The Forager's Toolkit

From the Norwich Bulletin (CT). This article was aimed at New England foragers, but it could be useful just about anywhere!

"There are some basic tools that we use and keep with us when we go out foraging. These tools are kept in a bin in the trunk of the car, always within reach if we find ourselves suddenly surrounded by some wonderful edible weeds, berries, or nuts. Being prepared makes wild food foraging easy for us, rather than a chore.

1. Containers

We carry many different containers to gather wild foods. Plastic bags are good for dirty roots, keeping the dirt away from other food. They are also good for leafy greens, because you can keep the greens hydrated with a bit of water so they won't wilt inside a bag. We carry sturdy plastic boxes for berries, it protects them from getting crushed. Any reuseable box is fine, I use the plastic boxes you buy strawberries in at the supermarket. The best container for mushrooms is a wicker basket or paper bags. Plastic bags hold too much moisture and make mushrooms mushy. A larger bag to carry all the small containers and bags also comes in handy.

2. Shovel

We have two shovels in the car, a mini-shovel and a garden trowel. The larger tool is for stubborn, deep roots like burdock. We don't ususally carry it while out searching for edibles, but keep it handy in the car in case we come across a great patch of roots to dig. The smaller garden trowel is carried in a shoulder bag to dig smaller roots and bulbs. A small trowel with a pick on the other side would make an even better tool.

3. Knife and Shears

Robert always carries a folding knife. It is useful in so many situations, from cutiing mushroom stems, scraping some bark, and slicing open what we find to view its interior. We also carry some gardening or pruning shears in a shoulder bag to clip branches, get through briars, and to use as a grasping tool with spiny plants like thistle. It is a good idea to mark your tools with some brightly colored tape in case you drop them on the ground.

4. Gloves, Rags, and Water

We have some heavy duty gloves to grasp very prickery plants like roses or thistles. We also carry a few pairs of disposable plastic gloves to dig roots, to prevent our hands from getting too dirty. The rags are also used to keep our hands clean, and wipe loose dirt from roots we might dig. A bottle of water is useful to wash off dirt, clean out our mouths after we taste something disagreeable, to hydrate greens, and to drink when we are thirsty. We each carry a reuseable metal water bottle.

5. Books and Identification Resources

Many wild plant and mushroom books are quite large and heavy, so we don't carry them into the woods with us. We do keep several books in the car to help identify and verify any berries, nuts, mushrooms, or greens we find while out walking. Another resource is a wild food app for your smart phone. There are a few available for Apple products and Android phones, we have Wildman Steve Brill's app. It is very important to positively identify every item you forage before you eat it!

6. Bug Spray, Sunscreen

These are needed for obvious reasons. Depending on the season and weather, sometime the bugs and mosquitos can be horrible. Often our foraging walks last for hours and we are not always under the cover of trees. Sunscreen is especially useful when at the beach, since we often stop to splash around with our daughter.

7. Magnifier

This is a tool that will not take up lots of space in a shoulder bag, but is useful and fun. Some plants or mushrooms have very small defining features that aid in proper identification, like small hairs on a stem or tiny holes in a leaf. Other times it is just fun and fascinating to view nature magnified, and can make foraging more interesting for kids.

8. Mentor

While we don't keep our mentors and teachers in the trunk of our car, they are vital tools for a wild food education. We have traveled far to learn from experienced foragers, and are always willing to learn more. Each person we have taken a class or tour with has taught us something new and exciting, and they all have different stories and experiences to share. Locally, we have toured with Wildman Steve Brill, Blanche Derby, and Russ Cohen. Every weekend in summer and autumn we learn to identify mushrooms with the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society. Even on vacation in Barbados and Hawaii, we try to find a less touristy eco-tour with locals to learn the wild tropical edibles."