The resurgence of Foraging

 The lockdown has bought a lot of negatives but it is balanced with the positives.
 
Something I wasn’t expecting was the sudden resurgence of the forager.  I love that we’re building our own victory gardens, foraging and baking our own breads again.  Getting back to basics because we find we now have the time for it,  maybe we were filling our time with unnecessary pursuits.  We’re reconnecting with our communities and the earth, and most are grateful for that.
 
When it comes to foraging its best to be safe than sorry.  There are some simple rules to follow:
 
·      Always be 100% certain of what you are picking – buy a foraging guide! If in doubt, leave it out!
·      Always pick from clean spaces – not off the busy roadside, urban built up areas etc.  This is to avoid toxins from road pollution.
·      Always ask permission if you are going onto someone’s land
·      Never take the root – sustainability is key
·      Never pick an endangered species
·      Only take what you need
 
 
Some wonderful herbs to pick this time of year
·      Nettle  - make tea/syrup/soup/stew
·      Dandelion leaves – make tea/syrup
·      Gorse – syrup/infused apple cider vinegar
·      Wild garlic – pesto/pickle
·      Cleavers – tea/syrup/in salads
·      Wild sorrel – salads
·      Scarlet Elfcup mushrooms – cooked only, never raw (Never pick mushrooms unless you know what you are doing!  The wrong mushroom can be highly poisonous)
 
I’ll be organizing some foraging walks in Balla woods, Balla and around Lough Lannagh, Castlebar in the summer, when hopefully this pandemic has passed. Contact me if you would like to be added to the mailing list to keep up to date with courses/events I’ll be running over the summer.
 
 
 
 
If you need help with any health issues, contact Carina for an appointment
 
 
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922

Author - Carina Kennedy
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Nutritional Therapist, Naturopath, Herbalist, Iridologist, Weekly newspaper columnist, lecturer and former Nurse.
Carina draws on knowledge from all her areas of expertise.  Her approach is keep it simple and Natural and it keeps you healthy.