He wanted to create a community of foragers. Now he teaches others how to find wild food

When we see weeds start to pop up in the yard or the garden, the first instinct for many of us is to figure out how to get rid of them. 

But here's the thing: Many plants we might regard as ugly or invasive are, in fact, edible. 

Orion Aon learned this in his early years growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He would go on camping trips with family and friends – who gave him some of his first lessons in finding food in the wild. 

Today, he is the owner of Forage Colorado. He began the business in 2015, initially as a way to create a community with fellow foragers to share stories and knowledge. 

"It turns out that there weren't that many people doing that, at least online, and sharing about it at the time," Aon says. "So it quickly turned into me teaching other people what I knew."

Now, he shows clients how to connect with nature by finding and and preparing wild foods like dandelions, tumble mustard, and curly dock. 

Here at In The NoCo, we like to talk to folks with unique businesses. Orion was kind enough to take host Erin O'Toole out on a foraging lesson along a trail in her neighborhood.

You can read Orion's tips on harvesting and preparing lambsquarters; aka wild spinach. In 2023, he spoke with KUNC about the potential harm from AI-written foraging guide books, which you can read here.

What is In The NOCO?

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.