Should people be encouraged to forage to cope with the cost of living crisis?

[purplepoppy]

A local news article talks about how more people are taking to the beaches to forage for food particularly Seaweed. It's always been a common sight here to see men wandering along the low tide mark to grab a few Razor fish for tea or kids raking up cockles. Many pick wild fruits for jams and jellies. But people tend to forage for the fun and for tasty treats not because they can't afford food.

So as prices increase should governments be encouraging people to forage for wild food? Have you found yourself needing to do it to feed your family?

[Lliam]

If the government started encouraging foraging, I'd assume it had kind of nefarious angle.

But I do love the idea of foraging. My wife and I do some. We live in a rural area where there are lots of wild, non-commercial plants growing wild if you know how to identify them. We have a book on wild plants. And some of those plants are really nutritious.

I also have the capability of taking deer, wild turkeys, quail in my yard, and there are lots of water fowl nearby. I'm a good shot with both rifle and shotgun.

I read that during the Great Depression, a surprising number of people supplemented their pots with food they had foraged. My mom told me how her dad and brothers would hunt birds, deer, rabbits and even squirrels to feed the family during the 1930s. They would also fish (freshwater).

I have cousins who are successful farmers, and one of their favorite pastimes with the kids is to hunt wild mushrooms, mostly morels.

So I'm a huge fan of using the commons' abundance as a giant supermarket. Most wild food is healthier than genetically modified, chemical laden, commercially produced foods.

[DJB72]

I'm taking up hunting with my air rifle - rabbits, ducks, geese, pigeons etc and I'm already growing my own veg. I've started throwing tomato seeds into the verge here (South Africa) and sweet peppers too. There's nothing wrong with foraging...

[Agagagagaga]

What’s the story on eating pigeons? Is it safe? Don’t they eat trash or something?

[purplepoppy]

You want nice plump wood pigeons not the scrawny city ones.

[DJB72]

Exactly. Not the flying rats city dwellers think of. You go to five star restaurants across the world and wood pigeon is often on the menu.

It's tender and juicy and has a lot of flavour

[weysally]

in a way yes, my husband and I are fairly well off, but we whenever things come into season will go and get apples, pears, etc. just drive along practically any road and you can see them on the ground, learn when you can get them from the trees, soon in England hazel nuts, chestnuts, will be around, learn how to keep them for Christmas etc.

[Agape93]

Nope. The ones unable to survive or too stupid to survive, need to die off to real rebalance the scales

[purplepoppy]

Sssh if the government here's that they'll encourage mushroom picking

[exitseven]

I planted a bigger vegetable garden than usual and next year will go even bigger and I plan to go fishing more in the future as well. I might even get a clam digging permit.

[Guffrus]

Oh shit, are you supposed to get a permit before you go digging around in clams?

I am in a lot of trouble...

[exitseven]

@Guffrus yes, in liberal states you need a permit to fart.

[purplepoppy]

Don't know what the law is in the states but in the UK a bucket full is considered for personal use, anymore and its considered commercial and you need a permit. Might be worth checking if you actually need a permit for just a few clams

[exitseven]

i know a shellfish warden in one of the coastal towns he will hook me up.

[Surely]

I wish that I would be better versed in foraging. It is just that two plants can look nearly alike. One is good for you and the other will kill you!
The government will not promote this account of not being able to control its usages! And the drug companies!

[SnowedIn]

Encouraedy? No. As a society we need to figure out how to collectively solve these problems. But, the reality is that some folks may have to resort to foraging.

[Msputiton]

Here in america all we need to do is just tell their political party leaders to tell them eat less or forage more.

Like obedient puppies they will

[KrakenAttackin]

Great, in the US we will have the "Biden Trash Panda Program", where we have Biden's blessing to go through dumpsters and complete with Raccoons for pizza crusts. Fun.

[AviatorTom]

It hasn't gotten that bad where we live, but I give credit to those who find ways to survive... more power to them.

[Zolly99999]

Unfortunately I think we have too reduce costs as much as possible in order to survive... unless of course you are stupid rich 💰💰💰💰

[bean2k21]

Forage? You mean like drive to McDonald's rather than have it delivered?

[jimmy2]

It getting very high my gov is getting ready for food riots

[Pete671]

People should be discouraged because then there will be more left for me and my tribe,

[NathanDavis]

we bought arable land last year...

[Jennz6]

No, what can you do?

[Debbie14217]

wow... nnnooo!!!