Early Spring Foraging Workshop

Join us for our inaugural foraging workshop of the season! There's something magical about being in the woods as the earth comes back to life. In early May, we'll encounter tender young greens of many edible plant species, smell pungent clusters of wild leeks/ramps, watch Ostrich fern fiddleheads unfurl around us, and (if we're lucky) spot a morel mushroom along the trail! Our farm us abundant with invasive Japanese Knotweed, and we've timed this workshop to take advantage of the brief window we have to harvest their crunchy, sour young shoots. Participants will have an opportunity to harvest these shoots for themselves, and everyone will learn a few different techniques for preparing them!

On this workshop, participants will learn about seasonal wild edible plants and fungi, how to gather them sustainably, how to prepare them, and what they taste like! After a brief intro to foraging basics and best practices, we'll wander through meadow and woodland habitat identifying edible and medicinal plants and their look-a-likes. When we return to camp, we'll sample some of what we collected along the way!

Please note that we will not be harvesting substantial quantities of wild foods on this walk, as this workshop is primarily about sharing a passion for plants and the rich natural world that surrounds us. For every edible plant we encounter, we will identify the species, discuss what parts of it are edible, and talk about any poisonous look-a-likes. However, we will be at the whim of Mother Nature and may not encounter plants and mushrooms at the prime stage for harvesting. But tasting these wild foods is a must, and we’ll be sure to have some foraged snacks prepped in advance!

Advance registration for this event is required, and space is limited.