About Fresh & Foraged
Fresh & Foraged teaches folks about safe and sustainable foraging as a means to help rebuild a loving connection with the Earth.
We focus on abundant and invasive plants and mushrooms to promote sustainable harvesting. Part of harvesting is giving back, so we always encourage folks to care for the land by picking up litter, planting native seeds, gardening, and supporting your local indigenous communities.
We value all beings, and especially the diversity amongst them. Diversity is what gives our world such beauty and strength. We aim to make our events safe and welcoming for all. If you have any concerns or questions, please reach out to Carolyn.
Let's learn about foraging together!
Carolyn teaching about edible garden weeds
About Carolyn
Although some postulate that she emerged fully formed from the damp forest earth, Carolyn led a nature-filled childhood in the woods of New England. Her wild food prowess has thankfully evolved from her ‘moss smoothie’ days, when four-year-old Carolyn would present unsuspecting strangers with flimsy paper cups full of moss, touting their health benefits and vast array of flavors. Chocolate was always a favorite.
Carolyn started forming her wild food philosophy in 2017, when she spent a year apprenticing with botanist Abby Artemisia. Although she learned about many rare and endangered plants, she was drawn to the abundant and invasive ones. Not only could they feed a crowd, but harvesting plants like garlic mustard could also help the environment. How could she resist?!
Carolyn teaching about Dryad's Saddle mushroom and local weeds
From there, she's become an advocate for gathering the often-overlooked abundant and invasive plants, as well as mushrooms. She believes that engaging with our ancestral food traditions such as foraging, fermentation, and food preservation helps to heal and rebuild our connection with the Earth and delight our taste buds.
These days Carolyn helps folks connect with the Earth through hands-on foraging, classes, and delicious wild foods recipes. She is a founding member of the Vermont Mycological Society, a volunteer-run organization that helps educate Vermonters about the fungi all around them. She also serves on the State of Vermont’s Fungal Scientific Advisory Group (FSAG) which documents Vermont’s fungal diversity.
If you'd like to reach out or have Carolyn teach for your organization, please contact freshandforagedvt@gmail.com . She looks forward to connecting!
