“Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

Ezekiel 47:12

While the Midwest landscape might look dormant in January, the seasoned forager knows that God provides food and medicine year round. Winter is a time for spotting hardy evergreens, digging dormant roots, and—most importantly—planning.

Below is my personal harvesting calendar for 2026. This list includes the plants I mentioned in my last post, foraged pharmacy, along with several new additions for my kitchen and medicine cabinet. Throughout the year, I’ll be doing a deep dive into each of these—sharing tips on how to identify, harvest, preserve, and use them safely.

In a world of “next-day delivery” and instant gratification (looking at you, Amazon), we’ve grown accustomed to getting what we want the moment we want it. We are so used to these conveniences that we’ve almost forgotten how to wait. But nature doesn’t operate on our schedule; nature operates on a divine design.

Foraging forces us to slow down and honor the “time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”. You cannot rush a spring morel or demand a berry ripen before its day. Planning this 2026 calendar is my way of stepping away from the “instant” world and back into the rhythm of the Provider. It forces me (a recklessly optimistic non-planner) to plan ahead so I can receive God’s blessings. He didn’t give us a barren earth just to survive on; He gave us a beautiful world overflowing with food and medicine. It just requires our patience and our presence through the slow, steady changing of the seasons.

I pray that we learn to embrace the quieter seasons and enjoy the wait; that our baskets be full, our hearts be grateful, and may we never lose our wonder at the way He sustains us.

Bonus: Harvest Opportunity Right Now

White Pine
In the dead of winter, when fresh greens are scarce, the evergreens are our greatest allies. White Pine needles (Pinus strobus) are packed with Vitamin C.

• How to ID: Look for needles in bundles of five (W-H-I-T-E).
• Medicinal Usages: Steep a small handful of fresh needles in hot (not boiling) water for a bright, citrusy winter tea with a boost of Vitamin C and throat soothing power. Great for flu and cold season. Sweeten with honey if you wish.
  You can also infuse 1 cup of needles into 1 cup of carrier oil for treating rheumatism and arthritis pain (external massage oil).
• Culinary Usages: Chop the needles and use them as an herb to flavor salads, butters, and vinegars for dressings. Add needles to potato salads, bean salads, and pasta salads. Use them to flavor breads in place of rosemary. Pine-infused honey can be drizzled on ice cream or in drinks.

I’d love to hear from you as we kick off this foraging year! Drop a comment below and let me know:

1. Which plant are you most excited to find this year?
2. Are there any “mystery” plants in your backyard you’ve been wanting to identify?
3. What is your favorite way to preserve your wild harvests—drying, tincturing, freezing, something else??

White Pine (pinus strobus)