Sierra
The tall scraggly trees are "grey pines", which occur in the Sierra at elevations below 4000'. This picture is just down the road from us at about 3000' in elevation. It's located in an ecosystem known as California chaparral.
The storm that just passed left about 5 inches of rain in three days, so the ground is saturated. Some plants, like coyote brush, are starting to bloom now that the summer drought has broken.
This book caught my attention while visiting Nevada City the other day. The authors, Alicia Funk and Karin Kaufman are both from Nevada City and have written a book about using the native flora of The Sierra Nevada as both food, and medicine. As my interest in using local produced products has grown, the idea of using the native flora only makes sense. It doesn't get more local than that.
The authors listed 5 essential reasons for taking the time to learn about, and use native plants.
1. Cultivate an Independent Carbon-Neutral lifestyle.
2. Enjoy 100% local nutrition that is gluten-free and vitamin-rich.
3.Say no to nature deficit disorder.
4. Preserve cultural knowledge.
5. Protect biodiversity and habitat.
Reading about Manzanita one finds that the berries, flowers, and leaves can all be used. You can make Manzanita cider, Manzanita hard cider, or mix some Douglas Fir with it and enjoy MAnzanita and Douglas Fir Cider. You can also make Manzanita Blossom Jelly, Manzanita crackers, Manzanita granola, Manzanita muffins, and Manzanita sugar.
Collect berries in early fall
-Dry berries
-Grind coarsely, on the lowest speed, in a food processor for several minutes
-To separate seeds and skins from the berry "sugar" place slightly ground berries in a coarse-weave sifter or mesh strainer. Use a wooden spoon to push the sugar through the strainer.
-Store sugar in an airtight container in a cool location.
-Keep left over seeds and skins to make Manzanita cider.
TIP: Grind 2 cups of berries to get 3/4 cup of sugar. Add Manzanita berry sugar to oatmeal, tea, and anything else you wish to sweeten. I can't wait to give this a try.
The interest in where our food comes from, and how it's processed will continue to grow. One answer to the concerns about what we are eating is to "go native". Of course to live entirely off the native flora would be difficult, and not really in the cards for me. However adding native plants to the diet seems worthwhile, and fun. How fun to serve Bay Leaf ice cream after dinner.
You can find "Living Wild" at Amazon, or perhaps your local bookstore.
This is what our camp looks like when we have everything unpacked. We have worked on streamlining our packing so it's easy to set up, and take down. We can get it done in about 45 minutes, though there is hardly ever a rush to finish.
This is one of our favorite places to camp. Located at about 6500' elevation (1980 meters) near The Desolation Wilderness, it takes us 45 minutes to get here from home. We bring our mountain bikes as there are trails all around, and our kayaks as there is a small lake a few hundred feet from the camp.
I really have to keep quiet about the location. Not very busy on the weekdays, which is when we go. The weekend? Campground full! The weekdays? 10 to 20% occupied. Just the way we like it.
