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my foraging diary

It's feeling like the beginning of the end of the Summer, that we haven't really had :( Noticed yesterday that the Cow Parsley has started to produce brand new leaves. Also got a fantastic new crop of Red Deadnettle and Chickweed.

Agreed. Half the forage is scraggy & end of season looking. I've barely foraged for drying this year, with my dad & the weather theres barely been any opportunity. ..they get fresh from out & about or garden daily. Smaller quantities than I've fed previously ...but their poops are really good so I don't care so much
 
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It deffo feels like early Autumn. The conker trees are starting to lose their leaves round here. THe squirrels are stripping the beech nuts in the woods.
 
Well it's the beginning of January and I don't think we've had a time like this previously for foraging. This is normally the time of year when the bunnies have to rely more on what we've actively grown. This year that's Kale, Parsley and Chicory. There is though still Cow Parsley, Chickweed, Red Dead-nettle, Red Campion, Dandelion and lots of fresh grass. I guess if we get a harsh frost that might change, but the period of famine will certainly be shorter.
 
Zero chance of forage here ☹️ The first available will be Hawthorn but I doubt I’ll be able to get out to it again.

I buy a lot of dried forage. Recently I have noticed a huge difference in the appearance of the plantain. The most recent batch doesn’t even look like plantain at all. It looks more like dandelion leaves. Usually it is a dark green colour, but this batch is muddy brown and the leaves are much broader
 
Zero chance of forage here ☹️ The first available will be Hawthorn but I doubt I’ll be able to get out to it again.

I buy a lot of dried forage. Recently I have noticed a huge difference in the appearance of the plantain. The most recent batch doesn’t even look like plantain at all. It looks more like dandelion leaves. Usually it is a dark green colour, but this batch is muddy brown and the leaves are much broader
Plantain is usually one of two species, but neither should have notched sides to the leaves like Dandelion.

https://rusticwise.com/what-does-plantain-look-like/
 
Now its light enough I can walk home through my foraging haunts.. Could not believe my eyes to find hawthorn starting to leaf. Its on the few trees in a specific spot that always come out first but this is super early. 2021 they were at the same growth stage as 2nd March

Theres teeny weeny plants (herb robert, cow parsley, dandelions) but way too small to pick. Hazel is budding & so is some of the roses
 
Now its light enough I can walk home through my foraging haunts.. Could not believe my eyes to find hawthorn starting to leaf. Its on the few trees in a specific spot that always come out first but this is super early. 2021 they were at the same growth stage as 2nd March

Theres teeny weeny plants (herb robert, cow parsley, dandelions) but way too small to pick. Hazel is budding & so is some of the roses
We haven't really had any time this winter when there hasn't been something recognisable to forage in the garden. We still have all the plants that I listed here on 4 January. As you say, they're not huge plants but they do look unusually robust for the time of year.
 
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