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Foraging For Food

© Bob Ewing

One event that no one here pays any attention to is Groundhog Day. Febrauary 2 is known as Imbolc Or Brigid's Day to modern Pagans. We know that regardless of whether or not some rodent sees its shadow, we have at least six weeks of winter ahead. That's if we are lucky. Six weeks only takes us into mid-March. We usually see spring in late April-early May. At least until this year. The past week it has felt like the beginning of spring. Maybe we need to get ourselves a groundhog, Thunder Bay Tommy or Tammy and start a new northern tradition.

We need to invent a fun food to go with the event. Perhaps we could have mid-winter food foraging seminars so that we learn to develop the same level of self-reliance that the groundhog has.

Or we could use the time to rediscover forgotten agricultural methods. For those who are concerned about health and nutrition, it could be an opportunity to discover what healthy foods thrive in our own urban backyard. We'd learn about the edible weeds we usually hold in vile contempt and spend a great part of each Spring and Summer trying to destroy. This year we can cultivate those cattails for the dinner table, instead of just using them for decorations.

Most importantly, we can be reminded that even foraging for food, can be good fun once you know what you are doing.

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