Biography
John has a Doctorate in nutrition, a Masters in education, and degrees in biology and zoology. He's a trained botanist, nature photographer, writer, researcher, and teacher. Dr. Kallas has researched edible wild plants since 1970 and taught in colleges, universities, and to the general public since 1978. He has taught and trained thousands of people about wild foods all over North America, given hundreds of wild food presentations to a variety of groups, amassed one of the largest personal wild food libraries in the country, and continues to build on his wild food/nature slide collection. Dr. Kallas started Wild Food Adventures in 1993, published the Wild Food Adventurer newsletter from 1996 - 2006, and volume 1 of the Wild Food Adventure Series, Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt to Plate in 2010.

John was born in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. In 1970 an interest in wilderness survival began his quest to know wild foods. Fed initially by Bradford Angier's 1956 book How to Survive in the Woods and shortly thereafter by Allan Hall's 1973 book, The Wild Food Trailguide, John seriously began studying and gathering edible wild plants. In 1974, he took his first 30 hours of study in wilderness survival, an introductory nutrition class and an independent study in edible wild plants. These academic pursuits were all in preparation for a 6 month vagabonding trip through Europe. By the end of that adventure, John was getting all of his vegetables from wild plants. Following that learning experience and encouragement from Michigan State University administrators and professors, John began teaching senior-level university classes in edible wild plants. He taught at MSU for 7 years.

While teaching and working on his Masters and Ph.D. degrees, John studied botany under Dr. John Beaman, Curator of the MSU herbarium. He also took conventional botany and taxonomy courses. Over the years, many wild food research expeditions were conducted, including ones to Washington D.C., North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Washington State, California, British Columbia, and Alberta. The reason John pursued a Ph.D. in nutrition was to learn about nutrients, human physiology and biochemistry, cultural foodways, anthropology, food preparation, and nutritional toxicology in the context of wild foods -- to advance the field of wild foods.

John moved to Oregon in 1989 where he continues his research and teaching. Since moving to Portland, he has taught wild food classes at Portland State University, Clackamas Community College, and Wild Food Adventures. As of January, 1994, Dr. Kallas has been running Wild Food Adventures as full time occupation.

John is currently working on the second volume of his Wild Food Adventure book series.

Publications & Articles Written by John Kallas...
Interpreting the numbers below: "4(3): 1, 1999" = "Volume 4 (# 3): Start Page, Year".

Edible Blue Camas: Staple Food of the West . Bulletin of Primitive Technology,
Society of Primitive Technology, No. 28, Fall 2004, pp. 55-60.
Making Dandelions Palatable. Backwoods Home Magazine. No. 82, July / August 2003, pp. 8-12.
Gathering Fresh Asparagus, Broccoli, and Corn from Cattails. Bulletin of Primitive
Technology, Society of Primitive Technology, No. 25, Spring 2003, pp. 51-54.
Modern Gathering Etiquette: Don't Be a Wild Food Marauder. Bulletin of Primitive
Technology, Society of Primitive Technology, No. 25, Spring 2003, p. 54.
Response to "Exploring the Horizons of Mycophagy". Bulletin of Primitive
Technology, Society of Primitive Technology, No. 25, Spring 2003, p. 67.
Wapato: Indian Potato. Wilderness Way Magazine. 9(1): 27-31, 2003.
Nettles: Naughty and Nice. Wild Foods Forum newsletter. 13(5):10, 2002.
Oxalates Schmokulates. The Forager newsletter. 2(2):22, 2002.
Acorns. Plants and Gardens News. The Newsletter of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 14(3):14, 1999.
Wild Food Primer. Wild Food Adventures, Portland, OR, April 28, 1999.
Cattails: Easy to Collect, Fun to Eat. Wilderness Way Magazine. 4(2): 8-13, 1998.
Edible Wild Plants: Catalyst and Content Area for Wilderness Education.
1997 Wilderness Education Association (WEA) 20th Annual Conference Proceedings,
Gunnison, CO, March 6-8, 1997.
Edible Wild Plants from Neighborhood to Wilderness: A Catalyst for Experiential Education.
1996 Association for Experiential Education (AEE) 24th Annual International Conference
Proceedings, Spokane, WA, September 26-29, 1996 pp. 140-144.
Oregon Grape - Not a True Grape. Wild Foods Forum newsletter. 7(5): 4, 1996.
Edible Wild Plants: Eating in Harmony with the Biosphere. EarthMatters, Newsletter of
the Northwest Earth Institute, 921 SW Morrison St, Portland, Oregon 97205.
(503) 227-2807. 3(1): 6, 1996, Spring Edition.
Volunteer Gourmet Garden Vegetables. Willamette Green Directory, Nov 95-Apr 96 Helios
Environmental Resource Network, PO Box 12156, Eugene, OR 97440.
(503) 302-1759, p 12, 1995.
Delighting in Wild Greens. Fine Cooking Magazine, April/May 1995, #8 pp 54-57.
Wild Marshmallows. Science Teacher Magazine, 51(5): 46-52, 1984, May Edition.
21 Common Poisonous Plants. Color Poster. Extension Bulletin E-1662, CES, Michigan
State Univ, Lansing, MI. By Kathleen Kron, Photos by John Kallas, 1983.

Feature articles published in the Wild Food Adventurer Newsletter:
A Wild Food Investigation: Cow Parsnips - A Substitute for Salt?. 8(2): 3, 2003
Acorn Processing: The Proof is in the Pudding. 4(3): 1, 1999.
Adventures in West Virginia. 5(3): 4, 2000.
Amaranth - Staple Food Source for Modern Foragers. 3(2): 1, 1998.
Anti-Nutrients in Plants. 10(1): 3, 2005.
Bull Thistle. 2(4): 1, 1997.
Cattails... Easy to Harvest, Fun to Eat. 1(1): 1, 1996.
Cattail Spikes: Pollen Means Protein. 1(2): 1, 1996.
Cattails Store Food For Winter. 1(3): 1, 1996.
Chickweed - It's the Tops . 2(4): 1, 1997.
Clamming for Cockles. 3(3): 1, 1998.
Cockles in Captivity. 3(4): 1, 1998.
Common Mallows - Overlooked & Underutilized. 7(2): 1, 2002.
Considerations on the Ideal Cattail Pollen Collector. 10(1): 1, 2005.
Cow Parsnips. 8(1): 1, 2003
Dandelions: The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly. 1(1): 1, 1996.
Dandelion Bitterness - Differing Views (Part 1). 7(1): 4, 2002.
Death Camas Toxicity. 3(2): 10, 1998.
Developing Wild Food Recipes. 6(3): 4, 2001.
Diet & Health are Protective Against Lathyrism. 9(4): 14, 2004.
Douglas Fir Chewing Gum: A Sappy Experience. 3(2): 11, 1998.
Edible Blue Camas: History and Identification. 3(1): 1, 1998.
Edible Blue Camas: Preparation Old and New. 3(2): 1, 1998.
Edible Wild Plants Defined... This May Save Your Life. 1(2): 3, 1996.
Euell Gibbons - The Father of Modern Wild Foods. 3(4): 1, 1998.
Feasting My Way Through the 26th Annual North Carolina Wild Foods Weekend. 6(2): 1, 2001
Fiddleheads from Lady Fern. 2(1): 1, 1997
Field Death Camas: History and Identification. 3(1): 1, 1998.
Forage for Florage and Foliage of Borage. 7(1): 1, 2002.
Green Mallowmallow - Something Unconventional. 8(2): 1, 2003
Groundnut - Pearls on a String. 5(2): 1, 2000.
Hairy Nightshade, Wild Spinach, & Green Amaranth. 6(2): 4, 2001.
Horse Chestnuts and Buckeyes. 7(4): 1, 2002.
Itch Relief from Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac. 4(3): 10, 1999.
Juneberries, and Thimbleberries, and Huckleberries: Oh My! 5(3): 1, 2000.
Lathyrism - What's All the Fuss About? 9(4): 1, 2004.
Making Flour from Cattail's Starch Filled Rhizomes. 4(1): 1, 1999.
Mallow's Mumbo Gumbo. 7(3): 1, 2002.
Mallow Whites, Egg Whites and Mallow Meringue. 10(2): 1, 2005.
Mallowmallow Takes on Marshmallow. 10(2): 1, 2005.
Mayapple - A Lemon Banana Guava?. 8(1): 1, 2003
Miners Lettuce. 6(1): 1, 2001.
Mining for Chanterelles. 5(4): 1, 2000.
Mistaking Poison Hemlock for Wild Carrot. 4(4): 1, 1999.
Modern Gathering Etiquette: Don't be a Wild Food Marauder. 1(2): 3, 1996.
Nettles: Naughty & Nice. 4(2): 1, 1999.
Oregon Grape: Not for the Faint of Taste. 2(2): 1, 1997.
Original Marshmallow. 7(2): 1, 2002.
Over Tapping Maple Trees. 7(1): 11, 2002.
Oxalates Schmokulates. 6(3): 1, 2001.
Paw Paw Pudding & Custard. 6(1): 1, 2001.
Personal Risk & Enlightenment . 2(4): 5, 1997.
Photosensitizing Agents, Cephalalgia, & Looks Can Kill. 8(1): 4, 2003
Poison Hemlock's Deadly Flavor. 4(4): 8, 1999.
Poison Ivy, Poison Oak. 4(2): 1, 1999.
Poison Sumac. 4(3): 10, 1999.
Primitive Technology Rendezvous Teach Wild Foods. 6(1): 3, 2001.
Processing and Using Sheep Sorrel. 6(4): 1, 2001.
Report From The First Annual GingerRoot Rendezvous. 7(4): 4, 2002.
Report From The First Annual Native Shores Rendezvous. 8(2): 1, 2003
Sassafras - Extraordinarily Flavorful Carcinogen. 3(3): 1, 1998.
Sheep Sorrel - Finding the Good Stuff. 6(3): 1, 2001.
Skunk Cabbage... Lives Up to Its Name. 2(1): 1, 1997.
Successful Approaches to Foraging. 5(3): 1, 2000.
Sweet Chestnuts. 7(4): 1, 2002.
Sword Fern - An Abundant Edible? 10(1): 1, 2005.
Sword Fern Molasses Cookies. 10(1): 4, 2005.
Tapping Maple Trees. 6(4): 1, 2001.
Tawny Day Lily - Unpredictably Tainted Fare. 5(2): 1, 2000.
Rose Hips and Vitamin C. 1(3): 1, 1996.
Wapato, Indian Potato. 1(4): 1, 1996..
Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch (Part 1). 5(4): 1, 2000.
Western Blue Elderberries. 7(3): 1, 2002.
Wild Carrot and Poison Hemlock in Flower. 5(1): 1, 2000.
Wild Carrot Flavor & Texture. 4(4): 1, 1999.
Wild Edibles Abound at U-Pick Farms. 2(2): 1, 1997.
Wild Food Roundtable. 4(1): 1, 1999.
Wild Foods - Does Anybody Sell This Stuff??!. 5(2): 10, 2000.
Wild Gourmet Garden Vegetables. 1(4): 1, 1996.
Wild Huckleberry Mallow Meringue Pie. 10(2): 7, 2005.
Wild Lettuce, a Prickly Sight. 2(3): 1, 1997.
Wild Mustard - Fine Greens Almost All Year Long. 5(1): 1, 2000.
Wild Spinach: Delicious, Nutritious, and Abundant. 1(2): 1, 1996.
Wild Sweet Pea - A Few of My Favorite Things. 9(4): 1, 2004.
Wild Thanksgiving Salad - A Christmas Story?. 8(3): 1, 2003
Wild Vegetarian Cookbook - A Book Review. 8(3): 6, 2003
Wakas, Indian Popcorn. 2(3): 1, 1997.
Writing From Experience vs Paraphrasing. 10(2): 3, 2005.
Y2K Gone, Wild Foods Persist. 5(1): 2, 2000.