Modern living has us depending on industry-supplied vegetables and meats that come in tightly wrapped packages; breads, cereals, and dairy products processed beyond recognition; and DoorDash deliveries to relieve us of the trouble of traditional hunting and gathering. Yet there are countless examples of nutritious foods to be found in our own backyards and in nearby fields and tidal bays. This course will introduce students to local experts who make a habit of connecting to those delicious, health-giving food sources, calling attention to the wonders of the natural world and the bounty it can offer us. 

Classes will include: mushroom-gathering and foraging; oyster-harvesting; tea-tasting (including local ingredients like rose hips, mint, honey, sumac, etc.); honey production; and and local cheese-making. 

4/20: Tea: Tea expert Phil Parda with “two-and-a-half pinches,” tips and tastings; 

4/27: Oysters: Rick Friswell with a mollusc history and tangy-lemony samples; 

5/4: Honey: Apiarian Bill Hesbach, with the latest buzz from his hives; 

5/11: Cheese: Moo on over for this Cato Corner Farm intro and samples; 

5/18: Mushrooms and Foraging: Discover health and nutrition in fungi and roots.