Mulberries, Mushrooms & Medicine, Sunday At Sticks & Stones Farm

On Sunday, June 26, naturalist and author “Wildman” Steve Brill will lead a wild food and ecology tour at Sticks and Stones Farm, 201 Huntingtown Road in Newtown. A 30-minute talk followed by a 90-minute tour of the farm will begin at 2:30.

The 60-acre stone masonry farm and retreat features a wide variety of habitats — a mountain, meadows, woods, cultivated areas, and fields, and wetlands — all loaded with their associated wild plants and mushrooms. Early summer fruits are in season now. Participants will be looking for wild strawberries, mulberries, sweet cherries, and june berries in a variety of habitats.

There will also be plenty of culinary and medicinal herbs to discover. Sassafras, which tastes like root beer, grows in the woods, and mullein, a traditional herb tea for coughs, grows in fields and along the edges of trails.

Common summer edible greens will also be plentiful, including lamb’s-quarters, purslane, wood sorrel and sheep sorrel, poor man’s pepper, Asiatic dayflower, lady’s thumb, common mallow, and others.

With the rain that has been predicted for this week, the summer’s first wild mushrooms may also be discovered. Chanterelles, boletes, russulas, chicken mushrooms, and black-staining polypores could be popping up anywhere.

Cost is $25, or $10 for ages 12 and under.

Contact “Wildman” Steve Brill directly at 914-835-2153 or wildman@WildmanSteveBrill.com for information, or the farm at 203-270-8820. Information about the farm and other upcoming programs is also available online, at                                www.SticksAndStonesFarm.com.