Have you ever thought about what sort of food grows around your neighborhood? The bounty of edibles found right around the corner, from apples and nuts to rosemary and greens, is astounding. The urban landscape is filled with fresh, free food if you just know what to look for. Plants you might normally ignore, like dandelions or nettles, can be cooked into healthy, delicious meals.

Many people first experienced wild foods in their childhood—learning to mushroom hunt with their grandfather or picking apples from a neighbor’s tree. Looking for wild fruits, veggies, and nuts is a fun family activity that helps teach kids the value of local, fresh food. In addition to having kids help you forage for your own kitchen, you can volunteer to help harvest urban edibles for those in need (see resources below).

What first inspired me was the chestnuts that were a-falling in my neighborhood. Chestnuts are a versatile little nut; they are great in savory dishes as well as sweet ones, they can of course be roasted on an open fire as the song goes, but they can also baked, boiled and steamed, and best of all, there are tons of them right now. How about organic chestnuts roasted over a java log? For free!

Urban foraging has something to offer everyone, from a locavore who wants to keep their food sources close home, to a baker who picks roadside berries for a pie, to a concerned community member who volunteers to gather extra food for those in need. Many cities have organized local movements centered on foraging and gleaning, but you need not be a local foods activist to explore your neighborhood’s wild food offerings. Get involved at whatever level you’re comfortable using the tips below.

Here are some tips to keep your foraging respectful and safe:

1. Ask permission before picking from others’ gardens. Many people are happy to share their abundance. Don’t forget to look in public areas such as parks or open lots.
2. Correctly identify the plant you’re harvesting. Correct identification can keep you from getting sick. Go foraging with people that know what they’re looking for, or check out one of the many helpful books on the subject, The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer. For an online guide, see http://plants.usda.gov/
3. Be aware of your foraging surroundings for food safety. Food found in an urban setting could have levels of toxicity, such as motor oil, car wash runoff or paint that might contaminate the sources you pick from.
4. Take only as much as you need. Consider how much can you carry and decide before you pick so that what you take won’t go bad. Just say no to over-harvesting.
5. Never disturb the plant roots. Pick from the top of the plant, where there is new growth and where most plants regenerate.
6. Familiarize yourself with the laws related to foraging in your area. These laws are usually set with the intention of preventing over-harvesting and protecting endangered plant species.

• Portland Fruit Tree Project: volunteer to harvest fruit to be shared with those in need
• Urban Edibles: a community database of wild food sources
• Neighborhood Fruit and Veggie Trader: find and share fruits and veggies in your neighborhood
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver: focuses on eating locally and discusses foraging
• Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager by Langdon Cook