Wild Foodies of Philly!   In search of the food beneath our feet!


 JOIN OUR FREE MEETUP Group! (click here)

Membership and most tours are free, although some by the pros may cost $.  To arrange a free private tour e-mail LynnLandes@earthlink.net or call 215-629-3553. Use my cell phone only on tour days: 714-204-2690

Video:  What Plants Talk About - http://www.pbs.org/

This is a collaborative effort!  We are a group of wild foods enthusiasts who came together in the summer of 2010 to learn more about wild edibles, both plants and animals. We want to learn more and spread the news. We believe that wild foods, many of which grow up between the bricks on Philadelphia sidewalks and streets, can become a major part of the American diet, like it is in many other parts of the world!

 Wild Foodies goals:

  • to encourage YOU to host your own tours & post them on the Wild-Foodies-of-Philly/

  • encourage restaurateurs to offer wild food and drinks

  • to make wild plants a significant part of the American diet

  • to establish wild edible areas in private and public spaces

  • to work with schools, environmental centers, parks, etc.

  • to explore the world of bug eating, Entomophagy, as well other wild animals

CAUTIONS & ADVICE:

  • IDENTIFY IT: Always be sure of what you are eating.  If you haven't positively identified it, don't eat it.

  • GO SLOW: Don't eat a lot of a plant the first time you taste it.  Go slowly and see how your system processes it. You could be allergic to it.  Plus, these greens pack a punch, unlike many waterlogged greens sold in stores.

  • TOXINS: Don't eat plants that grow in potentially contaminated areas, such as next to roads, former dump sites, current and former industrial areas, etc..  Some plants can taste sweeter if they are growing next to a roadway, but that sweetness could be its lead content!

  • OXALIC ACID: Many green plants, including spinach, contain important nutrients, but also oxalic acid.  Too much oxalic acid, such as in spinach, is said to interfere with processing calcium and contribute to kidney stones.  Here's more information on it, http://oxalicacidinfo.com/. According to Wildman Steve Brill, "...oxalic acid which is considered slightly toxic because it interferes with food digestion and the absorption of some trace minerals. However, the U.S. National Institutes of Health have determined that the negative effects of oxalic acid are generally of little or no nutritional consequence in persons who eat a variety of foods."

  • BE CONSIDERATE - Don't forage for food that is scarce.  And don't take all the berries! Save some for others - people and wild life.

  • FORAGE IN THE AM -  Some people say to forage in the morning when plants are at their best tasting. The examples used were dandelions are less bitter, and purslane was more tart when picked in the morning.  Find out for yourself!

  • REMOVE THE CENTRAL VEIN - When trying out wild lettuce, it has been suggested to remove the central vein, which is the part of the plant that most adversely affects those who are allergic to wild lettuces, dandelion greens, and/or similar plants.


 DISCUSSION GROUP:  Interesting online email group on wild edibles: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ForageAhead/
 

 PLANTS  - Philly area

 * From Patrick Hurley, Ph.D. Ursinus College phurley@ursinus.edu  Do you gather wild plants or mushrooms in Southeastern Pennsylvania? We’d like to talk with you. For more info: http://webpages.ursinus.edu/phurley/SuburbanForagingFlyer.pdf  

 LOCAL PROFESSIONAL FORAGERS for restaurants, etc:

  • David Siller: also educator, fermentor, and tour guide: beezsveet@gmail.com
    • / 267-319-2733 (E-mail David to be put on his mailing list to buy his foraged foods.)

 LOCAL FOOD HISTORIAN: Anita M. McKelvey http://thephiladelphiapepperproject.wordpress.com/about-me/  

 PLANT RESEARCH

LOCAL GROUPS & GUIDES:

GUIDEBOOKS & GUIDES (local & national):

 ________________________

Other BOOKS and WEBSITES recommended by our Wild Foodies of Philly:

MORE WEBSITES:

WILD LIFE: pretty much just small critters and insects (entomophagy)

Wild Foodies recommended list of MEDICINAL BOOKS:

  • A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides) by Steven Foster, James A. Duke and Roger Tory Peterson
  • Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by David Winston and Steven Maimes
  • Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use by Rosemary Gladstar
  • Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal
  • National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs: The World's Most Effective Healing Plants by Tieraona Low Dog, Rebecca L. Johnson, Steven Foster, and David Kiefer
  • Susan Weed: http://www.susunweed.com

Miscellaneous: natural toothbrushes from trees - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teeth_cleaning_twig

News!

GENDLER'S LIST of Philadelphia's Wild (not all edible) Plants:  (UNDER CONSTRUCTION!)  The photos are great!  This is list is being re-organized to make identification for the beginner easier.  So far, many of the plants to not include information on edibility.  We'll work to identify those plants, or go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plants_with_edible_leaves, although this list is in dispute.  We're only about 1/3 through Gendler's List.  (July 25, 2010)

FLOWER PETAL COLORS --

Yellow: 

Orange:

Blue:

Purple: (also check lavender and pink)

Lavender or Pink: (also check purple)

White flowers:

Multicolored:

Not sure:

FUNGI / LICHEN:

MARSH PLANTS:

VINES:

FERNS:

GRASSES:

 TREES:

 

(LearnStuff.us)