TheWild
About MushroomsCo.
Welcome to the Wild About MushroomsCo:
Spawned in 1998 by Charmoon Richardson, the Wild About MushroomsCo.
is dedicated to
spreading the joys and benefits of wild and exotic mushrooms. Many people,
although possibly
interested in wild mushrooms, may be somewhat confused or potentially misinformed
about
the subject in general. Wild About Mushroomsis ready to assist those
who wish to learn more, and
help bring mushrooms into their lives in a safe, enjoyable, and responsible
manner. Would you like to
learn how to identify and hunt for wild mushrooms? Join us on a foray into
the woods, and learn how
to pick your own (and probably cook some up after the hunt!). Or, have
'us' join you on your land, and
see what mushroom bounty you may have right at your feet. If you might
prefer to enjoy wild & exotic
mushrooms in a kitchen or dining room, the Wild About MushroomsCo.
has some tasty offerings,
as well. We offer a variety of mushoom walks, classes, camps, and overnight
trips, as well as special events
with wineries & restaurants, throughout Sonoma & Mendocino counties,
Northern California & beyond.
Please see the current events schedule,
as well as the special classes
and services, for more details.
About Local Mushrooms:
Sonoma
County, the home of Wild About Mushrooms,is blessed with a variety
of mushroom
habitats
and a long fruiting season for choice edible fungi. Amongst the hundreds
of varieties
that
are found in our area are golden chanterelles, King boletes (porcini),
matsutake, shaggy
manes,
black trumpets, the Prince, hedgehogs, coccoli, oysters, milk caps, candy
caps, russulas,
and
many more. In addition to the excitement of the hunt, and providing gourmet
delights for
the
table, local wild mushrooms can also be gathered for medicines, papermaking,
and the
dyeing
of yarn and fabric. Many mushrooms make beautiful subjects for drawing
or
photography.
And to gain an understanding of the vital roles that mushrooms play in
forest
ecosystems
can be a fascinating and rewarding endeavor. Join with Wild About Mushrooms
to
learn more about the bounty & wonders of the wild mushrooms around
us.
About the Proprietor:
Charmoon Richardson has been studying
& collecting wild mushrooms in Northern California for over 25 years.
He is a past president of SOMA,
the Sonoma County Mycological Association (mushroom club), where he writes
a column for the monthly SOMA News,
and serves as the annual SOMA Camp coordinator. He is also a member
of the Mycological Society of San
Francisco. He spent a number of years in close association with David Arora,
author of Mushrooms Demystified,
the bible for mushroom hunters in the Pacific Northwest. He has organized
numerous mushroom forays, camps,
and events over the years, and teaches classes on mushroom identification,
cultivation, and cooking.
As a culinary enthusiast, Charmoon
works with both restaurants & wineries in Northern California, creating
unique
mushroom themed events. He won first
prize at the annual John Ash-KSRO Recipe Contest, when the theme
ingredient was mushrooms. He is
a past board member of the Sonoma County Culinary Guild, a organization
of
food professionals. He also
had the privilege of working for author MFK Fisher for a number of years.
Charmoon has appeared on national
television with noted chef personality Bobby Flay, on his show
Food
Nation,
and has been featured on a statewide
PBS show. He has also been featured in both Sunsetmagazine and
Spirit,
the inflight magazine for Southwest
Air, been mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, and has been the subject
of
numerous local & S.F. Bay Area
news feature articles and guest radio programs.
Wild About Mushrooms Events:
Local Mushroom Forays:
These local forays (mushroom hunts) will usually meet at Salt Point State
Park in Sonoma County. We hunt
for mushrooms for two to three hours,
and then cook and feast with the fruits of our collections. While on the
hunt, we
will harvest edible mushrooms for
the follow-up picnic, and, if quantities allow, for all to take some home.
We will also
collect non-edible mushrooms for
a study collection that will be created back at the picnic site. Charmoon
will discuss
the mushrooms that we find, and
will answer any questions. At the post-hunt picnic, we will
cook up mushroom
dishes, and have a potluck picnic.
Limited attendance. See W.A.M.Events Schedule for dates and
fees.
Mushroom Camps:
Several
times a year,
Wild About Mushroomspresents a weekend, overnight
foray camp at some special hunting
area in Northern California. These
Winter camps are held at sites where there are cabins, a group kitchen/dining
area,
and other facilities. In the Spring,
there are Morel Forays into the Sierra, with tent or vehicle camping.
Other camps
and trips, including a fall trip
to Oregon, are sometimes added. Please see the
W.A.M.Events Schedule
for dates and
further information.
Mushroom Celebrations!:
These
events includes wild mushroom displays, talks, cooking & tasting, and
a slide show. Would you like to
celebrate a special event in mushrooms
style? Order up a custom designed Wild Mushroom Celebration for you and
your friends! See
W.A.M.Events
Schedule for more details.
send
an e-mail to Wild About Mushrooms
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