March News

It’s that time again!! The morel mushroom hunt is certainly one of the most exciting forages in my opinion. Days full of walking, hyper focusing and child like joy in each and every find. Morels, like most mushrooms, require conditions being just right, there’s a precise science connected to soil temperatures, the trees associated with them, and factors such as sunlight, soil types and lay of the land, not to mention a bit of luck! For me it’s a special time, a scared time, as the window to find these beauties is short, it’s also a time shared with my good friend, who shares the joy just as much as I do. Coming out of winter ignites the fever of the hunt to the mushroom folks everywhere and kicks off the long, wonderful seasons ahead. Follow along on my social media accounts to see how this year pans out.

Markets: Wednesdays 3-6 at the Weaverville community center

March 29th Taste of local at Warren Wilson college 11-1

Monthly Special: $10 off Brain Boost tinctures. This blend of Lions Mane, Cordyceps and Maitake mushrooms, the top three mushrooms for our brains. It’s an energizing mix of brain enhancing, anti-inflammatory, immune boosting benefits. Sale prices: 1oz-$25 2oz-$35

The big four mushrooms to look out for this month are Morels, of coarse, Turkey Tail, Oysters and Pheasant Backs. I often find all these while looking for Morels. Morels can be drawn to soggy areas that have a lot of dead fall, which is where you’ll find the other three mushrooms. Oysters, Turkeys and Pheasants all grow off downed trees, sometimes on ones still standing but dying. Some tips to finding Morels: trees are super important! Look for poplar and ash, apple trees are very commonly associated as well. Drainage areas, old creek beds and hillsides can all be good if the right trees are also there. Timing is important, when ground temps average 55 degrees for five days in a row, they should start to show. We have grays, yellows, blacks and half free morels in our region. The Morel hunt is not an easy one by any means, in some cases you may be lucky enough to stumble on one which usually means there’s more around, however it could take hours of walking and combing an area that seems right. It took me several years to dial in the right environments but once I did I began looking in other areas that mimicked the area I found them in. If you go looking be sure to look out for the other three mushrooms! Happy foraging y-all!!