"Thanks, this is as I expected with the laws.  I will be trying chain-fruit and the despised teddy bear chollas over the next few days."

"Hi,
We harvested the buds of the chain-fruit cholla last year, this year we are harvesting the buds from the buck horn and stag horn.  First, they are not at all like nopal cactus pads.  To remove the spines we used the method depicted in the photo…"

"My mother and father use to harvest them in Awatukee many, many years ago before there was any businesses, houses, etc. so there was no restrictions. Very long poles with hooks were used to yank them to the ground. I buy nopales at the mexican…"

"I have collected with the Desert Botanical Garden before.  They never mentioned a permit that I remember.  I know plenty of people that collect without a permit, however I called the Forest Service to see what they had to say.  Interestingly they…"

"Thanks Rachel!"

"I remember reading descriptions about it in, I believe, Coming Home to Eat, by Gary Paul Nabhan. You can buy nopales in some grocery stores, but I don't think I've ever seen cholla for sale... I read that you describe it as a cross between asparagus…"

"I'm not sure you are legally allowed to harvest cholla buds on state land. Or on Indian land, either.

I'd assume you cook them the same way you'd cook prickly pears."