Foraging and Gathering in Los Angeles

Lauren PrushanField Assignment Week Eight

Task 1

Yucca, Yucca whipplei• Description: cluster of long, pale

green, pointed leaves, its flowers are white (although it was not in bloom when I saw it). Its fruit is of the dry, capsule variety (again, it was not bearing fruit when I saw it)

• Where: found in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and oak woodland climates

• Where I found it: my aunt and uncle’s backyard garden in West Hollywood

• Uses: fruits can be eaten raw or roasted, the seeds can be eaten roasted, and the flowers are edible, but supposedly bitter

Cattail, Typha latifolia• Description: the leaves are long,

narrow and green and the flower is a dark brown, cylindrical, and located at the top of the stem

• Where: near bodies of water, marshy areas

• Where I found it: next to the pond in the gardens of Greystone National Park in Beverly Hills

• Uses: peeled stems and leaf bases can be eaten raw or cooked

• Potential risk: should not be consumed if growing in polluted water because the plant absorbs the pollutants

Amaranth, Amaranthus californicus

• Description: short plant, grows close to the ground, has small red flowers and smooth, dark green leaves

• Where: cultivated fields and gardens

• Where I found it: my aunt and uncle’s garden in West Hollywood

• Uses: the leaves and seeds are edible. The leaves can be cooked or eaten raw in a salad; the seeds can be ground into meal for cereals and bread

Task 2

Orange Tree, Citrus sinensis• Description: small, flowering tree

that produces the large citrus fruit known as an orange

• Where I found it: this orange tree is located outside of an apartment complex on Kelton Avenue near the UCLA campus in Westwood, CA. They are generally grown all over southern California and in the agricultural regions of the state as well

• Uses: the fruit can be peeled and eaten raw, squeezed into juice, or cooked and used in sauces, baked goods, preserves, etc.

• Potential hazards: the fruit at the top of the tree is too high to reach without the use of a ladder. Otherwise the gathering of these oranges is relatively risk-free.

Lemon Tree, Citrus limon• Description: short, flowering tree

that produces the citrus fruit known as lemons

• Where is found it: my aunt and uncle’s front yard in West Hollywood; they are generally grown all over southern California and in the agricultural regions of the state as well

• Uses: commonly used to add flavor to foods (especially meats like chicken and fish) and drinks, used in preserves and baked goods, squeezed into juice, or eaten raw.

• Potential hazards: the fruit at the top of the tree is too high to reach without the use of a ladder. Otherwise the gathering of these lemons is relatively risk-free.

Task 3

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank• Where: Headquarters located on E. 41st Street in Los

Angeles, but food is distributed to several food service locations all over LA county.

• Mission: To use available resources to fight hunger in the Los Angeles community.

• How it works: The LA Regional Food Bank receives food donations from food manufacturers, the USDA, supermarkets/ retailers, Feeding America, and food drives and sorts, inspects, and then distributes this food to 900 different agencies (food pantries, soup kitchens, etc.) all over LA county.– Much of this food is “extra food” donated from hotels,

restaurants, and catering companies, and would therefore have been wasted if this program was not available (“gleaning”).

• Needy people can receive this free food at any of the 900 agency locations all over Los Angeles.

• Because most of the donations come from local companies and are distributed to local agencies, the use of fossil fuels in distribution is minimal.

TreePeople: Fruit Tree Program• Where: Headquarters located in Coldwater Canyon Park

in Beverly Hills, but the organization is committed to planting fruit trees all over Los Angeles county.

• Mission: Planting free fruit trees in low-income communities of Los Angeles where fresh produce is not typically available (usually because of cost)

• How it works: Donations from sponsors of TreePeople allow this organization to purchase fruit trees and give them to needy communities that apply to the program free of charge. Volunteers from these communities pick up the trees and bring them back to their communities for planting after receiving planting and tree care instructions from TreePeople.– Types of fruit trees donated include apple, apricot, nectarine,

peach, plum and several species of citrus.• This program provides communities with the resources

needed to engage in the gathering and foraging of free, nutritious foods.