Mushroom intuition never ceases to amaze me. Yet lately I've found myself shocked by the lack of reference I have witnessed in our communities.
I feel fortunate to have grown up mushroom picking. One of my first memories is going to the mushroom depot then taking our earnings and going for icecream. Mushrooms equalled the key to my desires 😂 I don't even remember eating them, I just remember equating mushrooms with money.
These days my goal is to provide for my family with things year round before I offer them to the public for sale. I am what some may call a subsistence farmer/forager. I'm not there yet with edible mushrooms but perhaps one day... For me mushroom hunting is about having a connection with the land, trusting the flow and eating healthy.
This year I am baffled as I'm suddenly seeing sooooo many people selling mushrooms. Mushrooms are everywhere online. I am seeing them in adds having been pulled out of the ground. In FB groups being harvested in large amounts before an proper ID is made and some spots in the woods where every mushroom has been taken. Folks are harvesting so much with no where to sell them that they are complaining that they are turning bad🤦♀️
Trust me, I get it. Many folks are looking for ways to make cash at this time. Though I hope more people can take some time to check in with how they walk on the land.
If you are a new harvester or even if you feel seasoned.
My invitation is to:
ask someone to show you how to ID & harvest any new item.
Know your lookalikes.
Ask questions about who's land your on. Bonus points for making an effort to introduce yourself and your intentions.
Have a plan for your harvest (recipes ready, buyers in place)
Gift a part of your harvest/ make an offering.
Ask yourself how you can help the land you are harvesting from.
Leave some: to spore, for others.
Buy from folks who follow these practices.
Anything else ya'll think could be added here?
Let me know!