Millstone Farm
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This for profit working farm, whose mission is to operate in a sustainable manner, both in economics and best farm practices, features a wide variety of habitats—meadows, woods, cultivated areas, and fields—all loaded with their associated wild plants and mushrooms.
Nuts are at their peak now, and we'll be on the lookout for black walnuts, shagbark hickories and white oak trees, all delicious, and unavailable commercially. Autumn fruits will also be in season. We'll be looking for wild raisins, which taste like bananas and prunes; American hackberries, which taste like the candy coating of M&Ms; flavorful wild apples, hawthorn berries, somewhat similar to apples; and common spicebush berries, an allspice-like seasoning. |
Wild Raisins Enjoy these sweet, pulpy berries raw, or bake them into pastries. |
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Herbs, greens, and roots such as sassafras, lamb's-quarters, burdock, common evening primrose, field garlic, sheep sorrel, mullein, and wild carrots may also be in evidence. |
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This is a great time for mushrooms, especially if there's been lots of rain beforehand. We'll look for honey mushrooms, chicken mushrooms, hen-of-the-woods, honey mushrooms, puffballs, meadow mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms.
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The 2-hour walking tour begin at 1:30 PM, Sunday, October 10, at Millstone Farm, 180 Millstone Rd. in Wilton, CT. The fee is $15/adult, $10/child under 12. An organic, farm-fresh lunch with "Wildman" will be available at 12:30 PM, before the tour, for another $10.
Call (203) 834-2605 at least 24 hours ahead to reserve a place. |