The Stone Barns Center is a vast nature area with lots of open, sunny farm areas full of edible weeds, woods, thickets, and wet areas. Except for a seashore and mountain, it has all the major habitats for summer edible and medicinal plants covered.

The sunny borders between woodlands and open areas, plus the many fence rows of this former estate, provides prime habitat for wild berries. In mid-July, we'll be looking for tart wineberries, an Asian raspberry species; native black raspberries, way better than their commercial counterparts; and dewberries, an early ripening, trailing species of blackberry.

Sunny habitats and edge environments will be where we'll find wild herbs and greens. We may collect lots of sheep sorrel and wood sorrel, with their wonderful lemony flavors. Poor man's pepper, a common, delicious wild mustard, along with its less common relative, field peppergrass, should also be growing in great abundance. The leaves of another member of this tribe, garlic mustard, are out of season, but the seeds and taproots, which you can't buy anywhere, are. We'll also be finding the seeds of field garlic, even more spicy than commercial garlic.

Disturbed areas are full of burdock, with a delicious and healthful taproot. And in the woods, we'll hunt for medicinal herbs and beverages such as sassafras roots, black birch, and common spicebush.

If it's rained enough beforehand, the mushrooming may be spectacular. We'll be hunting for gourmet boletes, huge chicken mushrooms, the world's best vegetarian chicken alternative; choice chanterelles, smoky flavored black trumpets, and more.