This must be the summer that I finally learn how to harvest local plants for food and healing. I am already enrolled in Seaweed 101, which starts in a few weeks, and now I have enrolled in a Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants Course. The Pacific Northwest has an abundance of courses similar to these in our area and more are sprouting up as the interest grows. Alderleaf Wilderness College has a variety of interesting workshops ranging from one day to year long programs. Both of these courses are in Northwest Washington, but if you look you may find similar courses where you live.
A big part of macrobiotics is about learning and incorporating a diet and lifestyle best suited for your climate and your own physical condition. Eating and preparing foods that sustained traditional people in your area may be the ones that will promote your own health. Foods obtained locally can also help reduce our ecological footprint.
Plus, it’s pretty exciting! I have a friend who regularly gathers food on her daily walks. She picks a huge variety of greens that I can’t recognize and incorporates them into her meals. She also knows medicinal herbs native to our region and uses them when needed. So far, the only one I know about is dandelion root! All that is about to change.
emmycooks
Ok, I can’t wait to see what you learn about eating our local seaweed! 🙂