3 Rules for Foraging Responsibly

3 Rules for Foraging Responsibly

| 0 Comments

< Back to Blog Posts

Among the more directly engaging ways to experience wild places is foraging for your own food. In a world of supermarkets, there’s something special about taking your sustenance right from the earth yourself. But as with anything, there are good and not-so-good ways to forage. Here are three fundamentals to bear in mind when venturing out for provisions.

Bull Thistle

Know What You’re Harvesting

One of the more famous foraging quips is, “All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once.” The takeaway, of course, is to make sure you know what you’re gathering, but that doesn’t stop with your own bodily health. Are you foraging from a perennial (plants that live through several seasons) or an annual (plants that survive only one season)? The former can be as safe and easy as plucking an apple from a tree, but the latter can rob a plant of its one and only opportunity to reproduce. Also consider whether you’re foraging from something common or rare, indigenous or invasive. Blackberry bushes and dandelions are both edible, and are also common to the point of many a property owner’s frustration.

Bear's Head Tooth Mushroom [Hericium]

Take Only What You Need

Inverse to the blackberry or dandelion, avoid foraging from anything endangered and be sure to research the area you’ll be gathering in before heading out. When you do forage, resist the temptation to stock up without restraint. Wherever possible, avoid harvesting the entire plant. Take only a portion of the available fruit, for instance, or only the above-ground part of a plant so that the bulb, tuber, or roots can regrow over time.


Understand the Land

In addition to the plants and mushrooms you may be gathering, learn about the land they occupy. Is it private property? You don’t want to get a bagful of someone else’s produce. And if it is public land, are there any regulations governing foraging? Many such restrictions exist for the proliferation of the flora, the fauna that makes use of it, and to prevent trampling from regular gatherers.

Newer post Older post

0 Comments

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

  • Arctic explorer cross country skiing while pulling a custom sled across the frozen Lake of the Woods, lake.

    Arctic Camping: Learn the Basics

    Learn the basics of Arctic Camping through the view of a novice. Product testing for the planet's best Extreme Cold Weather Clothing. Finding the right gear for -50 °F.

    Arctic Camping: Learn the Basics

    Learn the basics of Arctic Camping through the view of a novice. Product testing for the planet's best Extreme Cold Weather Clothing. Finding the right gear for -50 °F.

  • Women wearing the Alpha Aura Jacket, a backpack and carrying trekking poles while hiking the Enchantments.

    What's So Enchanting About the Enchantments?

    Learn how to thru-hike Washington State's Enchantments during larch season. Check out our suggested gear, clothing and snacks! Granite peaks, alpine lakes, and golden larch trees make the 3:45 am...

    What's So Enchanting About the Enchantments?

    Learn how to thru-hike Washington State's Enchantments during larch season. Check out our suggested gear, clothing and snacks! Granite peaks, alpine lakes, and golden larch trees make the 3:45 am...

  • Hiker using binoculars on a mountain side while wearing the Ultra Lochi Jacket in Woodland.

    Mountain First-Aid: 6 Concerns to Prepare For

    Here are 6 of the most common concerns that can happen and how you can treat them yourself. Written by guest blog writer and best selling author Kevin Estela.

    Mountain First-Aid: 6 Concerns to Prepare For

    Here are 6 of the most common concerns that can happen and how you can treat them yourself. Written by guest blog writer and best selling author Kevin Estela.

  • Overhead Photo of man and woman hiking a trail wearing the Geo-T L.S. Crew and Hooded shirts

    6 Reasons You Need a Sun Shirt this Summer

    In this post, we will explore the benefits of UPF shirts (also known as sun shirts or UV Shirts) and why incorporating them into your adventure gear is a necessity.

    6 Reasons You Need a Sun Shirt this Summer

    In this post, we will explore the benefits of UPF shirts (also known as sun shirts or UV Shirts) and why incorporating them into your adventure gear is a necessity.