Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness …
And still more … later flowers for the bees,
Lines from To Autumn by John Keats
Welcome to our September Newsletter - and a special welcome to new readers and our most recent subscribers.
Autumn.
Towards the end of September, we reach the Autumn Equinox, where the night and day are of equal length, with the sun rising close to due west and setting 12 hours later close to due east. It is the transition in the seasons that we most notice and enjoy through our senses of smell and taste and in our general moods and well-being.
Those of us lucky enough to have gardens of allotments are reaping the rewards of our efforts in our gardens with an abundance of fruit and vegetables. Nature is also providing us with a bountiful supply of its fruits – blackberries, sloes, elderberries, hawthorns, rosehips, hazel and cobnuts in the hedgerows and maybe wild mushrooms in the woods and fields around us.
In this newsletter we would love to share some thoughts on safe foraging, how we can minimise waste and bring the community together by sharing in the abundance we have between us so that we can all benefit whether we have a garden or not.
Joys of Foraging.
There is something very satisfying, perhaps primal about taking a walk in nature and foraging for food. For some, it’s about the connection with nature and being reminded that we are all part of an ecosystem that sustains us, for some it’s that innate sense of survival from searching for food as our ancestors did and for some of us it’s the sheer joy of finding some new and flavoursome ingredient to bring back and use.
Foraging is a wonderful example of the first principle of permaculture to ‘Observe and Interact’ in spending time to observe the natural landscape and its seasonal changes, and through interacting. better understand the ecosystem and patterns
The current Which guide reminds us to avoid industrial areas, busy roadsides or any area likely to be contaminated whilst being mindful that over foraging can disrupt the ecosystem so take only what you need and avoid depriving wildlife of vital resources.
We have put together our top tips to help you if you are new or interested in foraging.
Starting with the most recognisable plants:
There are some plants that are common and easy to recognise such as blackberries. But, ensure you are 100% certain before taking it. As well as looking for plants that are edible, take time to learn those that are toxic. Building an awareness of all plants will build confidence in what to harvest and what to avoid.
Learn from experts:
You may know local experts who can guide you if you are new to foraging or if you want to learn more. And there is an increasing number of resources available online about what and when to forage in the UK which we highly recommend you dip into to ensure you are 100% sure about what you are harvesting.
One of our favourites is Wild Food UK which offers numerous helpful free guides, videos and recipes as well as paid-for courses around the country.
Another respected name in the foraging world is Robin Harford who again offers courses along with an abundance of information about various plants. Sign up for his newsletter and he will send you regular seasonal updates.
Countryfile offers information about courses as well as monthly foraging guides.
The Wildlife Trust also has a good monthly guide
Smart Phone Plant Identification
If you have an up-to-date phone you may be able to identify plants (as well as birds and bugs) from within your camera app. This allows you to take a picture of something you would like to identify and provide a match with similar photos. Be warned that this is not an ultimate identification guide however, it can be a useful starting point for identification.
There are numerous plant identification apps too e.g. Picture This, Shroomify, Mushroomizer, ShroomID. Some of these are free and some are paid for – check out their ratings and see what might work for you. They should all come with that health warning to ensure that you are 100% certain before ingesting any foods.
Foraging Books
If you learn best from reading and books are your thing then there are a whole wealth of books available for UK foraging. Be sure to get a book that covers the UK and is relevant to your area and also consider what layout works for you…We like Robin Harford’s The Forager’s Calendar as it shows what might be available month by month. Type in ‘best foraging books UK’ and numerous sites will come up. Here are a few CountryFile, British Local Food, and Discover Wildlife
Mindful Foraging.
When we forage it is important that we show respect for the land that is providing for us. Robin Wall-Kimmerer author of the wonderful book Braiding Sweetgrass sums it up beautifully with this lovely indigenous set of principles known as the ‘honourable harvest’
Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer. Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need. Take only that which is given. Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimises harm. Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share. Give thanks for what you have been given. Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken. Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.’
We can show respect and reciprocity through for example weeding invasive plants and ensuring we leave enough for birds and other natural foragers.
Foraging Seeds.
Autumn is not only a time for foraging for fruits and fungi but also for wildflower seeds. This also demands respect and responsibility to ensure we are only foraging where and what is legal, and that we are not inadvertently spreading invasive plants. This recent Guardian article is a good read. 10 wildflower seeds to collect now, from wild carrots to Welsh poppies.
Why not gather a few acorns, scatter or germinate - you could be helping something that could live for 1000 years!
Three hundred years to grow.
Three hundred years to live.
Three hundred years to die.
Lyrics from Oak. Spell Songs 2
The Hawthorn
A member of the Rosacea family, the hawthorn has beautiful, strong thorns, which provide a refuge of protection to a variety of birds. This adaptation also shelters the young trees from deer, enabling them to grow and giving hawthorn the name ‘forest midwife’ For us, especially the berries it is helpful for all kinds of heart concerns and circulation.
Taken from Brigit Anna McNeill's lovely short article in the current edition of Resurgence and Ecologist.
Sharing in our community
Some of us may have an abundance of fruits and vegetables in our garden, or from our forages too many to use ourselves. This provides a wonderful opportunity to share with others, take part in acts of reciprocity and build community. Here are some ways we can build on this idea.
- Offer surplus produce to friends and neighbours - We have a community surplus hub outside the Health Shop on Berry Lane. - Sign up for www.Olio.co.uk an app which promotes the free sharing of surplus food (and non-food items) in your local area. - Make preserves that you can give as gifts to friends, family and neighbours. - If you have expertise to share or produce to give away please share on our Whatsapp group or Facebook Page. - Throughout the summer we have been offering up surplice plants and would love to develop our own vibrant food-sharing community.
… and if you visit the surplus hub outside the Health Shop on Berry Lane do pop in and say hello.
LEG Meetings
»»October 21st Public Meeting, Re-Imagining Longridge 10 am Civic Center - an opportunity to share your ideas for a future green Longridge - more in a special newsletter soon.
»»Leg Socials - 9th September 7th October 11th November 10am at the Little Town Dairy
On October 7th, Longridge Library is holding a Fun Palace with the local community taking over by sharing and celebrating community skills.
We would love to hear from you
This newsletter has been put together by members of LEG. If you have stories, news, images or events to share, please get in touch and please do leave your comments on our newsletters. Below are a few ways you can get in touch and support LEG