tours

I spent time freely helping others with understanding wild mushrooms and plants via my Google groups (https://sites.google.com/site/foragingct/home/links), but for anyone interested in joining me on a foraging tour, you can do so at the below prices. Note a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the price must sent preferably via Google Pay (must use bank account or most debit cards, as you'd be sending it to sam.schaperow@gmail.com), not preferably via PayPal (send as the friends and family option to avoid a fee to me that you'd have to then send to me to reach the true 50% mark), or least preferably mailed to Sam Schaperow, B.S., M.S., 567 Vauxhall Street Ext., #207, Waterford, CT 06385, at least five days prior to the date of our scheduled tour, or you may pay the entire amount of buying a tour for someone as a gift). (I'm also open to trade in some cases, such as if you have some gourmet food to give me that I can't get anywhere else).

Tour pricing is generally individual, with $135 per individual by appointment. For groups (you'd need to gather the group), it is $85/person for a total participation of 2 or more, $65 each for 4 or more, $45 for 7 or more, and $35 for 10 or more. Even if the prices were tripled, you'll learn enough plants to save on groceries over the years to recoup this investment multi-fold!

What to bring: If you'd like to collect what we find, bring a basket, paper bags, and possibly a trowel.

Q&A:

Q1: How long are your tours and where do we meet?

A1: Tours are generally 30 minutes for individuals, and longer for larger groups of people. You can also bring me plants/mushrooms and I can tell you about them. Tours are generally conducted in the afternoons of Wed. or Thurs., but I can sometimes accommodate other schedules. Tours take place either at Waterford or East Lyme, depending on when we meet.

Q2: Can you come to our group to do foraging tours?

A2: Yes, provided a travel fee of $75 per hour is also charged for the time I'm on the road.

Q3: I'm in the food business and would like to know if you teach how to best use the ingredients, or if I should expect to figure it out on my own?

A3: Some ingredients need to be used raw to retain their special flavor properties, and some need cooking. I am happy to share my knowledge about each plant/mushroom found during the tour. As an example, I found a chef was using garlic mustard greens cooked, which is fine, but it loses its potent garlic-like flavor from cooking. Yet, when not cooked it has a bitterness to it as well, so I showed how to counteract the bitter while retaining the garlic-like quality it has. The result was excellent, and I've used this nutritious recipe for my family for years on a very regular basis.

Q4: If I'd like to do more than just get a tour, but also get some real-time consultation on the ways to make foraged ingredients taste outstanding, can we barter or I pay for that additional time in the kitchen w/our foraged ingredients.

A4: If a novice cook would like, I would be willing to negotiate a payment arrangement if time allows.

If an expert cook would like, we can use the ingredients I have on hand, or you can bring ingredients, and we can then consult about the foraged ingredients in more depth. After doing so, you can cook a full meal using the ingredients, and I would accept the meal as payment, not requiring any further compensation if the value of the meal equals the value of my service.

Q5: Do you do restaurant consulting?

Yes, both with standard consulting & detailed info. on how some have successfully integrated foraged foods into their restaurants, despite CT's stand on such practices. The cost for this service is $350/hr.