Foragers? Anybody know and use Billy Joe Tattum,Euell Gibbons?

We enjoy morels, but other than that I haven’t had the pleasure of wild food foraging. Where I live now there are so many nasty critters with life destroying diseases, and so much pollution, I have no desire to get into the woods. And I love to hike.

Ah, then you may know of Mr. Stammets works? He is somewhat of an authority on fungi. Has a web presence at fungi perfecti I believe.
Where is it that you live? Sounds gruesome.

East Coast. I am not a fungi expert, but my husband has picked them.

I am in the Mountains of East Tennessee and we abound with wild foods and fungi – lovely in its own way. Good Fungi hunting to you.

We recently lived in a large apartment complex. The soil was barely sufficient to grow weeds- certainly not real grass, but we had a full circle of puff balls in the grass outside my apartment. I wanted to pick them, but since I didn’t know what if anything they put on the “grass” I didn’t dare.

Wise choice. Urban environments are somewhat risky places. Much prefer the actual country.

I haven’t read anything by Tattum, but I love Gibbons. I teach wilderness and primitive skills part time, and I’m actively involved in creating new hunting-gathering-gardening cultures. Maybe you saw my recent Fluther interview about it?

Tennessee? Isn’t Fiddle_Bastard from around there? Maybe you can get yourself a foraging buddy.

@incendiary_dan As a matter of fact I did. Very nice. I have been a forager for…a very long time and delight in it. Glad to see another. My wife and I forage and plant around the old homestead natural/wild plants. Trying to get an edible landscape sort of area around the main house site.

@throssog Sounds awesome. Are you into permaculture, by any chance? Might help to arrange the edible landscape for maximum deliciousness. :)

Indeed so. Do you know of Rico Chek? (Not sure on spelling) Lovely fellow for plants. We’re trying several Siberian species and some of the old favorites. Paw-paws, persimmons, haws, berries of various sorts and some naturalization’s as well. Fun, if nothing else.

Definitely a name I’ll need to look up. :)

Also, did you get many acorns there last year? It was a huge year for them here, but I messed up and most of mine went moldy before I could process them. Live and learn, I guess.

I’m from East TN. Wild blackberries are the bee’s knees.

The blackberries near my place are just starting to ripen. Yum.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard Blackberries are about over here, as are the Japanese wineberries. Some few wild raspberries are coming along. Have had Morels and other fungi the persimmons look as though they may have a good year. Ah, so nice,eh?
@incendiary_dan No, we don’t have the oaks up here. I am planning to plant some, along with pecans and mammoth hickory, as well as chestnuts ( american and Japanese and the crosses). These should allow for serious foraging…in the future.
Ever tried Honey Berries? A variety of Honey Suckle that produces, reputedly, delicious berries.