Foraging makes the news...

[chris]

Seen this?

BBC News - Who, what, why: Is foraging fruit legal?

[Suky]

Thanks for that, I have had several people berate me for picking wild plums, blackberries and sloes and others who tell me it's not safe to do. At least I now know I can pick 'cos it's for me and mine. Not that it would have stopped me anyway

[Nicos]

Interesting reading.
I always thought you could take from the roadside but never trespass.
You certainly can't go on anyone's land to take fallen wood for fuel...I'd have thought that to take 'wild produce' would still be theft unless on common land or by the roadside.

[Two_Sheds]

It's common sense really: don't trespass onto someone's land, don't take what belongs to someone else, ie apples from your neighbour's tree.

Hedgerow fruit is there for anyone, but leave some for the birds - usually the best berries are about 7 ft high where I can't reach anyway

[rustylady]

Just use common sense, don't take more than you need, and you should be fine. Obviously don't trespass on private land.

[Polly Fouracre]

People are welcome to my sloes, blackberries etc. All I ask is PLEASE do not leave the gate open and let ponies out to cause havoc on the main road. This happened a few weeks ago and could have resulted in tragedy!!!
I've no qualms about scrumping other folks goodies but always leave no trace of me behind me.

[Hilary B]

Basically, if you have the right to be there, what you gather is growing wild, and you do no damage, nor sell anything you produce, it's fine.
This leaes me wondering about one of my own favourite 'wild foods', beechmast. The beech trees are not actually wild (planted by the Forestry Commission) but they are grown for timber, not food.......
There are also a number of chestnut trees in the woods.......

[Two_Sheds]

I've no qualms about scrumping other folks goodies but always leave no trace of me behind me.

At first I thought "cheeky bogger" but then realised that I frequently scrump cuttings out of people's front gardens

[jackie j]

People are welcome to my sloes, blackberries etc. All I ask is PLEASE do not leave the gate open and let ponies out to cause havoc on the main road. This happened a few weeks ago and could have resulted in tragedy!!!
I've no qualms about scrumping other folks goodies but always leave no trace of me behind me.

Polly do you still have sloes I havent managed to find any. if not then maybe next year I could have some, promise I wont leave the gate open. If you need any help with the ponies daughter would love to.

[Two_Sheds]

Polly do you still have sloes I havent managed to find any.

Our usual spot had been ravaged by the time we got there: the whole bushes stripped bare (people have been picking all the berries before they're even ripe this year. Hopefully foraging won't be so fashionable next autumn )