Fruit Tree Festival, You-Pick Greens Forage and Picnic in Bonita!

This one is going to be special. The Bonita Creek Nursery has invited us to forage on their incredibly beautiful 10 acres along the creek. We'll find nettle, multiple mustards, yerba mansa, edible chrysanthemum, dock, cat tail, and a host of other wonderful plants in abundance. You can pick as much as you like to take home with you.

There's an abundance of willow and we'll talk about its use in basketry and medicine and we'll see how you can weave a simple basket.

Then David Archer, the owner, will walk us through his nursery of 600 (!) varieties of rare fruit trees, including 10 varieties of mulberries which he's invited us to sample. I have negotiated a 30% discount on trees for fallow feast members, so if you are looking to add to your food forest, now is the time.

Finally we'll picnic on food made from the plants you'll take home: lacto-fermented mustard green pickles, traditional Japanese and Chinese dishes made with edible chrysanthemum, and nettle seed chocolate truffles.

For those who would like to buy fruit trees, you can either arrive before the event (the nursery officially closes at 4 pm), or wait for the tour to see what there is and reserve trees to come get another day.

Bring a bag or basket for collecting, gardening gloves and clippers or scissors if you like, and a sturdy pair of walking shoes.

I really hope you'll join us. This is going to be so fun.