Food Foraging In All 50 States

By Ben Tanner

Did you know that foraging for foods can actually lower your grocery bill, or help cut down on the expense of feeding your livestock?  If you are on a quest to find the best foods to forage in all 50 states, then happy hunting.  The United States hosts a wide array of natural foods that often go unnoticed by passers by.  From desert to coastal shores and mountains, you will find a foragers delight in select regions of every state in the union.  

 

West Coast

In the states of Oregon, Washington and California, near the coastal regions you will find a wide variety of shellfish along with coasts.  You can readily forage for crab, clams and in small tide pools that have trapped minnows.  Add Idaho to the list and from early March to May you will find Morel mushrooms in the mountainous regions, particularly shortly after a rainstorm.

During the summer months there are several varieties of edible berries including thimble berries, huckleberries, wild strawberries and blackberries. In the eastern part of Washington state, wild asparagus grows along ditch banks and on the sides of the road.

Rocky Mountains

Montana, Wyoming and Colorado host a variety of berries in their mountainous regions which are good for foraging such as blackberries and wild strawberries.

Many of the animals raised for food including beef, sheep and goats get a significant amount of their diet from foraged grasses which are edible for both humans and livestock.

Southeast

In North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,  Mississippi Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee, over 100 varieties of these wild grasses grow profusely.  Grazing stock on them reduces the cost of feed purchases.

Southwest

The southwestern states such as Texas and  you can find wild black walnuts and pecans. In Arizona and New Mexico, pinon nuts grow in abundance which can be gathered, stored and used as a tasty snack treat, or in a variety of recipes.

Northeast

In the Eastern states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland,Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island you can find tasty wild apples and crabapples as well as pine nuts for foraging.

Deep South

In Florida wild parsnips and carrots can be found, but you must be somewhat of an expert so you do not confuse them with their poisonous look alike plants.  In Utah and Nevada the Mormon Tea plant produces seeds which can be used to make bread or mush.  Although bitter in taste they are highly edible and nutritious.

Alaska

Of course Alaska holds a plethora of foods that may be foraged, particularly in the summer months. Huckleberries, blackberries and pine nuts grow wild, not to mention the wild game that runs in abundance.

Midwest

Next, moving on to the mid-western states of Nebraska, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Kansas, Illinois and Indiana you will find a large variety of wild seed bearing grasses such as a variety of wild wheats which may easily be forged and hulled for use by both humans and livestock.

East Coast

In Virginia and West Virginia wild mushrooms grow in abundance, but make sure that you know how to tell the safe varieties from poisonous. Throughout the 50 states of America, there is an abundance of wild foods that are available for forage for both humans and livestock, that can help to cut down of the expenses associated with eating for survival, and in many cases, for pleasure as many of them provide a unique taste treat.  Of course you can store up your gathered treasures and freeze dry them for long term food storage, or you can eat them right away!

Sent to us by the author.