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A lot of you readers aren’t interested in actually foraging wild food (or aren’t confident enough to do it on your own yet!) and that’s totally ok!
The good news is that you can actually purchase a lot of what we talk about here both online and in person!
Today we’ll go over the handful of ways to purchase wild foods and medicines (other than the actual foraging) and what to consider when buying.
ONLINE
Just to get it out of the way, there are many online retailers where you can purchase wild goods!
I am NOT affiliated with any of these places unless otherwise stated, I just like them as brands:
Mountain Rose Herbs is an awesome source for quality medicinal plants both wild and cultivated! They have so much of what we’ve written about for sale (chamomile, nettles, mallow root, mullein, and many many others!)
This is probably my number one source for medicinals I don’t grow or forage myself.
Foraged Market is a great place to get local and regional wild foods and to get it while it’s in season!
I first heard about Foraged a few years ago and I’ve been in love with the concept ever since. On top of medicinal stuff, there is a wide range of value-added products and even fresh fruit like pawpaws!
There are also some farm-sourced products on there that you can buy.
Marketplace
Another alternative is to buy locally from people via Facebook Marketplace. I haven’t done this often but in the right area you can find a lot this way! My preference is still the other two.
IN PERSON
Individuals
I generally recommend against buying directly from people with these exceptions:
You know the person well enough to know that they know what they’re talking about
The person has demonstrated thorough knowledge of foraging and/or has a foraging license (this varies by state)
This individual has a clear history of proving they know what they’re doing (several years of experience, writes an impressive weekly newsletter perhaps 😉 …)
Farms
Farms will sometimes have wild produce available and these can be great people to buy from! Often they will focus more on the popular items (like black raspberries or pawpaws) but they may also have medicines available.
I have seen several farm stores carrying elderberry products as well as calendula, dried chamomile, or plantain salve, it’s more common than you’d expect!
That said, not every area has a big foraging industry.
One of my foraging classes
Markets
Farmer’s markets, artisan markets, and similar places will also often have a few wild foods and medicinal products available, however the selection is bound to be low and the prices will be much higher. If this is your only option then go for it, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.
Festivals
If you’re in the Midwest, there are often festivals for different wild foods (particularly pawpaw) and those are actually great places to try wild foods and learn more about how to use them hands-on.
Festivals will often bring together farmers, gardeners, foragers, and makers which gives you a nice wide range of options to choose from and at least a few cheaper prices too!
As a quick side note; if you’re a big event planning type of person, I highly recommend that you consider making a festival or event centered around wild food (or even just one particular one that you might have a soft spot for). Events like this are what popularize eating better and more sustainable foods!
If you purchase anything, let me know in the comments!
If you’re local to me, support me by buying when I have produce available!
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