Foraging isn't something you can just wing! Of course, it seems easy and intuitive to pick a bouquet of wild flowers, but if you want to have a more organized harvest, with specific plants and larger quantities, there are things you need to know.
We'll share our little tips with you, while acknowledging that not all foragers operate in the same way.
Come on, let's go!
Where to find your plants?
Once you've established your "foraging list," you need to know where to go to find your botanical treasures. And that's not always obvious!
Public lands
If you don't own land or don't know anyone who can give you permission to forage on their property, you'll need to turn to public lands. There are many in Quebec, and these are perfect places to harvest without having to pay anything, unlike ZECs or outfitters.
Scouting locations to explore
We use a very practical tool to find out where to look for our plants: Forêt ouverte. It's an interactive map that provides access to various layers of data related to the forest and geological composition of Quebec's territory. And it's free!
You can then locate public lands, as well as types of tree stands, their age, wetlands, old roads, past fires, logging areas, etc. All these elements can indicate the presence of certain plants if you know their habitats and affinities.
Here are some examples:
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Fireweed, morels: where there have been fires or clear-cuts.
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Sweetgale: around lakes and rivers.
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Raspberries: in sunny clearings.
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Lobster mushrooms: in symbiosis with conifers and sometimes birch trees.
What preparation is needed for a successful outing?
Once you know where you're going for your outing, you need to make sure you have everything you need.
Necessary equipment
At Sauvage-s, we keep it simple and inexpensive. Where some people prefer baskets or wicker bags, we opt for simple cotton bags. They allow us to better maneuver between the trees. Take different sizes depending on your foraging projections and quantities. For fragile plants, we lay them out right after harvesting on drying racks in our car's trunk.
Good knives will be true allies: no need to take a whole arsenal of different blades. A medium blade and another mini-saw type can be enough. They can be used for tender plants like small branches, but also for tough mushrooms like chaga.
Also, take a charged phone with the local map downloaded offline (available on Google Maps), it's safer. Otherwise, opt for a good old compass to find your way.
Clothing
We don't recommend harvesting in light clothing... Insects are just waiting for that! So here's our winning combo: pants, mosquito jacket, waterproof hiking boots. The best thing is to tuck your pants into your socks to protect against bites/stings on the ankles.
The mosquito jacket we have is made of tightly woven fabric, which prevents mosquitoes from biting us, and breathable mosquito net parts. There's a hood that can completely cover the face with a mosquito net: we used it in Abitibi but don't really need it in the Laurentians or Lanaudière.
We add a cap and sunglasses if we are very exposed to the sun, for example, for raspberries.
Health
There are a few essentials to have in your bag for pleasant and risk-free foraging.
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Care: mineral sunscreen, after-bite balm. We also use homemade mosquito repellent which doesn't last long, but still helps when there are too many bugs. Many people use DEET-based products which we refuse to put on ourselves or in the environment. It's a choice to prefer to cover up more and soothe the inevitable bites. If you're going for a long time, in a truly remote area, also take a first aid kit with disinfectant, bandages, and a tick remover.
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Food: a water bottle with at least 1L of water, nuts, dried fruit, jerky, energy bars, just in case.
Bonus: if you're in exploration mode, without knowing exactly what you're looking for, take a reference book on plants. For example, Fleurbec, Cueillir la forêt (Gérald Le Gal and Ariane Paré-Le Gal), Sauvage (Alice Fauconnier).
How to harvest your plants?
Now that you know where you're going and you have everything you need, let's go foraging! Some things are to do and not to do.
Beware of pollutants
You can't see everything on maps, so sometimes you have to go to the location to properly analyze the terrain. Avoid areas near busy roads, railways, high-voltage lines, cultivated fields (you don't know if pesticides have been used), factories, and landfills.
After that, it's common sense: if the place seems sketchy, move on.
For a perennial cycle
A golden rule for us: our presence should not be noticeable. We always take a little from each plant, but no more. The idea is that it grows back!
Examples:
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¼ max of leaves on a wintergreen plant
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3-4 Labrador tea leaves per plant (we've often seen videos where people cut the top, we don't do that)
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3-4 branches per balsam fir or cedar
Sometimes, we don't return to the same spot 2 years in a row. This is the case for sweetgale cones.
And there you have it! You're ready to go foraging: hooray! We wish you a great outing and that you find your plants to make your herbal teas, tinctures, jams, etc.
