Fletcher Creek Farmstead

Fletcher Creek Farmstead Missouri Foraging Educator and Farm

Saturday's foraging walk at Powell Gardens was so much fun. 19 people came out and we spent two hours finding edible pla...
08/17/2026

Saturday's foraging walk at Powell Gardens was so much fun. 19 people came out and we spent two hours finding edible plants everywhere we looked. Someone became our unofficial poison ivy spotter (legitimately just as important as finding the edible stuff), everyone got excited to see spicebush in our area, and I got a lot of wide eyes when I told them thistles are edible. Yes, thistles. The sumac was perfectly in season and the dip I made with purslane and lambsquarters was a huge hit.

I love this work. Every month the land is doing something different and there's always something new to find and taste.

Want to come see for yourself? Next class:

Saturday, September 19th, 9-11 AM
Powell Gardens
$40 / Powell Gardens members get 10% off
Your ticket includes admission to the gardens so you can explore all day.

Link in comments.

Oenothera biennis is one of those plants that reminds us that common names can be tricksy. As I was reading through the ...
08/06/2026

Oenothera biennis is one of those plants that reminds us that common names can be tricksy. As I was reading through the common names for Evening Primrose (ahhh! that's what that is?!) I noticed "hog w**d" listed. Well isn't that confusing? Hogw**d brings to mind an entirely different and more difficult plant which makes this a reminder that common names aren't always the most useful method of identification. Climbing off my soapbox now.

Evening primrose is well-known for its use in herbal medicine, but the truth is the plant is edible from top to bottom. The seeds produce an oil that is high in gamma-linoleic acid, one of our omega 6's that we're always trying to get into our diet because our bodies cannot produce them but they're crucial for brain function, cell growth, and a whole host of other good things that we probably haven't discovered yet. The young greens can be cooked and eaten and the buds and flowers are edible too. The roots require some care with preparation as they can be spicy (I haven't tried them yet- it sounds like they might vary and can be intense and I don't have a good established stand of them yet.)

Have you snacked on this lovely plant?

08/03/2026

Taking out the invasive Sericea lespedeza so that the natives have a fighting chance. This stuff is fast growing and aggressive and once it gets going it's hard to knock it out. Little by little we'll beat it back, but it's time to get mean. Callery pears, I'm coming for you next!

Peekaboo! This yellow jewelw**d flower (Impatiens pallida) was peeking out at me after the rain that caught me by surpri...
07/31/2026

Peekaboo! This yellow jewelw**d flower (Impatiens pallida) was peeking out at me after the rain that caught me by surprise yesterday as I was knocking out the invasive Sericea lespedeza that's been trying to get a foothold in our back pastures. Isn't she sweet?! Just like the more common orange jewelw**d, the sap from her leaves is a lovely demulcent and excellent for soothing rashes of the itchy variety (I'm looking at you poison ivy!)

The exploding seed pods contain a couple of tasty little (emphasis on little) seeds that taste a bit like black walnut and it's a fun party trick to touch them and watch them explode.

Bidens bipinnata is a fun one- Spanish needles or Devil's pitchforks is the name I was given to call them by. You'll kno...
07/30/2026

Bidens bipinnata is a fun one- Spanish needles or Devil's pitchforks is the name I was given to call them by. You'll know them more by their sticky little seeds than their lackluster flowers, but the leaves taste good. Their cousin B. pilosa has been shown to be a powerful medicinal ally and B. bippinata has a history of medicinal use as well, but my focus is on the edibility today. Before they flower they've got a nice flavor and texture that is well suited to adding to a salad. This plant self-sows heavily and is easy to spot once it flowers. If you're worried about mixing it up with a lookalike, just keep an eye out for the little flowers and mark it for next year. Some sources mention grinding the seeds to make tea, but that's a use I haven't tried yet.

🎶Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful?🎶This big beautiful tropical looking plant is one of my favorite finds on our pla...
07/29/2026

🎶Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful?🎶This big beautiful tropical looking plant is one of my favorite finds on our place to date. This lovely is the native, Hibiscus lasiocarpus- yes you read that right- a native hibiscus, more commonly known as Hairy Rose Mallow. Related to Marsh Mallow, okra, and rose of Sharon among others, this gorgeous lady can be eaten just like her okra cousin and she's got that same demulcent (aka slimy) quality that makes Marsh Mallow such a beloved healing herb. All parts of this baby are edible, but given her native status I prefer to leave her flowers for the critters and instead watch her grow and spread for now since she chose to come live with us of her own accord. We do have some rose mallow plants that we purchased from the Missouri Department of Conservation and planted 6 years ago that I'm encouraging to grow in order to have for food (If you're local and haven't checked out their seedling sale in September, you're missing out!) and they're really showing off this year, but they were victims of herbicide drift and we don't eat plants that have been sprayed.

I found some really cool plants while out driving around our pasture today (as well as a growing patch of Sericea lesped...
07/28/2026

I found some really cool plants while out driving around our pasture today (as well as a growing patch of Sericea lespedeza that is going to get the mower treatment now that I've spotted it). This first plant tho is one that's got me very excited. It's Ipomoea pandurata and this gorgeous vine is our very own native sweet potato. Sort of. It's in the same morning glory family and the roots are edible when prepared properly. They can get to be quite large- up to a yard long- and are perennial. I had only ever spotted these down on the Little Sac river prior to this so I'm sure you can imagine my delight to spot them growing happily in our field. Only the roots are considered edible and they do require a couple of boils before they are prepared. While it is not a plant I've eaten, I do thoroughly enjoy spotting native plants with a history of feeding people, particularly when those plants are as lovely as this one.

Hey all! Exciting news! I'll be at the Warrensburg Farmers' Market this Saturday from 8 AM to noon. Come find me if you ...
07/28/2026

Hey all! Exciting news! I'll be at the Warrensburg Farmers' Market this Saturday from 8 AM to noon. Come find me if you want to talk about foraging, wild edible plants, or just want to know what's growing around you that you can actually eat. I'll have info on my upcoming foraging classes, site surveys, and our online certification through the Foraging Academy

Come say hi!

Let's talk about foraging with kids! I've had so many people ask about doing activities with homeschooling groups and, a...
07/25/2026

Let's talk about foraging with kids! I've had so many people ask about doing activities with homeschooling groups and, as a homeschooling parent, this is a project near and dear to my heart. I would like to start planning for the coming school year before the cold wipes out our plants. August, September, and October up until frost are the best options for green things, but we can still learn to identify trees, shrubs, and even the remains of annuals once the weather starts to turn colder.

Interested in getting a group together? I'm offering classes right here on my farm with a minimum of 5 families for on-farm events and a minimum of 10 for other locations. Message me and let's figure out what works for your group.

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Warrensburg, MO
64093

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+16602251912

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