Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 48

Thread: Foraging and pollution; how do?

  1. #1

    Question Foraging and pollution; how do?

    Howdy, I am new to foraging and survival techniques in general.

    Something which bemuses me is how peeps appear to consume plants from their backyard with abandon... There is just so much pollution now everywhere. I have often posited that we are in a "chemical inebriation" and drunk with all of them... in our water, soil, air, etc. The most obvious solution for terrestrial food is either growing your own, or buying local & organic. The most obvious solution for marine food is buying wild-caught smaller fishies so the heavy metals, PCB's, and other unidentifiable chemicals cannot bioaccumulate into something acutely noxious. And for water quality you can always distill your own water; which i have begun doing. Now where it gets super confusing for me is with foraging. Because unless you live in a rural area then you will always have to deal with possibility of some weird **** going on. My local parks for example [2] are both zoned adjacent to industrial centers, how generous of the township. In my backyard the neighbor dumped a metric ****-ton of chlorinated pool water onto our property last Spring, and my father has some affinity for Roundup and killing absolutely everything the natural world spawns. I am thinking about another park that is a bit more isolated but then I am thinking what kind of weird bs is going on there too... I mean, foraging is an important skill to have regardless of whether it has immediate applications to my daily life; but it would be nice to have some confidence on this front. I was thinking about hunting small game too [like rabbits] and the prospect of those animals drinking from our contaminated creeks and eating from our contaminated soil makes the proposition seem less alluring. Of course the idea of survival is to just survive, I understand that, but if I can survive and also not poison myself that would be tight.

    For my first week learning to forage I am going to just focus on identifying a single plant: Dandelion. cause the **** is prolific. wish me luck!


  2. #2
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    44,846

    Default

    This should be fun. I wonder if you can type without cussing?
    Can't Means Won't

    My Youtube Channel

  3. #3
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    Is there anything you aren't afraid of? People do live to a ripe old age warts and all. And yeah, I can do without the cursing as well.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Victoria, Texas
    Posts
    1,996

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by crashdive123 View Post
    This should be fun. I wonder if you can type without cussing?


    Or at the very least, bemusing…

    I am truly amazed that in this age of chemical inebriation the human lifespan has increased, on average, and unless you live in Chicago, NY, Philly or NOLA, two fold in the last 100 years.

    Faced with the prospect of foraging for a living, I will likely turn to banditry! I’ma much better bandit than forager.

    Alan

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Victoria, Texas
    Posts
    1,996

    Default

    Or maybe a pirate. Pirates can cuss without cussing too. Aaarrghs, avasting swabbies, and a dropping a few shivered timbers in casual conversation never really offended anyone’s sensibilities.


    Alan

  6. #6
    Senior Member VnVet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2022
    Location
    NE Georgia mountains
    Posts
    241

    Default

    I don't use profanity verbally and I'm too lazy to waste time typing it.

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Victoria, Texas
    Posts
    1,996

    Default

    I will admit that if some object or situation I am working on or with fails to perform as expected, either by its own failure, or operator error, that I have admonished said object or situation colorfully. I try to do so thoughtfully, keeping the Lord and His name out of it, stick to the subject matter and I strive to only do this outside of the hearing of women and children....

    Alan

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Victoria, Texas
    Posts
    1,996

    Default

    Retrofire isn't home from school yet, or perhaps he's out picking supper in the bar ditch...

    Alan

  9. #9
    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    KY bluegrass region-the center of the universe
    Posts
    10,360

    Default

    He is really going to be mad when he returns from playing his video games, eating his fruit roll ups and pizza pockets dribbling his juice box down his shirt and finds out you have chastised him is such manner.

    I have this theory about people that don't like Roundup. I strongly feel they should spend a summer pulling weeds out of a 500 acre soy bean field, then trim around the house foundation with a pair of scissors once each week between April and November.

    Every single thing this poor misguided soul has griped about is the reason that our planet can carry the population load it does. Chemicals are not just for warfare, they also feed the world. Those hydrocarbons put food on your table and pay the bills.

    No fourth world kid in any "developing nation" ever looked at his bowl of mush and asked it it was full of MSGs.
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?

  10. #10
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    44,846

    Default

    Oh, please don't get me wrong...... I cuss like a Sailor, but since I am a Sailor I suppose you should consider me a role model. That's the ticket - - - I'm a role model.
    Can't Means Won't

    My Youtube Channel

  11. #11
    Senior Member VnVet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2022
    Location
    NE Georgia mountains
    Posts
    241

    Default

    Alan,
    I've avoided that for many years. Even if when I'm working on a recalcitrant whatever and no one is within hearing distance... Because I know I'll slip sooner or later when others can hear. So I've learned, for me totally giving it up was wiser.

    kyratshooter,
    I truly enjoy all of your posts and view them with both admiration and respect. As my screen alias states, I am a Vietnam Veteran and I am Agent Orange positive.
    Every three years, I get a coloscopy because I had 3 precancerous polyps removed. As the VA has recently added bladder and kidney cancer to added to the list of Agent Orange after effects; I recently had sonograms.
    AFA, Round Up or others, people should know what they are messing with up front.

  12. #12
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    My wonderful dear father used to point to the back yard and hand my brother and me forked implements for the removal of dandelions. I have no idea if it built character. It may have. Teachers and a few bosses have referred to me as a character so I'll let you decide. In any case, Roundup in the flowerbeds does a much better job at dandelion demise than my brother or I ever did with medieval implements of death.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  13. #13
    Senior Member VnVet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2022
    Location
    NE Georgia mountains
    Posts
    241

    Default

    Retrofire
    Near where we live even the creek is potable water.
    14.jpg
    This is one of 3 springs on our property that run all year here. As they all flow from rock, there is no chance of a dead animal polluting the water. up the brook I've had them tested and the Health Department said no problems. Good mountain water.

    I'm a retired automotive design engineer and I lived 25 miles from Detroit for 2 years. As a result of going outside to do her business, my dog's feet swelled. The Vet said there's a lot of pollution here; take her out somewhere else. So I did and she was fine. That and more is why I only lived there for 2 years.
    I landed in SE NC, next was western NC and finally the mountains of NE Georgia.


    Quote Originally Posted by Alan R McDaniel Jr View Post
    I will admit that if some object or situation I am working on or with fails to perform as expected, either by its own failure, or operator error, that I have admonished said object or situation colorfully. I try to do so thoughtfully, keeping the Lord and His name out of it, stick to the subject matter and I strive to only do this outside of the hearing of women and children....
    Alan
    Well said, Sir.

    Unfortunately, I'm not as good at that as you. Accepting my weakness, I (somehow) managed to quit it and all of it.


  14. #14
    Senior Member WolfVanZandt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Denver, Colorado
    Posts
    1,712

    Default

    The language used by all programmers is profanity.

    I've always growled quietly, then loudly, and then started throwing furniture. That's pretty effective.

    We, out west, have come up with a solution to pollution...let the desert take over.
    True enough, my final home is still out there, but this is most certainly my home range and I love it. I love every rock I fall off and tree I trip over. Even when I am close to dying from exhaustion, a beautiful sunset doesn't lose it's power to refresh and inspire me and that, in itself, is enough to save me sometimes.

  15. #15
    Senior Member VnVet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2022
    Location
    NE Georgia mountains
    Posts
    241

    Default

    My method was say do I have to open the Standard? All I can add is I don't miss it and I'm so glad to be retired.

    We live on privately owned land in the Chattahoochee National Forest and the forest has taken over.

  16. #16
    Senior Member WolfVanZandt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Denver, Colorado
    Posts
    1,712

    Default

    I miss the CNF. You don't have cholla.
    True enough, my final home is still out there, but this is most certainly my home range and I love it. I love every rock I fall off and tree I trip over. Even when I am close to dying from exhaustion, a beautiful sunset doesn't lose it's power to refresh and inspire me and that, in itself, is enough to save me sometimes.

  17. #17
    Senior Member VnVet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2022
    Location
    NE Georgia mountains
    Posts
    241

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WolfVanZandt View Post
    I miss the CNF. You don't have cholla.
    I doubt I'd want cholla.

    You where here in the CNF; it's a big NF so whereabout?

    Due to the hunt for challenge, opportunity and as usual $$; I've lived in a few States. One was on a mountain in western NC. As usual, the house had windows above the kitchen sink and the view was over 8 airmiles.

    We love where we live, our church, the community and everything else here.

  18. #18

    Default

    When you grow up surrounded by systemic illness you become wary about such things...

    Yes, I am afraid of what our world has become; and I don't believe the trend of "ripe old age" will continue based upon my life-long observations. Hopefully I am proven wrong.

  19. #19
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    44,846

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Retrofire View Post
    When you grow up surrounded by systemic illness you become wary about such things...

    Yes, I am afraid of what our world has become; and I don't believe the trend of "ripe old age" will continue based upon my life-long observations. Hopefully I am proven wrong.
    Since most of the people that have responded to you are at that "ripe old age", please, do tell us about your life long observations that have formed your thoughts and opinions.
    Can't Means Won't

    My Youtube Channel

  20. #20
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Victoria, Texas
    Posts
    1,996

    Default

    Yes, and hurry please... we are getting riper all the time...

    Alan

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •