The area fungal abundance continued with the early onset of circle every oak season! Amy, our expert Maitake huntress, has been finding hens and chickens all through September! Our farm share customers, market guests, and restaurant partners have all benefitted from the bounty!
We’ve updated our mushroom extract poster to add the new Oyster Mushroom tincture that hit the shelves in September.
We found so many fungi during our annual camping trip to the Adirondacks.
The Global Foundries Cafe celebrated Mushroom Month in September and made a variety of fungi themed dishes every Wednesday.
We’ve been talking to the team at the NYS Department of Health about a plan to orchestrate a fungal survey across the state in order to track concentrations of heavy metals and salts. If YOU are a forager or mushroom expert in NY, We need YOUR help!
Chef David Stein served up an incredible feast using mostly produce from his garden and wild foraged and farmed fungi! The Meadowdale Winery was a new venue for us and it worked out perfectly!
Not only did we have success foraging locally, we also brought in a few specialty mushrooms from the Pacific Northwest that don’t grow as prolifically in our area.
Suny Albany Sustainable Food Systems Honors class visited and learned all about fungi as food.
We’re participating in a Cornell University and Dairy One study to evaluate metabolites left in Lion’s Mane fruiting substrate bags.
We taught a fungi identification class at Indian Ladder Farms.
The New Moon Mycology Summit was a fantastic weekend to enjoy some fungal content and meet fellow mycophiles.
The New York Farm Bureau Legislative tour included Collar City Mushrooms as one of the 5 farms visited by almost 80 lawmakers, legislative staff, Ags and Markets employees, and Farm Bureau staff.
Rensselaer County Farm Bureau hosted its annual Policy dinner at Guiseppe’s in Pittstown.
We’re playing with a few new cultures. Like the wrinkled peach mushroom we got from Jake at the Mushroom Shop during the New Moon Mycology Summit. We will not be selling these. Just experimenting.
With Mr Bluesky fully functional we’ve started producing a few new cultures of mushrooms. We should have regular supplies of Black Pearl Oyster, King Trumpets, and Pioppino, and then splashes of a few specialty mushrooms like Beech.
The Pine Hills Neighborhood opened up a new farmers market on the property formerly known as St Rose. Every Thursday from 5pm – 8pm. This market runs through October.
Foraged Finds and Fabrications
September is always a wonderful month for foraging! Lots of plants mature and if there’s rain, there will be tons of fungi!
When foraging fungi to consume, it is important to learn the characteristics of those mushrooms that are toxic. The Destroying Angel is responsible for multiple deaths in the United States every year.
Mark and Sage from The Giving Trees will be coming to the Capital Region to do an acorn harvesting and processing workshop. Friday 10/2 from 4 – 7pm. See below for details.
Goldenrod grows prolifically around our barn at Indian Ladder and we decided we couldn’t skip another season without harvesting some and turning it into a tincture. Solidago is purported to help with seasonal allergies, is an expectorant, and improves kidney function.
PSILOCYBIN CORNER
During our September meeting we discussed our August actions and started planning for November’s Fall Fungal Frolic. We also talked about the potential FDA approval of Compass 360.
Watch the full meeting HERE.
Follow THIS LINK to fill out an individual Statement of Support for our psilocybin policy efforts.
Follow THIS LINK to fill out an Organizational Statement of Support.
For our October NYMHA Monthly Member meeting we’ll be planning the November 21st Fall Fungal Frolic Fundraiser. We’ll be in person at Indian Ladder Farms or access our meeting via zoom at the link below!
We need YOUR stories! If you are interested in helping change the hearts and minds of our state law makers with your story, please let us know. EMAIL Avery HERE.
When Collar City Mushrooms was visited by the Farm Bureau legislative tour, we made sure to have our position on psilocybin legislation very apparent.
Avery was invited to speak during a “Tiny Talk” event hosted by Susie Davidson Powell at Lucas Confectionary. We had a very engaged crowd that also included New York Senator Christopher Ryan (D: 50th District).
The FDA hosted a 2 hour public hearing on using psychedelics as medicine. Our friend and fellow advocate Eileen Brewer gave testimony on how psilocybin impacts people with cluster headache.
COMING SOON
Foraged New York and The Giving Trees Presents an Acorn Workshop, Friday, October 3rd 4pm – 7pm. Elm Avenue Park in Delmar (261 Elm Avenue, Delmar, NY 12054: meet at one of the Pavilions in the woods across from the play ground) 4 – 6pm we’ll be collecting Acorns from various oak trees and talking about the different kinds of oaks. 6 – 7 Mark and Sage from The Giving Trees will lead an acorn processing discussion and workshop and we’ll sample some treats made with acorn flour! Treats will be available for sale. The workshop is FREE, but donations are appreciated.
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New Yorkers for Mental Health Alternatives Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, October 13th 7pm – 8pm. This monthly meeting we’ll be Planning for the Fall Fungal Frolic.
Join remotely via zoom here:
Mushroom Book Club, Date still TDB – But will be early November. We are reading Animal Mycophiles. Author Eva Gordon will be joining us via zoom. Stay Tuned for more info.
A Mushroom Experience Dinner Featuring Chef David Chaiken Saturday, November 14th 5:30pm – 7:30pm. A 4 course plant and fungi based dinner. Suggested pairings will be available for purchase. Menu coming soon.
Get tickets HERE.
NYMHA Fall Fungal Frolic Fundraiser @ Indian Ladder Farms, Saturday, Nov 21. Details to follow. But will include an educational panel, live music, and food! SAVE THE DATE! For more information see the Eventbrite link HERE.
