News - 2006

October, 2006

President Tom Keller will present the program "Identification of Northwest Mushrooms, an Overview."

There were 10 who went on the field trip to Ostroms Mushroom Plant on September 30. We saw the preparation process and some of the challenges commercial mushroom growing faces. We observed myriad tables of prolifically growing Agaricus, and each of us got a basket of fresh mushrooms to take home! Richard Glass took a lot of photos we hope will be available at the meeting. (Thanks, Richard for the ones you sent via e-mail, but not everyone got to see those.)
The November meeting will feature a hands-on cooking program. December is our potluck
Raffle tickets were sold for 3/$1.50.
The program for November will be about cooking with mushrooms. Please bring a mushroom dish to share and the recipe for it. If you would be willing to do a demonstration, that would be WONDERFUL!! But consider that facilities for cooking are very limited.

Report from recent hunts by Melodie, Gloria and others: Chanterelles, but not as many as hoped Sparassis, wormy Oyster mushrooms (Yum!) Puffballs Laccaria amethestina - - pretty but not good to eat

Richard Gaines will conduct mushroom workshops November 10-12 at Long Beach, WA and November 24-26 in Lobster Valley, OR. The cost is $100 per person.

Getting to Know Mushrooms, Their Diversity, and Their Uses This fall I am offering two, weekend, mushroom foraging workshops. The workshops will be held at two beautiful locations. Cabins, group cooking and meeting facilities are provided. Come prepared with sleeping bag, and food for the weekend. Our potluck style dinners will feature some of the fungal fructifications we forage. Participants will learn basic safe and sane identification and foraging skills as well as about the edibility and other uses of Mushrooms and Lichens. People are encouraged to arrive and settle in on Friday. Additional accommodations can be found in near by towns. Workshop # 1 - Fungal Foraging by the Sea Sherwood Forest Camp Nov 10th -12th: Workshop will be held on southwest Washington's, Long Beach Peninsula. The site is twelve miles north of the town of Long Beach on the Willapa Bay side of the peninsula. This camp has cabins in various degrees of renovation, a central cooking and gathering house, as well as a sauna and showers. Other camping space is also plentiful. Dyeing (not dying) with mushrooms and Lichens may also be included in the workshop. There could be some oyster and clam picking as well. Workshop # 2 - Mushrooming for Food, for Form and for Dye Making Lobster Valley: Nov. 24th-26th : Workshop is held on a willow farm and home of the Ancient Arts and Technologies learning and workshop center. It is located in Lobster Valley twelve miles out of the tiny town of Alsea in Oregon's coastal mountains. Lodging will be in cabins and a yurt. There is a central cooking and meeting house. There is also space for camping. Additional instruction on dyeing (not dying) with mushrooms and lichens is also offered. Instructor, Richard Gaines: Has over twenty five years experience identifying and foraging for mushrooms; has college mycology background; has been an active member of mushrooming and mycology clubs and organizations. Additional instructor (workshop # 2) Margaret Mathewson, from Lobster Valley: Has a Ph.D. in ethnobotany specializing in fiber arts, has many years experience teaching primitive technologies and keeps an exceptional, diverse, and productive garden landscape on her willow farm. Cost, Contact and Registration The cost of these seminars is $100 per participant. A $ 20 deposit will assure you a spot. Group size is limited and is on a first come first serve basis. For motivated individuals alternate payment arrangements are possible. Dogs are discouraged. For questions call workshop sites; Sherwood Forest, 360 665-4733 or 360 665-4750 - Lobster Valley, 541 486-4311 For registration, information and directions, contact me, Richard Gaines at: 360 349-1319 or rgaines3@earthlink.net.

We welcomed several members whom we had not seen for some time, as well as some new attenders. President Tom Keller presented a program with photos of mushrooms to be found here in the Pacific Northwest. The raffle featured many baskets of various sizes and designs. Everyone who bought tickets was a winner!!

September, 2006

SSMC started a new season on Sept. 20, 2006 with Tom Keller presiding. The Sunshine person will be Helen Todd - - let her know of members who could use an encouraging word. The program was Genetic Diversity of Mushrooms and recent research of underground mycorrhizal structure, given by Richard Glass.

Sept. 30 will be a trip to Ostromâs; meet with Mr. Street, the owner, at the farm at 9:30 a.m.

Dave Yates will look into the location of the CleElum fires for the spring hunting of corals, puffballs and morels. Richard Gaines showed some fragrant matsutake - - it was a surprise to find them before chanterelles.
The summer picnic was reported as great - - with eleven members attending. The day was nice and the food great.

May, 2006

The May meeting will be held at the Roslyn foray. The ID table there should be awesome!!!

The August picnic will be on Sunday, August 20, 2006 at the Yates'. We hope the weather will be good enough for swimming and boating (we have a couple of canoes, a rowboat and a paddle boat.)

Did you see the recent news story in the May 4 Olympian about mushroom poisoning? Apparently some local folks ate Amanita pantherina, thinking they were edible. MISTAKE!!! Some excerpts from the article:

Three people were hospitalized Wednesday after eating poisonous mushrooms. Two were in intensive care, Thurston County's Public Health Officer reported.

They picked the mushrooms because they look similar to ones they could find in Thailand. Doctors expect them to recover, and one already was able to communicate.

[Health Officer] Diana Yu thinks the mushroom species is amanita pantherina, which is bowl-shaped when mature but resembles store-bought mushrooms when smaller. They're toxic but not usually deadly and distinguishable by white bumps or warts on the surface.

March, 2006

By the end of this month we should be finding the false morel, Verpa bohemica - - also a good edible, if you take a few precautions. Look for cottonwood trees near water and look among the fallen leaves.

February, 2006

The Oregon white truffle grows as far north as British Columbia - - so there is a good chance we can find them near by. With a small rake (minus a truffle dog or pig) loosen the soil over the roots of Douglas firs. Mature truffles have a garlicky scent. Restore the soil after searching.
Get an early start looking for the false morel, Verpa bohemica. Look for cottonwood trees near water and look among the fallen leaves.

January, 2006

Oregon truffle lovers! There is a big event for you January 27 to 29. Call Steven Remington (541) 517-6707 for hunts, tours, cooking, lectures, and workshops all on this Oregon delicacy.