It’s August and the last month of summer already! This will be a prime month to see the most variety of fungi in the forest. The Bolete family is in full swing with over 2000 different kinds! The milky, jelly, and polypore mushrooms are out there, along with Chanterelles, Chickens, Cauliflowers and the toothed varieties. It’s all going on. It’s been exciting for me to travel to peoples property and walk their land, finding mushrooms and plants. I’ve met some great folks and look forward to seeing more. Walks are available through out the month with the exception of a week when I may be out of town. The month of September I will be gone the first 3 weeks traveling, so August will be a busy time for walks, if interested just contact me.
Markets this month: Happy to be adding my new home town market of Leicester to the mix. That market will happen on Wednesdays at the Leicester community center right off Leicester Hwy. It runs from 3:30-6:30. I plan to be at the opening day on the 4th, and I will be there all this month.
Another new market is Mavericks Freedom Market in Weaverville. This market takes place at 108 Monticello Road East Entrance 28787. It is on Tuesdays from 3-6. I will there on the 3rd.
East Asheville tailgate: August 6th, 20th and 27th.
Yancey County market: August 14th, 21tst and 28th.
Monthly special is on Mullein tincture. My latest and greatest. I’m doing $25-2oz double extracted tinctures and $15-1oz double extracted tinctures, that’s $10 off each. Mullein is an amazing plant, it improves respiratory health, especially lungs, nose and throat. Helps fight the flu, treat upper respiratory infections, coughs and asthma. Seems an important medicine to be using right now.
oysters 
shaggy stalk bolete 
black trumpet 
cauliflower 
beefsteak 
black staining polypore 
Corals 
Leatherback milkies 
lobsters
Here’s some of what you might be seeing in the forest right now! The mushroom families representing are corals, milkies, boletes, polypores, jellies, gilled and toothed fungus. Some of the more unusual ones are the lobster mushroom which actually devours other mushrooms to become the bright orange lobster claw. The shaggy stalk bolete, has a very unique stem that is webbed. Lilac and dee purple corals, also blue indigo milkies for their colors. The beefsteak is slimy and when cut looks like raw steak and it is one of the very few mushrooms that can eaten raw. Needless to say there is a ton of variety in the forest right now. I really enjoy making a wild mushroom melody over rice, or in tacos, pizza, pasta, the possibilities are endless! Foraging wild mushrooms and cooking them is a whole experience and calls for creativity in the kitchen. When I lead walks I ask people to send me photos of the meals they make with the mushrooms and love to see the responses.
I’m excited to be in a new home town store. Grateful Roots is a wonderful store and cafe in Leicester, right off 63, Leicester Hwy. They carry organic products and make some super good food. They will be carrying some of my products!
Until next month……..