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Dec. 5th, 2003 02:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urocyonI happened across a publication from the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University, entitled "11 Reasons to Eat Foraged Foods". Though I'm already a big believer in doing so, I was curious to see their stated reasons.
I almost wished I hadn't looked. Surely some of the authors' arguments are valid, but they are a good example of unnecessary complication, to my mind. I am not at all sure that I would find these persuasive reasons to begin eating wild foods, were I not doing so already. Though the first statement is, "Establishes a connection with place: this project offers people an alternative relationship with nature; people as part of nature, eating what our region produces naturally and seasonally," it sounds very much like these were written by--not just for--people who are rather divorced from the natural world.
What reasons would I present? I hadn't particularly thought about it, but here are some obvious omissions, off the top of my head:
1. Wild foods often taste wonderful.
2. By investing very little time and no money, you can have lots of top-quality, fresh food. This is particularly helpful as produce prices continue to rise.
3. Something edible and tasty is available almost everywhere.
4. They provide variety in your diet, great for both flavor and nutritional purposes.
5. Gathering vegetables, fruits, and nuts can be very relaxing (aside from the occasional run-in with deep mud, biting insects, or venomous snakes, depending on location--just to be fair).
6. Though it's more important to some than others, I will reiterate the point--one of the better ones--of being able to eat the freshest, most local foods in season.
Especially for those with little or no prior knowledge, books on edible wild plants are your friends.
I almost wished I hadn't looked. Surely some of the authors' arguments are valid, but they are a good example of unnecessary complication, to my mind. I am not at all sure that I would find these persuasive reasons to begin eating wild foods, were I not doing so already. Though the first statement is, "Establishes a connection with place: this project offers people an alternative relationship with nature; people as part of nature, eating what our region produces naturally and seasonally," it sounds very much like these were written by--not just for--people who are rather divorced from the natural world.
What reasons would I present? I hadn't particularly thought about it, but here are some obvious omissions, off the top of my head:
1. Wild foods often taste wonderful.
2. By investing very little time and no money, you can have lots of top-quality, fresh food. This is particularly helpful as produce prices continue to rise.
3. Something edible and tasty is available almost everywhere.
4. They provide variety in your diet, great for both flavor and nutritional purposes.
5. Gathering vegetables, fruits, and nuts can be very relaxing (aside from the occasional run-in with deep mud, biting insects, or venomous snakes, depending on location--just to be fair).
6. Though it's more important to some than others, I will reiterate the point--one of the better ones--of being able to eat the freshest, most local foods in season.
Especially for those with little or no prior knowledge, books on edible wild plants are your friends.
