Foraging: Trine students learn about wild food options

Brandy DePriest, Ph.D., chair of Trine University’s Department of Humanities and Communication, says many people are missing out on a veritable smorgasbord in their front yard.

“The most prevalent weeds around here are dandelion, purslane, lamb's quarter, amaranth and plantain, to name a few,” she said. “All of these are beneficial herbs that you can easily incorporate into smoothies, stir fries, stews, salads and much more.”

During the fall semester, she served as a guest lecturer for the HUM 203: The Culture of Nature courses, speaking on the topic of foraging, which she said is searching for wild food.

“For wildlife, it just means searching for food, but as humans we can't really call going to the grocery store foraging,” she said.

Longtime interest

DePriest said she’s not sure exactly when she first became interested in foraging.

“It has evolved over time,” she said. “I helped a friend of mine teach a course called ‘Lunch on your Lawn’ over ten years ago, and this was kind of an extension of that.”

She said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her children went into their woods nearly every day — rain, snow or shine — to see what was growing and whether it was edible.

“We have since tracked the woods across seasons and love to go out at certain times of year to ethically gather food,” she said.

“As a family we love to find/source as much of the food we eat as possible locally. Teaching my kids that we can grow, forage and hunt — as well as support local farmers and growers — is the healthiest way to live.”

During the HUM 203 class, DePriest led students to a small meadow of native perennials located on Zollner Golf Course between Hershey Hall and the MTI Center.

“I taught them how to identify beneficial greens, plants and herbs,” she said. “There are a lot of leafy greens in our yards that are great-tasting and work well in salads, stir-fries, and so much more! We also addressed what and how to forage year-round, including a discussion on how to always be sure that what you are foraging is done so ethically and safely.”

In addition to leafy greens, DePriest said northeast Indiana offers morels and other delicious mushrooms, ramps and different berries for foragers.

“I think that people are hesitant to use them largely because they don't realize what they are,” she said. “We want our lawns to look nice and be free of weeds, but as a culture we've largely lost our connection to the foods produced by the land that we once survived on.”

She said those interested in foraging can find out more online at Mother Earth News or through the Wild Edible World and Foraging Ecology podcasts, or by reading “Midwest Foraging” by Lisa Rose.