start a new life somewhere else. This means that there are hundreds of abandoned farms across the country. This could be a great place to start. The chances of them turning the land before they left are very slim. This means that you may be able to find crops that they have left behind. As crops will continue to grow without our intervention, you could find bags upon bags of food at these locations. Just make sure that you are not trespassing on someone’s land. That would be considered theft. Make sure to ask around the area to find out what the status of the location is.
Knowing the Possibilities
The best way to get started is to know what things can be obtained in your area. If you are out looking for something that does not exist in your area, then you are just wasting your time. Almost anywhere you go there will be a book about the area. Check the local library to see if they have a copy. This will help you to identify the things you want to harvest as well. There are many things that look like others. Take for example mushrooms. As a whole. they are pretty toxic. It is best to leave them if you don’t know if they are poisonous or not. The same goes for anything you are foraging for. If you don’t know what it is, be very cautious about eating it. You can gather them, but then make sure you take them to an expert to find out if it is safe to eat.
Stick to the Obvious
When you get started foraging, only look for the things that you know are safe. This will inspire you to find more of those things. It will also get you knowing the difference between safe and unsafe. Additionally, you will gain knowledge of the other things in the area and it will allow you to look them up before you harvest them. Make sure to take a camera so that you know exactly what it looks like.
Conclusion
Handy wishes there were more people that foraged. However, we know that it is much easier and safer to buy from the store. Just make sure that you are doing everything legally and safely when you are out there foraging.