Living in the Old Farmer's Almanac in August 2013
Happy Lughnasadh!
Farmer's Calendar
Imagine coming home with bags of salad greens and mushrooms, sacks of delicious nuts, and baskets of berries and not having to pay a cent for them! Many people do just that by foraging, gathering wild edibles in fields, forests, and lawns.
If you'd like to try this, be certain that you identify each plant before eating it: Many have look-alikes that could prove deadly. Be especially careful with mushrooms and berries. Studying illustrated field guides is a good first step in learning about native plants, both those that are safe to eat and those best avoided. Also, check with garden clubs and your state Forest Service to see if your groups in your area that go on foraging outings; their expertise could prove to be invaluable.
Collect your bounty in areas that are pesticide- and chemical-free. Gather no more than 10 percent of the plants from a given site and cut greens and mushrooms instead of uprooting them; this way, there'll be a crop there for years to come. If you'd like to explore private property, be sure to talk to the owner first.
Foraging is a great way to learn about plants while getting healthy exercise, and it is also an ecologically sound process. The foods you gather don't have to be processed or shipped, which saves fuel and resources. Get ready to go wild!
If you'd like to try this, be certain that you identify each plant before eating it: Many have look-alikes that could prove deadly. Be especially careful with mushrooms and berries. Studying illustrated field guides is a good first step in learning about native plants, both those that are safe to eat and those best avoided. Also, check with garden clubs and your state Forest Service to see if your groups in your area that go on foraging outings; their expertise could prove to be invaluable.
Collect your bounty in areas that are pesticide- and chemical-free. Gather no more than 10 percent of the plants from a given site and cut greens and mushrooms instead of uprooting them; this way, there'll be a crop there for years to come. If you'd like to explore private property, be sure to talk to the owner first.
Foraging is a great way to learn about plants while getting healthy exercise, and it is also an ecologically sound process. The foods you gather don't have to be processed or shipped, which saves fuel and resources. Get ready to go wild!
SKY WATCH ☆ Bright Jupiter sits to the left of the waning crescent Moon, with orange Mercury just below at a respectable magnitude -0.3, 40 minutes before sunrise on the 3rd. Jupiter, Mars and Mercury stand in a row, low in the east in growing morning twilight, with the crescent Moon to their right on the 4th. Venus, still quite low in the west after sunset, hovers above the Moon on the 9th. Much higher on the 12th, the Moon is to the lower right of Saturn at nightfall. The Moon will set before midnight on the 11th and 12th and will not spoil the great Perseid meteor shower. Weather permitting, these will be the year's best "shooting stars". Neptune, in Aquarius at magnitude 7.8, requires a small telescope to be seen at its opposition, on the 26th.
Weather
It's
cool
and
mucky;
now
its
ducky!
Better
pack
a
sweater.
Meteor
showers
amaze
us.
Hot
as
blazes!
These
evenings
ool
and
clear
give
warning:
Soon
comes
school,
then
frosty
mornings.
cool
and
mucky;
now
its
ducky!
Better
pack
a
sweater.
Meteor
showers
amaze
us.
Hot
as
blazes!
These
evenings
ool
and
clear
give
warning:
Soon
comes
school,
then
frosty
mornings.
Comments