By supporting local, small family-operated farms, you become part of the solution to global food contamination, industrial agriculture and runaway energy and transportation costs. The food doesn't take two weeks to leave the field and arrive on your table, so nutrition is preserved. Locally grown food, much of it organic or naturally grown without petrochemical pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics or modified genes can be found in various communities in the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks.

A common sight along roadside ditches, as well as in carefully tended residential flower gardens, is the Day Lily, known to the botanist as (Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus).

This time of year one can see along roadsides, in and on both public and private lands, a beautiful wildflower, commonly called Yucca, Adam's Needles, or Spanish Bayonet. It is Yucca filamentosa L. and every single part of the plant is said to be useful.

Long, green sword-like leaves 12-32" in length, 1-3.5" wide, comprise most of the green portion, while the flower stalk arises centrally, erupting in a tall and beautiful display of large white blossoms having plenty roomy for a bumblebee. The plant may reach 4-5' in height.

Growing one's own lettuce at home is relatively easy. This year our garden hosted three varieties of absolutely delicious and beautiful lettuces.

Forellenschluss is a hardy one that has survived, uncovered, the entire winter, when a late summer or fall planting was made so that the plants reached an edible stage by September or October. It has beautiful burgundy swirls throughout each leaf.

A truly delicious wild green, similar in taste to spinach or lambsquarter, was pointed out by a neighbor who has eaten it in season for as long as he can remember. It is called Shawnee. It is cooked in the same manner as spinach or lambsquarter, and the main difference in taste is more of a texture, as it is "grainier" than the other two, yet still delicious steamed with a little butter or olive oil.

One of the most delicious foods this writer knows is Lambsquarter, Chenopodium album L. This tasty green is related to spinach, beets, and Swiss chard, and compared to spinach, this one is tastier in the opinion of many.

Sunday April 25, Field trip to Sweetwater Community Land Trust and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed company, in Mansfield, MO.
10 AM Herb walk to identify wild edible, medicinal, & craft plants. The walk winds through land belonging to Sweetwater Land Trust and to a large spring that feeds the headwaters of the Gasconade River. Sweetwater is an ecological land trust and artists’ colony.

Saturday, April 24, Herb walk at Tingler Lake, near West Plains. Tingler is a beautiful natural area with a natural sink hole pond, with some rare plants, as well as a wide diversity of useful plants, which makes it a particularly fun herbwalk. 3 hours of slow walking over well maintained trails, and gentle hills. A few side trips off the trails for the rare plants may happen. Tingler Lake is a Missouri Conservation Area. Water, snacks, and A Spring Guide to Field Herbalism provided. Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes approprite to the weather Starting 1:30 PM. Cost $8.

Saturday April 17, IHerb walk at the Narrows, on the Eleven Point River, near Doniphan, Missiouri. This is in the Mark Twain National Forest, and has dramatic views, high bluffs, two big blue springs, the remains of an old mill, and beautiful wild medicinal, edible and craft plants. 3 hours of slow walking over well maintained trails with some steep hills. Water, snacks, and A Spring Guide to Field Herbalism provided. Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes approprite to the weather. Starting 1:30 PM cost $8.

For those who enjoy broccoli but are not fortunate enough to grow it, there is hope. There is a wild relative that goes by many names, one common one being Winter Cress. It is Barbarea vulgaris, and has both the dark green leaves reminiscent of true broccoli, plus it forms little "florets" or flower heads, or seed heads, that do resemble broccoli when it is at the harvest stage.