Foraging 101
You don't need to forage to subscribe to The Wild Grocery, but if you want to learn, start here.
The Wild Grocery provides resources designed to teach everyone about wild flavors - not just foragers. I’m designing recipes you can cook whether you forage yourself, purchase from a wild foods business, or trade with a local harvester. That being said - I frequently get asked about how to start foraging, and I always recommend these three simple steps.
What is Foraging?
Foraging is the act of harvesting wild-grown foods, usually plants or fungi. Wild-grown means that humans did not have an active participation in planting or cultivating the food; it grew within the natural conditions of its local environment.
You can forage from your own yard, from public parks (when permitted), or from private property with the land owners’ consent.
Learning to forage is includes species identification, sustainable harvest techniques, and culinary preparation. There are several thousand known edible species in North America, and many, many things you can learn about each one. It can be overwhelming, but the good news is that there’s no test, timeline, or requirement to learn things. You just get to explore and have fun getting to know the nature around you and the food you eat.
Step 1: Walk everyday
Even in the a concrete jungle, there are countless plants and fungi growing all around - your first task is to become aware of them. Many of us have inadvertently trained our brains to ignore the ephemeral trees, weeds, and tiny mushrooms growing in sidewalk cracks and local parks. To bring them to our attention, our brains need to see the same thing over, and over, and over again; this makes it easier for our mind to notice patterns and nuances. The more you walk (or roll, for wheelchair users) the area around your home, the more you will notice.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
What changes do I notice season to season? Week to week? Day to day?
What makes this one plant different from this other plant?
What plants do a see a lot of, and what plants do I see very few of?
What plants are growing quickly, and which grow slowly?
What am I noticing today that I have never noticed before?
Step 2: Learn the Land You’re On
Some foragers grew up learning about wild foods, some are culturally accustomed to the act, and others have discovered it through media and training as an adult. If you are choosing to start foraging, it is critical that you begin by learning the history of the land you’re on. In the United States, all of the land was forcefully stolen from the Indigenous peoples of North America. There is no contemporary foraging knowledge that is not rooted in or stolen from Native American cultures. It is our responsibility to learn their history and support their present-day work, including initiatives strengthening Indigenous Food Sovereignty.
Research your local Native organizations and tribal communities. What are they saying? What are they fighting for? How can you socially and financially support their work? How will you learn to forage in a way that centers Indigenous history, knowledge, and resiliency? How will foraging become an act of reciprocity?
If these are brand new concepts to you, I’d encourage you to begin your journey by reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass.
Step 3: Learn from a Diversity of Sources
When I say to “learn from a diversity of sources,” I’m describing two things. The first is to learn from educators with diverse backgrounds. The second is to consult diverse types of media. Getting information from multiple sources, in multiple voices, with different perspectives, will greatly strengthen the stickiness of what you learn.
In general, it’ll be good to have a grasp on Taxonomic Rank and Dichotomous Keys. These things sound brainy, but they’re pretty simple in practice, and you’ll likely learn them without even realizing it. In addition to identification, you’ll also encounter key information about foraging safety, species toxicity, and sustainable harvesting techniques. This information should be present in any resource your consult. If it’s not, the resource is not comprehensive or sufficient.
Here are some ways to learn:
Head to your local library and bookstores (they’ll all have different books). Check these sections: Field Guides, Science & Nature, Botany & Mycology, Wildlife, Gardening and Homemaking, Local Interest, Cooking, Food Writing. Look for regionally or locally specific books, and take note of when each one was written (newer does not necessarily mean more accurate, but in some cases it can).
Go to your local nature center. They may a library with a higher quantity of books focused on local ecology, which will be helpful for learning how and where certain species grow. You may also find classes, walks, and people to learn from. Ask lots of questions, and get connected. You may also be able to find local mushroom clubs, herbariums, or conservation groups with localized resources.
Find local educators. I can’t underestimate the value of learning in-person from knowledgable, local teachers. Search Eventbrite, community center event listings, facebook groups, and news sources for class listings. You might find private classes listed by individual instructors, workshops sponsored by a botanical garden, or online classes hosted by a college botany program. They might be free, or there may be a cost to attend. Try searching for the name of your city with terms like “Plant Walk,” “Mushroom Walk,” “Foraging Class,” “Intro to Foraging,” “Local Plants,” “Plant Identification,” “Mushroom Identification,” etc.
Explore blogs and websites. There are many, many online resources for learning about plant and mushroom identification. You’ll find the ones that best resonate with you through trial and error. I usually recommend that people simply google “[insert plant name] identification” or “[insert plant name] lookalike,” and look through every site on the first page of results. By comparing multiple digital resources, you’ll be able to start noticing what information is consistent between websites and what information has been anecdotally included by the author. Over time, you’ll learn which blogs you find the most helpful and accessible.
Follow social media accounts. Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube are teeming with foraging influencers and educators these days. While these platforms aren’t the best tools for searching for information, incorporating passive and fun education in your daily life will strengthen what you learn from books and classes. If you find a creator you resonate with, see if they have a newsletter you can subscribe to or other writing they’ve published.
Download Identification Apps. The gold standard is iNaturalist, but I’ve also had success with apps like PictureThis or Google Lens. It’s important to note that these apps should not be treated as infallible or singular resources: they should be just one of multiple sources you reference to learn to identify plants. They tend to do well with identifying plants, but often fall short of accurately identifying fungi (which can be dangerous). I usually recommend using them as tools to help you find a species' general genus or family, but I do not recommend that you use them as a definitive species identification tool. For example: If you find a plant you’ve never seen before, take a picture with the app. Use the genus or family information provided to then narrow your research process and confirm the species from books and teachers.
Learn with a community. Learning in a group makes the education process a lot more fun and makes the information stick better. Meet people from local classes you attend, or find discover other local foragers on social media by searching your city name along with terms like “foraging,” “forager,” and “wild foods.” If you have trouble finding existing foragers, find some friends and commit to learning together.
For an introductory list of common, reputable resources, check out Foraging Resources.