Foraging in cemeteries

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Arzosah »

Locally, the food I could forage is hawthorn leaves and hips, sweet chestnut and elder, mostly in the perimeter hedges. And I just found a very human-sized apple tree in the old parish church yard, though there are lots of apple trees and hawthorn round here in little nature reserves and green spaces.

Just thinking about the issues of foraging in these areas. People talk about being spooked, that doesn't matter to me at all. Local bylaws, not an issue round here, they hold Apple Days to encourage foraging. Even slowly decomposing bodies, I'm not that worried about, there's not much in soil that *isn't* slowly decomposing bodies/faeces of one sort or another ;)

What I *am* thinking about is something I saw the other day, about lead leaching from older coffins, and embalming fluid leaching from more modern burials. I don't think lead has been used for coffins for a long time, except for state burials, but what about embalming fluid? When did it start to be used in this country? And when was lead not being used any more, for that matter, no matter how small an issue it is? Does anyone know anything about this stuff? The hawthorn and sweet chestnut, particularly, ares downhill from the whole town cemetery ...
Nurseandy
Posts: 690
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:12 am

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Nurseandy »

I am certainly no expert but I've always been led to believe that you shouldn't grow any edible plants anywhere near graveyards due to the decomposition of the bodies. This advice (?) came from my parents who had an agricultural background and local farmers where we live now (and opposite a graveyard).
I have no idea how valid this advice is.
Personally I'm of the opinion that something growing on a tree is probably ok, things growing in the ground aren't.
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Arzosah »

Nurseandy wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 11:26 amPersonally I'm of the opinion that something growing on a tree is probably ok, things growing in the ground aren't.
That's my opinion too, Andy, I just don't know what I've based my opinion on :) Once I was staring at the apple on my chopping board, it became more important :lol:
Thanks for the input.
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8732
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

You'll always offend someone, some old fossil complained to us that we shouldn't be picking conkers up from the paths near the graves the other year with the kids (who were respectful and were not walking on the graves or running about et all)

"You should have more respect for the dead"

"Yeh well Tommy and Peggy [points to grandparents grave] love to see their great grand kids having fun! "

Her face was a picture......
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8732
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 8:03 pm You'll always offend someone, some old fossil complained to us that we shouldn't be picking conkers up from the paths near the graves the other year with the kids (who were respectful and were not walking on the graves or running about et all)

"You should have more respect for the dead"

"Yeh well Tommy and Peggy [points to grandparents grave] love to see their great grand kids having fun! "

Her face was a picture......

As for lead

https://plantprobs.net/plant/nutrientIm ... /lead.html

Calcium iin the soil reduces uptake... Skeletons do come in handy ;)

As for modern embalming fluids alcohol and famoldohide (spellings way off)

Anyway MSDS show no environment impact
Screenshot_20190811-212450.png
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Arzosah »

Thanks for those posts, Andy :) That's a great response to the grumpy old one :mrgreen: I mean, a child, running on a path ... the sky is falling, the sky is falling! About time, too :mrgreen:

And what a great website that plantprobs place is! Thats a mine (see what I did there!) of useful information, I feel like downloading it in case it gets taken down. Really useful. It certainly seems that the odd ancient coffin isn't going to present a problem with leaching into apple trees. With the shipping tag, I couldn't quite translate it into English at this time of night, but you've pointed me in the right direction, and when my brain's working again, I'll be able to get to it.

Ta!
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8732
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Arzosah wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 8:43 pm Thanks for those posts, Andy :) That's a great response to the grumpy old one :mrgreen: I mean, a child, running on a path ... the sky is falling, the sky is falling! About time, too :mrgreen:

I had to be polite the kids were with me :mrgreen:

It's amazing what upsets people I had a his and her "couple" look my way as I drove up a very steep multi story ramp yesterday then cross right in front of me forcing me brake to a stop and to do a rapid hill start as there was a car coming up behind me once they're waddled clear without a care in the world ... (My cars big white with bright running lights and was running rather loudly in 1st gear up the hill the sump guard would have been well tested!)

Fortunately my car has a wonderful "hill hold" mode which negates the need to use the handbrake the tarmac was smooth and wet when I set off it broke traction momentary (bit of a hang up of the hill holder) making them jump due to the wheel slip been echoed round.. I could feel the traction control shoving power about to each axle and wheel as it found grip

Apparently from what female said loudly " need to calm down..." Hmmm

The moronic Cheshire cat grin and "I am calm dear good job the brakes work isn't it?" got me stunned silence .. many people are so wrapped in their own self importance I wonder how well they will fair should the shtf ;) "I always get my fillet steak from here" is sure to go down well with Jansman :D
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Arzosah »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:31 pm"I always get my fillet steak from here" is sure to go down well with Jansman :D
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Wow. They actually got snippy with you ... you know what, it makes sense of all the advice to stay indoors while the first days of craziness would be happening, if there were a big event :(
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8732
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Arzosah wrote: Mon Aug 12, 2019 8:44 am
Yorkshire Andy wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:31 pm"I always get my fillet steak from here" is sure to go down well with Jansman :D
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Wow. They actually got snippy with you ... you know what, it makes sense of all the advice to stay indoors while the first days of craziness would be happening, if there were a big event :(
Arzosah wrote: Mon Aug 12, 2019 8:44 am
Yorkshire Andy wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:31 pm"I always get my fillet steak from here" is sure to go down well with Jansman :D
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Wow. They actually got snippy with you ... you know what, it makes sense of all the advice to stay indoors while the first days of craziness would be happening, if there were a big event :(
Yep perks of "off road" tyres on tarmac they don't give the best grip like the generic car high mpg max grip on road tyres on polished tarmac until you get to the rough stuff or hit bad weather. This was filmed yesterday from my dash cam it gets used.
Screenshot_20190812-230321.png
.


Screenshot_20190812-230310.png
I've done several driving courses one been off road driving another been skid control and going through most of the modern car systems which is ignore anything you got told 10 years ago ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR1SSxpKitE

Gives some insight into modern ish advances in car magic defies the laws of gravity ;)


As for scrumping in the church yard I'm sure the vicar wouldn't say no to a apple pie ;) = take what you want :D
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Foraging in cemeteries

Post by Arzosah »

Just seen your photo in hi res - oh my word :mrgreen: that's a very little trackway :lol:

And, scrumping it is :)