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Foraging Wild Parsley - Reflections

Wild Parsley
This past week was crazy for my family, with the on grid world coming face to face part of the time with our off grid lifestyle.   Hospital visit for my husband.  Car tire issue when we tried to go into town for monthly supply run.  And other less major issues too.  But the high light was much simpler for me.  A dear friend took me out to teach me to id and gather wild parsley.  It was so much fun.  For once everything in life felt like it belonged and was in place.  It felt as though I was working at work that was meet to be done, and  not some invited system that was fake.  This work would be putting real food on the table.  This work had been done for 100s of years, and was as it was meant to be.

Gathered Wild Parsley
Foraging for food.  It is such a basic thing.  And yet, so many have forgotten the old skill.  I myself am just beginning to relearn that which was lost.  It is such a joy to learn some of the foods I would pretend were edible as a child turn out to actually be so as an adult.  This choice to live off the land, to be a rewilder, to help protect God's creation and sustain it; it is not always easy.  But it is so worth the journey.  Every wild plant I begin to learn how to use.  Every new plant I learn how to id.  Every animal I learn the names for.  It is each a step forward in this life.  It still amazes me how something so simple can bring so much joy and peace; so much belonging.

Reflecting on Foraging
So for me, wild parsley adds to my list: mountain sage, pinon, juniper, yucca, prickly pear, wild onions, and now wild parsley.  It was a joy to my soul to go out on the hills behind my tiny house a few days after being taught, and to fill my basket again with enough to now fill my jar.  We will be using dried wild parsley a few leaves at a time, well into the fall, and if I am able I will gather and dry double what I have, and store it away for the long winter.  You see, when I gather it, I dont take all the leaves or uproot the plant.  I just take the biggest leaves, and leave the small ones to grow.  This leaves food for the local animals, and more to gather at a later date.  It also insures there will be wild parsley to gather for years to come.

~ Michelle
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