As we kneel down to talk about plants--Dandelion, Cow Parsnip, Bracken fern, Stinging Nettle--Claire teaches us about how to harvest sustainably. We take one leaf or bunch in ten, one root from a plant that grows in bunches. She explains how to look at the entire ecology of an area and decide whether it's possible to harvest. Are there heavy metals or contaminants in the air or soil? How many plants are in a given area? What else depends on the plant to survive? Will harvesting make it impossible for the plant to replicate? Is this plant native or an invasive species? What else do we want to grow in this space? How much of this plant do we need right now?

Stinging Nettle before being sliced into a pesto. Photo by See.