Arthur Haine's Forraging and Inspiration for Health in Korea, the US, and the World

Arthur Haine's collection from a recent forraging trip. 

Like many, I have teachers and mentors who inspire me. One is Arthur Haine's who to me is a great forrager as well as taxonomist. Recently he went on a forraging trip and posted about it on his website. Some of the plants gathered and shown in the picture above have validity worldwide since they are found in the same climate zones worldwide and have been used by the wild peoples of the world. Those are  Japanese Knotweed on the left of the picture is found in the US and in Asia.  Wild foods are more nutrient dense then what can be found in the supermarket and something I believe we should get as much as possible in our diet.

This is reposted from Arthur Haine's Site.

"Spring Abundance

The plant foods shown in the picture were gathered with an investment of about 30 minutes of work (not too bad, right?). These three plants (left to right)—Japanese knotweed, stinging nettle, and dame’s rocket—will comprise the bulk of our vegetables for nearly a week. Learning to gather wild foods efficiently is an important skill set that involves knowledge of several fields.

Most people realize that identification is important, but knowing the ecology (where) and the phenology (when) are also critically important. These allow the aspiring forager to direct their efforts to the place and time when wild foods are ready for harvest. Without this knowledge, foragers wander over the landscape without direction. Wandering is enjoyable and allows people to survey the resources they have around them, but many times we need to visit specific habitats at specific times in order to fill our baskets with food.

In the center is stinging nettle (Urtica dioca). Though this plant has a formidable defense (the stinging hairs), it is easily overcome by careful collecting early in the season (before the stinging hairs become rigid enough to puncture the skin) or using a gloved hand. Once cooked (or dried) the hairs lose the ability to create the painful irritation. Why go after this plant? It is a powerhouse of nutrition. It has 50 times the pro-vitamin A of cabbage and 1.5 times the vitamin C of oranges (for the same mass). This is how indigenous people lived without vitamins and supplements—they consumed wild foods that are more nutrient dense than what we purchase in the supermarket. Stinging nettle is also over 40% protein by dry weight. It is true superfood that can be found near you.

I encourage you to get there and enjoy the spring abundance. It is your gift for enduring the long winter. It will require an investment in learning about our world, but you will be rewarded for this with vibrant health and self-reliance. Ksipkawsuwelomolpa (I wish you all long life).

Arthur Haines (www.arthurhaines.com)"