Upcoming Workshops!

wild edible bouquet

I will be offering at least two wild edible plant classes in February. I will do an overview of some common wild edible plants of Texas and their economic and nutritional value at the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners conference and I will also do a wild edible plant walk out at my farm in Wimberley. See the details below and email me if you'd like to register for the class at my farm!

What: Wild Edible Plant Walk - Learn how to identify, harvest and prepare some of the most common wild edible plants in Central Texas.

Date & Time: Saturday, February 23rd  1p-3p

Cost: $40 per person includes handouts and some wild edible snacks

Location: Wimberley, Texas

To register: Email  EatWild@gmail.com

Evergreen Sumac

Evergreen Sumac (Rhus virens)

We spent the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013 in West Texas camping and exploring the Big Bend area. The desert is amazingly beautiful and quiet. I am always impressed by the colors, the canyons and the oases along the Rio Grande River. There were plenty of winter berries and even some lingering prickly pear fruits to partake of. Everywhere we looked in the Chisos Basin, evergreen sumac berries were perfectly red ripe. The tiny, hard berries are a delight to taste - simply pop them in your mouth and suck off the bit of tart pulp around the hard seed. It's a good way to get your Vitamin C in the mountains (but be sure to spit out the hard seed.) You can also make a lovely tart drink called Sumac-aide ( because it resembles lemonade or kool-aid) by soaking a handful of berries in 2 cups of warm water overnight. Strain out the berries the next day, add a bit of sweetener and enjoy!

Farkleberry

Vaccinium arboreum

I spent my last Saturday teaching some boy scouts about the wild edibles in the Piney Woods. We found several species to discuss including one of my favorite wild edibles, farkleberries. These wild blueberries also known as sparkleberries are native to the Southeastern United States and stretch into our area, just east of Austin. The berries are usually small, but can be found in abundance growing in the understory or on the edge of the forest. The trees or large shrubs are small, deciduous and multi-trunking with spindly limbs. The leaves turn a brilliant red, burgundy and deep purple in the fall. The berries are usually not as plump and juicy as cultivated blueberries, but are just as sweet and nutritious!