We've all heard the term "living off the land," and for many it translates to people who are more self-reliant and depend less on store-bought foods or foods otherwise provided by third parties. In realty today, few of us truly qualify for that description. But for some, being able to supplement some of their food needs without the help of third parties sparks an ingrained sense and satisfaction of pioneer independence.
For those with sufficient acreage, planting and harvesting a vegetable garden annually is the answer, but the renewable bounty that nature offers can go far beyond that for those willing to put forth the time and effort to do it. However, I think the two biggest hurdles today are those factors plus a growing lack of knowledge of the where and how to harvest what nature offers.
Hunting and fishing are more often thought of as being recreational activities, but they are also another method that offers us an added opportunity at self-reliance. If you look at the prices charged for fish and meats at the super market, supplementing them with fish and game harvested locally from nature makes not only economic sense but also provides healthy food – probably healthier for us than the domestic or processed foods we buy.
While an adult deer will usually yields 40-50 pounds of lean, low cholesterol meat, lesser wild game species offer the same high-quality food benefits. Rabbit, grey squirrel, grouse and wild turkey come to mind as species that when prepared properly can produce delicious table fare for those who hunt. Walleye, bass, trout and assorted panfish species can do the same for anglers. Best of all, these are all renewable natural resources that are basically free for the taking (hunting and fishing licenses required of course).
For those who neither hunt nor fish, there are also opportunities to get in on the free bounty. I look at this as foraging, which is what our early ancestors became very adept at, long before they evolved into hunters. No licenses are required for this, only the ability to detect and identify the most common wild edibles. A visit to the library or Rogers DEC Education Center will produce books and information on the various and plentiful wild foods we have locally.
Not that many generations ago, springtime was the season when families gathered "greens," emerging flora that when prepared was both tasty and healthful. The most common is the dandelion, but also includes milkweed, ostrich ferns (called fiddlheads), wild spinach, wild leeks, watercress and watermint (wild spearmint) and wintergreen (both make excellent teas), to name a few. May is also the time to seek out ripe Mayapple, the plants of which look like small umbrellas, but the small fruit of which taste much like citrus.
A variety of early mushrooms can also be harvested, the most reliable being the morel family, but also there are the shaggy mane, chanterelles, bearded tooth, and oyster varieties. If a good book or web site on identifying the various fungi types, both edible and poisonous, still doesn't make you feel comfortable at which is which, try to locate an experienced mushroom hunter and tag along to get first-hand teaching.
In summer and autumn. various flora species really begin to display their bounty. Fruit and berry flora can often be found in abundance, as can the various types of mast, the most common being beechnut. sweet hickory nuts and, in some areas. black walnut. Late-season fungi species begin to appear as well – field mushrooms and puffballs being the most common. Also, the ripen, deep scarlet colored drupes of the sumacs can be used to make a drink called sumacade.
