Image: Tama Matsuoka Wong leads a walking tour of profitable edible “weeds” at NorthSlope Farm in Lambertville, NJ
By Devin Cornia, Executive Director, NOFA-NJ
At NorthSlope Farm in Lambertville, NJ, green vegetation is everywhere, despite the summer heat wave and the June drought. Grassed waterways, cover-cropped aisles, hedgerows, pollinator habitat, orchards, and cultivated rows of flowers and produce are managed by owners Mike and Colleen.
A combination of agricultural production and ecological stewardship, NorthSlope certainly has its own “vibe”, a fitting backdrop for the come-one-come-all farmer gatherings hosted there each year. Adding to the wild feel of the farm are a handful of “managed” weedy areas left alone by the farmer, a function of the unique collaboration between renowned forager Tama Matsuoka Wong and NorthSlope, actually keeps weeds around for harvest and sale.
In 2009, Tama founded Meadows & More, a foraging operation that partners with Organic farms and organically-managed areas to steward and harvest wild edibles. Tama and her team utilize ethical foraging practices and work with plants (as opposed to trying to control them) to deliver high-value specialty products to chefs in the tri-state area.
This year, Tama was awarded a mini-grant from NOFA NJ to train apprentices within her system and develop a guide for organic farmers to make the most of their weeds. Focusing on four of the most common NJ weeds and one additional foraged item (lamb’s quarters, galinsoga, purslane, nettle, and spruce tips), the guide produced via the mini-grant will provide farmers with best-practices for harvesting, washing, packaging, storing, and marketing the products to their customers, along with tips on how to steward the plants for extended harvests.
To learn more about the foraging field day and Tama’s project visit https://nofanj.org/marketing-foraged-weeds-on-organic-farms/.