From the wild

Ever try living off the land? Are there wild foods in your diet? Hunters and fishermen eat wild foods. Sometimes it’s a significant part of their diet. How about wild plants? Do you know what grows near you?

If you don’t already have them, get some good plant identification books for your local area. Learn what is edible, what is poisonous, and what is medicinal. Sometimes a single plant will have parts that fit all three categories. It’s good to memorize a fair number of plants, but good books keep your memory fresh and help you learn more.

Get used to using local plants. Incorporate them in your diet on a regular basis. Should you ever need to rely on them completely, you’ll have already gotten used to them. People sometimes starve rather than eat unfamiliar foods.

Learn where useful wild plants grow near your home. My lovely wife has been know to transplant useful plants to our property. She’ll find something interesting in the wild and bring it home. That way it will be close by when we want it.

A lot of people rely on prescription medications. What would happen if there were disruptions in the supply? Maybe there are wild plants that could do the job. You may be suffering from something and the relief to your condition is growing like a weed in your yard. There are plants with antibiotic properties. Don’t forget antiparasitics.

Learn how prepare all these gifts from the wild. Get used to using them in your day to day life. In an emergency, you’ll know what to do.


-Sixbears