The Mushroom Foray – October 29th : Possible projects include hops tincture (sleep aid), dandelion tonic or edible greens, lambs quarters greens, and the antioxidant-rich immunity booster, elderberry syrup. If we are lucky, wild maitake (hen of the woods) or chicken of the woods mushrooms will be available to make a soup or stir-fry. (we will do one or two of these). Ethical, forest-friendly harvesting methods will be discussed.
Come prepared for a fun walk in the woods to observe and forage for wild edible plants and possibly mushrooms, depending on what is available and in season. We will prepare a shared dish or two featuring wild edibles and possibly a tincture made of wild-forged herbs.
This class is good for a newbie, but if you have them, bring your favorite manuals and books so that we can share our knowledge, experience, and favorite wild-foraged foods and medicines. Bug spray, layered, protective clothing, and shoes or boots suitable for walking through the woods are recommended.
Facilitator:
Marie Erb-Crow has gathered and prepared wild edible plants and herbs since childhood. For seven years she ran a landscape design company specializing in eco-friendly design and woodland property preservation.
A firm believer that food is medicine, she makes her own sleep aids and tonic tinctures and she harvests and prepares wild mushrooms and edible plants for her family.
Interested in learning to identify local fungi?
In this beginner’s workshop of mushroom identification basics, you’ll learn some of the “do”s and “don’t”s of wild mushroom hunting, then spend time in the woods collecting mushrooms to practice identifying. Once we have our gathered mushrooms, the instructor will take us through some of the basic language and taxonomy of mycology, and we’ll spend some time applying these terms to identify our specimens. Learning will also include how to use a field guide, and the ethics of collecting wild mushrooms.
Please bring drinking water, a knife, a small trowel, small-to-medium paper bags, a collecting basket, and some way to keep time so you don’t wander too far during the gathering portion.
If you are sincere about pursuing mushroom knowledge, it is recommended that you acquire at least one field guide and bring it to the workshop.
**This workshop is limited to 15 participants**
Workshop Date: July 9, 10am- 12pm Cost: $30
Location: Hunt Valley, MD Instructor: Daniel Kemp
**Notice of cancellation must be given 48-hrs in advance of any of our workshops or events in order to request a refund. Cancellations are subject to a $5 restocking fee. **
About the Instructor
Daniel has spent years among indigenous cultures in North America, Asia and the South Pacific, living with various medicine men and women being the recipient of both their healing and knowledge of the natural world. Returning to the environment of his youth after many years abroad, that longing to stay connected to the natural world lead him to seek out the woods whenever possible. In this reconnecting to the forests of his youth, its bounties opened up to him. Especially alluring were the myriad fungi that appeared and reappeared year after year. This foraging has blossomed into a lucrative job at certain times of the year as local chefs are turning more and more to the forgotten tastes of our wild foods. When Daniel is not out in the woods foraging for mushrooms and other edibles, he can be found administering acupuncture or massage to his patients or guiding his yoga students to connect breath with body and mind. He has also completed his permaculture design course and has a special affinity for natural building.
Take a guided and educational walk through Rock Creek Park to learn about and how to identify different natives and invasive plants in the DC area.
Teacher Bio: Andrejs Brolis works for the National Parks Service to help monitor invasive plants in parks. He has spent many years identifying and tracking invasive and native plants in the greater DC area.
Sunday, June 5th from 9am to 11am
$20
Michael Weese leads a mushroom foray and walking class over Fox Haven land.
What will we find on this mushroom foray? Who knows! Mushrooms fill different niches in different areas and arrive as fruit at different times of the year. Every foray is a treasure hunt! Experienced forager and grower Michael Weese will lead this foray to discover the species that are present on June 5th at Fox Haven Learning Center. For each species found on this foray Michael will give a thorough discussion on its life cycle, ecological niche, and culinary, medicinal and ethnobotanical uses. Join the hunt!
Michael will be vending his own mushroom merchandise after the class!
Register with Lacey at lacey[at]foxhavenfarm[dot]org
