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 the state of Iowa.
Training for 2023:
Wild Mushroom certification (includes all mushrooms listed above, $60)
March 25, 2-5 pm, in person, at Iowa State campus (room 1302, building ATRB). Registration closed (March 18, 2023)
April 15, 2-5 pm, in person at Iowa State campus (room 1302, building ATRB). Registration closed (April 8, 2023).
Questions about the training, email pidc@iastate.edu
To legally sell eight different wild-harvested mushrooms in Iowa, sellers must complete a certification workshop that covers identifying and distinguishing them from look-alikes.
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
Resources |
Photo example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Morel |
Morchella spp., M. americana, M. angusticeps, M. punctipes |
Kuo, M Mushroom expert. The Morchellaceae: True morels and verpas. Midwest American Mycological Information (MAMI) Morchella species |
Photo by Lacey Siomos |
|
Oyster |
Pleurotus citrinopileatus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus populinu, Pleurotus pulmonarious |
Kuo, M Mushroom expert Pleurotus ostreatus: The Oyster Mushroom MAMI Pleurotus species |
Photo by Volodymyr Tokar on Unsplash |
|
Chicken of the woods |
Laetiporus spp: L. cincinnatus, L. sulphureus |
Kuo, M Mushroom expert L. cincinnatus, Kuo, M Mushroom expert L. sulphureus MAMI Laetiporus spp |
Photo by Lacey Siomos |
|
Hen of the woods |
Grifola frondosa |
Kuo, M Mushroom expert. Grifola frondosa MAMI Grifola frondosa |
|
|
Chanterelles |
Cantharellus cibarius group |
Kuo, M Mushroom expert “Cantharellus cibarius”: The Chanterelle. Cantharellus cibarius at Roger’s Mushrooms MAMI Cantharellus species |
Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash |
|
Bear's head tooth, Lion's mane |
Hericium spp: H. erinaceus H. americanum |
Kuo, M. Mushroom expert Hericium, Hericium erinaceus, Hericium americanum MAMI Hericium species |
Photo by Artur Kornakov on Unsplash |
|
Pheasant back |
Polyporus squamosus |
Kuo, M. Mushroom expert Polyporus squamosus. Tom Volk’s Mushroom of the Month MAMI Polyporus squamosus |
|
|
Black trumpet |
Craterellus cornucopoides |
Kuo, M. Mushroom expert Craterellus cornucopioides. MAMI Craterellus species |
Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash |
People can be poisoned by eating misidentified mushrooms. By the end of the workshops, participants will recognize the mushroom 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 that 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.”
Foraging Ethics – Honorable Harvest
The Honorable Harvest - Robin Kimmerer video
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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.