Peter
Gail, PhD, the self-styled “King of Dandelions,” died on February 14, 2018. A
lifelong interest in wild and foraged foods became the foundation of Gail’s career
to promote the benefits of backyard weeds in the diet, specifically dandelion (Taraxacum officinale, Asteraceae).
Gail’s
knowledge of wild foods began at the age of nine, following his father’s death
in 1948. Struggling to make ends meet, Gail’s mother learned about the
prevalence of lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium
album, Amaranthaceae) in the area where they lived in southern California.
Gail’s mother sent him and his brother Michael out every day to forage for
lamb’s quarters and other wild foods, which sustained the family until his
mother found a steady job. Later, in his teenage years, Gail worked at a
logging camp in northern California and supplemented his diet by foraging in
the woods with his friends.
After
earning a bachelor’s degree in biology with a botany focus from California
Polytechnic State University, Gail continued with a master’s degree in botany
and plant biology from Claremont Graduate University and a doctorate in botany
from Rutgers University. His primary research focus involved studying how
various indigenous cultures used wild plants for food and medicine. After
earning his doctorate, he was an associate professor at Cleveland State
University, where he taught economic botany and environmental studies from 1972-1988.
A
tour through Europe and interviews with local citizens in England, Belgium, and
Italy showed Gail that people in the United States lacked the overall knowledge
and use of wild foods that many in Europe still held. During his years of
teaching, he collected local recipes that used wild foods in an effort to
preserve and disseminate this knowledge.
In
a 2011 interview with herbalist Susun Weed, Gail said that by 1979, he had
amassed, in his estimation, the “largest collection of recipes and folklore of
wild plants in the country,” but that his collection “lacked organization.”1
After analyzing his collection with the intention of publishing a book, he
discovered that he had more than 600 recipes for dandelion from 43 countries.
Gail narrowed his focus to dandelion, which became his “flagship plant,” and he
began to edit and publish dandelion recipe collections in order to “help people
become aware of the incredible value of this plant.” Gail asked Weed
rhetorically: “What are ‘wild foods?’ Americans are surrounded by vegetables
going to waste.”
In
1988, Gail left Cleveland State University and founded the Goosefoot Acres
Center for Resourceful Living in Cleveland, Ohio. Under the auspices of
Goosefoot Acres, Gail devoted himself entirely to teaching and demonstrating
the healthful benefits of weeds as food and medicine. He published multiple
books, mostly about dandelions but also about the uses of daylilies (Hemerocallis spp., Asphodelaceae) and
mulberries (Morus spp., Moraceae),
among other foods. He also published “The Defenders of Dandelion” newsletter.
In 1994, he founded the National Dandelion Cookoff, which ran for 10 years.
Participants were invited to submit recipes to Gail; each year, he received
60-80 submissions, and picked 20 finalists. His recipe collection expanded to
more than 1,000 dandelion recipes from 66 different countries.
Also
in 1994, Gail began producing and marketing a coffee alternative called
DandyBlend, which uses roasted dandelion
root, roasted beet (Beta vulgaris, Amaranthaceae)
root, roasted chicory (Cichorium intybus,
Asteraceae) root, roasted rye (Secale
cereale, Poaceae), and roasted barley (Hordeum
vulgare, Poaceae) to create a caffeine-free, healthful beverage. His
efforts to introduce wild foods to the diets and medicine cabinets of the
United States earned him induction into the National Wild Foods Hall of Fame,
part of the Nature Wonder Wild Food Weekend held annually at North Bend State
Park near Cairo, West Virginia, in 2000. He also appeared on multiple
television programs to promote dandelions, including segments on Good Morning America, The Home Show, the Food Network, and
Cleveland’s local morning show Morning
Exchanges.
In
his personal life, Gail was an active member of his church and served in
leadership roles in his congregation. A memorial service that celebrated the
life of Peter Gail was held on February 21, 2018, in Medina, Ohio. Attendees
remembered his charity work, sense of humor, and the understanding and comfort
he provided. He is survived by Wilma Gail, his wife of 57 years; his brother
Michael Gail; children Karin (Dominic) Reale, Kevin (Kirsten) Gail, and Kori
(Christopher) Russell; and six grandchildren.
—Hannah
Bauman
Reference
- Meet
the king of dandelions, Dr. Peter Gail. Wise
Woman Radio. The Wise Woman Way with Susun Weed. February 2011. Available
at: www.wisewomanradio.com/interviews/gail.html. Accessed April 2,
2018.
|