The 2025 Wild Foods Cook Off is scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, at the Sandhills Rod and Gun Club, 149 O.G. Reynolds Road in Ellerbe. Hunters, fishermen (and women!), foragers and culinary adventurers alike all look forward to this annual event, where one might taste a dish made of bear, rattlesnake, or greenbriar on offer. Dishes are entered in one of three categories: Wild Game (any meat, including deer, turkey, or fish), non-dessert dishes featuring wild fruits, nuts, or plants, and finally the dessert category, also featuring a wild foraged ingredient.

Interested in throwing your hat in the ring with a favored dish or ingredient? Check out the Rules for entry below; anyone entering a dish gets in with two free tickets. No dish? No problem! Tickets are only $5, with children under 6 free.

Check-in for entries begins at 6 pm and closes promptly at 6:30 pm, when tasting and judging begins. Voting is "people's choice": everyone receives one ticket for each of the three categories, plus one more to chose the "Best Overall" dish. In addition to bragging rights, the Best Overall winner will receive a great prize! While the tickets are being tallied, a presentation by Erin Barnes, Richmond County 4-H Agent, will guide everyone in hands-on Knot Tying Basics instruction.

No registration is required. Please call the office for additional information, 910.997.8255. The Wild Foods Cook Off is sponsored by the Sandhills Rod and Gun Club, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Richmond County, and the Martha Faye Crafters.