The Sun has been shining and we’ve kicked off our outdoor events calendar with some great shows in June. We found mushrooms in the wild and helped others grow their own. We ate a variety of mushrooms prepared in so many different ways! What a full month! Here’s a snapshot of what happened and a look at what we’ve got coming up!
Jisng Chun of House of Jeon served up an incredible vegan Korean feast for our June Dinner on the Farm. From the little splashes of Korean decor to the Mochi Mushroom Brownie Dessert, the evening totally wowed everyone who attended.
Our 2024 Music and Creativity Celebration series kicked off with photographer Randall Collura, musician Manny Perez, and chef Dale Hajdasz. Randall has traveled the world and returned with gorgeous photos and we are so pleased to have a smattering of his collection on display at the farm (They’ll be up until the end of August). We were also gifted a flatscreen TV by our very own Bob Francis which has been showing a myriad of photos on shuffle.
We were invited to hang out in Altamont at Allied Brewing’s tasting pavilion while a few live bands played. We spread some mushroom knowledge while selling a selection of our products.
We always have a lively crowd for the 2nd Sunday poetry and prose open mic.
Avery was invited to the Poestenkill Library as part of their “Let’s Dish” series. He talked about the variety of mushrooms and their textures and tastes. He even cooked up a few to sample! Photos by Donna Riley
Our first Metal Amongst the mushrooms featured two duos: No End and Radiation Blackbody plus Compress out of Holyoke Massachusetts.
We have joined with the NYS Department of Health Wadsworth Nuclear Chemistry Lab at the Empire State Plaza and a small team of mycophiles to explore the feasibility of using mycelium to remove Cesium 137 from contaminated soils across the state. This project is very much in the beginning stages and we are seeking to narrow down how to begin such an endeavor. Stay tuned for calls to action for mycologists across the state!
To read more about Cesium visit this link:
https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclide-basics-cesium-137
Ganoderma Tsugae, the Hemlock Varnish Shelf (a type of Reishi) has been popping up all over the Capital region. We harvested a bunch to make our teas and tinctures!
We’ve been cranking out our jerky products. These delicious snacks are great for adding to dishes, or just eating on their own! Available in 1 oz or 2 oz packs!
Artist Opal Hexen hid some mushroom art at our farm for the 2024 Game of Shrooms.
Check out their other art projects here: https://opalhexen.com/
Read more about the Game of Shrooms here: https://yumfactory.com/gameofshrooms/
We got a full tincture restock from Catskill Fungi.
Some of our team was able to get to Scarlet Knife in Latham to sample a dish they’ve been making with our mushrooms! Mushroom Thyme Gnocchi! It was delicious!
Ria is the house chef for Soulfire Farms and she cooked up a lion dish for their full moon solstice party!
Check out Soulfire here: https://www.soulfirefarm.org/
We got into the forest to check a few of our chanterelle spots and with all the rain we had they were really popping! Cooking them fresh from the forest and eating them around a campfire always makes them taste that much better!
We helped Nighthawk’s in Troy set up garden boxes on their sidewalk. A variety of oyster mushrooms have already started fruiting!
We offer 5$ for all you can carry compost! Using Mushroom compost in your garden beds helps to balance the PH, adds nitrogen, helps retain moisture, and attracts other decomposers (like worms and beetles) who are great for aerating!
A Recipe For You:
We tossed some lion’s mane strips with Z’atar seasoning, salt, pepper and olive oil then sauteed them up and served them as part of a chickpea bulgur bowl!
Za’atar Lion Strips:
Cut lion’s mane into ¼ “ thick strips
Toss in a bowl with a hefty drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and enough za’atar seasoning to completely coat.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan. Cook lion strips thoroughly.
Remove from heat and toss with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Serve over salad, on a grain bowl, or as filling for a gyro or taco!
Psilocybin Corner:
Our June NYMHA Meeting focused on updating everyone about bill A10375 sponsored by Assembly Health Committee Chair Amy Paulin. This was a bill drafted by our own Allison Hoots with our teams’ input and edits. Allison gave a brief run down of what the bill would mean. We also talked about building and activating more advocate nodes across the state and what that would look like.
Watch the Full June Meeting Here:
NYMHA June 2024 Monthly Meeting
The idea of a permit style bill is gaining traction with advocates and lawmakers all across the country. We had a meeting with folks in New Hampshire, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and California about ways we can collaborate and share resources as we navigate the legal waters around creating a pathway forward. Check out this policy brief by Gregory Ferenstein from Reason Foundation for more information:
Our team is working on a comprehensive psilocybin studies list that will be posted to our NYMHA webpage soon.
Our Next Meeting Is Tuesday, July 9th at 7pm. Zoom link below.
Coming Soon:
New Yorkers for Mental Health Alternatives Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, July 9th 7pm – 8:30pm. We’ll be talking about next steps and how we can push to make access to psilocybin happen for New Yorkers. Join remotel;y via zoom here:
2nd Sunday Poetry and Prose, Sunday, July 12th 2pm – 3:30pm
Metal Amongst the Mushrooms, Sunday, July 12th doors at 3pm, music 4 – 7 Featuring Dead Arise, 10 50 Nightmare, and Gasmask. Food by Pretty Pig Provisions. Check the weather, if it is supposed to storm this will be rescheduled.
The Poetry of Barb Ungar and friends Saturday, July 20th. 6pm – 8pm.
For the Love of Fungi 3 Saturday, July 27. Our friends at Mycophilic are putting together the third year of the For the Love of Fungi Festival in Ashokan at the Ashokan Center! Be sure to check it out! Avery will be giving a talk on the state of psilocybin legalization as well as the NYS Dept of Health Cesium remediation project.
https://www.mycophilic.net/for-the-love-of-fungi
Identifying Mushrooms in the Wild Thursday, August 1st. 6:30 – 8pm Clifton Park Halfmoon Library. 475 Moe Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065
https://events.cphlibrary.org/event/10934364
Metal Amongst the Mushrooms Saturday, August 10th doors at 3. Music 4 – 7:30pm. Featuring Schenectavoids, Life Abuse, and Horse Grave.
Adirondack Mushroom Mania 2024 Saturday August 24th 2024. As part of the mania, we will be curating a mushroom dining experience in collaboration with Chef David Stein on Friday, August 23rd, ! Stay tuned for details.
Dinner on the Farm Featuring Chef Kate Ray, Saturday, September 7th, 5:30 – 8:30pm. More details coming soon.
Music and Creativity Collaboration featuring Artist Rebecca Santosuosso and Psytrance DJ Songsten Saturday, September 14th. 5:30 – 8:30+ (NOTE: DATE CHANGE). Food provided by Pretty Pig Provisions.
Rebecca Giel Santosuosso is an abstract artist working out of Troy, NY with a BFA from the College of Saint Rose, a BA in Psychology from SUNY Albany as well as a pending Master’s in the same subject. She works in mental health, feeding concepts from her clinical work back into her art through themes of identity, divinity, and social justice. You can find more of her work at rebeccagiel.com
DJ Songsten: Old World Old School Old Style. “I like to travel like Doctor Who with all these worlds in my hard drive…”
Collar City Mushrooms 
Hi there. Not sure how I missed your June dinner on the farm, but I am interested in coming to your July or August dinner. Have dates been set for those? Please let me know. Tks, Marilyn Konefal
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Hi Marilyn, Our next dinner on the farm will be September 7th by Chef Kate Ray. We do have a dinner event in August but it is in the ADK at the Adirondack Experience during their mushroom mania event!
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