[MPWG] To Forage Leeks, or not

[marguerite uhlmann-bower]

*PASS THE RAMPS, PLEASE*
    (feel free to forward to friends and journals and or post on FB)

Though this writings focus is on Ramps, its purpose really is a heads up
for all plants. So join me in cultivating a daily awareness for all plants
longevity, be they deemed invasive, noxious weeds, endangered or not
endangered. They all matter - for our future.



*About Ramps:* also known as Wild Leeks (Allium tricoccum) are a Lily
family plant perennial in the same family as Onions and Garlic. Wild Leeks
are known as an ephemeral - meaning, here for a short time and they surely
demonstrate this. Locally and depending on the weather, they may begin
growth some time in March or April lasting 4 weeks to maybe 6 weeks max
then the leaves become tough, yellowing, (the bulbs are still tasty and
edible though) and the plant puts out flower heads with the leaves becoming
inedible by end of May and may not easily be found come end of June except
for the experienced eye.

Petersons Field Guides on Eastern / Central Medicinal Plants says Wild Leek
leaves were used for colds, croup and as a spring tonic by the Cherokee,
and a warmed juice of the leaves and bulbs for ear aches.  How they applied
this it does not say but this will be a topic I'll write more on this and
other onion family plants this July.

Wild Leeks are now sought after by people and in the market place, at
roadside farm-stands, restaurants, small eateries, health food stores,
farmers markets, etc. In recent years horror stories have been exchanged
telling of unethical foraging practices (meaning leaving stands completely
devoid of any Wild Leeks) and truck loads of Wild Leeks being shipped to
far away places for sale. This onion family plant may just not be so
abundant in short order.

Over the years my curiousity has peaked. I've had so many questions. Thus I
posted them on Facebook and email.
- Are you seeing any changes in Leek populations over the years?
- Do you harvest for yourself?
- Do you buy them?
- Do you see them sold at restaurants, farmers markets, etc.
- And to all of the above, are the bulbs in place or just the above ground
leaves?


I personally connected with 15 people, most live in Delaware County. Of all
I interviewed, 3 of them were natives, going back at least 4 generations,
if not more.
The others interviewed were non-natives and living here for the last 20 to
30 yrs.

*Of the non-native group:* 4 were business owners: a health foods store, a
retreat center and 2 restaurants: the health foods store wouldn't buy or
sell any Leeks because they couldn't confirm if the harvester had ethical
and sustainable foraging practices; the retreat center harvested their own,
and used only the greens, leaving the bulbs in the ground; one restaurant
did the same; the other restaurant did harvest the bulbs and added they
harvest only enough in the Leek growing season, and only from their land,
and only in small amounts. The whole of this group didn't think they saw
any decline in Leek populations. Interestingly a few of these non-natives
had dedicated time, money or both to yearly Leek transplantings onto ideal
locations on their land. One couple has been doing this for the last 10
yrs. All had not harvested any of the plants yet. They wanted to give the
plants a chance to acclimate to the area and were waiting until they saw
the plants blossoming. This they felt was a good indication the plants had
adapted to their new location.

* Of the native group:* one person saw at least one stand completely wiped
out from what they had seen years ago; another said the same yet added they
knew of huge stands that were still untouched and attributed this to the
great distance one would have had to walk to get to them. The last person a
woodsperson said this and I quote: "don't think many leeks around, if you
tell anybody they come in and dig them out", adding, "'Ginshang (Ginseng)
around is about dug out people hunt it all. See if you can do something,
somebody got to or its going to be gone."

Diane Greenberg of Catskill Native Nursery who propagates and sells wild
foods and medicinals, had a lot to say about wild foods harvesting
practices. Here are some of her thoughts and suggestions: "people think
they are harvesting sustainably by only taking a portion of a patch. What
they don't consider is 4 or 5 other people are doing the same thing to the
same patch and soon an area that was covered in leeks is reduced to a very
small population. Over the years, I have seen a few areas in Ulster that
were once abundant in leeks disappear completely. Mostly these were patches
along public trails or easily seen while driving along a back road. People
have bragged to me about filling up the back of a truck with leeks and
selling them ..." and "People do not understand how long it takes for these
plants to grow and that by harvesting mature bulbs they are destroying what
is needed to insure future generations of ramps ... I hope in time people
will see the big picture of the damage they are doing in the name of "free
food".
What Diane speaks of here, of harvesting sustainably is one of the
practices I speak of in my plant walks, but even more so, how about
bringing them in to your gardens by transplanting some, seeding some,
supporting those already in your garden or purchasing wild cultivated
plants from nurseries like Diane's.

If you're interested in checking out what Diane Greenberg is doing, go to
greenwitch at catskillnativenursery.com
Find Wild Foods Foraging Suggestions on my facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/herbsandwildplants or
https://www.facebook.com/marguerite.uhlmannbower

The act of sustainability is for us to essentially be the care givers and
stewards of the land that feeds us.
Spread the word ...
- those of us who harvest Leeks
- those of us who purchase Leeks from harvesters
- those of us who dine on Leeks at restaurants
- those of us who know wild foods foragers not speaking out about
sustainability, ask
  them to consider the following ...

*Consider this: Invest in Leeks*
Leave at least 80% to 90% of the plants for adequate self propagation. For
instance, for every group cluster of plants, remove only one or two single
plant.
Why? It takes 2 to 3 years for a Leek seed to germinate and up to 6 years
to fully mature!

*Consider this: Keep their life force in the ground. *
Leave their bulb root in the earth. Cut only the green leaves at ABOVE soil
level.
It has been observed that by keeping the bulb root in the ground, it will
allow the plant to continue to grow for future seasons. Supportive studies
show that when harvesting a stand of Leeks, if one picks as little as 5% -
15% (including the root bulb), this action cause's the stand to go below
'an equilibrium level'. This means that the stand is then functioning at a
substandard level and can take several additional years to return to
normal. So long as it is untouched for the next few years (3 to 5 yrs.)
this then gives Leeks a chance to self propagate. Avoid at all costs taking
the bulb. This will benefit you by providing you with many harvesting years
to come.

*Consider this: Rotate harvesting stands. *
Have at least 3 or 4 sources (or more) to harvest Leeks from, and visit
only one of them each year. It takes 2.5 years for a stand to fully recover
from a single harvest.
FYI: In Quebec Canada, permits are given for Leek harvesting. Only 5 Leeks
per person are allowed !

*Lastly and as importantly consider: Think Sustainability. *
1) Share sustainability ideas with our children ... 'ethical wild crafting
way'
2) Ask wholesalers of leeks, local merchants and restaurants who sell Leeks
to buy bulb-
   less plants from their wild harvesters.
3) Lastly, this is the right thing to do all the time, for all of Nature ...
for us.

So please, pass (up) the Ramps this year.



This report is donated by Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower, Herbal Educator, RN and
Wild Foods Enthusiast & Forager. She offers individual educational wellness
consultations and leads the plant identification class: Weeds, Leaves,
Seeds, & Shoots : Balance your Budget - Steward the Land. She is also
author of Healing the Injured Brain. Source of Ramp Stats and for further
reading: "Having Your Ramps and Eating Them Too" by Glen Facemire, Jr.
2009. She can be contacted at 3moonsisters at gmail.com, 607-278-9635. She
resides in East Meredith, New York.









*RESPONSIBLE WILD CRAFTING: *

*Wild Crafting Is:* to harvest a plant that is not cultivated.

As we do this traditional and timeless act, we remember the impact we have
on plant populations, in any given region, at any given time, in how we
change the environment, the soil micro-organisms and over all plant species
as we harvest and walk the forest floor.

 *Consider an Abenaki Native American Tradition:*

If you have never wild crafted before, take 'time out' before jumping into
it. Explore plants for a while. One on one. Walk and observe their beauty.
Read about them. Learn as much as you can about them. Then after a while,
after even maybe a few years, you can start harvesting them. This, in the
tradition of just one native tribe that was told to me.



*1) Treat Earth, Land, Soil, Plants and wild life organisms with
respect.                         *

2) Do not harvest or use plants that are endangered.
3) Harvest only what you need and or not more than 30 %.

4) Harvest in such a way that another could not tell you were there.

5) Identify with 100% certainty. Use an identification book *and* a
knowledgeable person.
6) Start with just a few plants and get to know them well.
7) Harvest the right plant part in the right season.
8) Know where your township is spraying herbicides, etc and don't harvest
from them.

9) Potential Contaminants: Avoid collecting near busy road sides, plants
can be contaminated
      with brake dust, road salt, pollution, etc; avoid old farm garbage
dumps, especially downhill
      from these sites; down stream of these sites as well.

10) Pay attention ! Watch what you are picking. There are not many
poisonous plants but they

      can & do get entangled & may look very similar.

11) If you know someone has harvested from the area you are to visit, go to
another area.
12) If it is your first time ever eating a wild food, start slowly.
Intolerances are certain
      with some. Eat in small quantities or nibbles at first.

14) Whether you are an experienced or novice wild crafter, wait for more
defining plant

      signatures, such as when the plant is in full bloom.

15) Think long term, keep sustainability in mind. If it is the root you are
picking, leave
      enough for a stand to regenerate. Take 30% or less. If it's an
endangered, leave it be.

16) Know which plants are on the UpS endangered list. (
www.unitedplantsavers.org); don't harvest them.

17) Leave some flowers for the bees; fruits & seeds for deer, turkey &
birds.

18) Listen to the plants by smelling, feeling, tasting. This is your
combined harvesting
      experience.
19) Know which parts are the edible parts, for what season and, if you have
to cook them and
      exactly how to cook them.
20) Lastly and as importantly, know poisonous plant look-a-likes. Most
books talk about them.
















-- 


The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical
substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. - Carl Jung

Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower
Registered Nurse, Herbal Educator, Wild Foods Forager
Herbal Educational Services
Weeds, Leaves, Seeds & Shoots : Balance Your Budget - Steward the Land (tm)
226 Kelso Rd. / Sanders Lane
East Meredith, (Upstate) NY 13757
*(607) 278-9635*
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