• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Classes
  • Blogs
  • Jesus
    • God’s Love For You
    • Wild Blessings Advent
      • WB Advent – Day 1
      • WB Advent – Day 2
      • WB Advent – Day 3
      • WB Advent – Day 4
      • WB Advent – Day 5
    • The Most Important Message You Will Ever Hear
    • My Foraging Prayer
    • Meditating on Scripture
    • Holding Up a Light
    • The Hands of the Carpenter
    • The Star Of Bethlehem
  • Contact
Wild Blessings
Wild Blessings

Wild Blessings

A learning resource that can help you get outside and connect with nature.

  • Home
  • About
  • Classes
  • Blogs
  • Jesus
    • God’s Love For You
    • Wild Blessings Advent
      • WB Advent – Day 1
      • WB Advent – Day 2
      • WB Advent – Day 3
      • WB Advent – Day 4
      • WB Advent – Day 5
    • The Most Important Message You Will Ever Hear
    • My Foraging Prayer
    • Meditating on Scripture
    • Holding Up a Light
    • The Hands of the Carpenter
    • The Star Of Bethlehem
  • Contact

A Personal Hero, Linda Runyon

April 5, 2012

Our Wild Picnic Indoors

Last week, I had the privilege of meeting the Queen of wild foods and my mentor, Linda Runyon. It was the first time I’ve met her in person, though I have read all of Linda’s books, listened to her radio programs time and again and have communicated via countless emails with her.  Her leadership and encouragement in my ‘wild’ adventures has had a significant impact on me.

Anticipating a sunny Spring day I packed a wild picnic.  And since it rained…we ate inside.

Elderberry Spritzer & Bee Balm Tea
Wild Hummus  &  Veggie Sticks
Sumac Jello
Red Clover Buttermilk Muffins
High Bush Cranberry Jelly & Violet Jelly
Cream of Nettle Soup (Wild Roots & Bone Broth Stock)
Wild Energy Balls w/ Plantain Seeds
Peppermint Tea
Forest Fairy Centerpiece Made by Kendall and Meredith

Linda no longer melts icicles for laundry water, mud does not cover her exposed skin to protect from the black flies and she does not forage for breakfast, lunch and dinner… all of which she did for decades.  Rather, she lives in a lovely retirement center in South Jersey.  Wild reflections are evident in every corner of her room, plants (rather weeds and moss) grow on her window ledge, wild plants and seeds line the shelves in her cooking corner and scrapbooks of wild memories are stacked about.

Linda’s Wild Kitchen
Linda has already made a serious mark with the ‘old’ folks in organizing and directing their nature related craft programs and has sparked curiosity by planting a wild food plant walk in the courtyard.  She even has everyone hooked on the Decorah eagle saga that streams real time from the computer in the common area. http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

 Linda’s Wild Plant Walk, Crafts, Linda & Holly

Treasuring past memories yet embracing each leg of her journey Linda lives a rich life.  Her 15th book on foraging for edible plants came off the press last Fall and her current book projects look fabulous. Doodles are on scraps of paper capturing some new idea or other.  Passionately wanting to help people to prepare for any eventuality, Linda makes it easy for those of us following in her wake.  Her books were born from necessity to survive off the grid and thrive off the land.

It was a day to remember and one I hope to repeat!
Wild blessings abound!
Holly

P. S. More about Linda and her remarkable life can be found at this link. https://wildblessings.com/2011/09/03/wild-woman-linda-runyon-eats-the-trees/

Linda Runyon’s Woodland Gift From Me
 
Previous PostSpring Fling March 31
Next PostPaleo Wild and Free

About the Author

Holly Drake

My name is Holly Drake and I love to study, teach, and talk about wild foods. I live in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina with my husband Jason and my dog Max where I explore the beauty of God's creation to learn as much as I can about wild foods that are available to us for free. [READ ALL ARTICLES]

  • Home
  • About
  • Classes
  • Jesus
  • Blog
  • Contact

A learning resource that can help you get outside and connect with nature.
© 2025 · Wild Blessings