Foraging Takes Locavoreism to a New Level

Mushrooms, gingko nuts, berries of all types; "Wildman" Steve Brill has been tracking them down for almost 30 years. Of course, that would only be mildly interesting if he was doing it in the country. What is so fascinating is that he forages in New York City, and has no problem finding plenty of edible treasures all over the city.

He regularly gives tours of Central Park, Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Forest Park in Queens and elsewhere, teaching groups of interested foodies on where to look for all kinds of edible plants that grow unnoticed by most people. Along the way he's garnered quite a bit of attention, giving interviews to everyone from the New York Times to the Food Network. For those unable to make it to NYC to take one of his classes, he even has his own YouTube channel.

Foraging encourages locavorism to an extreme degree, but green cred isn't the only reason to roam your local park looking for edible plants. Steve regularly finds gourmet items like Hen of the Woods mushrooms, which can sell for almost $30 per lb, although you should definitely educate yourself about mushrooms before collecting them, lest you poison yourself.

Brill, a vegan, grew up in Queens and still forages there. A few of his local finds? Burdock root, garlic mustard, dandelion leaves and chickweed. Going on one of his tours will not only yield you a bag's worth of different plants (and save you a trip to the market), it will also teach you the ins-and-outs of safe foraging, like which plants, despite their similarity to edible plants, are poisonous and which ones need to be cooked first in order to make them safe for consumption.

Despite how far-out the whole concept of wandering around a park looking for greens is, keep in mind that most of the edible things you find are pretty common, showing up in restaurants and markets all the time. Plus, it's an extremely efficient use of the environment, as these plants are growing wild anyways and would otherwise probably be cut down by agencies like the Parks Department. In fact, Brill was once arrested by the NYPD in 1984 for digging up roots in Central Park.

Brill is left alone by the cops nowadays, but it just goes to show how smart strategies for local, sustainable food practices can be hindered by short-sighted thinking. Growing food in your front yard is still a no-go for many neighborhoods concerned that replacing wasteful grass lawns with productive gardens is bad for property values. Still, it's nice to see people slowly but surely learn to appreciate the nature around not just as scenery but as a source of nourishment and a way to move away from industrial agricultural practices.