Midwest Wild Harvest Festival

As a child, there was no way to lie about why I didn’t finish my dinner—not with mulberry stains around my lips. Though berries are a wild food recognizable even to children, our southern Wisconsin region is rich with so many others: dandelion, lamb’s quarters, nettles, watercress, purslane, nuts, ramps, wild asparagus, wild rice...

This summer, take a drive west to Prairie du Chien, located on the Mississippi River, to learn more about the multitudes of wild foods found in our bountiful region at the Midwest Wild Harvest Festival, August 24-26. There, you can walk the lush bluffs and valleys with experienced foragers, eat meals made with your own wild finds, and hear the keynote speaker Abe Lloyd, MS, speak about “Tending the Wild.” This is a family-friendly event, and childcare is provided on Saturday so parents can enjoy plant walks and the afternoon workshops.

Thanks to a University of Wisconsin grant, tickets are priced quite reasonably compared to other wild foods festivals, ranging from $35 to $100 with various combinations of meals, lodging options and dates of attendance. To register, contact Melissa Price by August 10 at 715-354-9936 or Melissa@foragersharvest.com.