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► Indoor growing system (Click&Grow)
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Music in this video:
Music by Mr. Jello – Smooth Sailing –
Hello you beautiful Rebels and welcome Back to another video in today's video I Am talking about foraging what you need For foraging all the questions I get Let's go so over the years I've gotten a Ton of questions about foraging what Equipment I use how did I start out what Books do I use so I compiled it all in Today's video these tips are more aimed At people just beginning foraging but if You're an experienced forager like I am You may like knowing what gear I have Number one know exactly what you are Foraging now this sounds like it could Be a given but I don't think it is with The amount of people I see picking Poisonous mushrooms and then going Online and asking for feedback whether They can eat it or not but it should be A given now I am not shaming Crowdsourcing information about Mushrooms or poisonous mushrooms or Edible mushrooms go ahead and do that That's fine just don't pick a lot of Something thinking that it's edible and Then crowd source seeing information About it and that for me goes for Mushrooms and plants berries what have You it doesn't really matter what it is Don't pick something unless you know Exactly what it is I have been forging Since I was a kid I grew up in the Middle of nowhere in Quebec but my Parents didn't forage I didn't have any
Relatives who foraged I did however have A German neighbor who owned a health Food store and who would come down to Her cottage which was next to our Four Season Cottage and so she would come Down and she was very weird she was Honestly really weird but she showed me A few plants that were edible and that I Could eat so I did I started eating Those plants looking back she was Actually quite cool and I wish I could Have soaked up more information from her She would show me like her books that Were ancient they were awesome she would Show me the horsetail plants and how They had a ton of silica in them and how You could make a tea from them she Showed me thimble berries and that those Were edible and you could make a cake Out of them she was really really cool Anyways I've been forging since I was a Kid but I've only been actively foraging For the past 17 years and it does take Time to know where things grow it does Take time to know what things look like And it does take time to know that Certain things are edible but they don't Taste that great I mentioned all of this Because some people think they can just Go out into the bush and forage and know Exactly what everything is when it Doesn't really work that way even though I think that some of us possess an Innate sense of what is edible because I
Can walk up to a plant and be like oh I Know you you're edible I know I can eat You even though I've never seen this Plant before have never eaten this plant Before it's just the sense of knowing And then I look up the plan and make Sure I can eat it so I always do that You can't just rely on this you know Sense or spidey sense that something's Edible don't do that I always Second-guess myself and go and check and That's a good thing do not rely on any Senses that you think something is Edible go check it make sure it is Edible which brings me to some of my Favorite books to check from actually These are the only foraging books I own And I've only possessed them in the last Three years so they're relatively new to Me before that I would go online and I Also trusted friends who had been Foraging a long time so I would talk to Them as well and so even though I Consult these books I think it makes More sense to consult someone who is Actually actively forged in your area in Your areas keep for example I wouldn't Consult someone who lives in Oklahoma in The USA when I live in on Ontario Canada Certain things grow down there that Don't grow up here and vice versa and Even though some plants may be the same I just probably wouldn't seek them out I Would seek out someone local to me so
Definitely read books local to your area But also seek out people especially Foragers who are offering classes and Are teaching about local foraging I Repeat seek out local foragers who are Offering classes so you can learn from Them and then you'll know exactly what You can eat locally so just going off That the books I'm about to show you may Not be valuable to you but you can find Similar books for your area so I have This book here it's wild edible Mushrooms of Ontario a field guide by Tom corbenga and it is really good it's Not amazing but it's one of the best Ones I have seen for Ontario so I like Looking at it it has really great photos It tells you also if there are Look-alike mushrooms which is definitely Key when looking at mushrooms you never Know if you're getting a look-alike Mushroom or not so those are the Critical skills you can pick up from a Local forager offering classes what the Lookalikes look like how to tell the Difference so anyways it's a really Really good book really clear pictures I Really really like this book a lot Really recommend it for anyone in Ontario I also have this one I actually Just got this one last year and so it's Relatively new to me but it has great Pictures as well I definitely prefer Actual photos of plants as opposed to
Drawings drawings are sometimes only in Black and white or they get the colors Wrong pictures actually give you what The plant actually looks like so I Really recommend foraging books with Photos as opposed to drawings drawings Are really lovely to look at and I do Appreciate them because it definitely Takes skill it definitely takes time and I do own a couple but I do think the Photo books are the best so this is the Peterson feel guide to medicinal plants And herbs of Eastern and Central North America it's a third edition here it's By Stephen Foster and James a Duke it's Pretty good it's not completely solid in Terms of information but it's a pretty Good book lastly I have edible and Medicinal plants of Canada it's by a Bunch of people And I'm not gonna list them all but it's Published by Partners Lone Pine it is a Really solid book again I really like This one it gives you some information It doesn't give you all information none Of these books do that's why you should Really seek out local people who will Know a ton more than in these books so Yeah get some good reference field Guides for your area for foraging but Definitely again emphasizing this seek Out local foragers in your area who are Offering classes super important number Two besides knowing your stuff don't
Take anything without asking I talked to Trees and plants all the time and I do Not take without asking and the main Reason I don't take without asking has a Little bit to do with capitalism because I feel like we just take things from People we take things from nature we Take things from people we take without Asking we just do it and I also don't Take all of something I don't take all The berries I don't take all the Mushrooms I don't take all the flowers Even though I have a large family I do Not take all of something especially if There's not a lot of something and There's not a lot of something I may Identify it I may look at it I may take Photos of it but I will not take it and I won't take it because I don't want to Detract from it I don't want to take Away from it I want others to enjoy it Not just me and by others it could just Be nature I just want it to exist but I Don't touch it anyways kind of Backtracking here I only take what I Need I only take what I'll use and I Don't take without asking I think that's Very important and some people will be Like what you mean you don't take Without asking like how do you ask a Plant or a tree that you can take Something and I just think that comes With an overall sense of where you are And what you're doing So eventually with
Foraging I hope that some people feel More in tune with nature and it kind of Kind of sense if a plant doesn't want Something to be taken from it or a Mushroom doesn't want to be picked and Also that comes with experience and Knowing if there's not an abundance of Something if there's only one plant and It has a handful of berries on it I Would say don't take don't take them Because you want that plant to prosper You want those berries to go other Places and create new berries why not Just leave it for the Wildlife and so That's kind of where my thinking's at I Know that may sound really abstract and It really does vary person to person and Some foragers will say they don't have a Sense of what I'm talking about at all But it's just something that comes with How I Forge I guess and I do know there Are other foragers out there who ask Before taking I know they exist so it's Not just me number three only forage in Places you're allowed to forage at least Here in Ontario Canada you are not Allowed to forage in provincial parks You are not allowed to forage in National Parks those are protected areas For nature you are not allowed to forage In them I do know it is allowed in some Areas to forage in your local public Park I do know that it's legal to forage If there's an overhang of a tree on a
Sidewalk that's considered public Property you can forage off that tree Usually and I do know you can legally Forage on your own property or on Private property with permission when Seeking out private property to forage On speak to the owner of the property Make sure they are the owner of the Property and ask permission now most Property Owners especially if they have A lot of land won't care that much if You pay them and so if you pay someone To go into their woods they may let you I have paid people to let me walk Through their land for a few hours just To forage and this does work out because They feel like you're not stealing Anything because you've paid them and You've explained to them what you are Doing and they know exactly where you Are on their land and they have been Compensated for letting you on their Land so it seems to work out that all Said I repeat do not forage in Provincial parks or national parks those Are protected don't take anything out of Them you can go in there and see a Really huge beautiful Peak Prime you Know edible chicken of the woods Mushroom don't pick it leave it be Because you do not get to touch that That is protected nature and it should Be allowed to exist without you touching It take photos have great memories but
Please do not take from places you're Not legally allowed to Forge from some Foragers will mention you know you can Go legally into ditches ditches are part Of a town or a city and considering that They are usually deemed you know public Property they're not private property They're owned by the town or city so I Have foraged legally from ditches Especially asparagus in the spring Really really yummy that said you want To look at the pollution from the local Traffic on the side of the road if There's a lot of cars going and you know It's a highway and there's a lot of Pollution I would say you know maybe Leave the asparagus bee or leave Whatever you're gonna forage next to the Highway alone but if it's a dirt road And it's not very often traveled and There's nothing that can really get in The ditch to make it super toxic I do it I I Forge asparagus from clean Ditches again you kind of have to take This with your own discretion here and What you want to do and what you're Comfortable with but again check with People if you're going onto their Property ask first ask permission some People just let you go on their property No problem but definitely ask first all Right getting into the rest of it I'm Not gonna even really number these I'm Just going to tell you what I bring with
Me foraging starting out I really think You should use what you already own Especially if you're pursuing a hobby That you may not love forever definitely Just use what you already have and then Eventually get better gear it was Actually only two years ago that I Upgraded my foraging gear from simple Backpacks and mesh bags I now use Beautiful bags they're amazing I've been Using them for two years now and I'll Tell you what they are so all the Foraging bags I'm about to show you are From A Fine company shop and they're From levue Ukraine and they are still Shipping out products now so I got some Just in January actually and they are Still shipping out despite the war in Ukraine and so I wanted to talk about Them actually because I want to support Them fully and everything they're going Through and so if you would like to Check out this company click the link in The description I will list everything I Own in that description link from them And I own a lot from them they are Absolutely amazing they're really really Super nice if you message them on Etsy They are super kind get back to you Super quickly I just think they're Lovely people who could use the help Right now so I'm putting them in this Video both Joseph and I have these big Backpack bags they're absolutely huge
They have a waist thing right here they Have great shoulder straps they have Lots of pockets and this is waterproof Inside you have this basket this is a Mesh basket which is great for foraging Mushrooms and things like that because You want them to be able to breathe and Then deeper in the bag you have this Wicker basket and then you have a bigger Wicker basket and so we use these for Mushrooms we use these for wild leeks we Use these for plants for berries Whatever especially when we're foraging Through really Rocky terrain or uphill These are great to wear for a long Period of time all of their stuff is Just so well constructed I have no Complaints with any of it just it's Going to last me probably my entire life And so I really want to recommend their Stuff it's just well made it's durable a Lot of it is waterproof so Joseph and I Have those bigger backpacks with a lot Of different baskets in them and then The kids have these smaller backpacks That are just a wicker basket on their Back and these are amazing as well we Also have this round fruiting basket or Berry basket or mushroom basket that we Have for picking it collapses which is Really awesome for transport and then You just pop it open like that and these And everything else are super Lightweight and that is key when
Foraging especially for long periods of Time you want lightweight gear so that You can go and then come out with Everything I also have these side bags So this is a mesh side bag it kind of Just goes like this and you can carry it Super easily around anywhere and we use All these bags for other stuff besides Foraging because they're really really Well made so we take our big wicker Basket backpacks to the grocery store to Buy clearance food and it just makes Sense because we go on our bikes or we Walk to the grocery store and so then we Can haul everything home super easily This one's a belt one it kind of just Folds into this pocket here and you can Attach it around you And you can fold it better than I folded It but basically like that or you can Just carry it like this you can put it On your belt or do whatever you want With it and you have this belt foraging Bag so all of that gear comes from a Fine company shop on Etsy they're based In Ukraine they are still shipping out I Really want to support them so I put Them in this video and I love this gear Go check them out and show them some Love their link is in the description This video this video is not sponsored By them I just really like their stuff And they need your help right now so Besides all those bags I do have a
Mushroom brush and it's actually from A Fine company shop and it's awesome this Is the brush end I can attach it to Anything like a belt and it has a knife For the mushrooms besides that knife I Do have this tops knife that was made in The USA this thing can cut pretty much Anything not just mushrooms and it is Just so well crafted it comes with a Sharpener right on the sheath right here Super awesome love their stuff too I Will link this company also in the Description again not sponsored just Like their stuff and so this is the Stuff I use when foraging despite that Being the stuff I use while foraging you Can use what you have now you can use What's available to you if you're Looking for better gear I definitely Suggest the stuff I own it's really Awesome I like things that are well made And will last me forever because if You're going to put money into a hobby Or something you do I think you should Get good stuff for it especially if you Love that hobby a lot for me forging is More than a hobby at this point it's how I feed my family a lot of the food we Eat is forged food and yeah it is worth Me investing in and that is pretty much It for the tips in this video I have Gotten so many questions over the years About my background about the books I Use about the gear I use about my
Suggestions for beginner foragers I hope This is enough information in this video If you would like me to do forging Videos of my local area I can definitely Make those this coming year if you have Any other questions for me please leave Them down in the description and I'll do My best to answer them or I'll take your Question and make a video about it so go Tell me what you'd like get dirty stay Magical piece bye