WILD FOOD SCHOOL - Provisional Course Dates, 2012 (Dec. 31st, 2011)

Wild Food School courses run 12 months of the year, and not just at weekends. The following course schedule maybe subject to alteration as various teaching commitments for other organisations and events occur. Jump straight to course dates below...

With things still financially tight for many folks the 2012 prices have been kept the same as 2011. You’ll still get the same unparalleled expertise and knowledge, and you still get your complementary ‘Takeaway’ CD-ROM. There's also a new Eating Insects / Edible Bugs course.

If you don't see a date or time that suits, please get in touch and maybe something can be arranged - even if you are only passing through Lostwithiel and just have an hour or two to spare. Don't feel afraid to ask as anyone with an interest in 'the edible wild' will always be welcome. As WFS is uniquely flexible in scheduling, if a mid-week course is more suitable then these can be run specially - providing there are no clashes with behind the scenes activities.

Deciding on your 'skills level' can be found below. Remember, also, that distance-learning courses are available if you cannot make it down to Cornwall. To book on a course, or for more details, please e-mail or call 01208 873788. Some recommended places to stay and eat nearby.

If places on a course have not been booked then the time may be re-allocated; so get in touch if you have a specific date you'd like to visit. There’s a maximum of 5 places on any course so booking is essential. Day courses start at 9.30 and end around 5.00 pm.

MAN EATING BUGS / MAN BITES BACK - Edible Bug Courses
An introductory day to some of the many edible bugs that are used as human food around the world. We'll be looking at basic insect physiology, how people in other cultures harvest and prepare insects as food, information on nutritional values, and also have some edible insects available for you to try. SEE MAIN PAGE FOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION £75pp

INTRODUCTORY SESSIONS: Designed for folks curious about Britain's wild foods, but who have little or no experience and wish to know more. Very much the first foot on the ladder in exploring the edible wild. These are half day sessions. Cost: £30pp. [Includes complementary Wild Food 'Takeaway' CD-ROM]

STARTER DAY: These follow on from the Introductory courses and combine both an introduction to various edible wild plants and then cooking some foraged items. Full day sessions. Cost: £65pp. [Includes complementary Wild Food 'Takeaway' CD-ROM]

INTERMEDIATE: Designed for anyone who has a reasonable basic knowledge of a few common edible wild greens but wants to extend their knowledge of more plants and cooking with them. Full day sessions. Cost: £70pp. [Includes complementary Wild Food 'Takeaway' CD-ROM]

ADVANCED: Aimed at folks who know a good number of edible wild plants and who may wish to explore more unusual plants and their cooking and food potential. For example, preparing and using acorns, handling some of the toxic plants, or exploring the full potential of foraged greens such as the bulrush... Potentially experimenting on the edge. Full day sessions. Cost: £70pp.

WEEKEND COURSES: Immersive sessions that adapt to the skills or interest levels of participants, so that everyone participating gets the best out of their time. Cost: £140pp. [Includes complementary Wild Food 'Takeaway' CD-ROM]

3-DAY & WEEK COURSES: aimed at folks with some, or a little basic, knowledge of foraging (but entirely adaptable) and providing a longer time to absorb information in much greater detail [anywhere between 40 to 90+ plants depending on the season and seasonal changes]. PoA

CHOMP YOMP: A Full day's walk across this part of Cornwall (it’s about an 8 mile trail) identifying edible plants and then cooking these up on the trail. More details on the main WFS main page. Cost: £75/85

COAST & SEA-WEED DAY: A trip down down to the coast to look at some edible sea-weeds (plus some other edible wild greens that you’ll find in coastal areas), and then using and experimenting with seaweed as a foodstuff. Price: £75.

WFS ACORNS COURSE
WFS will be running several Acorn day courses ahead of the main acorn harvest period [generally in October-November] where you can learn how to safely prepare acorns for human food, and try your hand at some acorn-based recipes. Cost £90 pp. [includes a free copy of The Essential Acorn, Hazelnut, Chestnut &c Cookbook]

WFS URBAN FORAGING DAYS
What would you do if someone switched off your local supermarket? Would you be able to identify something to eat among the weeds in your garden, local park or open space?

A number of WFS courses on Urban Foraging are planned for 2012, and will concentrate on the most likely edible wild plant species to be found in Britain's urban and metropolitan areas. Although urban areas can be hard hunting grounds, naturally growing wild food does exist if you know where to look and what to look for. In the Urban Foraging course you will cover around 30+ plants (depends on season changes and time of year), plus a few more of the 160 or more edible wild plants available in the wider countryside, and be able to try a few out for yourself. Full day sessions. Cost: £70pp.

READING THE LANDSCAPE: Foraging is frequently left to luck. In survival situations with limited resources then leaving things to chance is not productive and possibly dangerous. The specialist one-day RTL courses are about minimizing the 'chance' factor; providing the forager with a methodology for looking at a terrain and deciding quite precisely where to look for edible greens [at least in northern temperate climes]. Full day sessions available by arrangement.

INSTRUCTOR'S COURSE: None of the courses above are designed for people who wish to teach others about wild foods and its disciplines. A newly designed course requiring 2 weekend [or other available 2-day slots] down in Cornwall, allows participants to observe different terrains and plants over different seasons during the year. More details on request.

Sat.

Sun.

Mon.

Tues.

Wed.

Thurs.

Fri.

2 *

Intro. morning

3

4

5

Starter Day

Intermediate / Advanced

Intro. morning

10

11

12

Weekend Course

Weekend Course

Intro. morning

17

18

19

Intermediate / Advanced

Starter Day

Starter Day

24

25

26

Starter Day

Starter Day

Starter Day

Intro. morning