A few weeks back when we were travelling on the highway from Belize City to Belmopan, this is what happened:

Gnome:  Oooooh look…broom corn!

This picture makes it look deceptively big but when you are travelling in a vehicle at 110kph, everything looks green and blurry.  Gnome managed to spot a wild edible with his sharp eyes!  This is also funny because he has recently complained of  eyesight problems and thinks that he requires a new prescription for his spectacles.  Anyway, he screeched to a halt and then did a U-turn to bring us back round to the corn.  I didn’t get a chance to say anything, because it all happened so quickly.

He jumped out of the car to grab a specimen for seeds.

In the usual Gnome style, he attemped to procure a plant to take back to the farm.  You can just imagine what all the drivers were thinking as they zoomed by on the highway, catching a glimpse of Gnome on his hands and knees, digging a plant out from the ground!

Broom corn is Sorghum bicolor and is also commonly known as sorghum. It is a grass species which is cultivated for its grain.  The grain can be used to make breads and can be popped like “pop-corn.”  In large scale cultivation, it can be a source of ethanol fuel and sorghum syrup. Also, you can make brooms out of them hence the popular name.  It can be used to feed animals and guinea pigs are rather fond of this type of grass.

Well, in our usual Munchkin and Gnome Style, we were both rather chuffed  with ourselves for finding such a useful plant on the highway in Belize.  It just goes to show that you need to be on the look out all the time if you are a serious forager!!  Just drive safely while you do it!