TURNING WEEDS INTO EDIBLE MEALS

Rewilding activist and author Nikki Brighton is changing peoples’ views on weed removal by demonstrating how they can be used to make nutritionally rich meals. She shared her well-researched insights at the WildED Learning Hub in Scottburgh, KZN.

Holly Altenburger, head of WildED Africa Education, says that Brighton’s many books explain how common weeds can be picked and used to make tasty, nutritious dishes.

Raised in Pietermaritzburg, Brighton grew vegetables, created indigenous gardens and lived locally, foraging for food with a focus on rewilding the environment instead of taming it. Her practice of identifying wild food and edible weeds is better for the environment and for human health.

She has hosted talks at the Karoo Food Festival and has been featured on podcasts and in publications such as Grow to Eat, Getaway, Daily Maverick, Garden and Home, The Gardener and Food and Home.

From her base in Howick in the KZN Midlands, she has established the Mpophomeni Conservation Group and the Midlands Slow Food Community. Through this, she helps manage the local REKO farmers’ market and Midlands Barter Markets that connect farmers and customers directly.

She is also the author of three books: Mnandi: A Taste of Mpophomeni, Wild About Weeds: An introduction to Uncultivated Food, and Edible Weeds: Identify Uncultivated Food.

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