Foraging Experience: Ramp Harvest

Program Description: Learn by doing as you contribute to a cause. We’ll enjoy each other’s company as we hand harvest ramps for this year’s foraged dinners. Ramps, also called wild leeks, are a culinary forest herb highly sought after, and considered a rare delicacy with a flavor blend similar to garlic and scallions. As an ephemeral spring plant, it’s only out for a short time and it’s sensitive to overharvest.

During this harvesting hike, you’ll:

• learn about habitat for ramps and associated woodland ephemeral wildflowers (with a nod to edible and poisonous species).
  practice ramp identification, as well as learning to identify an important poisonous look alike.
• learn how to sustainably harvest from our wild population by helping us harvest. This is the only time (this year) you’ll be able to help harvest ramps on CNC properties.

What to Expect: This foraging experience will be a blend of partial hands-on activity with hiking and harvesting. The gravel trail takes us up and down hills—it’s “out there” on the trail—please plan for some hiking. When we reach our harvesting location, we’ll be stepping off trail.

When we get back from the hike, we’ll be serving samples of a couple items that contain ramps, including ramp butter.

This program is entirely outdoors.
Restrooms are available only at the start and end of the program, as we will be out on the trails during the program.
Trails/areas used during this program are rated as moderate (Uneven terrain with hills and/or steps) for a planned distance of 2-3 miles at a consistent brisk pace.
Program runs rain or shine.