Synopses & Reviews
From fields to woodlands, riverbeds, and lakesides—and even in our own neighborhoods—the beautiful Midwest is rich in delicious wild edibles. Herbalist, forager, and urban farmer Lisa M. Rose helps you find peppery watercress and delectable nettles at a nearby lake in the spring and nutritious burdock roots from sunny fields in the fall. Try brewing chai from roasted hickory or beech nuts, or capturing the citrus notes of pine needles in a lightly fermented, aromatic ale. Savor the delicate snow-pea flavor of rampant kudzu greens in the southern part of the region, or, in cool-running northern marsh waters, gather nutty wild rice for a foraged feast.
With this savvy guide you’ll learn what to look for, when and where to look, and how to gather in a responsible way.
- An A-to-Z guide for foraging year-round
- Detailed information for safe identification
- Collecting tips for sustainable harvesting
- Tips for preparation and use
Covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Ontario, Canada.
Review
“A beautiful book that any forager in the Midwest will want to own.”
Sam Thayer, author of The Forager's Harvest and Nature's Garden
Review
“Lisa Rose is exactly the sort of person you want to teach you how to forage for wild food. Her calm, warming voice and extensive plant knowledge make you want to dash out your back door to discover what edible delights lie just beyond.”
Hank Shaw, James Beard Award-winning author, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Review
“Midwest Foraging is rich with practical, field-to-table advice.” Tovar Cerulli, author of The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian's Hunt for Sustenance
Review
“Foraging involves more than just gathering wild edibles: it is about discovering the wonder of the natural world in your own backyard. With Midwest Foraging as a guide, you’ll build a diet—and life—that’s not only locally grown, but locally known.”
Tom Springer, author of Looking for Hickories
Review
“Midwest Foraging is more than a practical guidebook to foraging. It is the story of Lisa M. Rose’s lifelong journey of “sucking the marrow” out of the earth’s bounty—from her childhood days tending her mother’s garden to her foraging field trips with her children in the woods of Michigan.”
George Aquino, food and travel writer
Review
“Useful for beginners and those searching close to home...introducing these species to kids would be a fun backyard teaching moment for parents.” Iowa Press Citizen
Synopsis
The Midwest offers a feast to interested foragers. A wide variety of edible wild plants can be found in the grasslands, prairies, wetlands, riverbanks, forests, and urban areas. In Midwest Foraging, by wild food activist Lisa M. Rose, 115 of the easiest-to-find and tastiest varieties are highlighted, including wild onions, spicebush, and Solomon's seal.
This comprehensive book makes foraging accessible to everyone, from beginners seeking reliable advice to experienced foragers on the hunt for new flavors. It features multiple photographs that aid in identification and seasonal lists of when and where to safely and sustainably forage.
This must-have guide is for foragers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada.
Synopsis
"This full color guide makes foraging accessible for beginners and is a reliable source for advanced foragers." --Edible Chicago The Midwest offers a veritable feast for foragers, and with Lisa Rose as your trusted guide you will learn how to safely find and identify an abundance of delicious wild plants. The plant profiles in Midwest Foraging include clear, color photographs, identification tips, guidance on how to ethically harvest, and suggestions for eating and preserving. A handy seasonal planner details which plants are available during every season. Thorough, comprehensive, and safe, this is a must-have for foragers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
About the Author
Lisa M. Rose is an herbalist, forager, urban farmer, and writer. With a background in anthropology and a professional focus on community health, she has gathered her food, farming, and wild plant knowledge from many people and places along a very delicious journey. Beyond the Great Lakes, Lisa’s interest in ethnobotany and herbal medicine has taken her across the United States and into the Yucatan, mainland Mexico, Nicaragua, and Brazil to study plants, people, health, and their connection to place. When she is not in her own gardens or kitchen, Lisa can be found in the fields and forests, leading foraging plant walks and teaching classes on edible and medicinal wild plants. She forages for her own family, herbal apothecary, and community herbalism practice with her favorite harvesting companion—her dog, Rosie.