Unsolicited Testimonials

Linda,

We received our package today and are half way through the video with the transcript. The wild cards and the “Rules of Foraging” are awesome! Five of the plants we immediately recognized as just local “flowers” or “weeds”. We look forward to harvesting and eating these particular plants, seeing as they are plentiful in our area. “Excitement” is not a powerful enough word to express how we feel.

Thank you once again.

Sean

Dear Linda:

We just received your outstanding video. It is the perfect compliment to your other materials. The presentation was just wonderful. It is indeed a Master class delivered by a master teacher and I’ve kept it playing. To have you in my home is a true pleasure. Thank you for your compassionate and outstanding service to mankind. You are a liberator. Thank you for passing on the information to us. You organized it and made it easy to understand. You wrought mightily to do this–I know because I am a writer and know the labor of organizing data in a way that makes it easy for others to understand. You have blessed me and my daughter and you have earned a place in our lives that I am grateful for.

Your friend in Maryland,

Tracy

Dear Linda,

There are all kinds of things flowering here in northeast Fannin County Texas. I won’t let my husband mow anything down in the back acre until I’m sure we can’t eat it! LOL.

Yours,

Terry

Hi Linda,

I’ve been reading Why Not LOVE? First, I like the title — it evokes feelings of both irony and Godlove. Second, it was written by a man who obviously loves life, the planet and all things on it, which is so refreshing and heartening. Third, he makes some observations in the book that are simply so nice to “hear” another human utter.

Your wonderful, sensitive illustrations add another, most welcome dimension to the poems. Thank you for sharing this book with me.

Light and laughter,
Nan

Dear Linda,

Thanks for your good efforts.  In the recent past, I have purchased three of your “Essential” books, one for me, two for gifts (one to my grown son), and one DVD, and one set of Wild Cards.  Thanks for all your good work, and your excellent and interesting way of cataloging the information and making it available.  The information is invaluable, the artwork superb, and your presentation wonderful.  Inspired by you, I harvested some of my wild goldenrod, and have had a few cups of tea and chewed on a stem or so.  I look forward to doing more with other wild items.  My father had taught me to value the Lambs Quarters (Chenapodium alba), which his mother had called Poor Man’s Spinach, and which I call Poor Woman’s Spinach, and while I have not ground the seeds into flour as yet, I have used the seeds in soups, and have made many a meal, including freezing some, from the leaves.  My dad’s mother used a white sauce with it, but I’ve used lemon juice and garlic, or toss them into a stir fry, and so on.

I much appreciate your admonishment to be cautious and learn to identify the plants, especially those with dangerous look alikes.  It is amazing how little most people know about plants in general.  You have done your part in helping raise the level of nature awareness, and of appreciating the plants around us.

Thanks!  And thanks again!
With all good wishes to you and yours,
Anne Morrow Donley

Hi Linda,

I am a regular listener to Crash Are You Ready, on GCN with George Whitehurst Berry, and always enjoy your broadcasts, they are great, and so are you.  Last week you talked about chickweed, and that brought back memories of my grandmother, who picked it and made the best salad out of it with cucumber and tomato.  I used to eat it as a kid and love it, and have been thinking about it and missing it for many years.

I live in New Jersey too, and yesterday you talked about swamps.  I pass by the Meadowlands all the time and now I’m wondering how much food is there.  Thanks again  for everything.

Best Regards,

Chuck

Hi Linda,

I just wanted to say THANK YOU! for putting that DVD together. What a help that is going to be and it is always nice to hear someone talk and show pictures with color. I will be watching it over and over and will have my children watch it as well.

What a blessing it is for this time we are entering.
Shalom,
Lisa

Linda,
I have about 15 wild food guides on my bookshelf here at home, and have brought many of them out into the field on my quest to maximize the amount of food I get from the wild. Most of the books in my collection, by well-known and obscure authors, repeat the same information, which left me wondering if I even needed another wild food book. Boy was I wrong. After hearing your ad on the radio, I downloaded some radio programs where you appeared as a guest and every moment you had of microphone time was illuminating and I just had to know what was in your book. Before, I thought I had a whole world of knowledge held within my library of wild books. After receiving your book in the mail, my knowledge exploded from merely a world to an entire universe of available wild foods.

Your writing is informative and supportive, guiding the reader with words of encouragement, personal accounts of achievement, and tips gained through years of successful wild food gathering. I’m actually surprised by the quotes you have on the back of the book. I’m not one to base a book by the cover (well sometimes) but your knowledge is so vast, honed, practical, and so uniquely sensible, this book should have the endorsement of wild food experts, sustainability experts, and survival experts.

I admit I’m not an expert, but I’ve been trying to get into this for a number of years now. If you visit my website below, and click on the “wild studio” you’ll see a few wild food projects I’m working on, one of which will (hopefully) be a walk from NC to NY subsisting on wild foods (long term plan).  Your book so far has given me the most hope and inspiration.  Thank you.

Brian Heagney
www.brianheagney.com

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Linda,

I always love your programs with George Berry’s Crash! Are you Ready? They are informative and powerful.

I have many of your books and am a Subscriber to your Excellent Newsletter. Thank you for all the work it takes to put out the Fine Newsletters. Looking forward to future newsletters.

I found Garlic Mustard in abundance in the yard growing now. I did the “Test” and find them edible. I love the smell of Garlic. I put a picture of them in here growing under the leaves.

You give us confidence! My wife the Nurse even tried wild food and she has issues with food without labels.
Caif Cleef

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Dear Linda,

I would be hard pressed to express how much you have impacted my life. I have your book, the DVD, the wild food cards and eagerly listen to any interviews with you . . .  As a result my passion has become wild foods. Every Tuesday night I host a Wild Foods Feast at my house, people come at 5:00 to help with finishing foraging around my house (I’ll have the majority of lambsquarters or purslane or clover or milkweed buds…. on hand from foraging earlier in the day at some of my favorite ‘wild stores’. Then each person is given a recipe with the nutrition facts included below for each wild ingredient.  After cooking together we eat our feast and finish up our evening watching a portion of your DVD. Wish you could attend one of my feasts!!!!!!!

Thank you for spreading the wisdom and the joy! You are such a blessing!

Once again, I am thankful to God for you Linda. Thanks for imparting to others your knowledge and your heart.

Holly Drake
DandelionSunSuperSmall[Holly sent us some testimonials of her own!]DandelionSunSuperSmall

Hey Holly!

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the Greek Wild Food Fest. Between the great food and wonderful company, I felt so blessed. I found myself looking for purslane every time I went outside today.

Much Happiness to you.

Diane

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Holly,

Thank you so much for last night! Today I went looking around my yard and I found tons of goldenrod, queen anne’s lace and pokeweed, some mullein and dock seed. Then I went to my raised bed garden. It was overrun with weeds and before last night I was planning on smothering all of them this winter with black plastic. Then I looked up what was growing and it is sheep sorrel! If you are interested in any of it let me know. I really don’t know what to do with it yet. I did order Linda Runyon’s book and take-along cards today.

Jenny

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Hello Linda Runyon,

I’d like to congratulate you on your recent DVD. It is inspiring for many who are affected by the recent downturn of the economy; it shows us that the earth provides for us all if we are willing to learn how to understand her. I have tried some of these natural food sources and they’re great! Even better than the ones at Whole Foods!

Thank you for being an inspiration and for all the work you do.

In any event, best of luck with all your ventures.

Best wishes,
Margarite Olmos

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Dear Linda,

I am thrilled to have found your site and information!

I listened to your conversation on the radio.  All that I am learning I am sharing with my family and friends.  One person at a time, we’ll share your great knowledge with the whole world.

Ruthanne Olson

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FOR MY PEACE OF MIND

Hello,

My name is Rebecca and I have a unusual lifestyle.  I travel for a living.  I drive everywhere I go and I get paid for it. Yes I am an over the road truck driver. I have been driving 19 years.  This job has been, like many jobs, rewarding and interesting.  Trucking is something that can be dangerous, stressful, unhealthy and monotonous.  After 17 years of driving, I found I needed a hobby, something that I could do on the fly.  Something that included exercise and something that exercised my mind.  I had been on a personal growth path for awhile.  When I heard Linda in an interview on the web.  I was enthralled and excited.  I discussed this with my friend, and he had as a gift bought me Linda’s book and cards. Linda’s book took me into a new world.  I couldn’t put it down and it became a passion that I still have to this day.  I love the solitude when I forage and walk.  Free from the noise of the road, truck, phone and stress, I go into a world of green grasses and trees. With my eyes glued on the plants around me, it refreshes me and I feel as if I have been on a treasure hunt and found gold when I find seeds to take back to my friends.

Being on the road, I encounter many environments for foraging. Many are not safe to forage due to the pollution.  But they are rich in the plants that are in Linda’s book.  I value the lessons I have learned and see the knowledge as a safety net. The first plant I recognized was queen anne’s lace. It was by a fuel island. It was the first of many photo’s I took for my personal library.

I have not tried many recipes… but have tried many of the plants that are in the guide.  My favorite is mullein as far as a jack of all trades kinda plant.  Its very useful and I have it with me most times in the truck. I have recommended to many friends who have found its healing properties very effective.

Another one that I enjoy just as a snack when I find unpolluted plants is plantain.  I love the nutty asparagus flavor of the seeds.  There are so many reasons why Linda’s book “the essential wild food survival guide” should be apart of everyone’s library.  As she says, it’s ESSENTIAL information, for fun or for survival.  Thanks again Linda for a wonderful book and the field cards.

R.G.

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As an herbalist and homesteader attempting to live sustainably, I was floored by the amount of information in this book!

I’ve made myself Nettle Casseroles and Lamb’s Quarters stir fries for years, but Linda takes it much farther than a few recipes by telling you how to identify, harvest, prepare, and store these wild foods for year round meals.

The book also provides nutrient values of over 50 plants, which is a fantastic resource for eating a balanced diet. The pictures are beautiful, the recipes (and there are lots) are easy and delicious!

My fields are full of red clover right now and no one better cut them down, because that is next year’s flour!

I can’t say enough about this book! I am buying one for all my friends!

Maria Muscarella
Viriditas Healing Center & Apothecary, Asheville, NC
www.viriditashealing.com

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Dear Linda,

That’s wonderful [the newsletter].

I’m so excited to receive the first newsletter.

In olden days (like my parents’ generation), it was norm to know which plants are edible and which are not. They often told me that they used to pick plants and eat them on the way home from school (presumably that was the hungriest time of the day!).

Unfortunately that knowledge and information were lost on our generation.

I’d love to educate myself and surprise my parents in the near future.

Kind regards,
Mami Yamaguchi

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Dear Linda,

Thank you for doing the work you do.

I’m very grateful to you and I look forward to learning from your newsletter.

You have taken the time to get to know the plants that will become very important to many of us those that wish to look.

love & blessings in community,
Vivienne

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Dear Linda,

I received a mail from you the old fashioned way. What an honor; I was so overjoyed to have an excuse to have further interaction with you. You may very well be the one I owe my life to in the future.

More importantly for my precious daughter who has gobbled up your’s and Willy’s materials and begs to meet you both.

Many blessings to you.

Sincerely,
James E. Sattethwaite

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Hi, Linda,

It was so nice to meet you while visiting my parents. Thank you for the coloring book for Nathan. I went to the gift shop and bought your other books (and cards) and have been enjoying them immensely. I already knew a bit about foraging and edibles, but you take it to a whole new level and I really appreciate the depth and detail of your information. I have also signed up for your newsletter. Thanks again.

Sincerely,
Claire Perricelli

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Hello Linda,

Just wanted to let you know I received your book today! WOW! Needless to say, there was little else done in the house today except reading and learning.

I’ve already learned so much, it’s simply amazing.  For years, I’ve been told that several plants are poisonous – queen anne’s lace is one of them [it is not poisonous, but it has a poisonous look-alike — poison hemlock! -editor] and a couple others which aren’t coming to mind just now.  Maybe the hours of reading and being up much too late have something to do with it!

Thanks again,
Dotty Clayton

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Dear Linda,

Thank you for your book, because we feel this knowledge will save a lot of lives. We have been studying the book and applying the information as we can. We gave our book and one set of cards away to a friend and plan on giving one of the books and set of cards we recently ordered, to my sister.

As we see things worsen across the country and the government allowing more and more GMO [genetically modified organisms] foods on the shelves and as the country seems to be heading toward a recession or maybe a depression, this information is good to know.

Blessings to you and your family,
Susan

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Thank you Linda. I watched the DVD last night. I was awestruck. What wonderful work you have done. I want to learn this skill not only for my health but to help financially. Times are very difficult right now for many of us. This information can bless many people.

Thank you again,
Liz

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Linda,

Thank you so much!  You’re school links page has been very helpful. I found a few points of contact in the area that I didn’t already know about. I look forward to receiving your book.

When I was in the Navy, I went through a couple quick land survival classes.  That was many years ago and I’ve forgotten most of the details about the plants (I do remember the plant-testing techniques though), so I’m looking forward to reacquaint myself with some of the plants and certainly learn about many others that I don’t know about.

Thanks again,
Brian

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Linda,

I just got your latest mailing and visited the new website. Very nice indeed. I was thinking about your popsicles the other day and how much my kids loved coming to see you and having a pop. I want you to know, even after all these years, that I encourage folks to check out your work and get reoriented about food and about preparedness. I have always seen the wisdom on preparedness. Now is a time when it is even more important to have the knowledge. Knowledge is power, right?

And Linda, it’s harder than ever to make ends meet for young families. If you’ll remember, back when you and I met and were working together, my family was quite young and we were quite poor. I was never worried about meeting nutritional needs with good quality of simple foods because I was able to supplement our daily menus/diet utilizing plants that grew around us.

Those ‘dashes’ of wild foods here and there made simple foods exciting to prepare and to eat! Clover blossoms in a simple green salad are a beautiful surprise, chopped wild greens enriching a soup, brown rice and lentils wrapped in plantain leaves looks good, great taste and superior nutrition—you can’t go wrong! We often think back and know that we may have been financially wanting but we were very lucky to have such opportunity to be creative in our cooking and to have beautiful, yummy and healthy food to eat.

A thousand thanks to you for all that great knowledge. I have always regarded my time learning from and working with you as a HUGE gift in my life, for which I am always so very grateful. Why? It was empowering! And preparedness is about empowerment and not about fear. It’s time to release fear, get grounded and choose empowerment, in my opinion. Here’s why: With the unsafe nature of our world and of our food sources at this point in history, fear is useless. Education empowers preparation and there is no reason to fear.  It’s so important to learn to forage and grow one’s own food, and integrate those skills now, more than ever before. There are two very big reasons this is true:

  1. Getting close to the land and the plants and nature in general, will open us to the true nature and power of our relationships to Nature, the planet and all life. Learning and foraging the plants creates a respectful pathway for relationship with the plant world. Our world is currently lacking that respect for all other life and we must somehow cultivate it again, bringing our children into it so that we are taking responsibility for the possibility of a planetary future.
  2. Growing and foraging food means we are in fresh air, sunshine, valuing water, getting dirty, getting exercise and generally supporting our optimum health.

And there is one more BONUS reason for families to learn to forage and to grow their food as much as possible: Being together in Nature will support healthy, natural, peaceful family life. I honestly do not feel any fear relating to possible breakdown of infrastructure because we have learned, because of our past work and friendship with you, that with preparedness, comes peace. And heaven knows, we need to create peace in any way we can on this planet at this time.

Sorry to go on the way I have, Linda, but you must know the value of the knowledge you share, which is: enriched, empowered, peaceful life in the face of uncertain planetary future. Knowledge is Power, and that power brings peace.

I have so many good and important memories of my work with you and still talk about your work and encourage others to learn to forage.

Much love and respect come to you from all of us up here in the boonies.

Joyce Vanselow

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One of the great things about living in the country is having access to inexpensive land and lots of it. But, it takes all day to mow the yard, and much as I love our land, this can be such a chore on hot, humid days of summer in Texas. That’s how I felt about it until I read Linda Runyon’s book From Crabgrass Muffins to Pine Needle Tea: A National Wild Food Guide. I’ve certainly never had to live off the land and, frankly, never had much interest in foraging. I’ve always thought of a yard as something that had to be manicured, maintained, fertilized, and weeded. However, after reading Runyon’s book I’ve begun thinking of our glorious eight acres as bounty rather than work. Now, when I see dandelions in the yard, I not only see their beauty, I also realize there’s a snack lurking in them.

I’m amazed by the wealth of the author’s knowledge and the depth of the coverage in this book. Runyon shares stories of her life as a homesteader and many of the lessons she learned during that time. This is not just a book for identifying edible plants, though. It is a book full of all sorts of natural secrets. Every page contains information about a different plant: which parts are edible, which parts are not, how to identify it, where it grows, how to prepare it, and its uses. She includes pictures of the plants, a series of rather impressive recipes using foraged wild foods, nutritional content, and a list of poisonous look-alikes.

I’ve not only benefited from the knowledge in Runyon’s book, my children have as well. As we walk in parks, in the woods, or in their grandparents’ yards, we can point out edible weeds and talk about what can be done with them. The greatest effect this book has had on me and my family is that we truly see Earth’s bounty everywhere. This book is a wealth of information for anyone, city dweller or country folk, who think they know what Nature has to offer. As much as I respected and loved nature before reading this book, I am now in awe of it.

Buy this book now!

Lucy Watkins,
Vegetarian Baby & Child
www.vegetarianbaby.com

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