Foraging for food in Wisconsin – June 2008

Foraging for food is a great way to detoxify the body and discover the amazing diversity of edible plants we walk past and dismiss daily.  Last weekend,  a small group of us got together and went to River Haven, Wisconsin , for a three day lesson to learn what is edible, and more importantly what it would be like to survive on a pure plant based diet in nature if we ever needed to.   All you really need is a sense of adventure, an open mind… and an open mouth!

The rules for the foraging trip were simple.  We must eat everything we find in their raw and natural state, no altering the food by cooking or fire. This insures that we are getting the maximum nutrients out of each plant so our bodies could detoxify and heal!

Foraging in the Midwest was actually easier than I thought.  Initially I had expected a large number of foods to be inedible and actually poisonous or toxic.  As it turns out, 99% of the plants you see (excluding mushrooms) are edible, nutritious, and surprisingly quite tasty! The Law of Attraction is the best way to determine what is and isn’t edible.  If the plant you are about to eat passes a few basic tests, it is probably edible.  1. Does it look appealing?  When it is picked and smelled, is the smell appealing?  When it is touched to the tongue and lips is there any burning or tingling? Does it taste bitter or rancid?  Is it difficult to chew or swallow? If you answered YES to any of the last 3 questions, you know what isn’t edible.

Relaxing by the camp fire at night

We tasted just about everything we could get our hands on. Roots, bark, leaves, weeds, pine needles, etc.; you name it, we probably tried eating it.  When Carol, our herbalist, arrived, it was amazing to discover that the foods we had selected using the Law of Attraction were some of the healthiest and medicinal plants around.

The food available to forage in the Midwest states in the early months of summer are mostly greens.  Our group found around 25 different varieties of tasty greens which we regularly ate and are included in the picture gallery below, along with a detailed description of each plant.

We ended our forage with a delicious and organic meal from the Ecopolitan Restaurant

Our next foraging trip at River Haven, WI is on August 8, 9 and 10.  This trip will include some of my favorites to eat, blackberries! If you would like to join this foraging trip, or would like information on purchasing land in the River Haven organic and sustainable land Coop, please use the CONTACT FORM and I will send you more information.  For information on future foraging trips, check this blog, or head over to the Ecopolitan website for future dates.

Turn the page for more pictures!

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