I saw a news article going around recommending that people grow their own vegetables to stretch their food budget and thought people might also consider foraging, which is why I’ve been posting resources for how to do those things with lower risk.
(I’m not fully confident in plant identification, in fact I’m a bit shit at it, it’s just a casual interest. So I don’t give advice or actually forage. I have just been linking known public fruit tree maps where you won’t gather something inedible or get in trouble, and resources for soil safety testing.)
However - while I think I did mention this before it’s probably important enough to get its own post.
Don’t trust every foraging guide off Amazon.
That recent Melbourne mushroom poisoning case was charged as murder but it’s a reminder of how risky inexperienced foraging can be, and the fake ai guides recommendations of tasting mushrooms to identify them could be deadly.
Please please, if you find yourself in food insecurity and want or need to turn to foraging because the food bank can’t help then please buy reputable guides with known authors, stick to well known plants only or link in with experienced local foraging groups. Preferably all of the above.
Some of them charge like a wounded bull for ‘tours’ but as community gardens and seed libraries exist I’m sure there are groups that would help you for free.
Also try to get onto organisations like FareShare or Food Not Bombs if possible.
Edit: Mushrooms are fantastic nutrition though if you can’t afford to buy much meat anymore. Protein, chewiness, umami, B12. If you don’t have any issues with FOD MAPS they can help keep you well fed.
I can’t guarantee that homegrown would be cheaper than buying them (kits can get a convenience markup) but if you have your heart set on picking mushrooms and don’t have an expert to show you the ropes, consider buying a kit.
This will come with known safe varieties of mycelium and as they come in a flat compact growing box and prefer low/indirect light they can potentially be grown in a small spot inside.