![]() ![]() But remember, given the realities of our industrialized food system, the plants available at a commercial supermarket often have layers of pesticides. The key is to take caution and be judicious. So, I recommend harvesting these only from places free of soil contamination. Nettles, for example, are apt to take up heavy metals like lead. Harvest wild nettles in areas with soil that's known to be free of contamination from heavy metals, Rose recommended. The first steps to safe urban foraging are knowing where to harvest - including researching the history of the land, if possible - and learning which plants and plant parts may be more likely to contain contaminants like heavy metals or pollutants. I take soil and water contamination issues very seriously. Soil is the building block of human health, and it needs a rich, diverse base of organic material to be able to give us nutritious food.ĬNN: What safety precautions do you recommend for people foraging in cities? They help to repair areas that have been leveled and left open to erosion by creating a structure that keeps the soil from blowing away. Even so-called invasive species can remediate the soil and water. ![]() Plus, wild plants have a unique function in the ecosystem. Reinhabiting our 8-year-old, judgment-free selves allows us to recognize an elemental, earthly kind of beauty without the preconceived notions. The most fun, engaging thing is to get back outside and reconnect with the happiness that a dandelion flower can bring. It’s revolutionary to think differently of the unloved weeds and see opportunity in the neglected spaces that people pass by. Showing people all the edible plants that grow in cities helps connect them with the natural world. Rose : “Oh my gosh, you can EAT those?” pretty much sums up the thrill of urban foraging. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.ĬNN: What makes you so passionate about urban foraging? In this way, urban foraging creates new potential for greener, healthier and more sustainable ecosystems. She maintains that highlighting the role of wild plants in our food system can teach us to heal our soil, our waterways and our own public health. “Gathering your own food to make dinner can help instill a sense of place,” she said. ![]() Rose offers guidance on safely identifying, gathering and preparing edible flora that grow wild in most major US cities. In her book “ Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants,” herbalist and expert forager Lisa M. Here's how many times you need to reuse your reusable grocery bags Paper bags for zero waste shopping on pink background. ![]()
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