Every year in the spring, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers classes for anyone interested in being certified to sell wild-harvested mushrooms within Iowa.
ALL WILD-HARVESTED MUSHROOM CERTIFICATION WORKSHOPS FOR 2024 ARE COMPLETED. THERE WILL NOT BE ANOTHER OFFERING FOR THIS CERTIFICATION UNTIL 2025. KEEP AN EYE ON THIS WEBSITE IN JANUARY 2025 FOR DETAILS.
For questions about the training, email pidc@iastate.edu
To legally sell eight different types of wild-harvested mushrooms in Iowa, sellers must complete a certification workshop that covers identifying and distinguishing them from look-alikes.
Common name: morel
Scientific name: Morchella americana, M. angusticeps, M. punctipes
Resources: Kuo, M Mushroom expert. The Morchellaceae: True morels and verpas.
Midwest American Mycological Information (MAMI) Morchella species
Common name: oyster
Scientific name: Pleurotus citrinopileatus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus populinus, Pleurotus pulmonarious
Resources: Kuo, M Mushroom expert Pleurotus ostreatus: The Oyster Mushroom
Volk, Tom Fungus of the Month for October 1998.
MAMI Pleurotus species
Common name: chicken of the woods
Scientific name: Laetiporus spp: L. cincinnatus, L. sulphureus
Resources: Kuo, M Mushroom expert L. cincinnatus
Kuo, M Mushroom expert L. sulphureus
MAMI Laetiporus spp
Common name: hen of the woods
Scientific name: Grifola frondosa
Resources: Kuo, M Mushroom expert. Grifola frondosa
MAMI Grifola frondosa
Common name: chanterelles
Scientific name: Cantharellus cibarius group
Resources: Kuo, M Mushroom expert “Cantharellus cibarius”: The Chanterelle.
Cantharellus cibarius at Roger’s Mushrooms
MAMI Cantharellus species
Common name: bear's head tooth, lion's mane
Scientific name: Hericium spp: H. erinaceus, H. americanum
Resources: Kuo, M. Mushroom expert Hericium, Hericium erinaceus, Hericium americanum
MAMI Hericium species
Common name: pheasant back/dryad saddle
Scientific name: Polyporus squamosus
Resources: Kuo, M. Mushroom expert Polyporus squamosus.
Tom Volk’s Mushroom of the Month
MAMI Polyporus squamosus
Common name: black trumpet
Scientific name: Craterellus cornucopoides
Resources: Kuo, M. Mushroom expert Craterellus cornucopioides.
MAMI Craterellus species
People can be poisoned by eating misidentified mushrooms. By the end of the workshops, participants will recognize the mushrooms listed above and differentiate them from their most common look-alikes.
Iowans who have not been certified to sell morel mushrooms for three or more years much recertify this year. Registration is open to out-of-state individuals who hunt and sell in Iowa, but keep in mind local certification may be required to sell in your home state.
IA Department of inspections and appeals rulings
Pertaining mushrooms 6/16/2021: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/aco/arc/5701C.pdf
https://rules.iowa.gov/Notice/Details/5701C
See page 1-definitions at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/chapter/481.30.pdf
Consumer advisory as in the ruling:
“A consumer advisory shall inform consumers by brochures, deli case, menu advisories, label statements, table tents, placards, or other effective written means that ‘wild-harvested mushrooms should be thoroughly cooked and may cause allergic reactions or other effects.”
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Safe mushroom foraging resources
Mushroom calendar specific to Iowa and Midwestern states
The calendar shows the months when mushroom species have been recorded in Iowa and other parts of the upper Midwest. The dates of the actual appearance of any one species can vary widely from year to year and are primarily based on environmental conditions, including ground temperature, the timing of rainfall, amount of precipitation, and season.