Foraging Kentucky

With rich soils, thousands of creeks, and twelve major river basins, the state of Kentucky is abundant with wild edibles that not only are delicious but also can be useful for medicinal purposes. Various species of wildflowers such as spring beauty, edible fungi like chanterelles, and tree crops such as hickory nuts may be foraged and pickled, steamed, candied, or stir-fried to create an enticing, healthy, and substantial meal.

Foraging Kentucky is an expansive beginners' guide to safely and ethically foraging in the state. The species covered in the book are divided into three categories: herbaceous plants, fungi, and woody plants. Author, forager, and environmental educator George Barnett shares his extensive knowledge on the proper identification of the featured species, where and when they grow, and how to harvest and prepare them for consumption. Complete with high-definition color photographs, recipes, and short history lessons, this guide is chock-full of crucial information for readers who want to forge an enlightening relationship with the delectable foods naturally available in Kentucky's great outdoors.

Published by the University Press of Kentucky

April 2nd, 2024

“Among its other virtues, this book is timely as foraging, herbalism, and sustainability movements are having a moment. Many of us from the Appalachian region, in particular, are looking for ways to connect with our heritage in progressive ways and are nurturing a 21st century folk revival focused on the green world. If I'm right about this, that there is a folk revival brewing in the southern Appalachian region, then contemporary foraging schools are our places of worship and George Barnett's book, Foraging Kentucky, may well become one of our cherished sacred texts.”

~Southern Literary Review