Resources for folks learning how to forage in the wilderness.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Till
foraged food by Jonathan Till
Sampling of some foraged foods that can adorn your dining table.
As part of the trend to healthier foods and farm-to-table approaches for meals, many diners are sourcing their own food. Foraging in the woods for mushrooms, leafy greens and other edible discoveries is not only good for you, but is also fun. However, you've got to be extremely safe when eating anything in the forest so to help burgeoning foragers, we've assembled resources to help you learn how to forage for fresh food in the forests and wilderness throughout Virginia. Here's hoping you have some fun finding your next meal (or, at least, side salad).
Photo credit Ryan Donnell
Jonathan Till
Jonathan Till takes a break from foraging in the forest.
- The Blue Ridge Mycological Society meets monthly on the second Sunday. They have a Facebook page and can also be reached at blueridgemushrooms@gmail.com.
- Adam Haritan is the founder of Learn Your Land, which has several resources for newbies including a website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, and Instagram feed. He also has another YouTube channel features over 100 instructional nature videos.
- Michael Kuo has assembled his knowledge based on more than 25 years of foraging at his site MushroomExpert.com
- Here are some books that you can get at your local library or your favorite bookstore:
- Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians by William Roody
- Mushrooms of the South East by Todd Elliot and Steven Stephenson
- Appalachian Mushrooms: A Field Guide by Walter Sturgeon
- National Audubon Society to North American Mushrooms by Garry Linkoff
Meet a chef who plans his menus around foraged food in the July/August 2020 issue of Virginia Living, available now.
