By Blake Jackson
Lincoln University of Missouri’s Native and Specialty Crops Program concluded its five-part Native Plants Academy on May 23,2026, with a Native Edible Plants Symposium at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City.
The event combined educational exhibits, garden tours, and food demonstrations to help participants discover practical uses for native edible plants.
Led by Nadia Navarrete-Tindall, extension educator Tina Wurth, and Missouri Department of Conservation educator Ginger Miller, the symposium featured displays of seeds, herbs, recipes, books, and flavored salts and sugars made from native plants.
Visitors sampled unique flavors while learning about their culinary applications. Miller encouraged attendees by saying, “Lick the side of your hand, pour some salt or sugar on, then have a taste.”
Participants also explored herbal teas and other plant-based products. Wurth explained, “You just put the mint in the water, soak it, then drain it. You can leave it in there as long as you want, because the longer you leave it in, the stronger it will get. You know how our grandmothers said, ‘a little bit of this, a little bit of that?’ Just taste it and make it to your liking.”
The outdoor garden tour introduced native edible species such as pawpaw, elderberry, bee balm, mulberry, and prickly pear cactus, allowing guests to touch, smell, and taste selected plants. The program also included cooking demonstrations featuring chickweed pesto, purslane herb spread, sochan dip, and homemade sauerkraut.
Aquaculture specialist Jim Wetzel demonstrated his “Crispy Critters” crawfish recipe, explaining, “Typically, when you eat crayfish in this country, you’re only eating about 20% of what was alive. Not very efficient. We’re going to eat at least 70% of the animal.”
Organizers plan to continue the Native Plants Academy this fall, with webinars beginning in September and another symposium scheduled for October. “This is only the beginning,” Navarrete-Tindall said.
Photo Credit: istock-pkujiahe
Categories: Missouri, Education