June Newsletter

It’s a new month and with it brings some exciting news. This month I will begin leading mushroom and plant ID walks! I will adding dates and times on my calendar for folks to sign up. The price is $30 a person and walks last about an hour and a half to 2 hours. I have had increased interest in private walks one on one or just a few people which is great and I’m always happy to do. If you’d like me to come to your property the cost is a bit higher at $50 an hour. At this time I plan to limit group sizes to 3-5 total for each walk. I have been out in the woods quite a bit and keeping a close eye on what’s growing and popping out. I have seen several varieties of mushrooms with Chicken of the Wood on my radar. I will be starting the second week of this month. Some dates are set and available if you click the Book Now button. ****If you don’t see a date for your availability, contact me at blueridgechaga@gmail.com and I can most likely make it happen! I am very flexible on times and days.****

This month is also the opening of the East Asheville Tailgate Market. It will begin Friday, June 5th and run from 3-6 pm in the same location as last year off Tunnel road. I will be vending this market as well as Weaverville on Wednesdays and Black Mountain on Saturdays. I will not be at every market but will announce when I will be at each one on social media each week. I always enjoy doing the local markets very much because of the chance to connect with new people and vendors in our community.

This spring has brought a wild abundance of Reishi, which is wonderful. Every season is different as we know times can change rapidly, so can mother nature and the natural world, last year was a decent Reishi year but this year is most abundant! Many people are unaware that the white edges can be eaten and are rather delicious! Reishi is one of the most powerfully medicinal mushrooms on the planet as well.

Some of the highlights of this month are exciting, top of the list is the COW, or Chicken Of The Woods. This one is easy to identify and a most sought after mushroom. Chickens taste best when found young, they get a bit tough as they fan out. You can make a variety of dishes with chickens that are truly delicious. Another great find is the Wood Ear mushroom. You can find this mushroom in many Asian dishes. This one is also an easy one to pick out in the woods. Also out in full force are polypore mushrooms. This is one of the safest families to forage and are often used in soup stocks. The most sought after one being Turkey Tail. Turkey Tail is identified by it’s colorful rings and white underside. Turkey Tail is a medicinal wonder and can used to make teas and tinctures. Polypores have no gills but rather teeth or pores underneath. They are some of the prettiest mushrooms you’ll see.

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I can’t wait to get back to teaching and hope to see some new faces out on a walk in the woods with me. I’ve had a super successful spring forage so far, harvesting beautiful Reishi and Chaga. Finding the king and queen on the same hike is always a super highlight for me and recently I did just that. I’ve been busy cutting, smashing, drying, preparing teabags, tinctures and filling jars to bring to all those who seek out great health and immune boosting goodness. Hope to see ya’ll soon!!

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