Fall Foraging with Jess Starwood and Lanny Kaufer
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Sat, Oct 29 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Address (map)
304 N Encinal Ave
One may describe the subtle fall season in Southern California as dry and desolate with nothing to forage — a time when fading memories of the verdant season of fresh greens, mushrooms, flowers and fruits are long gone. Instead, if we shift our perception, this is the abundant season for seeds, nuts, acorns and roots.
Author-forager-herbalist and plant-based chef Jess Starwood and author-herbalist-naturalist Lanny Kaufer invite the public to a full-day Fall Foraging Workshop in Ojai on Saturday, October 29, from 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. Participants will enjoy a mindful walk in the morning in Matilija Canyon among the live oak, white alder, black walnut and bay trees, noticing how the plants and environment change during this season. The group will learn the basics of sustainable foraging and identify edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms that can help to nourish and heal them in the months to come.
After the morning walk, they will gather in Fisher Hall at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in downtown Ojai for a wild food lunch and beverage demonstration and a cooking class featuring some of the ingredients encountered in the morning. Attendees will then take part in a hands-on activity making California bay nut chocolate and other tasty fall treats. After the workshop, Starwood and Kaufer will have their books on hand for sale and signing.
The cost for the workshop, including all materials, is $125. Registration and more information can be found at HerbWalks.com or by calling 805-646-6281. This workshop will go on rain or shine with a change of morning venue in case of a heavy downpour.
ABOUT JESS STARWOOD:
Jess Starwood is a forager, plant-based chef, and herbalist. She is the author and photographer of Mushroom Wanderland: A Forager’s Guide to Finding, Identifying, and Using 25 Wild Fungi! and leads wild food and herbalism classes, workshops, and immersive wild food adventures all across the country and south of the border. She is a regular contributor to Edible Ojai and Ventura County magazine.
Jess has a Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the American College of Healthcare Sciences and has worked as a forager and consultant with several Michelin-starred restaurants in Los Angeles. Her website is
at www.jstarwood.com. She can be found on Instagram @jess.starwood.
ABOUT LANNY KAUFER:
Lanny Kaufer has been leading “herb walks” in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since 1976, educating hundreds of locals and visitors on the flora of the area with a focus on herbs that can be used for food and medicine. As an herbal educator, Lanny also leads workshops and presentations throughout the Ojai-Ventura-Santa Barbara area on the edible and medicinal uses of California plants. Kaufer holds a degree in Biology from UC Santa Cruz and is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021). His website is at HerbWalks.com. He can be found as HerbWalks on facebook and on Instagram @OjaiHerbal.