[SeaGypsy]

One has to be pretty humble to eat in a post collapse world; once the stores have run out a bad growing season can mean starving if one is not humble enough to eat things like weeds, fungus and insects.

It has been said that Pol Pot did not like the insect business, therefore millions starved to death while just over the range in Vietnam, insect eating became a normal part of life and almost nobody starved.

If one is humble enough there is food almost everywhere. In outback Australia, some of the driest desert in the world, termites are very easy to find and quite palatable/ nutritious. In temperate regions fungus are very easy to collect and full of goodies.

Many people assume you have to have extraordinary knowledge to eat wild foods safely; when in fact there is a very simple method of testing any living thing for it's toxicity.

1st collect a teaspoon full of the trial matter.

2nd, crush it in a mortar and rub a match heads worth onto the inside of the forearm. Wait 1 hour, if there is any redness or reaction in the treated skin, the stuff is toxic.

3rd, place a tiny amount of the sample on the inside of your lip; if this causes any discomfort or swelling, the stuff is toxic. Wait an hour to be sure.

4th, mix half of the remaining stuff with 1/4 cup of water and gargle it; if after 1 hour there is no reaction, it is safe to swallow the other half.

5th, if the next days stool is normal you have found a food source.

This method works on plants, fungus, insects, anything.
The assumption that native peoples learned by trial and error, i.e. death by poisoning is wrong.

I take this level of humility as the true meaning of the Biblical line, the meek shall inherit the earth. John the Baptist, Jesus' Guru, lived on locusts and wild honey. The Essenes lived on wheat grass and sprouts.

Do any other posters think about this?

[Fishman]

Agreed, reading about the Soviet gulag apparently a good rat made a fine meal. Knowledge of what is edible, how to acquire it, and the skills to prepare it may make all the difference in a bad time. Bon apetite

[RedStateGreen]

I completely agree. It comes down to mental preparation (kids and other people who have never considered anything outside of McDonald's or Burger King might turn their noses up at a good home-cooked meal, much less eating bugs), and the commitment to do whatever it takes to survive, even try eating something new.

ETA: foraging is really fun; I'm going to another foraging class next weekend. This woman who teaches the class is a jewel, she gives eight hour classes for free.

[SeaGypsy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('RedStateGreen', 'I') completely agree. It comes down to mental preparation (kids and other people who have never considered anything outside of McDonald's or Burger King might turn their noses up at a good home-cooked meal, much less eating bugs), and the commitment to do whatever it takes to survive, even try eating something new.

ETA: foraging is really fun; I'm going to another foraging class next weekend. This woman who teaches the class is a jewel, she gives eight hour classes for free.

[Quinny]

Are there any mammals or birds that are toxic?

[RedStateGreen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Quinny', 'A')re there any mammals or birds that are toxic?

[Quinny]

We get thousands of seagulls and crows near here. The birds are my main enemy because they pull up my plants (don't even eat them!).

I know there wouldn't be much meat, but wonder what they'd taste like? I'm pretty sure they'd be safe to eat.

Why have predators got less nutrition?

[Ludi]

I don't agree with your toxicity testing methods, SeaGypsy. It's much better to learn what is safe to eat in your locale.

There are threads about foraging in the Planning forum.

[Fishman]

Ludi, well said. Use knowledge, if its available.
Predators generally have higher levels of toxins as they concentrate going up the food chain.
Breast of a crow, hmm, should be similar to dove. And if not, a welcome addition to your compost pile.

[Aimrehtopyh]

I wonder what percentage of modern "food" would pass the above toxicity test.

I don't plan on eating them myself, but Black Soldier Fly larvae are excellent food for chickens and fish. On second thought, they would make a good ace in the hole if the raiders and taxmen take all my meat and veggies.

[RedStateGreen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Quinny', 'W')e get thousands of seagulls and crows near here. The birds are my main enemy because they pull up my plants (don't even eat them!).

I know there wouldn't be much meat, but wonder what they'd taste like? I'm pretty sure they'd be safe to eat.

Why have predators got less nutrition?

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aimrehtopyh', '
')I don't plan on eating them myself, but Black Soldier Fly larvae are excellent food for chickens and fish. On second thought, they would make a good ace in the hole if the raiders and taxmen take all my meat and veggies.

[pedalling_faster]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'T')hose are the main kind of maggots in my earthworm bins, but I wouldn't want to try eating them. Gak! I tried eating earthworms and they were pretty bad.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')I have been around mushroom collectors who do something similar with different unknown shrooms, to test edibility.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pedalling_faster', '
')did you chew them ?.

[JJ]

I'm more concerned with the idea I read somewhere that in times of famine, children will starve to death before eating something unfamiliar. I cooked a pot of beans, a mess of greens, and some cornbread and my 13 year old said "daddy, is this all we're having for dinner?"

uggghhhh.

[deMolay]

Seagypsy your methods do not withstand scrutiny of history. The first rule of survivalism is that you do not eat anything unless someone else in the tribe has eaten it and survived. This was another job of the old women in the tribe.

[dunewalker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Quinny', 'A')re there any mammals or birds that are toxic?

[SeaGypsy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')I have been around mushroom collectors who do something similar with different unknown shrooms, to test edibility.