Here we go into fall. Things are cooling down in the Blue Ridge Mountains as we move into September, but the mushrooms will go on! Many summer mushrooms will continue into the month such as Chanterelles, Boletes, Milkies, Chickens and others. There will also be a new set coming up, Honey mushrooms, Maitake (hen of the wood), Blewits, shrimp of the wood and Lions Mane to name a few. Fall can be a truly refreshing time to be in the forest, with cooler temps in the air and bright colors on the trees. Lots to look forward still. I’ll be continuing mushroom tours and home visits into this month, typically is the last month I do them for the year.
***I will be traveling in the middle of the month for a week and a half and some orders may be delayed. ***
Exciting new product collaboration! I teamed up with Midge from Mudhouse Farm Soaps to offer a Chaga infused soap! She has made a master blend of organic ingredients such as Coconut, olive, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, rosemary and melissa essential oils. These are now for sale at the markets when I vend, also in my shop page here on the website. I’ve been using them and love it, no more regular soap for me! Bars are $7.
Markets:
4M Festival in Slyva: 9/3 https://www.jacksonartsmarket.com/about-4
East Asheville: I’ll be there 9/2, 9/9 and 9/30
Burnsville/Yancey County: 9/10 only
Monthly Special: This months special is $10 off all Cordyceps tinctures. I have double extracted and vegetable glycerin Cordyceps tinctures in 1oz or 2oz. The variety is Cordyceps Militaris. Cordyceps has a long history in medicinal use around the globe, especially in Asia. Here’s a clip of Paul Staments talking Corcyceps: https://youtu.be/wRwtxGoL_-A
Benefits include: Brain function and health, Anti-Cancer and Anti-Aging properties, help fight diabetes, immune system boost, helps endurance athletes, improves sexual function, improves liver and kidney function.
These are just some what’s happening in the forest now. Turkey Tail is a personal favorite medicinal, as well as Lions Mane. These two fight cancer, and are a true gift to find and forage. Both will grow into fall for the next few months. Chanterelles will grow into the first few weeks of this month. Chicken of the Wood and Puffballs will be here through the month. The Boletes and Milkies should also stick around for a bit. The Blewits are good but should be taken with caution, it does have a close look alike called a violet cort which are a bit smaller, the side by side pictures are above and you can see how close they look alike! Corals as a family are mostly edible, yellow coral should always be avoided, the crown tipped are the only ones I eat in small quantities, as a family they are known to cause digestive issues. I quick reminder on the Boletes is that most are edible but taste rather bitter, there’s about six or seven good edible varieties and I always say to stay away from blue staining ones, even though there a few edible blue staining ones (just not worth it). And new on the scene will be Honey mushrooms! These are delicious and grow in large clusters, there are ringed and ringless varieties.
My plant of the month is Rattlesnake Plantain. Tea made with roots is used for snake bites, leaf tea mixed with whiskey is used for improving appetite, treat colds, kidney ailments, blood tonic and tooth aches. It’s actually an Orchid and has a stem of tiny orchids that shoot out of the middle.
Happy September all, embrace the fall as she comes and get out in the woods!