Foraging isn’t that glamorous

I love the aesthetic you often see on social media of beautiful nymph-like women herbalists and wildcrafters mooning about amongst the plants in their flowy dresses, perfect *minimalist* makeup, and jewellery.

The plants in the background also, inevitably, look green, lush and unblemished.

And I’m certainly all for beauty and for capturing our best moments - because after all we do want to harvest the most vital plants to create vitality for us and we want to embody and reflect that energy and life.

I sometimes even manage to capture that when I’m in the forests, fields, streambeds, roadsides, and green spaces.

But more often than not, the reality of foraging is a LOT of bugs and bites, mud that splatters on your clothing or sandy dirt that sticks to your sweaty body, rain (or sometimes unexpected spring snow if you live in the Canadian northeast like I do!), threat of stings from a variety of prickly plants, and the resulting unflattering garb that allows you to actually be outside for longer with the plants.

Think clunky rain boots, bug nets that make it hard to see, ugly and uncomfortable gardening gloves, and your old holey, stained shirt and pants.

This doesn’t even cover the tools you need to carry to help you harvest.

A blickey is a decidedly unsexy accessory I’ve discovered in the last couple of year. Literally a little pail with a string or strap you wear around your waist. I have very low confidence that it will come into style the way that that the fanny pack has made a recent resurgence.

Another of my personal homemade favourites is a good old paper bag. I’m grateful the grocery stores still give those out so occasionally I can get a new one, since they’re also so great for drying plants.

A basket can be a cute accessory, but also can be a bit more clunky to carry if you’re walking a ways or if there’s a strong wind.

Not the most glam. But also - totally worth it.

Sometimes it’s the plants themselves who don’t look so great. It can be hard to get them at that just right moment in time unless you are out there almost every day. So they often have holes from other animals and insects who also find them to be excellent food, are dried out by the sun, or they can be overripe and mushy, all of which don’t make for the best photo ops.

But this is all what makes it so much more real. What makes me feel like I’m really involved in life, and in relationship with the plants and Earth.

These relationships I’ve developed over the years of harvesting and eating wild foods have been so inspiring and brought me much joy and gratitude.

And though of course I like to get dressed up every. now and again, I wouldn’t ever trade the deep connection and understanding of the cyclical and true nature of our food systems that foraging has brought to my life.