The Benefits of Wild Edibles

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Wild edibles are free of chemical treatments given to many store-bought foods and can offer numerous other health benefits.
Wild edibles are free of chemical treatments given to many store-bought foods and can offer numerous other health benefits.
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"Guide to Wild Foods, Second Edition" comes from Christopher Nyerges, a leading voice for the promotion of the health and lifestyle benefits of wild edibles.

More than a listing of plant types and general facts, Guild to Wild Foods and Useful Plants, Second Edition (Chicago Review Press, 2014) is full of fascinating folklore, personal anecdotes, and tasty recipes perfect for anyone who is interested in living closer to the earth. Christopher Nyerges — co-director of the School of Self-Reliance — offers hikers, campers and foragers an array of tips for harvesting and consuming wild edibles. This excerpt from the second appendix presents the argument for wild edibles, and why they may be superior to typical grocery store produce.

You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants, Second Edition.

“Live light upon the land if you would not be earthbound.” —Shining Bear

For years I thought, “Wild food would get me through an emergency, so I’m glad I’m familiar with the local wild plants.” Though I used wild food somewhat frequently, this context lurked, unacknowledged, as one of my major motivations for using wild food. It was only after marketing Wild Salad (a mix of wild greens) through the local certified farmers’ markets that I began to appreciate the broader opportunity that my knowledge affords. I was listening to our sales pitch:

These greens are fresh picked every morning. Many of them are more nutritious than regular produce. They have never been fertilized, waxed, or treated with pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. They’ve not been genetically engineered. We wash our hands before we pick them and then use tongs or gloves for any subsequent handling. And your dollars don’t support greedy “agribiz.”

  • Published on Apr 21, 2014
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