WEEDS

classes at her Golden business, Earth Sweet Boutique, said it’s always important to triple-check plants before you eat them.

“I don’t like to frighten people away from… foraged foods because there’s a lot of very safe ones,” Baldwin said. “But I like them to be aware that there are dangerous, poisonous ones that will kill you, and so it’s important to kind of have an idea of what those might be and what to look out for.”

Baldwin encourages those interested in foraging to start by taking classes, working with local experts and reading about which plants are safe to eat.

She also said it’s important to check if plants are near old buildings that could be contributing lead to soil or if plants have been sprayed with pesticides.

‘Part of human history’

In addition to cooking, Baldwin said wild foods can be used to make skincare products, tinctures, infused honey, medicines and more.

“There’s many different things you can do with foraged foods, and the great thing about it is that we have tons of free, wonderful, wild foods here in Colorado,” she said.

Some of Baldwin’s favorite plants to forage are pine and conifer needles, which are high in vitamin C. She uses the needles to make a simple syrup that she drinks with seltzer water and fresh lemon.

“It’s extremely refreshing and has a lot of minerals, so it’s very hydrating in the summertime when it’s hot,” she said.

When foraging, it’s important to do so in a way that does not damage plants or plant populations, Baldwin said. When gathering pine needles, for example, she takes about an inch or two from each branch and moves around to different branches so as to not damage the plant.

Davis agreed that sustainability is an important part of foraging process, and it’s something foragers need to be mindful of in order to do correctly.

“Sometimes people think ‘Foraging must be bad for the environment because you’re picking the plants!’ But I think the actual truth is much more nuanced than that,” she said. “Foraging is part of human history, I mean, we have been foraging since time immemorial, and we can do it in ways that don’t harm the plant populations if we’re mindful.”

Beyond freshness and accessibility, Davis said foraging offers health benefits and a range of flavors that are not available in grocery stores.

And perhaps best of all, wild food offers a way to get close to nature.

“For me, also, they o er a connection to nature,” Davis said. “ ey invite time spent outdoors, getting to know plants, working with my hands.”

Davis has available spots in her classes in Ramah and Fairplay this spring and summer. Her classes can be found at https://wildfoodgirl.com/ wfg-events/.

On her webpage, people who want to learn more about foraging can also sign up for the Colorado foragers email list.

In May, Baldwin is hosting a wild food cooking class at her shop, taught by veteran forager Wendy Petty. Students can sign up at https:// earthsweetboutique.com/products/wild-foragedfood-cooking-class and see future classes at https:// earthsweetboutique.com/pages/classesevents.