A Report on the Wildcrafters Rendezvous aspect of the 2024 NWHF

Written By Brendan McNamara

The Wildcrafters Rendezvous was started in 2023 by Michael Pilarski and friends. Around 100 people attended the 3-day event (May 26-28) near Winthrop in the Methow Valley.

The goal was to bring together wildcrafters to share camaraderie, techniques, and knowledge. We had a grand time with workshops, discussion groups, plant walks, an herbal marketplace, herbal beverage taste-testing, circles, singing, and dancing.

Topics included:

  • Ethnobotany

  • Ethnoecology

  • Medicinal wildcrafting

  • Food foraging

  • Seed collection

  • Seaweed

  • Harvesting craft materials

  • Plant spirit medicine

  • Processing and drying

  • Marketing

  • Tool show and tell

  • Ecosystem restoration

  • Ethical, sustainable wildcrafting

We ate beautiful food together, and everyone had a place at the table.

In 2024, we wanted to do it again. However, organizing the Northwest Herbal Fair was all I could handle this year, so I am including the Wildcrafters Rendezvous inside the Northwest Herbal Fair. Many herbal people wildcraft, though some NWHF attendees might not be into wildcrafting. You might consider it a track within the larger event.

We will hold a Wildcrafters’ Caucus on Friday evening. It will start at 6:15 near the beginning of the dinner period. Bring your dinner and come over if you are interested. We can go a couple of hours, and you can catch part or all of it.

The general format is:

  • Wildcrafter’s personal introductions

  • Discussion among the wildcrafters

  • Questions and comments by anyone

All the plant walks and several workshops will focus specifically on wildcrafting. It will also come up in conversation at other workshops.

Plant Walks:

  • Logan Keister: Plant walk

  • Greta de la Montagne: Plant Walk in the Tradition of Michael Moore

  • Robin Greenfield: Foraging Food Plant Walk

  • Gabe Garms: Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk

  • Leslie Lekos: Medicinal plant walk

  • Crystal Hamby: The Bounty of the PNW: a medicinal-focused plant walk

Wildcrafting Workshops:

  • Lindsay Huettman: Ethical Foraging and Stewardship 101

  • Kristy Bredin: Seaweeds in the Herbal Kitchen

  • Wildcrafters Caucus

  • Kristy Bredin: Marine Herbalism (if we find a classroom space for a PowerPoint)

  • Robin Greenfield: Food Freedom Book Reading from his new book, Food Freedom: A Year of Growing and Foraging 100% of My Food

Here is a link to this post on our Facebook Page.

Brendan McNamara
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