Calling all wild food enthusiast...please help!

[malente]

One fundamental thing I forgot to include, is that I am working on the assumption that there is indeed an increase in the popularity of wild plant use for food, but I need to back this up.

I would say you'd need longitudinal data to do this, no?

 

[lisa]

Hi Malente, don't worry I have other data. Although its not just a case of showing that there exists a change from past to present, but being an anthropoloical study I am also interested in the more qualitative question of why there has been change, and so I am really interested to hear peoples opinions. I am and have been interviewing plenty of folks and key figuers in this field, but it would be great to hear general veiws here too. .

By the way your phd sounds heavy! Wow, at least it will be qualitative

Best
Lisa

 

[mayfly]

Do you folks feel that there is an increase in popularity,/ resurgence of interest, in say the past 5 years?

Don't know what went on before, although I am starting to work my way through some of John Seymour's books. But I'd say yes there has been a resurgence and it's all about TV and more recently the Internet isn't it? The interest in foraging/wild food has probably always been there but there has never been so much choice in terms of access to media, so we find our interests catered for, and the stimulus to develop them. I've started with TV and Internet and moved from there to books and courses, which seems the wrong way round!

This is purely anecdotal but a lot of people I know have been hugely influenced by HFW's programmes and books. Cook on the Wild Side was a revelation to me and sparked an interest. I guess he got his knowledge from somewhere, but he certainly started it for me and many I know, much more than Ray who in those days who was more about foraging for 'survival' which seemed much less relevant to me, though nevertheless interesting.

Chris

 

[lisa]

Hey Mayfly...yes, HFW was a great influence on my early foraging days too. I think the endearing thing about Hugh was that he didn't seem to have much knowledge back then? Rather a city chef, who went on adventures, seeking out eccentric folk who knew about wild food and then using his chefing skills to cook and eat them (the wild food that is ;-)). One of the lovely things about those early programs was that you felt that you were learning and exploring with him, rather than being taught by him?

I think also Mabey summed it up well in a recent article

"When foraging resurfaced in the 70's, it was amoung a very mixed constituancy of hippies, supermarke refugees, organic foodies and nostalgic countryphiles, and quite soon 2 seperate, though far from exclusive, factions emerged: Those who's interest in wild food was principally about the food, and those who were enthralled by the wild"

Hence I think you have the distinction between HFW and Ray Mears approach to wild food? Maybe ;-)...

Lisa

 

[mayfly]

Agree about learning with HFW, good point. And Mabey's is an interesting distinction. I'm now thinking whether I am more into the food (with some wild) or the wild (with some food). Those that know me will immediately think the former

 

[y0dsa]

Hi Lisa,
Just emailed the questionnaire (from mythicalforce...).
Fascinating subject.
Best of luck with the study!
Will you publish the results?