Browsing Nature's Aisles : A Year of Foraging for Wild Food in the Suburbs

When most of us think of self-sufficiency, we think of growing a large garden, and maybe keeping a few chickens for eggs or meat. While this is certainly part of the picture, unless you live on a large acreage or happen to be a permaculture god or goddess, it is unlikely that it will be enough to allow you to completely break free from the corporate food machine. Wild foods are the ideal solution to bridging the gap between what you are able to produce to feed yourself and what your family needs to survive. Browsing Nature's Aisles is the story of one suburban family's adventures in wild foraging. As part of their commitment to self-reliance and resiliency, Wendy and Eric Brown decided to spend a year incorporating wild foods as a regular part of their diet. The experience fundamentally changed their definition of food. Not only did they learn about specific flora and fauna, but they also had to learn how to prepare them in ways that would be both aesthetically appealing and palatable. With information on collecting, preparing, and preserving easily identifiable wild edibles found in most suburban landscapes, this unique and inspiring guide is a must-read for anyone who wants to enhance their family's food security by availing themselves of the cornucopia on their doorstep. Wendy Brown and Eric Brown are suburban homesteaders growing roots (both literally and figuratively) in southern Maine. They have been studying wild edibles for many years. Wendy is also the author of Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs . When Most Of Us Think Of Self-sufficiency, We Think Of Growing A Large Garden, And Maybe Keeping A Few Chickens For Eggs Or Meat. While This Is Certainly Part Of The Picture, Unless You Live On A Large Acreage Or Happen To Be A Permaculture God Or Goddess, It Is Unlikely That It Will Be Enough To Allow You To Completely Break Free From The Corporate Food Machine. Wild Foods Are The Ideal Solution To Bridging The Gap Between What You Are Able To Produce To Feed Yourself And What Your Family Needs To Survive. Part I What We Did. 1 Chapter 1: Goals -- Chapter 2: Greens -- Chapter 3: Roots And Shoots -- Chapter 4: Berries -- Chapter 5: Gifts From The Trees -- Chapter 6: Fauna -- Chapter 7: Fungi Part Ii: Why We Decided To Start Foraging. Chapter 8: Food Safety And Security -- Chapter 9: Food Scarcity And The Increasing Costs Of Food Part Iii: Life Lessons We Learned From Foraging. Chapter 10: Procrastination Leads To Failure -- Chapter 11: Success Means Paying Attention -- Chapter 12: Rule Of Thirds For Foragers -- Chapter 13: Know What Grows Where -- Chapter 14: Persistence And Repetition Are Key Wendy & Eric Brown. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This guide to suburban foraging shares the "inspiring journal of one family's effort to break free from manufactured foods and transition to . . . wild fare" (Thomas J. Elpel, author, Botany in a Day ). As part of their commitment to increasing self-reliance and resiliency, Wendy and Eric Brown decided to spend a year incorporating wild edibles into their regular diet. Their goal was to use native flora and fauna to help bridge the gap between what their family could produce and what they needed to survive. The experience fundamentally changed their definition of food. Packed with a wealth of information on collecting, preparing, and preserving easily identifiable wild edibles found in most suburban landscapes, Browsing Nature s Aisles is the story of one suburban family s adventures in wild foraging. This unique and inspiring guide is a must-read for those who wish to enhance their food security by availing themselves of the cornucopia on their doorstep. For most, wild edibles are a passing curiosity - we gather enough summer berries for jam or maybe some stinging nettles for soup or tea. Browsing Nature's Aisles tells the story of how one suburban family committed to increasing their food security by incorporating wild foods as a dietary staple - and proves that you can flourish through foraging too. Mud clams, knotweed, and plants that bite back -- one family's adventures in suburban foraging