Introduction to Foraging Walk

Foraging is Fun!

There are many reasons why we might want to go foraging, perhaps for food, for medicines, or for materials, like our ancestors did, or perhaps for fresh air, exercise and fun with friends and family. But where to begin when you are not yet familiar with the wild plants growing around you?

The best place to start is by going out foraging with an experiences guide who is knowledgeable about the plants and also knows how to teach you about them starting from the basics. Knowing the plants and being able to teach are two distinct skills.

Join Jenny for a leisurely walk around Dalton Moor Farm lasting around 3 and a half hours. You will meet and be introduced to many plants along the way, some familiar and some not. You will be sure to be amazed at what you learn about these quietly unassuming 'weeds' and with your new found respect for these wonders of nature, you will never want to try to eradicate them from your garden again.

Learn how to forage safely, legally and responsibly, with respect for the natural environment and sustainability. Learn what you need to look for when trying to identify a plant and how to go about it. Learn how plants change during the seasons and what the plants offer us as the year passes. Learn too how to harvest, preserve, store and prepare wild plants for food, medicine and materials.

Joins us for a single walk or return at different times during the year to see how the plants and their surroundings change.

The regular walks explore the farm hedgerows and meadows. Most of the terrain is level and relatively flat, with a few gentle slopes. The grass surfaces may not be suitable for users of mobility aids at certain times of the year, and depending on the type of vehicle. Please check before booking.

In many months of the year the ground can be muddy. There are prickly thistles, brambles and stinging nettles that can grab your ankles, and there is always the risk of biting insects, including the possibility of ticks, so we recommend always wearing sturdy waterproof boots, and keeping your legs and feet fully covered at all times of the year. Our unpredictable weather means that it is always best to be prepared for sun or monsoon like weather.

To record what you see, remembers to bring your camera / phone camera, perhaps a notebook / sketchbook and pen/pencil.

You will not need a basket as we will be learning, not collecting the plants / fungi.

You will be invited to taste many of the plants during the walk. Please advise the walk leader of any allergies or sensitivities before trying the plants.

At the end of the walk we encourage you to choose one or two plants that are easy to find, identify and work with, so you can become more familiar with them during the following months to deepen your understanding and knowledge of foraging.

At the end of the walk there is also the opportunity to visit our shop where it is possible to purchase our own home grown and hand made preserves and juices.

Your foraging walk entitles you to free membership of our private Facebook foragers group, which is slowly being developed. Your own contributions to the group are welcome.

Please check you tickets for important information about the venue.

Please read and acknowledge our policies.