Whether you are currently growing your own or not, it is important to think about all the various crops you can grow where you live. But the potential of wild resources are often overlooked. It is also a good idea to think about how you can begin to make the most of nature’s bounty in your own garden, and in the world around you. One way you can boost sustainability is by eating the weeds.
Weeds are often looked at as a problem, rather than a resource. But it is important for all of us to change our mindsets. Weeds, it must be remembered, are often simply plants that do very well in the conditions where we live. And many weeds have a range of uses. Some are edible, and even delicious. And even those that are not edible can be used in other ways – as liquid plant feeds, for crafting, etc..
Edible weeds and wild plants I can find on my doorstep include:
- Stinging nettles.
- Purple dead nettles
- Henbit
- Willow herb
- Dandelions
- Chickweed
- Fat hen
- Ground elder
- Sorrel
- Plantain
And those are just a few examples. You can find more examples and information in this article.
Foraging can play an important role in creating a sustainable diet. It will take you one step closer to self-reliance. And allow you to reduce your reliance on damaging food producing systems.
And an added benefit of eating the weeds is that when weeding becomes harvesting, it feels like much less of a chore. When a little casual weeding also provides you with delicious ingredients for dinner, it can feel a lot less thankless and a lot more rewarding.
But weeds can be more than just edible. They can actually also taste great! Learn how to harvest and serve weeds and you’ll be taking another great step towards a happier, healthier and more rewarding way of life.
EWSP Consultancy 