So What are "Ramps" Anyway?
Ramps (a.k.a. Ramp, Ramson, Wild Leek, Wood Leek) are a species of wild onion in North America throughout the Eastern parts of Canada and the U.S. They were highly prized by the Cherokee Indians and early European settlers throughout Appalachia as they are the first edible, highly nutritious vegetation to emerge after the winter. They can be found in the forests in ground that has a lot of decaying matter and is underneath the tree canopy. The Cherokee practiced their own version of “sustainable harvesting” by only cutting off the greens and the top of the bulb leaving the rest to grow back and flower thus producing more ramps the next year. They were eaten as a “spring tonic” to help replenish the body with vitamins and minerals after having little in the way of fresh vegetation over the winter. Ramps were also considered a cure for colds and croup and a warm juice made from them was used to treat earaches.
These days ramps are now the darling of trendy cuisine and starting to catch on in a big way at Farmer’s Markets. Ramps taste like a cross between a leek and an onion with a garlicky presence to it. They are really are a “love it or hate it” sort of thing. I personally like ramps fried in bacon fat or pickled in brine. You can either go foraging for yourself in the Spring, buy them at Farmer’s Markets (or food co-ops such as my favorite East End Food Co-op) or even buy some young ramp shoots and plant them yourself like I did this year!
Fasnacht in Helvetia, West Virgina (Fallout '76 style)
I first learned about Fasnacht and the celebration of ramps through playing the game Fallout ’76. Fasnacht is a “Mardi Gras” of sorts that is a pre-Lenten festival involving garish masks and the burning of an effigy of “Old Man Winter” to celebrate the end of winter and the rebirth of spring. It was brought to Helvetia by Swiss immigrants in the 1860’s. Sadly, it was canceled for the year of 2021 due to the pandemic. Ramps have always played an important role in these festivals as the harvesting takes place at the same time. Many dishes are made from ramps by the local populace ranging from soups and stews to chilis and various fried versions as well as a compound butter. They are considered a delicacy by both the settlers, native Americans and today’s inhabitants of Appalachia.
The Great Ramps Experiment of 2021
I was pretty surprised to find ramp shoots ready to plant at my local co-op! I purchased a few bunches right away and couldn’t wait to get them planted in my permaculture experiment. I really don’t have the best growing conditions in my garden but wanted to take a shot anyway. I chose two shady spots in my permaculture “lab” and got to work clearing them out. First, I chose a spot next to the pond and shaded by the pot stand. I also cleared a spot next to the grapevine that is also behind the mulberry bush.
I had high hopes at the outset. Some of the ramps even began to seemingly flourish in their new shady little habitats.
For the first few weeks, I kept a close eye on my new plants. Soon, they began to blossom and my hopes for my very own ramp patch here in the city seemed to not be such a futile dream after all!
Just as they began to flower and the white blossoms were beginning to open up, disaster struck. A huge storm passed through and ripped the top off of the neighbor’s tree and it landed directly on top of my garden!
The falling tree killed off the last my flowering ramps!
How to Sustainably Harvest Ramps
Ramps have grown in popularity over the years and are now in demand which has resulted in more and more people searching out ramp patches to harvest and sell at farmer’s markets and to chefs at trendy restaurants. This has had the nasty side effect of people harvesting them unsustainably and destroying ramp patches. It takes years for patch of ramps to establish itself and even though they are the first plants to emerge after the winter’s frost retreats they are quite delicate.
Here are a few tips for sustainably harvesting ramp plants in the wild:
** NEVER pull the plant up by the leaves! Always leave the bulb intact and in the ground and only harvest leaves above the reddish white top of the plant. Digging up the entire plant is threatening their survival as a species here in North America. Be sure to leave the bottom plant that is underground and do your best not to disturb the root system.
** ONLY take what you can use or need. Don’t be greedy and obliterate entire patches only to let them rot in your fridge. If you have too many you can always pickle them to preserve them or use them to make a salad dressing or marinade.
** DON’T advertise the patches you find on social media unless you want them picked bare! Keep those prime spots to yourself (maybe only share this information with me to be safe) and be sure to sustainably harvest so you can keep coming back year after year.
** SEEK out farmer’s markets and health food co-ops where ramp shoots are sold and plant them in a shady spot on your property. They will be a welcome addition to your garden in the spring and are extremely nutritious as well.
Are you looking to get into gardening or just for a reliable source for high-quality organic seeds? Be sure to stop by Seeds for Generations which is my favorite online source for almost everything I plant in my garden. That is an affiliate link and we greatly appreciate it here at Shady Ave Micro Farm if you choose to give them some business.!
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