Rediscover the art of foraging for food [video]

Forget farm-to-table, this is forage-to-table. Come along for a hike through Winterthur and discover wild foods growing all around us.

 

Educator, farmer and forager Tim Mountz took WHYY’s First crew on a tour of Winterthur Garden on Kennett Pike and learned some interesting facts about what’s growing on the grounds. Did you know you could actually eat some the plants there? Well, you can. That’s what foraging is–hunting for edible wild foods, and we found lots of them. 

“I think the popularity of foraging is coming back is part of the local food movement,” Mountz said. “Foraging has been around since humans have walked upright…It’s how we found food before we had agriculture.”

Mountz, who also owns the Happy Cat Farm in Kennett Square, Pa., has an incredible amount of knowledge about wild foods. As we journeyed through the gardens, he pointed out various edible plants that some of us initially thought were just weeds. He also stressed the importance of foraging with an experienced forager who can steer you clear of plants that pose potential danger, such as some mushrooms.

In addition to learning from experts, Mountz also encourages those new to foraging to explore the many books available on the subject. His recommendations included books by Euell Gibbons who Mountz said, “Had a really great way of writing about wild plants and eating them.”