Foraging with the gentleman forager
The Gentleman Forager took us Spring Foraging in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in the spring of 2024. A couple of us were fortunate to be able to learn the wisdom of Mike Kempenich, aka the Gentleman Forager. We met at the Timberlake Lodge lobby where Mike and his team were staying. Mike had scouted the day before in several public forest locations around Grand Rapids. Good maps will ensure locations of public land where you can forage for personal use. We all had good hiking shoes, tall socks, long light weight pants, multiple layers, and rain gear. On this day, it did light rain, so it was good we were prepared to be out in the forest in the spring variable weather. We also brought Nichole Denver, Thousand Lakes Productions, photographer/videographer to record our day of foraging. Spring in northern Minnesota is variable dependent on weather and temperature, which can occur early April to late May. We were foraging during the middle of May.
There are several different places to forage around Grand Rapids, Minnesota. There is the Chippewa National Forest, UPM Blandin Forest, George Washington State Forest, and Itasca tax forfeit public forest. Make sure to use the maps of each to ensure that you are indeed on public land. Before foraging in Minnesota, ensure you can positively identify edible plants and mushrooms, understand local regulations (like no commercial harvesting), and practice responsible harvesting, leaving enough for wildlife and future growth. Do some research and possibly make copies of images and descriptions to have while you are foraging.
Grand Rapids is surrounded by over 1M publicly accessible forest acres that have prime opportunities for foraging in the spring, summer and fall. Foraging in the Chippewa National Forest, especially for berries and mushrooms, is generally permitted for personal use, but it’s crucial to be aware of potential regulations and safety, including wildlife, and to leave no trace while you are out in any forest area. In the springtime of the year all these public forest areas offer a variety of wild edible items, including fiddleheads and edible mushrooms like black morels (Morchella importuna), oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), and pheasant back mushrooms (Dryad’s saddle).
Here are locations to search for black morels around Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Look for stands of quaking aspen, tulip poplar, and black cherry trees, as well as areas with ash, poplar, and apple trees, especially if they are dying or decaying. Black morels are often found in areas that have been recently disturbed, such as campgrounds, trails, or burned areas. To find fiddlehead ferns in Northern Minnesota, look for them in low-lying, moist areas near water sources like marshes, creeks, and riverbanks, especially in hardwood forests with rich soil and some shade. Pheasant back mushrooms are a type of bracket fungus that are commonly found growing on dead and decaying hardwood trees, particularly elms. They are also known to grow on the lower trunks of living hardwood trees. Look for oyster mushrooms growing in shelf-like clusters on the trunks or fallen logs of hardwoods, especially elm, cottonwood, alder, and oak, from late spring through September.
On this day that we foraged with Mike, we found Black Morels, oyster mushrooms, and fiddleheads. It was a little late for fiddleheads, which tend to be best early spring. It was a great day to be out in the forests to breathe in the fresh air, listen and watch the northern songbirds, and search for fresh wild edibles. We were out for several hours mid-morning until early afternoon. We had contacted local chefs at Timberlake Restaurant and Rapids Brewing Company before we headed out to see if they would fix us some menu items with the wild edibles we would pick. Our first stop was Rapids Brewing for a late lunch. They fixed us black morels on their wood fired pizza dough with fresh toppings of mozzarella, crushed tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a brush of honey sauce on the dough edges. We paired the wood fired pizza with hazy IPA. And then at Timberlake Restaurant the chef was already set up for their Wednesday night pasta (where the Chef makes each pasta as each person orders). Timberlake’s Chef created an amazing black morel pasta in a light cream sauce that was rich and satisfying flavor. We paired this pasta with a house red wine.
Maybe you are not sure of yourself yet to go into the public forest and forage by yourself? This is your opportunity to purchase a ticket to the Black Morel Hootenanny scheduled for May 16-18, 2025 in Grand Rapids. Mike Kempenich (the Gentleman Forager) and his team of certified foragers will give you resources and teach you proper foraging techniques, then you will go on a guided forage (in pre-scouted areas) in public forest around Grand Rapids, then you will return back to wild edible cooking classes, and can purchase items in the foragers marketplace, and the entire weekend Rapids Brewing (host site) will provide exclusive black morel menu items from small bites to full meal menu items. There will be live music on their stage Friday and Saturday night. Friday night Mike will do an exclusive meet and greet with foragers, and all attendees will receive exclusive locally made food items in their welcome bags as a gift from Visit Grand Rapids.
PURCHASE TICKETS to the Black Morel Hootenanny – which will be the largest black morel festival in Minnesota!
To learn more about Mike Kempenich, the Gentleman Forager, the most interesting man in the woods, check his website out and upcoming classes and festivals: https://www.gentlemanforager.com/`
