Never heard of a wild food market before? That might be because Carrboro will launch one of the first of them in the United States on March 10.
The Wild Food and Herb Market, which will run one Sunday afternoon each month on the Carrboro Commons from 1 to 4 p.m. from March until November, will be a "farmers" market featuring foragers, herbalists, wild food cultivators and local plant educators in the North Carolina Piedmont. This market will provide wild food and medicinal herb enthusiasts a place to buy, sell, trade and gather with others who share an interest in wild foods and herbs.
If you don't consider yourself in the know about the latest wild foods and herbs, this event may still be for you. Vendors will provide unusual wild foods for those of you adventurous enough to try them, and educational organizations will also be on hand to offer information on wild foods and resources to learn more about wild food identification.
The market is being launched with support from The Abundance Foundation, a sustainability-focused non-profit located in Pittsboro. Co-founders Josh Lev, community herbalist and founder of the Carrboro Herb Guild, and Jenny Schnaak, Development Director and Youth Program Manager for The Abundance Foundation, are finally seeing their desire to create a space for herbalists and foragers to meet and sell goods become a reality.
"We want the Wild Food and Herb Market to be not only a marketplace, but also a place where people with similar interests can gather and learn from each other," says Lev.
To the wild food enthusiasts, adventurers and academics alike, come pay a visit to Carrboro Commons one Sunday afternoon and experience the Wild Food and Herb Market for yourself -- after all, it's one of the first in the country.
The market is currently seeking sponsorships and vendors. To learn more about the Wild Food and Herb Market and access a vendor application, contact Josh Lev or Jenny Schnaak at wildfoodandherb@gmail.com. You can also stay up to date by "liking" the Wild Food and Herb Market Facebook page.
