FAMINE FOODS
By: DJ
Famine foods will sustain you when you have no other means. They are nutritious and plentiful. They are called Famine foods for this very reason. Most are very tasty as well.
Though we have no famine at this time in the US, you never know when you will find yourself, individually, in this situation. These foods can, and will keep you alive until the situation resolves itself.
There are many, many of them, but I will deal with only the ones that you have been taught to think of as pests and therefore I know you will be able to find.
The first one is Cattail. This is a veritable supermarket all in one plant. Although you will not be able to find them in some areas, where you do find them you will not only have food but also water. They will not grow without it. So if you find them and no water is visible, trust me, there is water there somewhere. Dig for it.
Then there is Smilax...Now this vine is indeed a pesky critter. It has tiny little hooks on both stem and leaf.....set to catch an unaware person, but good. This pest grows literally everywhere in the US and Southern Canada.
Purslane has been a garden and field pest for a long time. Every time you try to dig it out you just make more plants. They only way to get rid of it is heavy mulching. Thank goodness!!
These are only a few of the Famine foods in your area.
*Famine Foods*, Compiled by Robert Freedman and listed alphabetically by Genus and species, is fairly complete list of famine foods, their uses, properties, and dangers. (Note: The whole directory is full of good information. This link is specific to North America but other continents are available from the homepage ~WWD)
I will be continuing to post articles on the really utility ones, by names you might recognize, as I am able, and they will eventually be linked from this page as well as from the foraging index.
You will need to understand that if you find yourself in a defensive position, you will not be able to carry enough on your back to sustain you for the long run. You will need to eat off the land.
I highly recommend that you begin, now, to locate and get to know, these few plants. Use them so your palate and your system will know them as well. All you need while trying to survive is a good case of the "trots" or vomiting because you didn't eat the right plant, or didn't give yourself time to know if your system would tolerate it. We can be allergic to anything. Begin trying these plants NOW.