Azura Skye
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someone give me a reason...The production manager wants me to film another item once a month for the programme I work on, he wants me to go round the countryside showing what wildfoods are available each month, and then perhaps if we collect enough give it to the cook on the programme to make something with it live.
But I don't know if I want to do this! I have my reservations.
I'm not supposing that every (70 year old) viewer will get up and start picking fat hen or anything and deplete the countryside... I think I'd rather if people would grow their own instead?
Plus there's already blinking Ray Mears out there doing this, do we need more of the same?
What do you think of showing people whats to eat outside their homes, pro's cons? I have to write a treatment on it, I'd rather feel more positive about it....
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Treacodactyl
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Could you cover it from an edible weeds point of view, i.e. things that you might find on your allotment or garden that's edible but many people don't realise? Fat Hen being a good example.
Perhaps it could be expanded to what you might find in your neighbours garden etc, but emphasise the "with permission" bit?
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TAVASCAROW
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As long as you stay with common species don't see a problem.
Anything that makes people less dependant on the supermarkets is a good thing IMO.
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Azura Skye
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good idea, like stinging nettles....
things that you might otherwise chuck on the compost or mow down without realising it has some edible value.
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Azura Skye
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| TAVASCAROW wrote: | As long as you stay with common species don't see a problem.
Anything that makes people less dependant on the supermarkets is a good thing IMO.
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true.
I just think - but these foods are for the animals! we can look after ourselves. I suppose I could highlight that in each programme.
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JB
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Even if Ray Mears already does it where's the harm in doing it again. I can't see masses of people descending on the countryside for a handful of hazelnuts. So a single programme won't deplete the wild larder but on the other hand anything that raises people's awareness that a wild patch isn't just waste land to be slashed back and turned into lawn (or even tarmac) then it's surely a good thing.
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sally_in_wales
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Pick one ultra common plant each time, that way you arent going for information overload but helping people get an idea of some of the basics, and you arent encouraging mass foraging for rarer or less obvious species. I like the idea of the 'you think you know this plant, but did you know this about it?' approach
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cab
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I think that its entirely do-able.
Try to instil a sense of continuity; a forager who does no harm can keep foraging the same spots for a lifetime. Start with simple things; blackberries, hawthorn berries, common Agaricus mushrooms, puffballs, dandelion, nettle... It would be really easy and entertaining to build a few dishes around a featured species, adding in a selection of other appropriate wild ingredients. And if you follow from picking to plate, showing what else you see on the way (a forager gets to see a lot of wildlife, and most can speak eloquently on whats living around their spots), then I think you can get a message out about safe, responsible foraging.
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cab
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| Azura Skye wrote: | good idea, like stinging nettles....
things that you might otherwise chuck on the compost or mow down without realising it has some edible value. |
Nettles, dandelion, chickweed, sorrel, daisy, red clover... Loads of such plants. Heck, blackberries are a weed.
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dpack
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"pest "weeds such as himalayan balsam and japaneese knotweed can be tasty
chickweed is ace
have i eaten ground elder and lived ?
the many uses of dandelions
do it ,sounds like a good project
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Grimnir
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I've watched Ray Mears and I'd watch this. There is always room for another viewpoint on this and I think it is a great idea.
For nettles you could make some cordage from the stems while the nettle soup cooks, some things like that
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marigold
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I also have reservations about encouraging people to harvest wild food, but you can take it as an opportunity to strongly emphasise the need to do it safely, responsibly and legally. Also you could try to focus on eating "weeds" that you might find in your garden, rather stuff you find in the wild. I've recently discovered the joys of chickweed - it's tasty, free and grows abundantly in my garden. "Eat Your Weeds" rather than "Forage The Wild" maybe  .
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Azura Skye
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wow thank you for your wonderful responses everyone.
well I certainly feel more positive about it now, even if it means lots of hours learning difficult Welsh words : D
Brill, so I shall talk to the manager tomorrow, and I'll say that I want to highlight points that you've all mentioned.
thanks so much, it has definitely made me feel less guilty about this : )
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Gervase
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Go for it! I'd certainly watch it, and anything which makes anyone stop, look and think about what's around them has to be worthwhile, even if they don't actually eat it themselves.
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gil
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Yeh, I'd agree with points made above. Especially about going for common/well-known weeds, foraging sustainably.
You can do a lot with a little (i.e. lots of things to do with not that many items).
You'd be surprised (or maybe not) how little people in general know about these things. And therefore what a long way sharing even a bit of foragin knowledge goes.
Back in early spring when there wasn't a lot to pick, I ran a day course that was mainly about nettles, wild garlic, ground elder, and what to look out for later (sloes from the sloe blossom that was out then).
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Ginkotree
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I think anything that helps promote our countryside in a positive way is a good thing, too many people are getting divorced from thier own surroundings.Done responsibly it could open a lot of peoples eyes. There is a saying count three plants of the same species before picking to save something for the next generation, to make the point of not being greedy. If you stick to common plants then they are pretty self sustaining anyway
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