Posts filed under ‘Stories from the field’
This story proves that you never know the connections you’ll make while out in the field pulling garlic mustard! The following story was sent to us from a volunteer:
“While driving a few miles from my destination of Pentwater, MI, I noticed a stand of garlic mustard near the edge of the forest. I made a mental note to take a garbage bag when I went back that way to run some errands.
The garlic mustard alongside the road
On my next trip to Pentwater, I remembered to put a bag in the car as I left to go to the hardware store. On the way home, I parked the car in order to pull the garlic mustard I had seen the day before. Several cars passed the area as I was working and I wondered if any of the passersbys were curious about what I was doing. After several minutes, a car slowed down as it passed by. Then the car backed up, stopped, and the man in the car said, “It’s really great that you are pulling that garlic mustard.” I told him I was thrilled that someone knew what I was doing. We began a conversation and quickly learned that we live not too far from one another in Ann Arbor and that he and his wife pull garlic mustard in and around their neighborhood. He asked me if I was aware of the Garlic Mustard Challenge. I told him that I had been participating for years. We found much to talk about as he parked his car and joined me in pulling the stand of garlic mustard. Fortunately for us, there was a manageable amount of garlic mustard only near the edge of the forest; I didn’t notice any that had taken hold inside the forest. Together we pulled one 33-gallon bag of garlic mustard.
I’ll keep an eye out for garlic mustard in that area next year, and I suspect my new friend will do the same.“
Here's to making new friends while pulling garlic mustard
Common causes really do bring us together! What a lovely story!
June 8, 2011 at 6:41 pm
To all the teachers out there who want to get the students involved but don’t know where to begin, use our blog as a guide! One of our volunteers who was working with first through third graders did just that and it sounds like they had a great learning experience:
“I think the children really saw the importance of what they were doing because they had a bit of background information about garlic mustard. I appreciated the articles that Stewardship Network has posted as I shared that information with the kids. They know: how to identify garlic mustard, why it is considered an invasive species, how to properly dispose of it, when NOT to pick it, and some garlic mustard unique characteristics. Hopefully these kids will spread the word to other people.”
If you don’t want to do it alone, get a group of teachers together, which also means more adults to help handle the kids out in the field!
The learning could even continue after you get back from the field by cooking up some garlic mustard in the classroom! (though I’m not sure how many younger kids have a palate for garlic mustard! It’s worth a try though!)
Bringing the classroom outdoors is a great way for kids to learn about the environment!
June 6, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Every so often we get a unique story from the field. This story takes the cake, or shall I say garlic mustard? The following was lightheartedly written to us from a volunteer:
“As I tally my garlic mustard challenge numbers, I find myself with an ethical dilemma. It seems that one of our Raisin Cluster volunteers raided garlic mustard from the hunting grounds of the Huron Cluster. Now since she was not apprehended nor her harvest confiscated, the law of the north would suggest that we are free to add her take to our Raisin larder. However, long training has taught me the virtues of keeping to our native genotypes. Thus my dilemma.
I request that you, as chief networker, take this matter before the great cluster council and appeal to their considerable wisdom and judgment that we might be spared the pangs of conscience and know that we have not diminished the integrity of our native harvest.”
So now I have to ask the readers, any thoughts?
May 25, 2011 at 8:07 pm
If you’re located in the Southwest Corner Cluster and want to join a group, consider contacting the Shorewood Hills team!
The 2011 Shorewood Hills Garlic Mustard Pull Team: Front Row L-R: Mike Johnson, Nancy Baird, Nancy Rode, Clyde Rode Back Row L-R: Bob Tatina, John Allegretti, Janet Blake, Knute Larson, Sally Smith, Deb Zelechowski, John Guinness, Barb Guinness, Barb Arsenault
The following is a small blurb published in their local community newsletter:
“This year we pulled about five trash bags of garlic mustard, the smallest number since we started the annual pull. The low amount of garlic mustard shows that our past eradication efforts are being rewarded. While the number of plants encountered this year was small we anticipate that next year may be another heavy infestation year as the seed crop from previous years produces mature plants. Please be on the look out for stray plants, pull them up by the roots and put them in your garbage. Do not compost them or throw them aside because they will continue to mature and produce seed. Following the pull we met at Nancy Baird’s and Bob Tatina’s home for refreshments. Join us next year. Janet Blake promises to make garlic mustard pesto for us from some of next year’s crop.”
Check out their newsletter!
We welcome stories from volunteers! If you have a story from the field, an interesting article, recipes you’ve tried, or even a unique finding, let us know and we’ll post it on the blog! Contact emittendorf@stewardshipnetwork.org.
May 11, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Turns out garlic mustard is more than just an invasive species! It’s an edible invasive species! So grab a few plants and get cooking!
Garlic mustard was originally brought to the U.S. in 1868 by European settlers to be used for food and medicine purposes. It’s now considered an invasive species throughout the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and Western portions of the U.S.
It’s even found in Alaska! If only our settlers knew it would take over our natural areas, choking out native plant species such as the spring beauty, wild ginger, bloodroot, trilliums and toothwort, and native butterfly species such as the West Virginia white, mustard white, and the falcate orange-tip.
What about our furry friends? Do they munch on the plant and help keep garlic mustard in check? The answer is no. Unfortunately, wildlife seems to dislike the plant, possibly due to the garlic smell that’s released when the leaves or stems are crushed. Deer are even known to eat all the plants around garlic mustard, leaving it more room to spread. And one volunteer even experimented by feeding it to her two pet bunnies, with no such luck! So I guess humans are the only ones who dare to eat it! According to the book, “From Pest to Pesto” garlic mustard is high in vitamins A and C. So it’s a great addition to our diets.
You might be asking, how can I use garlic mustard in a recipe? It can be used in pesto, lemon sauces, ravioli, and on pizza, just to name a few.
Here’s one recipe:
Garlic Mustard and Spinach Raviolis with Garlic Mustard Pesto
Developed by Robert Dunn, Executive Chef, Belmont Conference Center
Raviolis:
- 4 shallots / 1 clove garlic
– 2 cups spinach
– 2 cups garlic mustard
– 4 oz. ricotta cheese
– 2 oz. Parmesan cheese
– 2 oz. chopped sun dried tomatoes
– 6 sheets fresh pasta
Sauté shallots and garlic in 2 Tbl butter until tender. Add spinach and garlic mustard greens & wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and cool slightly. Squeeze excess liquid from green and chop. Combine all ingredients and season to taste. Cut pasta sheets to desired size. Egg wash pasta and fill with garlic mustard and spinach mixture.
Pesto:
- 1 cup garlic mustard
– 1/2 cup basil
– 3 cloves garlic
– 2 oz. toasted pine nuts
– 4 oz. olive oil
– juice of 1 lemon
In food processor combine all ingredients except olive oil. Puree and add olive oil with processor running. Toss cooked raviolis with pesto.
Time required: 1 hr. Serves 10.
Check out the Kalamazoo Nature Center’s “From Pest to Pesto” cookbook where you’ll find even more recipes for garlic mustard. You can purchase the cookbook for only $5!
Also check out the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council for its own creative list of recipes! From appetizers to desserts, there’s something for everyone!
Some more web links:
Nourishing Days website
Garlic Mustard Recipes
Happy eating!
Source: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/alpe.htm
April 27, 2011 at 10:09 pm
