Comments on: The Forager Handbook – A Review

By: david seddon

david seddon — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 13:36:42 +0000

Im interested to know how far regional variations affect the availability of wild foods – Im in the Waveney Valley in south Norfolk but am prepared to travel a bit into Suffolk and North Norfolk and Cambridgeshire if needs be…do we have an East Anglian regional profile?

By: MA Arts and the Environment – ‘do tank’ with Greg Humphries « caravanserai

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:26:21 +0000

[...] After our discussion, carefully timed by Greg who was itching to get going on the structure & beginning to wonder whether we’d get it done…half of the group set to with the building and the others went for a coastal walk/forage with Debs and Annie – we collected Sea Beet “this widespread coastal plant is the parent plant of of beetroot and sugar beet” it looks similar to spinach “but with higher nutrient levels”.(Miles Irving) [...]

By: Robin

Robin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:48:33 +0000

Alex – Yes it is relevant, as most of the plants should be in your neck of the woods.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:43:17 +0000

Hi, I’m new to the european community but am interested in foraging in my new home (southern Germany). Would this text be the most relevant option for my location?

Best!

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:21:15 +0000

Just to clear up the black & white images issue in this magnum opus – Miles mentions in a reply to a criticism on Amazon that most plants have mostly green parts. Thus, the colour is less of an issue than the morphology for correct ID. All you have to do is study the plant intimately from various sources. I’ve ‘bumped into’ plants I recognised form a flick through an ID guide – Fat Hen for instance, was growing alongside a main road, and I recognised it from the book. I recommend ‘Botany in a Day’ to start off, which cuts the crap and gets you studying the structures of plant families. Not so good for instant ID but once you know the patterns, any field guide can be used more easily. I like the Collins Wild Flower guide from the 70s too – it has a colour key with each flower type (symmetry, colour and no of petals) as a visual key. Easy! (Unless you’ve no flowers in season). Best thing I do is go to a shop & imagine a favourite floweryou know really well, like lavender. Use the key to work your way to it, and see how it feels. Too geeky? Too complex? I’m waiting for the ultimate field guide – The Forager Handbook in miniature with coloured flower & leaf pictured keys. Perfect!

By: Scott Turner

Scott Turner — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:02:12 +0000

Hi, I’ve just purchase the The Forager Handbook and I’m looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into it. I’m also concidering the online course to help brauden my knowledge. I’m an extreme novice with this being my first purchace. Can you point me in the right direction, towards a good Identification book or two.

Many Thanks Scott.

By: Robin

Robin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:52:31 +0000

Here’s what Mark a customer that bought a copy a few days ago had to say… I have included my replies to some of his questions…

Mark: Firstly, I too have Richard Mabey’s Food For Free and always find it helpful, though I do agree that The Forager Handbook is now my new “Bible”. I give it 10 out of 10 and will recommend it to my friends.

Robin: I’m glad you are enjoying it…

Mark: Just one question… why are the photos in black & white?

Robin: Well the book isn’t meant to be an ID guide, which I think I mentioned in my review. However often times black and white photos are easier to ID from, especially when they are cutaway and don’t have other plants around to confuse.

My wife is a botanical artist and she always draws her pictures in pen and ink, very occasionally she will use colour. But I know what you mean, and it is one of the criticisms of the book. However to produce a full colour book would have made the costs involved hideously expensive, which unfortunately as readers we would have had to foot the bill in a far higher price tag.

By: carl Tranter

carl Tranter — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:48:42 +0000

I read your reviews with great interest and while i feel this is a good book for the reasons you mention, i feel the book is let down from the identification point of view. I would have thought better photographs would have encouraged people to take it in the field. I would have gladly paid a little extra for this. However i do think it is a smahing book.