![]() "Jerusalem artichokes are the roots, or tubers, of a wild sunflower," explains Gardner. In fall, Gardner seeks out the nuts of the black walnut tree, the berry clusters of staghorn sumac, pawpaw fruit, wild Northern Fox grapes, and Jerusalem artichokes. Morels are generally safe to forage because there aren't dangerous mushrooms that look like it." Summer is the season for ripe, delicious berries like the elderberry, black raspberry, high-bush blueberry, and mulberry. "Morels are popping up in Southern Ohio in April and May," he says, "and should be showing up in Northern Ohio soon after. Popular ones include fiddlehead ferns, the tender unfurled fronds of the ostrich fern, dandelion greens, chickweed, and numerous edible mushrooms. Along with two kinds of ramps, Gardner ticks off an impressive list of wild edible foods that pop up each spring. "Just because birds and mammals can safely eat them, doesn't mean we can."įor an invaluable reference on the subject, Gardner turns to A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants, by author Lee Peterson. "You definitely have to be careful because there are some plants out there that are deadly," he warns. When nibbling his way through the woodlands, Gardner strictly adheres to the forager's code: if you don't know what it is, leave it alone. There are a number of wild-growing plants in our area that you can safely eat." "When I'm out in the field working," Gardner says, "I'll snack on black raspberries, high-bush blueberries, huckleberries, grapes, wild strawberries. When hunger strikes, he doesn't have the luxury of reaching for the refrigerator for an apple. From skunky spring greens to dew-dappled mushrooms, wholesome food is just waiting to be snatched up and eaten.Īs a botanist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources ( ODNR), Rick Gardner spends hours in the field tracking native plants. ![]() Each season, Mother Nature rolls out a fresh new crop of wild edible foods. But it still is not mainstream - you can't buy this stuff at Kroger's - so it's still kind of exciting."Ĭhmiel, like our ancestors, understands that good food doesn't have to come from a supermarket. "People have been eating these native foods for a long, long time," he explains. That was over 20 years ago, and along the way Chmiel launched the Ohio Pawpaw Festival, created the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association, and even got the State of Ohio to adopt the pawpaw as its official native fruit. "There were all these pawpaw fruits just rotting on the ground down here and nobody was really doing anything with them." As a fan of the pawpaw, which he describes as a tropical tasting apple, Chmiel began processing the perishable product so others could enjoy it year-round. "It was like a 'lemons into lemonade' kind of thing," Chmiel says. And it all started with the humble pawpaw. Spicebush, black walnuts, ramps, persimmons, elderberries, and wild mushrooms are just some of the naturally occurring foods he harvests, processes, and sells to buyers nationwide. As owner of Integration Acres, Chmiel offers a complete product line built around the native plants of Southeast Ohio. Chris Chmiel has designed his life around wild edible foods.
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