Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Thu, 26 May at 12:57am.

A scheduled execution gave me my foraging target this week.

I found out last week that a neighbor's house would have to be fumigated for beetles, and a thriving grapevine along the back stairs would likely not survive.  My friend Rebecca and I asked to harvest the leaves, and they had no objections to us picking as many as we wanted - more than 100 in the end.

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Wed, 27 Apr at 12:51am.

It's one of the most ubiquitous and easily grown plants in Bay Area gardens. I often use their orange flowers as zesty and beautiful garnishes in salads and last year, I made a great batch of nasturtium capers from their seed pods.

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Wed, 13 Apr at 12:10am.

I've been chasing Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) all spring. I've harvested it several times on hikes in the last few months, but kept forgetting to take a photo. 

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Sat, 2 Apr at 9:59am.

I am worried about getting sick. 

I went on a trip into the woods last weekend and one by one, everyone else who was along has fallen ill with a nasty and persistent cold. So far I haven't succumbed – but I thought I should look into preventative measures, just to be safe.

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Fri, 18 Mar at 7:34am.

I feel guilty about all the weeds in my yard right now.  Encouraged by the rains and periodic bouts of sun, our yard is lush and green and full of flowers, but unfortunately a good amount of that vegetation could be classified as weeds. 

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Tue, 8 Mar at 9:26am.

Foraging has been a lonely pursuit lately. My Homesteading Circle hasn't been meeting as regularly because members are traveling or moving houses and when we do get together, we've been packing boxes instead of filling canning jars. 

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Wed, 16 Feb at 12:23pm.

Urban foraging can be a lot easier with a toddler along for the ride. You might think a 2 year old would be more trouble than help in gathering fruit, but that's only if you don't calculate the cuteness factor.

Blog entry by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Thu, 10 Feb at 8:32am.

Friends are pressing apples for cider this weekend, and I was served a slice of birthday apple pie last night, so apples must be in season. No one in my Homesteading Circle has an apple tree, but several of us have very particular taste memories of apple butter, and we wanted to try making some. We decided to turn to the Bay Area Homestead Hookup to help us make it happen.