Roughly 90% of human history, people were foragers. A practice that has been around for a long time is growing in popularity in a modernized society.
You might ask yourself, what is foraging? Continue to read below to find out more information. Foraging might be the correct lifestyle for you.
What Is Foraging?
Foraging is the practice of looking for and collecting wild food resources. Foragers search for wild food or food that’s not uncultivated. It’s a type of lifestyle that creates an intimate and educational relationship between the person, food, and nature.
Foraging is more than collecting food, but becoming one with the natural environment. Foragers take time to learn about the wild resources they are collecting. They learn how to appreciate and respect where their food is coming from.
What Do Foragers Eat?
When you ask yourself, what is foraging? your next question will be, well, what do they eat? Foragers can eat anything uncontrolled by humans. This can include varieties of plants, herbs, mushrooms, and more.
People take interest in eating all wild foods because they are all-natural, with no chemicals or other unnatural interference.
Foraging Tips
If you have an interest in trying foraging there are a few tips to follow to ensure you are receiving the best experience.
Find a location with wild food resources.
Most people will forage for food locally because they can guarantee it is uncultivated. A familiar location will help you understand the natural environment better too.
Read up on your food.
If you are new to foraging, you want to forage with caution because certain foods are not edible and can pose danger. Educating yourself is crucial to understanding which foods to forage and how to use them.
Create a relationship with nature.
An important aspect of foraging is building a relationship with the land that you are foraging on. It will teach you to respect your natural surroundings and appreciate what the earth produces.
Learn the seasons.
Seasonal changes are something to pay attention to as you are first starting to forage. You will need to reassess how you will forage depending on the season. You may want to use a winter foraging guide to help you forage in the colder seasons.
Why Forage?
Humans have foraged for centuries. The practice is nothing new. Modernization pushed humans away from foraging, but it does not mean that people do not practice it still.
In fact, due to Covid-19 more and more people have taken up foraging. It is a way to combat food insecurity. It also ensures that your food is safer than buying it at a grocery store.
Will You Forage?
Now that the question, what is foraging? is addressed, it is time to think about whether foraging is right for you. With its many benefits, there is no reason why you shouldn’t try foraging.
Foraging is a safer, cleaner, and kinder way to consume food. Will you change your lifestyle for your health and the planet?