"A List of Wild and Invasive Edibles for Cultivation and Consumption"

    This is a List of Plants which are widely distributed through-out the United States which are too wild and Invasive to lend themselves ideally to profitable agricultural purposes for the average farmer (though it CAN be done in some cases given special considerations).

    Because of this Fact they are wide spread and available, often right in your own yard or in the edges of wooded areas and in fields and along roadsides (though roadside cultivation runs risk of chemical contamination from roadway pollution... always flush the root systems with water for at least 12 to 24 hours and wash thoroughly before eating ANYTHING found in a ditch or along a roadway... and consume at own risk and ONLY as a last resort.).

    They are extremely edible and high in nutritional value. These plants can be used to supplement your diet to ensure good nutrition even while abstaining from an ever increasing list of known G.M.O. produce which previously provided this nutrition.

    Furthermore... because the vast majority of these plants are widely considered to be "weeds to be eradicated" or "undesirable plant species" (even though in many cases they contain MORE of a given nutrient by weight than their agricultural counterparts from which that nutrient is typically obtained) The odds that any company would attempt to genetically Modify them or that they would be capable of hybridization through cross-pollination with known G.M.O. species are EXTREMELY unlikely.

    For if nothing more than THAT reason alone... knowing and eating these plants on a daily basis presents a good, long term viable alternative to purchasing and consuming potentially long term DANGEROUS or unhealthy Genetically Modified Produce which may have severe long term negative impacts on the environment, food sustainability, and public health.

SOURCE: WikiHow at http://www.wikihow.com/   (with added personal commentary in some instances)
                                     
GRASS: Easiest wild edible EVER! All grass is edible. Anything under 6" is easy to chew and digest. The flavor ranges from intensely sweet to mild to bitter - anyone who's tasted a shot of wheat-grass knows just how sweet grass can be. Grass that's over 6" can either be chewed for juice and spit out, or run through a manual wheat-grass juicer for a healthy shot.



Dandelion (taraxacum officinale): The young unfolding greens in the center are great raw. The entire plant can be steamed. The flower is the best part. Pick it off the stem, and with your fingers pinch off the green base of the flower, so there's no white sap (the sap is very bitter). You're left with a sweet, meaty, filling wild food that can be found in incredible abundance. also the roots are a mild coffee substitute if dried and ground...
 
Cress (cardamine spp): This is one of the many wild plants in the mustard family common in cities. When young, the leaves are excellent raw, with a mild mustard flavor. As they get older the full plants can be steamed, just as you would prepare mustard greens at home.
  Tiger Lily: The Tiger Lily, bears large, fiery orange flowers covered by spots. The name tiger probably refers to the spots on the petals. The bulbs of its plants are boiled and eaten in some countries, especially China. They taste like potatoes.

The flowers of this perennial can grow up to three inches in width. The Tiger Lily is also known as the Ditch Lily as it is found in and around ditches in large parts of America.

The Tiger Lily has a strong, sweet and distinctively lily smell. Besides producing a stunning spectacle, most parts of this plant are edible. There are two varieties of the Tiger Lily:

The Oriental Variety: Propagates through bulbs that form at leaf axils.
The Common Wildflower Variety: Propagates by tuberous roots.

   SilverBerry: Look for berries on ornamental shrubs, such as this silverberry. Ebbing's silverberry is frequently planted in cities as bushes and hedges - but it will escape into any disturbed habitat and form thickets. The stems, foliage, and berries are all speckled with silver. The red berries are excellent when fully ripe.
 
  Plantain (plantago lanceolata): Young leaves in the center are good raw - have a slight salty flavor. There's both a common and an English plantain, that are very similar.
Wild onion (allium spp): Very common in areas that are mowed. A very mild onion that is excellent raw. Harvest bunches of it and use it just like scallions.


 Sow thistle (sonchus spp): The young leaves are decent - treat it like dandelion, and try and avoid the bitter latex sap. Sow thistle has excellent yellow flowers very similar to dandelion, yet even better, that's prepared the same way and eaten raw. Unlike dandelion, sow thistle has an upright stalk and a more prickly-looking thistle-like appearance.
 

 Dead-nettle (lamium purpureum): Another Lamium, just like henbit. It's eaten the same way - and will also form huge carpets covering the ground, especially in spring.

  
Henbit (lamium amplexicaule): Another plant entirely edible raw. It's a Lamium, a very mild mint. Like chickweed, it has a sweet, grassy flavor - pluck off the tops to avoid the stems. This plant will form huge carpets in places, very early in the year, with an understory of chickweed beneath it.
 Wood Sorrel (oxalis spp): The whole plant is great raw - it has a nice acid flavor, refreshing. The flowers of the cosmopolitan weeds are yellow, but many varieties grow in the wild with pinkish flowers. This is a plant extremely common not only in lawns and cleared areas, but also deep in the wilderness. It should not be consumed in any quantity as it contains relatively high levels of toxic oxalic acid.

 Chickweed (stellaria media): The entire plant can be eaten raw. It has a sweet, grassy flavor. If you want to avoid the stems, and eat mostly the new growth, pluck off the tops and eat those.
Asparagus: Wild asparagus is common in many parts of North America, Europe and West Asia. It is very similar to asparagus that you find in your grocery store but has a lot thinner stalk. It typically resembles a cluster of green fingers. The mature plant is fern-like with red berries. The plant’s flowers are small and green in color.Wild asparagus is most common between March and June. It is a great source of Vitamin C, thiamine and potassium. You can eat it raw or boil it.
  Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus and other species)

 Native to the Americas but found on most continents, amaranth is an edible weed. You can eat all parts of the plant, but be on the look out for spines that appear on some of the leaves. While not poisonous, amaranth leaves do contain oxalic acid and may contain large amounts of nitrates if grown in nitrate-rich soil. It’s recommended that you boil the leaves to remove the oxalic acid and nitrates. Don’t drink the water after you boil the plant. With that said, you can eat the plant raw if worse comes to worst in smaller quantities. 



Burdock (Arctium lappa)

 Medium to large-sized plant with big leaves and purplish thistle-like flower heads. The plant is native to the temperate areas of the Eastern Hemisphere; however, it has been naturalized in parts of the Western Hemisphere as well. Burdock is actually a popular food in Japan. You can eat the leaves and the peeled stalks of the plant either raw or boiled. The leaves have a bitter taste, so boiling them twice before eating is recommended to remove the bitterness. The root of the plant can also be peeled, boiled, and eaten.

 

Cattail (Typha)

 Known as cattails or punks in North America and bullrush and reedmace in England, the typha genus of plants is usually found near the edges of freshwater wetlands. Cattails were a staple in the diet of many Native American tribes. Most of a cattail is edible. You can boil or eat raw the rootstock, or rhizomes, of the plant. The rootstock is usually found underground. Make sure to wash off all the mud. The best part of the stem is near the bottom where the plant is mainly white. Either boil or eat the stem raw. Boil the leaves like you would spinach. The corn dog-looking female flower spike can be broken off and eaten like corn on the cob in the early summer when the plant is first developing. It actually has a corn-like taste to it.

  Clovers (Trifolium)

 Lucky you-clovers are actually edible. And they’re found just about everywhere there’s an open grassy area. You can spot them by their distinctive trefoil leaflets. You can eat clovers raw, but they taste better boiled.


 Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

You’ll find chicory growing in Europe, North America, and Australia. It’s a bushy plant with small blue, lavender, and white flowers. You can eat the entire plant. Pluck off the young leaves and eat them raw or boil them. The chicory’s roots will become tasty after boiling. And you can pop the flowers in your mouth for a quick snack.

  Curled Dock (Rumex crispus)

 You can find curled dock in Europe, North America, South America, and Australia. It’s distinguished by a long, bright red stalk that can reach heights of three feet. You can eat the stalk raw or boiled. Just peel off the outer layers first. It’s recommend that you boil the leaves with several changes of water in order to remove its naturally bitter taste.


Field Pennycress (Thalspi vulgaris)

 Field Pennycress is a weed found in most parts of the world. Its growing season is early spring to late winter. You can eat the seeds and leaves of field pennycress raw or boiled. The only caveat with field pennycress is not to eat it if it’s growing in contaminated soil. Pennycress is a hyperaccumulator of minerals, meaning it sucks up any and all minerals around it. General rule is don’t eat pennycress if it’s growing by the side of the road or is near a Superfund site.

 Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)

 This pretty little plant is found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. You can identify fireweed by its purple flower and the unique structure of the leaves’ veins; the veins are circular rather than terminating on the edges of the leaves. Several Native American tribes included fireweed in their diet. It’s best eaten young when the leaves are tender. Mature fireweed plants have tough and bitter tasting leaves. You can eat the stalk of the plant as well. The flowers and seeds have a peppery taste. Fireweed is a great source of vitamins A and C.

 Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

 While considered an obnoxious weed in the United States, purslane can provide much needed vitamins and minerals in a wilderness survival situation. Ghandi actually numbered purslane among his favorite foods. It’s a small plant with smooth fat leaves that have a refreshingly sour taste. Purslane grows from the beginning of summer to the start of fall. You can eat purslane raw or boiled. If you’d like to remove the sour taste, boil the leaves before eating.

  White Mustard (Synapsis alba)

 White mustard is found in the wild in many parts of the world. It blooms between February and March. You can eat all parts of the plant- seeds, flowers, and leaves.


  Paw Paw (Asimina triloba), the common pawpaw, is a species of Asimina(the pawpaw genus) in the same plant family (the Annonaceae) as the custard-apple, cherimoya, sweetsop, ylang-ylang and soursop. The pawpaw is native to the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States and adjacent southernmost Ontario, Canada, from New York west to southeastern Nebraska, and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. The pawpaw is a patch-forming (clonal) understory tree found in well-drained, deep, fertile bottom-land and hilly upland habitat, with large, simple leaves and large fruits. The paw paw is the largest edible fruit indigenous to the United States.




Lambs Quarters

Also known as goosefoot, lamb’s quarters grows wild in many places, and the leaves and young stems can be boiled and eaten like spinach (it even has a spinach-y taste). Lamb’s quarters is a relative of quinoa, and its seeds are high in protein, making it another important survival food.






Source: http://www.artofmanliness.com

             http://www.wikihow.com/

             http://en.wikipedia.org/

          http://news.discovery.com/


 

 

 


 


Eating WILD!

New Page under development for FOOD DIVERSITY NOW .COM inc.

Wild Edible Recipe Page coming soon! Right NOW the page Looks Like this:

 

"Wild Edible Recipe's! :P"

This Page is currently under development.


At this time this page exists as a Layout marker only.


A List of Recipes will be added here under this Page Title at a later Date.


Sorry for any Inconvenience... Please Check back for Updates.


HAVE A NICE DAY!!! and please... ENJOY THE REST OF THE SITE!!!   :)   :)   :)



But SOON it will Have a List of Mouth watering Recipes that substitute and include WILD EDIBLE PLANTS as their main focal ingredients or as seasonings or secondary ingredients... complete with full ingredient Lists, Directions, and full color illustration!

Check Back regularly to keep up with the on going progress to this page and the site, and remember that we VALUE your contributions and input!

Stop By the new chat feature DIVERSITY CHAT and tell us about YOUR Wonderful recipe ideas TODAY! ALL submissions will receive equal consideration for inclusion on the site page, but if we get an overload of suggestions we MAY have to do a best of the best kinda thing... or pick out individual recipes of common dishes or themes.


We LOVE it when our Visitors get involved and Look forward to reading your AWESOME recipe ideas!
 
Just Because you are eating WILD.... Does NOT mean you Can't have DELICIOUS, NUTRITIOUS meals your whole Family will LOVE!

"Call for Scientific Community Support"

    FOOD DIVERSITY NOW .COM inc. is Currently seeking active participation and support from accredited and professional people in the scientific community to help isolate, analyze, test, and release findings on non traditional agricultural products and wild edibles that may qualify for future public consumption, agricultural production, and mass processing and distribution. We need qualified researchers, Horticulturists, Agricultural scientists and Engineers, Nutritional experts, Doctors,Wilderness and survival experts, Legal experts and Representation,  as well as those qualified in the fields of  Marketing, advertising, fund raising, Human resources, and environmental impact scientists.

    If you are qualified in any of these fields of study or practices or a related practice or field of study, and would Like to invest your time and services to aid in the cause of ensuring future public health and safety and environmental protection against untested, unregulated G.M.O. agricultural endeavors... please contact the Founder or set up an appointment to speak directly with me by using the contact gadget at the lower left of this Blog site, or send me an email to newheritageseedfoundation@yahoo.com.

    Only through the active participation of the public AND the scientific community can we succeed and progress can be made to restore hope and security to the future of the Human food supply in the United States of America and ensure a minimized impact to the environment and our political and economic structure. This means WE NEED YOU!!!... not JUST us here at FOOD DIVERSITY NOW .COM inc. ... but ALL of us if the future of our race is to continue to prosper and survive in good health.

    For those who decide to invest their efforts, your contributions will not go unnoticed by the future generations to come... and only through the well meaning contributions of people Like YOU can we hope to reach that point, and it is those early selfless contributors that are most needed, most influential, and most critical to our success...
                       Thank you... sincerely;
                                                    Jason A. Dennison
                                                 Founder and Author of:
                                     FOOD DIVERSITY NOW .COM inc.
                                                                     

"Conversion of Wild Edibles to Agriculture"

  Many "Wild" species are known to exist which are readily available at different times of year in the wild... many MORE than there are plants which are currently considered agricultural. In most cases these plants HAVE been used in past history to great success in agriculture in many parts of the world, and also in many cases they are considered just as safe and just as, if not more as in many instances, nutritious as there currently accepted agricultural counter parts.

    Often these plants have been reduced to the status of weed's or undesirable plant species... not due to nutritious deficiency... but usually due to nothing more than the fact that they have fallen out of popularity or have previously not been realized as edible in nature until recent times. Examples range from the lowly thistle and cat tail and pine, and range to the sweet flavored and ginormous edible wild potato plant which is considered a substitute for agricultural potato in many parts of the world... where often a single specimen can grow large enough to feed a village, or an entire family for a week or more from a single wild potato! The list of possibilities is extensive and as often there are many substitutes available for a single plant species (like the potato) research will be required to assess which would be best adapted based on size, adaptability to agriculture, taste, texture, and nutritional value.

"A Shoppers Guide to Non G.M.O. (or G.E. as it is also called) Foods You Can Buy!"

I could spend a year or more researching this topic, or I could send you straight to the current authority on the subject... which I think is a Better Alternative. For the complete Shoppers Guide in easy to download P.D.F. Form... check out the Link Below:

Source: Center for Food Safety

Center for Food Safety Shoppers Guide (P.D.F.)

Center for Food Safety Website


I Also Refer you to their Website for more Information on the current battle against the invasion of G.M.O. or "genetically engineered" food sources in our supermarkets. These people know their stuff and are very active in trying to protect consumers, and though I am NOT affiliated with them (Though I have signed up as a member to their site and encourage others to do so...) I fully support and Endorse their on-going efforts and view them as "Fellow Combatants"  who, though approach the situation differently than I do, are fighting the same Battle as I am, only from a separate front. Only when we as a people come together and do all we can to fight this ongoing Invasion into our Farms and food supply From ALL angles can we hope to secure a better future for the generations which are to follow us and who must receive this Planet from us and its food supply Once WE are gone.

"A listing of All Current U.S.D.A. Approved Vegetables in the United States of America."

Vegetables:

Artichoke
Asparagus
dry, edible Bean (snap or green Lima)
Table Beet
broccoli (including brocoli raab)
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (including chinese)
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Celery
Chive
Collards (including Kale)
Cucumber
Edamame
Eggplant
Endive
Garlic
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Leek
Lettuce
Melon (all types)
Mushroom (cultivated)
Mustard and other Greens
Okra
Pea (Garden, English, or Edible Pod)
Onion
Opuntia
Parsley
Parsnip
Pepper
Potato
Pumpkin
Radish (all Types)
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Salsify
Spinach
Squash (summer and winter)
Sweet Corn
Sweet Potato
Swiss Chard
Taro
Tomato (including Tomatillo)
Turnip
Watermelon

 These lists are not intended to be all inclusive, but rather to provide examples of the most common specialty crops. This web page will be updated as U.S. Department of Agriculture receives new questions about the eligibility of various crops.

Source: U.S.D.A. website:  http://www.ams.usda.gov/

"A listing of All Current U.S.D.A. Approved Medicinal Herbs in the United States of America."

Medicinal Herbs:

Artemisia
Arum
Astragalus
Boldo
Cananga
Comfrey
Coneflower
Fenugreek
Feverfew
Foxglove
Ginko Biloba
Ginseng
Goats Rue
Goldenseal
Gypsywort
Horehound
Horsetail
Lavender
Liquorice
Marshmallow
Mullein
Passion Flower
Patchouli
Pennyroyal
Pokeweed
St.John's Wort
Senna
Skullcap
Sonchus
Sorrel
Stevia
Tansy
Urtica
Witch Hazel
Wood Betony
Wormwood
Yarrow
Yerba Buena

These lists are not intended to be all inclusive, but rather to provide examples of the most common specialty crops. This web page will be updated as U.S. Department of Agriculture receives new questions about the eligibility of various crops.

 Source: U.S.D.A. website:  http://www.ams.usda.gov/

"A listing of All Current U.S.D.A. Approved Culinary Herbs and Spices in the United States of America."

Culinary Herbs and Spices:

Ajwain
Allspice
Angelica
Anise
Annatto
Artemisia (All types)
Asafetida
Basil (All Types)
Bay (Cultivated)
Bladder Wrack
Bolivian Coriander
Borage
Celendula
Chamomile
Candle Nut
Caper
Caraway
Cardamom
Cassia
Catnip
Chervil
Chicory
Cicely
Cilantro
Cinnamon
Clary
Cloves
Comfrey
Common Rue
Coriander
Cress
Cumin
Curry
Dill
Fennel
Fenugreek
File' (gumbo, cultivated)
Fingerroot
French Sorrel
Galangal
Ginger
Hops
Horehound
Hyssop
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Lemon Thyme
Lovage
Mace
Mahlab
Malabathrum
Marjoram
Mint (All types)
Nutmeg
oregano
Orris Root
Paprika
Parsley
Pepper
Rocket (Arugula)
Rosemary
Rue
Saffron
Sage (All types)
Savory (All types)
Tarragon
Thyme
Turmeric
Vanilla
Wasabi
Water Cress

These lists are not intended to be all inclusive, but rather to provide examples of the most common specialty crops. This web page will be updated as U.S. Department of Agriculture receives new questions about the eligibility of various crops.

 Source: U.S.D.A. website:  http://www.ams.usda.gov/

"A listing of All Current U.S.D.A. Approved Fruits and Tree Nuts in the United States of America."

Fruits and Tree Nuts:

Almond
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana
Blackberry
Blueberry
Breadfruit
Cacao
Cashew
Citrus
Cherimoya
Cherry
Chestnut (for nuts)
Coconut
Coffee
Cranberry
Currant
Date
Feijou
Fig
Filbert (Hazelnut)
Gooseberry
Grape (including Raisin)
Guava
Kiwi
Litchi
Macadamia
Mango
Nectarine
Olive
Papaya
Passion fruit
Peach
Pear
Pecan
Persimmon
Pineapple
Pistachio
Plum (including Prune)
Pomegranate
Quince
Raspberry
Strawberry
Suriname Cherry
Walnut

These lists are not intended to be all inclusive, but rather to provide examples of the most common specialty crops. This web page will be updated as U.S. Department of Agriculture receives new questions about the eligibility of various crops.

Source: U.S.D.A. website:  http://www.ams.usda.gov/

"A Listing of All KNOWN G.M.O. Crops and foods"

Major G.M.O. cash Crops:

Maize
soybean
Cotton
Canola
Sugar Beet
Alfalfa
papaya
squash
Sugar Cane
Tobacco


G.M. Grains:

Barley
Hay
Oats
Proso Millet
Rice
Rye
Sorghum
Durum
Spring and Winter Wheat

G.M. Oil Seed Crops:

Canola
Flax seed
Peanuts
Mustard Seed
Rape Seed
Safflower
Soybeans
Sun Flower

Other G.M. Crops:

Beans
Peas
Lentils
Summer Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes

Other Genetically Modified Foods Commonly Found on Grocer's Shelves:

According to 2009 information from GMO Compass, approximately 80 percent of the food found on your grocer's shelves potentially contains genetically modified ingredients.

Honey (produced from bees harvesting G.M.O. Plants)
G.M. Rice

Soy Foods such as:
Soy Milk
Yogurt
Hummus
Flour
Tofu
and THOUSANDS of products containing soy ingredients.

Other Foods Include:

Fresh and Canned corn
Fresh and Canned Tomatoes
Canola Oil
Potatoes
Flax
Papaya
Squash
Meat
Dairy from animals fed G.M. Grains
Peas
(The List continues...)


Source: LIVESTRONG.COM http://www.livestrong.com/