2023 Foraging
Courses
Foraging connects you with your body, with the land, with other people. Its our ancestral roots to forge and find our food in our immediate surroundings.
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Come and have this innate part of you switched on, tapping into pattern recognition with plants to start recognising food that no doubt grows within metres of your front door!
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Feel the buzz of gathering with other people as our tribal ancestors did and feel your body respond to being fed with this vitalising non industrial foods.
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Hosted by Miles Irving
Foraging Session at Goodnestone Park, Kent
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For our 3 hour spring foraging walk at Goodnestone Park we will explore the grounds in search of seasonal wild edibles, homing in on key identifying characteristics of each plant to enable you recognise them nearer to home. We will also cover their culinary uses, nutrient content and medicinal properties as well as delving into the importance of foraging as a way to reconnect with land and ecology!
Details:
Price: £50 (£20 concessions)
Location: Goodnestone Park, Kent
Dates:
Saturday 1st July 2023
12pm - 3pm
Seaweed Courses
We will be meeting in Folkestone (exact location will be sent to you closer to the date) Plan for the day: We will meet somewhat earlier than for my usual courses, as the day revolves around the low tide - either at 8-10am (depending on the day you have booked). We will focus on around 9 species (for example: kelp, dulse, laver and sea lettuce) in order to give you a good grounding in finding and using these species in particular. We won't have time for an extended meet and greet. Instead we will get straight down to the low tide mark, where the kelp (or kombu) is to be found, then move up the beach as the tide starts to come in. Each seaweed has a preferred zone, further down or higher up the beach, so as we move we will be discovering different species. Once we have looked at all the best seaweeds, we will move further up beyond the high tide mark and use what we have gathered as a basis for lunch. What to bring? Please bring sensible outdoor wear, footwear that will likely get wet (welly boots are best), a notebook and pen, and something to take photos with.
Details:
Price: £120 (£40 concessions)
Location: Folkestone, Kent
Dates:
Sunday 4th June 2023
Saturday 8th July 2023
3pm - 8pm
10am - 3pm
Summer Forage
Summer is when the signs energy is at its zenith and response to this, most plats also are at their zentith or well on their way, with flowering stems ascending to hold flowers aloft to attract the bees or allow the wind to disperse the pollen. While still young these stems as sweet and tender like asparagus so will be a main feature of our meal. There will still be lots of leafy growth, but this calms down at the stems get going compared to the explosion of green in the spring time. in its place is an explosion of flowers, many of which are edible and some of which are aromatic and used as flavourings. Lastly there are some seeds and fruits coming into season from late June onwards, these being theculmiation of the growth cycle of the plants. All that we find will be put together for our summer 3 course foraged feast!
Details:
Price: £120 (£40 concessions)
Location: Chartham, Kent: Map
Dates:
Sunday 25th June 2023
Sunday 16th July 2023
11am - 4pm
11am - 4pm
Mushroom Foraging
We will spent the first and longest part of the day foraging ina woodland habitat for mushrooms, This will be part part guided walk with me there will also be a chance to wander off the beaten track to see what you can find for yourself. I will have a good recki the day before so I can show you some choice examples of fungi. This will include good edibles, medicinal species and also poisonous ones - you need to be aware of these in order to avoid eating them by mistake! Despite my best efforts though, the fact that I have only one pair of eyes means that I will inevitably miss some really interesting specimens which will be discovered by the group as they fan out with many pairs of searching eyes…. The second part of the day will involve having a good look at what has been found and doing are best to identify them. Throughout the day we will be learning about key Identification features of fungi as well as the various families and groups of fungi - all good tools for learning to recognise mushrooms when I am not there to hold your hands…. The third and final part of the day will be a big cook up culminating in a 4 course meal, including a fungi based desert! Please be aware that the quality and extent of this food offering is reflected in the price of the course.
Details:
Price: £120 (£40 concessions)
Location: Chartham, Kent: Map
Dates:
Sunday 24th September 2023
11am - 4pm
Sunday 8th October 2023
11am - 4pm
Sunday 1st October 2023
11am - 4pm
Sunday 15th October 2023
11am - 4pm
Autumn Forage
Autumn is when things return to the ground, some to decay as in the case of leaves, but many to produce food, as in the case of nuts, fruits and seeds which are harvested and stored by many creatures as well as as us, to provide sustenance through the winter months. However the decay also becomes food as mushrooms pushup through the soil, fed by the dead leaves and other living material. At the same time some plants are starting to grow again and will continue until the weather gets really cold - so there will be salads and greens on the menu too. So wild fruits, seeds, nuts, mushrooms and greens: come and participate in the autumn foraged bounty, culminating in a 3 course feast with wild teas and drink to accompany.
Details:
Price: £120 (£40 concessions)
Location: Chartham, Kent: Map
Dates:
Sunday 10th September 2023
11am - 4pm
Sunday 17th September 2023
11am - 4pm
Sunday 12th November 2023
11am - 4pm
Buy a gift voucher here!
a perfect gift, the lucky recipient(s) can choose from one of the courses above - at a date that works for them!
VALID for 1 YEAR
£120
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Online
Foraging Courses
Learn about foraging and the uses of wild foods online! Start whenever you like and get expert guidance in foraging, preparing wild foods, their health benefits, and the main characteristics of plants which you can use to find edible plants - anywhere in the world!
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Sample:
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In the first lesson, Miles debunks the myth that foraging requires access to wild places. He will demonstrate the richness and diversity of edible plant life available on your doorstep. You will be introduced to the huge variety of wild food available in various habitats, including disturbed ground and managed grass areas. You will learn how to identify edible plants, how to gather them and work them into your own recipes.
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About Miles Irving
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Foraging expert Miles Irving has been writing, speaking and teaching on the topic of wild food for over fifteen years. His book The Forager Handbook was published by Ebury Press in 2009 and is considered to be one of the 'must-haves' for budding and experienced foragers alike.
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He is the founder and director of Forager Ltd, and the host of the WorldWild Podcast connecting foragers, foodies, and philosophers from around the world. His travels in the world of wild food and in search of further knowledge have taken him to the depths of the Brazilian Amazon and the outback with indigenous communities in Australia.
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Miles has led foraging workshops at Kew Gardens, the MAD symposium (organised by NOMA in Denmark) and for many of the top restaurants across the country (Dinner by Heston, Hix group, Restaurant Flat Three to name a few). He has been featured in the BBC 4 Food Programme, The Telegraph, Guardian Food Monthly, The Financial Times, at the Biohacker Summit, and is regularly sought out for his wisdom on a wide range of current ecological issues pertaining to our place as humans in the wild and the emerging future of food production and supply.
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