It has been said that there is no such thing as a free lunch. I beg to disagree. If you have a yard, empty lot, gravel path or any sort of area a weed can spring up, you have a feast just waiting for you. One word of warning however, avoid lawns where chemicals are used or areas with heavy traffic.
While I won’t be going into details in this post about any specific ‘weed’ and it’s identification, it is important to understand that weeds are just another plant. Many times, they grow in less than ideal locations where traditional crops would require active tending. In most parts of the world, there are any number of local ‘weed’ plants that people can’t see go away quick enough.
There is an environmentally conscious aspect as well if you are harvesting an invasive species. With non-invasive species, careful, there is still a good chance that they produce in such great abundance that your hardest harvesting efforts aren’t going to dent the population in any noticeable way.
The best part is that most people never realize just how tasty wild foods can be. If you haven’t enjoyed purslane salad or a cup of freshly brewed dandelion coffee, you may not understand. Half of the time the only difference between a common crop and a weed is that the common crops are more finicky and marginally more productive in terms of useful parts.
I highly advise everyone take the time to learn a few of the most common edible weeds in your area and how they are used. Once you get started, it is hard to stop. Suddenly a yard full of annoying weeds turns into a massive grocery on your doorstep.
