‘Practical Herbalism’ and wild foods seminar begins UBThisSummer program

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo’s annual menu of intellectually stimulating, fun and sometimes offbeat summer workshops and courses kicks off next week with a program that will give participants an introduction to preparing herbal remedies and cooking a wild food buffet.

The noncredit workshop for adults ages 18 or older is called “Practical Herbalism: Wild Foods and Medicines.” Taught by Sanford Geffner, a faculty member in UB’s Social Science Interdisciplinary Degree program, the course involves both lecture and fieldwork in plant identification, plant ecology and practical herbalism through the collection and preparation of wild foods and medicines. 

The course runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for two consecutive Sundays: April 28 at the Erie County Forest Lands in Sardinia and May 5 at the Buffalo Ski Club in West Falls.

“This is a unique opportunity for people to experience the bounty of our local botanicals and to experience that bounty in a very direct manner,” says Geffner. “We will do our best to bring the gifts of the past into the modern world, and in so doing will keep participants intimately connected to natural sources of food and medicine.”

Each session of Practical Herbalism will include fieldwork to develop participants’ botanical skills, giving them experience sampling wild foods and medicines. The course also will teach students how to prepare herbal remedies and a wild food buffet. 

This approach of learning, gathering and preparing herbal foods and medicines will serve as a comprehensive introduction to the field of practical herbalism, according to Geffner. Cost per participant is $95.

The herbalism workshop is the first offering in the UBThisSummer curriculum of summer camps and workshops presented by the College of Arts and Sciences.