For the first several thousand years that Homo sapiens wandered the planet, they were hunter-gatherers. Before the dawn of agriculture, food was free for the taking. Think about that. In my recent reading this subtle fact has been impressed upon me. Food was free. This makes it even more heartbreaking that so many people today starve, because they do not know how to feed themselves.
We are the only species on earth that pays for the food we partake of. All other species survive by their own efforts and whatever food source they happen to come upon, that is to their liking. Occasionally, my spinach or salad greens have already been sampled by some insect with chewing mouth parts. I do not mind. I also do not mind sharing my parsley with the caterpillars that will later grow into butterflies or moths. I generally designate a struggling tomato plant for the tomato hornworm. Sometimes the insects will take their fill and leave little for me. Still, I do not mind. It’s first come, first serve around here.
There are actually quite a lot of edible plants and even insects that can be found in the wild, if a person knows what to look for. Grasshoppers are said to be excellent protein, although I am personally more than a little reluctant to try them. Dandelion greens rival that of kale in terms of nutrition and there is always an abundant supply, if we can find some that have not been sprayed with toxic chemicals. If you are not into salads you can always make dandelion wine like my grandmother used to make. Mushrooms, too, are an excellent source of protein if you know how to differentiate them from those that are hallucinogenic.
Human beings are dependent upon one another for many things. Our ancestors knew how to be mostly self-sufficient, but they also realized that others could provide those things that were more difficult for them to come by, such as salt and spices and fabric for clothes. It is good for people to need people and to rely on neighbors and friends from time to time; but in the natural world, the young are taught by the adults how to survive in this often brutal world. Allowing ourselves to become completely and utterly dependent upon the government and giant corporations has left us vulnerable. It is time for the pendulum to swing back and find that sweet spot of perpetual balance. We must learn how to feed ourselves. It’s okay to need others, but we must become food warriors if we are to survive.
