Foraging Kentucky

"George Barnett shows that with this book he is not only knowledgeable, but has immeasurable wisdom about the forests and the wild areas of Kentucky. We should all consider ourselves lucky to have this edition to add to our library shelves. Foraging for food is at an all time high in popularity right now, and it is thanks to the hard work and dedication of people like George."—Clay Bowers-Michigan, foraging teacher and nature enthusiast at nomiforager.com

"While covering awesome native food plants like hickory and eastern camas, it's nice that George also includes non-native foods like wineberry and autumn olive. Combining wild edible plants and edible/medicinal mushrooms makes this book stand out in a fun and exciting way!"—Jed Arkels, small nursery grower/owner of Drop Seed Ecology, and wild foods enthusiast

"Barnett delivers an approachable, yet practical perspective on foraging in the region. He guides the reader with knowledgeable and personal experience— along with over 200 descriptive photos—that will help the beginner forager to head out into the woods with confidence. This invitation to the wild of Kentucky, through mushrooms, edible plants and herbs, introduces the reader to the edible outdoors with notes of identification, safety, practical uses, sustainability while also inspiring a reverence to the land. A must have for Kentucky foragers!"—Jess Starwood, author of Mushroom Wanderland

"Drawing on scientific studies, indigenous knowledge, folklore, and his own long experience, George Barnett has provided us with an informative and useful guide to some of Kentucky's most popular wild edibles, as well as several unheralded species that perhaps deserve more attention.  His descriptions of some 50 herbs, fungi, and woody plants include wonderful photographs and detailed instructions for every step of the foraging enterprise, from how to find and harvest them to how to eat them.  Anyone with any interest in foraging in and around the commonwealth should have Foraging Kentucky on their shelf."—Luke Manget, author of Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia, winner of the 2023 W.D. Weatherford and James A. Duke Awards

"If you care about eating local and living lightly on the land, Foraging Kentucky needs to be in your backpack. This book is an important reminder that our Commonwealth is a place of incredible abundance, if we learn to simply recognize it. Barnett invites us to slow down, discover our natural heritage, and indulge in the common wealth that our land offers."—Justin Mog, Ph.D., Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives at the University of Louisville