With rising food prices, there’s been a lot of talk about modern “Victory Gardens”, a little vegetable garden in the backyard to grow some fresh and free food. Another source of fresh, organic and free food is the north country. For some this means game, fish and fowl. For others this means foraging for edible ‘wild’ plants: morels, fiddleheads, leaks, rice, tree nuts and berries.

A simple way to begin wild foraging is to be on the lookout for blackberries and raspberries, one of the easiest natural eats found in the forests of Wisconsin and Michigan. Here’s some photos of the raspberry patch I came across the other day. Sweet, juicy and 100% wild; the bounty of the northwoods!

For more on the subject of wild food foraging in the northwoods take a look at Wisconsin author Sam Thayer’s website: Forager’s Harvest

Sam Thayer’s book can be found on his website and also on Amazon along with many other excellent books on the subject: The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants

Vacation, recreation, relaxation; there are many reasons why people seek a northern lifestyle. For many, consumption is near or at the top of the list. When up north people like to take a break from their daily diet and dig into something hardy or even sinful like a greasy burger, big bowl of chili or deep-fried cheese curds. One such northern gastronomical delight can be found just a few miles outside of Crivitz, Wisconsin at Shaffer Park Resort on the Peshtigo River.

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