Living in sync with the cycles of the land can build a powerful connection with your local environment, and incorporating locally harvested wild foods in your diet is a wonderful way to celebrate and create local food traditions.
In an effort to document and share the experience of following the gathering cycle, Kaare Melby compiled a series of monthly articles about his experiences living through the 2020 Gathering Cycle. These articles first appeared in the Finland Food Chain newsletter. They have now been gathered here for ease of use. Please share this resource, and the Gathering Calendar, with anyone who is interested in learning about gathering wild foods in north-eastern Minnesota.
Click a month below to view the corresponding article.
May
Winter has given way.
June
The world has turned green!
July
As summer starts to ramp up, we are on the verge of the next great gathering opportunity: berries!
August
When I close my eyes, I see nothing but blueberries.
September
Mushrooms and wild rice have consumed my life for the past few weeks.
October
The air is getting cooler, the leaves are falling from the trees, and wild plants are dying back.
November
As November settles in, and snow starts to cover the ground, we begin to reflect on all of the foods we have gathered over the year.
December
As the darkness settles in, and we begin to get used to the early sunsets, you might think that there is no more wild food gathering to be done.