Blog

I was honored to recently receive an invite to join a panel discussion on sustainable foraging at the Minnesota State Capitol. It's been a bit of a hot button issue as of late; in 2023, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) attempted to impose new foraging restrictions in state parks and other state-managed land. This venture failed due to grassroots organizing by a coalition of foragers, led largely by the Minnesota Mycological Society (MMS). As a result of this organizing, the state legislature passed a measure to create the Sustainable Foraging Task Force, which exists to gather data and information regarding foraging and develop recommendations for foraging guidelines.

Read More

Many people approach foraging with a scarcity mindset, assuming that wild foods lack in quantity and that our surrounding landscape is largely devoid of nourishment. As a forager of nearly 20 years, I know that this is not the case. Even in a small urban environment, wild foods abound around us.

Imagine my surprise when I learned about new foraging restrictions proposed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for state parks. Under this new developing rule, each forager would be limited to harvesting one gallon of fruit and mushrooms combined. (The current law states that foraging is legal for personal, non-commercial use—i.e., you can't harvest fruits and mushrooms in order to sell them.)

Read More