We fruit. We spore. We send hope with the wind that our spores will land in a favorable environment, will grow, will flourish… but sometimes, they land and struggle, land and die; the future is ever uncertain. As much as we tried to find financing to purchase the building out of which we’ve been operating, we have hit hurdle after hurdle. Commercial financing for an urban agricultural business whose revenue frequently dips below expenses was deemed too risky by all the standard lending sources, and by the time a private lender was finally secured with the help of a loan broker, it was too late. A new owner is in the process of taking over 333 2nd Ave and it is unclear if or how long we’ll be able to operate in our home in Lansingburgh. We are currently exploring our options for continuing to provide fresh nutritious mushrooms to the capital region. Huge thanks to all of our supporters who have shown up for events, engaged with our community, and bought mushrooms to share with their friends and family. Stay tuned for news about our next steps, for now we are continuing to plan as if we will be occupying our current farm.
In other news our beloved Sam is moving on to focus full time on her studies, and our open hours are shifting again. Lastly, one of our most ardent supporters, investors, and family has unexpectedly passed. Amy’s father, Chuckie, was one of our first Collar City Mushrooms fans. He loved nature, sustainability, and his family. His absence will be huge in our lives.
Close friend and chosen family, Andrew Rodd, also passed away in October. He stepped up as a volunteer to help get Collar City Mushrooms going in 2020 and continued to support throughout our operation.
We ask for patience and understanding as all of these changes shake out. Check our social media feeds on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news. (Read the entire newsletter – or at least scroll to the end – for a Fresh Mushroom Coupon to be used in our farm store during November.)
And now, a look back at how we spread our mycelium throughout October, and what we’re planning for the future.
We were finally able to delve into the creation of a 3 phase mushroom extract. We started with Lion’s Mane mushrooms as this amazing fungi has reached a bit of mainstream notoriety because of its impacts on mental acuity and neural health! We started with a cold water soak, then a long simmer in a crockpot, and finally an alcohol extraction. Using all three steps ensure that the full array of polysaccharides as well as terpenes are pulled from the fruit bodies and made bio-available in liquid form.
The 4th and final class at Hudson Valley Community College always focuses on mushrooms as part of health and wellcare. There are so many different mushrooms, and so many ways they can aid in recovering from or preventing various conditions. We also make sure to spend a few minutes on psilocybin-containing mushrooms, including the effects of microdosing and what happens during a macro dose. Avery will be teaching another round of this class in the spring.
Belonging to the Rensselaer County Farm Bureau has its perks! Including borrowing a thermal camera in order to find sources of heat. We took pictures of blocks growing in our grow rooms and the amount of heat generated when blocks are touching each other was impressive to see!
Amy and Avery attended the annual all member Rensselaer County meeting and discussed why we are seeking to redefine farming to include urban agriculture and growing on limited acreage. As we sought to purchase the building our farm leased, we were either denied by traditional lenders because they wouldn’t loan to agricultural businesses, or denied Agricultural funding because we didn’t have enough land. With the uncertainty of the climate and wide swings in weather recently, the future of agriculture will necessarily move more and more inside. We are working to ensure that future controlled environment farms do not encounter the same hurdles that we did.
October was a great month for finding Chicken of the Woods! Amy traipsed through the capital region forests and was able to pull several beautiful fruitings out and we sent them along to both restaurants and individuals!
One of our main mushroom supporter friends is also a Hip Hop Scholar at SUNY Albany. Amber teaches writing, poetry, and modern hip hop. Last semester she hosted a panel of local artists in her class, and this fall we hosted them for a performance. Soulistic Vegan was in the house slinging incredible vegan noms!
Elizag performs a poem during the Second Sunday poetry and prose open mic with the incredible art by Rebecca Giel Santosuosso as a backdrop.
We are so sad to see Rebecca’s art come down! Our farm team and visitors have really enjoyed having her canvases decorating our walls.
The RPI Biopunk class taught by Kathy High came through for a field trip to discuss mushroom cultivation and using mushrooms for building materials and art.
Our Mushroom Book Club wrapped up its discussion on Aurora Kane’s Mystical Mushrooms book. This wonderfully illustrated book was a little light on meaningful content. It provided a nice surface glance at the impact of mushrooms on a variety of cultures across the world.
The Game on our Table
October’s game was MYCOLOGY. A beautifully designed game that was easy to learn and flowed with the mycelium very well.
New Mushroom Outlets!
You can now get tasty morsels including our mushrooms served up at Lost and Found in Albany, and the Saratoga Winery!
https://www.thesaratogawinery.com/dine
https://www.lostandfoundalbany.com/
Psilocybin Corner:
Our next meeting is Tuesday, November 12th at 7pm. In person at the farm, or through zoom at the link below in the COMING SOON Section. Author Eugenia Bone will be our guest speaker. She’ll be talking about her recently published book, Have a Good Trip, and some of the science behind what is happening when you have a psychedelic experience.
New York Senator Nathalia Fernandez (D, 34th district) was our guest speaker in October. Watch the entire meeting here:
NYMHA October Meeting Featuring NYS Senator Nathalia Fernandez 10 08 24
We also discussed creating a coalition of psychedelic adjacent groups called New Yorkers for Wellness Options. Check out our work in progress logo designed by Jake Blaydes.
Do you have an organization that would like to join New Yorkers for Wellness Options in support? Let us know!
Indian Ladder Farms will be hosting a NYMHA fundraiser on November 9th. The evening will include a panel, live music by the Roadside Assistants, a DJ set from DJ Lucas, and food from local chefs and volunteers. There will also be a silent auction with lots of great items from local breweries, art from a few incredible creatives, a raffle for a private foraging trip with Amy and Avery, and a cannabis popup by Royale Flowers Dispensary. Tickets are just $50.
The Hard copies of The Natural Farmer came out and Avery has 2 articles published in the fall edition. The digital copies will be released in a few months and we’ll share the entire content then.
Check out this brief eClinical Article on the long term effects of psilocybin-containing mushrooms on patients with major depressive disorder:
As always see www.NYMHA.com for more information about our advocacy efforts in New York.
COMING SOON:
Fall Fungal Frolic Fundraiser for New Yorkers for Mental Health Alternatives, Saturday, November 9th, 4pm – 9pm @ Indian Ladder Farms (342 Altamont Rd, Altamont, NY 12009) Our inaugural fundraiser for our psilocybin advocacy efforts will feature local chefs, live music, a DJ, cash bar, and an educational panel. More details in the section above.
2nd Sunday Poetry and Prose, Sunday, November 10th, 2pm – 3pm. All open mic poetry and prose.
November Monthly NYMHA Meeting, Tuesday, November 12th, 7pm – 8:30pm. Guest speaker Eugenia Bone will join us for a discussion of her just published book: Have A Good Trip”
Join via zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81854729934?pwd=ZE4xSlJKdm1hbWN0Z3o4UnFBOHJuZz09
Mushroom Games Amongst the Mushrooms, Saturday, November 23rd 5pm – 7pm. We will be learning about an upcoming new game called Shroomscape. The design team will be in house and lead groups through playtesting the game. It will launch on Kickstarter next year and they are looking for feedback.
A Mushroom Experience At Indian Ladder Farms with Chef Matt Olley, Saturday, December 7th, 5pm – 7pm. Chef Matt Olley is once again cooking up an incredible mushroom forward multicourse meal that will be served at Indian Ladder Farms (342 Altamont Rd, Altamont,NY 12009) Tickets will be available to purchase starting Nov 7th through eventbrite, or today through our farm store. Menu Coming Soon.
https://www.facebook.com/share/rmwQPwMQBqCBZNac/
December Monthly NYMHA Meeting, Tuesday December 10th, 7pm – 8:30pm. Dr Michael Beug will join us to discuss his efforts in spreading awareness of the efficacy of psilocybin-containing mushrooms on the west coast.
Join via zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81854729934?pwd=ZE4xSlJKdm1hbWN0Z3o4UnFBOHJuZz09
Come in to our farm store during the month of November and show us the below coupon on your phone for a discount on Fresh Mushrooms. 1 use only!
Collar City Mushrooms 