SCORE! I found a new creek lined with yellowroot this afternoon. Even better I got permission from the owner to hunt plants on his farm. The last month I’ve been trying to find a place I saw a few years ago. I forgot how to get back there. I found a photo last week taken that day. It had a county road sign in the background so I had a place to start. The area is about 30sq miles, crisscrossed by gravel roads. I picked a road and started checking each creek I crossed.
At the first small creek I came to i thought I could see yellowroot about 50yds down stream. There was a hayfield along one side. I stopped at a house a couple hundred yards up the road to find out who owned the field. I was speaking to the owner. Turns out his brother drives a log truck for my cousin and I went to highschool with his sister. Never met the man but we knew lots of people in common.
When I explain what I’m looking for and why, people are intrigued. So this guy gave me permission to walk on his land. I found tons of yellowroot. Even harvested one plant and took it back to show him the plant I needed.
We exchanged phone numbers, said I’m welcome to come by anytime. I just have to call and let him know when I’m harvesting on his land.
Even better, his farm straddles a ridge, on each side there’s a creek. The original place I found a few years ago was where 2 creeks came together. I’m pretty sure those are the same creeks on his land, just further up stream than the location I was trying to find again.
This is a score on many levels. If I find one farmer in a new area like this guy… by fall all the farmers for miles will know about me. Word will spread, this guy will open lots of doors for me with his neighbors. By next summer I’ll be able to hunt most of that valley. It’s that simple… that’s how I manage to hunt plants over 400sq miles. I just stop and talk to people.
I’m always willing to show people what they have growing, even show them how to make a tincture, how to harvest what they need. I’m not making money off this, anyone is welcome if I have a plant that will help them, no charge. There are always a few disagreeable people but most are fascinated with plant medicine and give me permission to hunt their properties.
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)