I caught part of an item on French TV last month about a guy travelling through France living off wild foods which many members would have found of interest.
In his early 40s he had decided to change his life and walk through France living off wild food and promoting this to others as he went. When the programme caught up with him, he had been on the road for eight months. He was on foot with a man haul trailer and mostly hammocked while wild camping or staying on farms. He gave talks and demonstrations to rural communities and village schools about how he survived on wild foods and surplus produce given to him by people with whom he stayed. I got the impression that trapping was not part of his agenda although I think fishing and shellfish gathering were.
As I know from my own experience, rural French people often know a lot about foraging for wild food and will often share knowledge about local sources with like-minded people. This guy was often shown new plants and sources during the course of his talks and guided walks. He was aware of his own knowledge and ignorance particularly where fungi was concerned.
One tip in particular struck me and I thought it worth sharing. Whenever he came across an edible plant new to him, he took several photos of it as follows:-
1 A close up showing details of the plant so he could cross reference it in an identification book.
2 A close up of any similar plants growing nearby with which it may be confused
3 A wide shot showing the environment in which the plant was growing showing other plants and the general environment so that a similar habitat elsewhere could be investigated This also indicated the season in which the photo was taken.
He made the point that his photo record provided a quick data base and aide-memoire.
I'd like to know more about this chap and his wanderings and hope he may pop up on YouTube or elsewhere. If anyone else knows anything about him and his adventures, please share.
In his early 40s he had decided to change his life and walk through France living off wild food and promoting this to others as he went. When the programme caught up with him, he had been on the road for eight months. He was on foot with a man haul trailer and mostly hammocked while wild camping or staying on farms. He gave talks and demonstrations to rural communities and village schools about how he survived on wild foods and surplus produce given to him by people with whom he stayed. I got the impression that trapping was not part of his agenda although I think fishing and shellfish gathering were.
As I know from my own experience, rural French people often know a lot about foraging for wild food and will often share knowledge about local sources with like-minded people. This guy was often shown new plants and sources during the course of his talks and guided walks. He was aware of his own knowledge and ignorance particularly where fungi was concerned.
One tip in particular struck me and I thought it worth sharing. Whenever he came across an edible plant new to him, he took several photos of it as follows:-
1 A close up showing details of the plant so he could cross reference it in an identification book.
2 A close up of any similar plants growing nearby with which it may be confused
3 A wide shot showing the environment in which the plant was growing showing other plants and the general environment so that a similar habitat elsewhere could be investigated This also indicated the season in which the photo was taken.
He made the point that his photo record provided a quick data base and aide-memoire.
I'd like to know more about this chap and his wanderings and hope he may pop up on YouTube or elsewhere. If anyone else knows anything about him and his adventures, please share.
