This year has been the first year that I have been able to go foraging on my own land and directly from my front gate and it has been wonderful. Being able to pick up a basket and gather fruit and berries without having to trek far has meant I have been able to forage often; making the most of a snatched ten minutes here and there whilst carrying out jobs around the smallholding.

We moved to North Yorkshire at the end of 2024 and the hedgerows surrounding our land have an abundance of blackberry bushes and blackthorn intertwined with native hawthorn, holly, hazel and field maple. Not only do these dense hedgerows provide wildlife-friendly barriers; a fantastic habitat for birds, hedgehogs and other nature and are visually appealing, they also provide me with an abundance of berries. Coupled with the fruit from the trees, I have been able to bake pies and crumbles to fill the freezer as well as turn my hand to making jam and sloe gin.

Foraging is a fun way of collecting fruits and berries to use at home however, it is very important to make sure you only take what you can use. Remember these fruits and berries also provide essential food for birds and wildlife and therefore stripping bushes of every last berry will make life extremely difficult for wildlife who rely on this food source throughout the winter months.

Baking with apples

Sloe berries

Foraging, or gathering food in the wild for free, is becoming more and more popular as it combines fresh air and exercise with the ability to collect produce that can be turned into something tasty such as pies, jams, etc. however, foraging is actually something that has roots going back centuries.

Whilst I am very lucky to be able to forage on my own land and the lanes directly outside my home, not everyone is as fortunate as this and therefore they will venture out looking for suitable places, and this is when things can become tricky. Whilst foraging isn’t actually illegal in the UK. you must ensure that you aren’t collecting fruits, berries, seeds, wild garlic or mushrooms from private land. More importantly anything foraged must not be sold for financial gain.

Blackberry picking

Making blackberry jam

Homemade blackberry jam

It is also worth remembering that many foot paths are actually on private land. For example, farms are private property but they often have footpaths through them making them fair game for foragers. However, you should be respectful at all time and avoid trespassing. Footpaths are just that, a path through a field from ‘A’ to ‘B’, they do not give walkers permission to leave the path and wander through crops or to venture off the path to collect berries.

So, enjoy foraging but remember to keep to designated footpaths, be respectful, and use common sense and never take what you cannot use.


You can find Allison on Instagram countryliving_writer or visit her website here