Wildcrafting and Gleaning
ABC Audio Radio link
blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2009/11/the-kitchen-gardener-episode-14-wildcrafting-.html
Are weeds treasures?
Willow for basket making.
Dandelion for drinks and salads
Nettle for drinks and health properties
Bamboo for building and gardens
Apples for food
Nuts, Native Cherry
Rush, grasses for grains and starches
Gleaning
Gleaning is the traditional Biblical practice of gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the fields to rot or be plowed under after harvest and sharing the food with people who have less food than themselves.
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Natural Bush Foods in Australia
www.cherikoff.net
www.bushfood.net
Local Resources
thebegavalley.org.au/plants.html
thebegavalley.org.au/tvflowers.html
maxcampbell.thebegavalley.org.au
Naturopath Network
www.ann.com.au
www.naturaltherapypages.com.au
Example Wildcraft Products
www.wildcraft.com.au
Wild Crafters
World Wide Web Links
www.ryandrum.com
www.altnature.com
www.unitedplantsavers.org
www.rewild.info/fieldguide/index.php
www.wildmanstevebrill.com
www.goosefootacres.blogspot.com
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Beware
A few of the herb species that are being threatened due to over zealous wild crafting include beth root (Trillium erectum), lady's slipper root (Cyprideium pubescens), true unicorn root (Aletris farinosa), false unicorn root (Helonias lutea), wild American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and wild goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis).
A problem with wildcrafting medicinal plants occurs where there is little or no control over the amount that can be harvested at any one time or by any one person, at least this is the case in Australia. This can decimate a local population of wild medicinal plants.
Taking of any vegetation is illegal without authorisation in Australian National Parks and protected areas for this reason.
Ethical wildcrafting
www.altnature.com/library/wildcraft.htm
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'At-Risk' in the USA
American Ginseng - Panax quinquefolius
Black Cohosh - Actaea racemosa (Cimicifuga)
Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis
Blue Cohosh - Caulophyllum thalictroides
Echinacea - Echinacea spp.
Eyebright - Euphrasia spp.
False Unicorn Root - Chamaelirium luteum
Goldenseal - Hydrastis canadensis
Lady’s Slipper Orchid - Cypripedium spp.
Lomatium - Lomatium dissectum
Osha - Ligusticum porteri, L. spp.
Peyote - Lophophora williamsii
Slippery Elm - Ulmus rubra
Sundew - Drosera spp.
Trillium, Beth Root -Trillium spp.
True Unicorn - Aletris farinosa
Venus’ Fly Trap - Dionaea muscipula
Virginina Snakeroot - Aristolochia serpentaria
Wild Yam - Dioscorea villosa, D. spp.
'To-Watch' List
Arnica - Arnica spp.
Butterfly Weed - Asclepias tuberosa
Cascara Sagrada - Frangula purshiana (Rhamnus)
Chaparro - Casatela emoryi
Elephant Tree - Bursera microphylla
Gentian - Gentiana spp.
Goldthread - Coptis spp.
Kava Kava - Piper methysticum (Hawaii only)
Lobelia - Lobelia spp.
Maidenhair Fern - Adiantum pendatum
Mayapple - Podophyllum peltatum
Oregon Grape - Mahonia spp.
Partridge Berry - Mitchella repens
Pink Root - Spigelia marilandica
Pipsissewa - Chimaphila umbellata
Spikenard - Aralia racemosa, A. californica
Stone Root - Collinsonia canadensis
Stream Orchid - Epipactis gigantea
Turkey Corn - Dicentra canadensis
White Sage - Salvia apiana
Wild Indigo - Baptisia tinctoria
Yerba Mansa - Anemopsis californica
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Gleaning
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleaning
www.treehugger.com/files/2004/12/how_to_gleaning.php
www.endhunger.org/gleaning_network.htm
www.midatlanticgleaningnetwork.org
www.usda.gov/news/pubs/gleaning/content.htm
www.organicfooddirectory.com.au/general-issues/community-food-systems/food-recovery-gleaning.html
One major area of food waste in America is in farmers' fields where crops that don't meet top grade quality are left to rot or be plowed under.
Gleaning is the traditional Biblical practice of gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the fields to rot or be plowed under after harvest. The Gleaning Network coordinates volunteers, growers, and distribution agencies to salvage this food for the needy. Tens of thousands of volunteers from churches, synagogues, scout troops, senior citizen groups, and other organizations participate each year in Society of St. Andrew gleaning activities. Each year tens of millions of pounds of produce are salvaged and given to the poor at no cost to them.
Historical Total
On average, over seven gleaning events with eleven volunteers take place every single day of the year. Since it was established in 1988, the Gleaning Network has brought nearly 400,000 volunteers into America's fields to glean over 164 million pounds of food for America's hungry.
Gleaners are people of all ages and income levels who want to give of themselves. Within 48 hours of picking the produce, hungry Americans are usually eating the gleaned food. Each year some 30,000 people go gleaning with us to pick up over 15 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food for their hungry neighbors.
