Help need to learn about food

[Island Forager]

Hey all,

I need some advice. I am going to try and get started on other aspects of bushcraft now and want to start looking at food.
Can anyone recommend any decent methods of learning about "outdoor" food? The problem is that I live on the Isle of Wight, so there is no-one local over here. I want to learn about fungi recognition and obtaining food from the land.
Can anyone help me? The main problem is that you can look at textbooks and the pics do not always match the samples you find, and with mushrooms, it is better to be safe than sorry. I am also a firm believer in the practical side of things.
Would anyone be prepared to share some of their knowledge with me and spend some time with me in return for perhaps a weekend in the wilds of a 2500 acre area i have here? Just out of interest, you can go shooting (shotgun and air rifle) for food, so it might give someone a free day or two of shooting!!! This could be a nice weekend break for someone? I would be willing to travel to the mainland, but obviously not too far!!!
Thanks

 

[scanker]

You'd be surprised. Beachlover is on the Isle of Wight - drop him a PM and see if he's interested in meeting up. There may be others.

 

[Ed]

Thats a fantastic offer and I'm sure you'll get some interest from the members here.

The best way to start is by the plants you already know and recognise... I was amazed when I first got a copy of food for free .... spent most ofthe time going 'I didn't know you could eat that!!' You'd be surprised at the amount of edible plants you know but didn't know they were edible if prepared correctly. Dandylion, clover, nettles, thistles and acorns are a few that come to mind. Start small with plants you already know.... then start adding to your repetoir at a later date.


Ed

 

[Fenlander]

I would recommend the distance learning courses with Wildfood School

http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs/

Marcus is a really good guy and will be happy to help and advise you

 

[risby]

Would anyone be prepared to share some of their knowledge with me and spend some time with me in return for perhaps a weekend in the wilds of a 2500 acre area i have here?

I am also interested in wild food but have forgotten everything from the hour long talk I attended at last year's wilderness gathering.

Please put my name down if you plan a weekend, I'd bring the few books I've got on the subject and would be pleased to learn from anybody else who came along.

I fully suspect a tsunami of posts when peeps get wind of your 2500 acres.

 

[demographic]

A few Collins Gem books (Food For Free and Mushrooms and Toadstools for a start) in your pocket and a dog to walk* will make a fair impact on what plants you recognise.

I have my van side door pocket full of Collins Gems (Food for Free,one about trees, one about herbs, Mushrooms and Toadstools, Birds, The Night Sky, Weather and some others I can't remember right now.

I don't claim to know much but I am getting a lot better recently since I sorted my van library.

*The dog is optional though

 

[JonnyP]

Try going out with a camera and a field guide or two. When you find a plant or fungi, have a looks through the field guides and try to identify it. You could get a book on edibles like Richard mabey's food for free and go looking for a plant that interests you and grows in your area. Being shown is the best way, if who is showing you knows, but have a go each time you are out, even if it just one plant at a time, it will all help...........
Ps... We are having a wild food meet this comming weekend if you can get to it, details here http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=14846

 

[sam_acw]

The mushrooms thing is a real culture issue!
Everyone here goes mushrooming and I keep trying to get someone to teach me. There are people selling punnets of wild mushrooms at the train station even.

 

[chickenofthewoods]

Learn to look: Whatever the season, wherever you go, observe. If you have a digi camera, carry it with you at all times take notes & photographs. Get your eye in first, do your research, check your guides & get on a local course if you can - and then eventually you'll be confident enough to get out your knife and fork.