Nourish your family from nature's pantry. Foraging as a Way of Life documents a full year of wildcrafting for abundant local and seasonal eating. Lavishly illustrated, detailed descriptions of each plant are written in an accessible style, complemented by profiles, recipes, and tips for safe and sustainable harvesting.
Find connection with the land and feed your family locally, seasonally, and sustainably
Nourish your family from nature's pantry. Foraging as a Way of Life documents twelve months of wildcrafting, featuring five different plants each month for a full year of abundant, local, and seasonal eating. Enhance your sense of self-sufficiency while increasing food security, protecting habitat, and connecting with the land.
Full-color and lavishly illustrated, this accessible, in-depth resource features:
- Accurate and detailed descriptions of herbs, mushrooms, berries, and other wild plants to avoid confusion and inspire confidence when determining plant identification.
- Foraging recipes for remedies, tonics, syrups, and unique handcrafted dishes incorporating wild ingredientsfeast on rosehip soup with pan-fried dandelion flowers, followed by birch- bark cookies or chicory chocolate bars.
- Extensive guidance for safe processing or consumption of each species, including cautions, lookalikes, and tips for sustainable harvesting.
Drawing on the author's field experience and her study of herbalism and ethnobotany, Foraging as a Way of Life is designed to inspire readers to share the exuberance and joy of wild foods while finding nourishment and connection in their local fields or forests. A must for every gardener who would like to gather dinner while weeding, for those wishing to learn sustainable harvesting while hiking, or for anyone who wants to create healthy, foraged meals while living lightly on the planet.
Recenzijos
Mikaela Cannon brings a combination of personal experience and dedicated research to her engaging profiles of edible species. With detailed descriptions and photos, she brings to life native species special to western North America.
Jared Rosenbaum, CERP, author, Wild Plant Culture: A Guide to Restoring Native Edible and Medicinal Plant Species
What sets this foraging guide apart from others is that it is arranged by months and seasons to direct you to the best plants and mushrooms to forage at any time of the year! I appreciate the clearly indicated caution boxes and "similar species/look-alikes" sections provided for each entry. This will be a fun book to plan my next foraging trip with.
Jeanine Davis, associate professor of horticulture, North Carolina State University; author, Growing and Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal and other Woodland Medicinals; and co-owner, Our Tiny Farm
Mikayla Cannon's passion for harvesting nature's abundance has yielded a comprehensive guide to foraging throughout the year. Beautiful photographs, detailed profiles, and numerous recipes make this book an exciting guide to reclaiming a naturally healthful diet.
Darrell E. Frey, Three Sisters Farm, and author, Bioshelter Market Garden and The Food Forest Handbook
Foraging truly is a way of life for Mikaela Cannon, and this book captures her meticulously researched knowledge, practical experimentation, and deep respect for the earth and its Indigenous knowledge-keepers. It is beautifully illustrated, and includes recipes, medicinal uses, personal stories, detailed plant descriptions, and wise precautions.
Remy Rodden, biologist, award-winning envirosinger, and environmental educator www.remyrodden.com
Daugiau informacijos
Short-listed for Taste Canada Awards 2025 (Canada).Find connection with the land and feed your family locally, seasonally, and sustainably
Land Acknowledgement
Foreword
How to use this book
Introduction
Notes about the land
A year of plants and mushrooms
Chapter 1: MARCH
Wild Ginger
Weeping Willow
Norway Maple
Kinnikinnick
Early Blue Violet
Chapter 2: APRIL
Sweet-scented Bedstraw
Purple Dead Nettle
Oxeye Daisy
Hairy Bittercress
Stinging Nettle
Chapter 3: MAY
Dandelion
Asparagus
Prickly Lettuce
Black Elderberry
Catnip
Chapter 4: JUNE
Red Clover
Salsify
Lamb's Quarters
Common Mallow
St. John's Wort
Chapter 5: JULY
Saskatoon
Sheep Sorrel
Thimbleberry
Oregon Grape
Black Hawthorn
Chapter 6: AUGUST
Curly Dock
Western Giant Puffball
Chokecherry
White Sweet Clover
Plantain
Chapter 7: SEPTEMBER
Purslane
Common Burdock
Chickweed
White Chanterelle
Lobster Mushroom
Chapter 8: OCTOBER
Yarrow
Rosy Gomphidius
Black Walnut
Chicory
Dog Rose
Chapter 9: NOVEMBER
Late Fall Oyster Mushroom
Large-leaved Avens
Mountain Ash
Prince's Pine
Rocky Mountain Juniper
Chapter 10: DECEMBER
Field Pennycress
Trembling Aspen
Ponderosa Pine
White Spruce
Western Red Cedar
Chapter 11: JANUARY
Lodgepole Pine
Interior Douglas Fir
Beaked Hazel
Western Hemlock Tree
Paper Birch
Chapter 12: FEBRUARY
Common Barberry
Rocky Mountain Maple
Sulphur Cinquefoil
Black Cottonwood
Lamb's Ears
Acknowledgments/credits
Glossary
References
Index
Author's note
Mikaela Cannon is an author and instructor who facilitates classes and workshops focused on responsible foraging and wildcrafting. She is deeply rooted in her community and works with a multitude of local organizations towards the goals of Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation, environmental protection, and climate action. As a homeschooling parent, Mikaela is passionate about passing on to the next generation the skills and knowledge required to harvest and prepare wild foods. She has taken various courses in herbal medicine at Pacific Rim College, as well as studying Ethnobotany, Anthropology, and Biology at Okanagan College in the interior BC. She also trained as a wilderness guide in Sweden. Mikaela and her family raise chickens, sheep, and vegetables on a small farm near Armstrong, BC, Canada.
