Wild Foraging – What I Enjoy

Gosh, I must have eyes like a hawk! It makes my husband laugh when I’m driving and suddenly spot something—“Did she just freeze?” Nope, I’m froozing or shrooming! That’s my slang for foraging and mushrooming while on the move—whether I’m behind the wheel or riding shotgun.

Out here, between the small towns where we live, it’s mostly rural farmland—fields of crops, beef and dairy farms, and long fence lines with hedgerows and water races weaving through them. It’s amazing what Mother Nature offers up in these in-between spaces. I’m always scanning with my peripheral vision, looking for nature’s gifts—things I can stop and collect now, or mentally bookmark in the “forage later” section of my brain for when they’re ripe and ready.

I think it’s part instinct—some deep-rooted survival DNA or cavewoman intuition to gather and harvest. Whatever it is, I love it. When nature offers up abundance, I always say thank you. You never know what the season will bring—some years are bountiful, others stingy—so when the time is right, you seize the moment.

I keep extra bags, a knife, and scissors in the car, just in case. Sometimes a garden rake too—handy for coaxing down elderberry branches or reaching blackberries growing just out of arm’s reach across a water race. And a pair of gumboots stashed in the boot.....always a bonus.

So go on—take a wander around your area and see what you can find. There are brilliant plant ID apps these days to help you work out what’s edible. Even the so-called weeds in your backyard might surprise you. That’s where the research begins—and the best part? Foraging is free.

Quince Ready for the Picking - Wild Foraging