SHAGBARK FARM - ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO

 

FARM OPERATION
Berries & Rhubarb
Melons
Mushrooms
Hickory
Culinary Herbs
Medicinal Herbs
Stevia
Wild Edibles
Hives

WHAT WE OFFER
AT MARKET
OUR RECIPES
BOOKS & GADGETS

 


 

WILD MUSHROOMS
Our forest is home to more than 100 - if not more - mushroom varieties. Many are beautiful to look at, others are awesome to eat. The culinary mushrooms we harvest are Morels, Chanterelles, Wood Ears, Oysters, Puffballs, Waxcaps and Boletes. We harvest Reishi and Turkey Tail mushrooms for medicinal purposes (in Asia they have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries).

What we have discovered with our mushrooms is weather plays a profound role with the production, just like any other crop. Too much water and cold temperatures, not enough water and dry temperatures, etc. etc. In harvesting, we take only the tops and leave the mycelium, (think roots), carry harvests in net bags to spread spores and only take what we think we will use. One thing to consider in harvesting mushrooms is the environment where you find them. Mushrooms, can hyper-accumulate heavy metals and other elements, from air and soil pollution.

It is important to understand that mushrooms are a product of their environment, moreso than with plants. In urban areas mushrooms absorb and concentrate heavy metals such as lead and mercury so the location where the mushroom was harvested matters. Some mushrooms coming from Europe and China are known to have high levels of lead and mercury because of decades of uncontrolled air and water pollution. The same is true here in the states for example mushrooms growing along roadsides may still contain traces of lead from the time prior to when we had unleaded gasoline and the emissions from then may still remain in the ground. There is also a chance that pesticide and herbicide residues may remain on mushrooms growing near lawns and gardens. That said, one could conclude that...

"country" mushrooms are your safest choice &
that's what we offer.


CULINARY VARIETIES WE WILD HARVEST
We try to stay aware of what is going on in the environment as well as with the water supply around our farm. We follow Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) practices to keep our forest healthy. It is a large part of our farming operation as we see what the forest produces as just as important as what we cultivate. Read about our Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) practices here.


There are many, many culinary and medicinal mushrooms, many of them grow in our forest and in the 400 pristine wooded acres around us. We only harvest for market varieities we have enjoyed in our own cooking. But as it is a hobby, we continue to hunt for new varieites for market which we identify using a field book and by spore prints.

Read about how we bring these to markets here:.
Visit our recipe pages here for ideas about cooking with mushrooms.

 
 

Spore Print: White

Edible: Indigo Milky Cap
Lactarius indigo

Spore Print: Brown or Khaki
 
 
B
O
O
K
S
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Hardcover))
100 Edible Mushrooms
Mushrooming without Fear: The Beginner's Guide to Collecting Safe and Delicious Mushrooms

SPRING SEASON

MORELS
     
Morel - Choice edible species.
Known as Morchella esculenta.

One of the most distinctive edible wild mushrooms. Has a rich, creamy flavor that is deliciously earthy, nutty. We harvest blacks, grays and yellows.

CORAL FUNGI    

Coral Fungi - Edible Species
Also known as White Coral (Clavaria kunzei), Crested Coral (Clavulina cristata) & Crown-tipped Coral (Clavicorona pyxidata)

These unusual fungi appear in many of the same places the morels do, only they appear on dead hardwood. They have the smell of newly dug potatoes and the taste is mild or peppery-acrid.

Note: White Coral is known to be a mild diuretic for some people. Eating large amounts of any variety comes with a warning for stomach cramps.


SUMMER SEASON

CHANTERELLES  

Chanterelle
Chanterelle: Choice edible species.
Known as Cantharellus cibarius.

Peppery in flavor. Delicious! Just picked specimens will have a sweet smell like apricots. When cooked, Chanterelles lose their pepperiness, but add a pleasantly delicate flavor and texture to any dish.

APPALACHIAN CHANTERELLE  

Appalachian Chanterelle: Edible Species
Known as Cantharellus appalachiensis.

Is an Eastern species of chanterelle, easily recognized by its brownish cap and stem. It is fairly evenly brown when young, but yellow and yellow-brown shades as it matures with a brownish spot in the center of the cap by maturity. Odor fragrant, like apricots; taste best dried and is a stronger flavor than the Chanterelle when dried.

OYSTER MUSHROOM  
The Oyster Mushroom: Choice edible Species
Known as Pleurotus ostreatus

Odor distinctive but hard to describe. Taste mild, woodsy not as strong as the Summer Oyster.


INDIGO MILKY    

Indigo Milky Choice edible species.
Known also as Blue Milk Mushroom and as indigo (or blue) lactarius.

The color ranges from dark blue in fresh specimens to pale blue-gray in older ones. The milk, or latex, that oozes when the mushroom tissue is cut is a bright blue. The taste is remarkable and unlike any other kind of mushroom. Best eaten alone, sauteed in nothing but butter. These are difficult to get to market as refrigerating them spoils them so they are difficult to hold for any length of time. The 'shrooms we bring to market are hours old with this variety and we never dry them!


SUMMER OYSTER  

Summer Oyster: Edible species.
Known as Gerronema strombodes.

Rare. Delicious! Peppery in flavor. Have a very woodsy fragrance that rivals the fragrance of the morel! Summer oysters can be a star all on their own or in a sauce.

 

CHICKEN MUSHROOM

Chicken mushroom, Chicken-Of-The-Woods, Sulphur Shelf, : Choice edible
Known as Laetiporus sulphureus

Has the look, texture and taste of the white breast meat of chicken. Good sauted in butter or as a central ingredient of a meatless meal.

BLACK TRUMPET MUSHROOM  


Black trumpet mushroom: Choice Edible
Known as: Craterellus cornucopioides

Rare in our area. Delicious! Black Trumpets grow wild throughout North America and Europe, and are usually found at the base of an oak trees. Black trumpet mushrooms are known as "la viande des pauvres" in France, which means "poor people's meat". They have a distinctively rich, smoky flavor and go well in many dishes and sometimes are the featured item in vegetarian dishes.


 

AUTUMN SEASON

WOOD EARS  

Wood Ears: Edible
Known as Auricularia auricula-judae

Has a mild flavor used in mixed mushroom recipes, pork dishes and hot & sour soup.

LION'S MANE  

Lion's Mane: Choice edible
Known as Lion's mane, Bearded Tooth, Old Man's Beard

One of the most delicious, is about 20 percent protein and is known for its flavor, which is like lobster or scallops when cooked.


BOLETES    

Chicken-Fat Suillus : Good edible
Known as Suillus americanus

A good edible for the fall. Great sauted, baked with herbs or in a mushroom chowder. A good fall mushroom when choice species cannot be foraged.

PUFFBALLS  

Gem-studded Puffball: Choice Edible
Known as Lycoperdon perlatum

Edible and choice when young. Mild flavor, delicate texture. Best sliced and sauted in butter

One of the biggest mushrooms I've ever seen....
Giant Puffball.

One of our neighbors, Ron brought this by in early Autumn 2013. I couldn't believe it, the biggest mushroom I have ever seen! Weighing in at four pounds and fourteen ounces with a circumference of 35 inches a giant puffball. Thanks Ron! Only in Adams County Ohio!

HEN OF THE WOODS  

Hen of the Woods, Maitake: Choice edible species.
Known also as Maitake and as Grifola frondosa.

A polypore recognized by its smoky brown, wavy caps, worganized large clusters of rosettes growing from a single, branched stem structure. It is usually found near the bases of oaks. In Japan, the Maitake can grow to more than 100 pounds earning this giant mushroom the title "King of Mushrooms".

MEDICINAL VARIETIES WE HARVEST

Just as there are many culinary mushrooms, there are many, varieties harveted for medicinal purposes. Traditional Chinese medicine has involved the use of fungi for thousands of years. We harvest the varieties which are common to our area and easily recognized. You can read about how to prepare these types of mushrooms and how we bring these to market here.

TURKEY TAILS  


Turkey Tail

Known as Trametes versicolor

Turkey Tail mushrooms are one of the most researched and respected of the medicinal mushrooms. Known as yun zhi in chinese medicine. Turkey Tails are tough and chewy, so they are generally consumed by drinking a tea made by boiling them for a long time. This type of hot-water extraction is called a decoction. A turkey tail decoction is known to boost immunity. Read an interesting piece from a well known mycologist Paul Stamets (pdf) "Turkey Tail Mushrooms Help Immune System Fight Cancer"

REISHI MUSHROOM  

Reishi
Known as Ganoderma lucidum

Reishi, also known as the "mushroom of immortality," is high in B vitamins, vitamins C and D, iron, calcium and phosphorus. It contains beta-D-glucan and triterpenes, which strengthen the circulatory and immune system.

Reishi mushrooms are used to treat conditions such as: viral infections, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even prostate cancer. These mushrooms are thought to have anti-cancer benefits.

HEN OF THE WOODS  

Maitake, Hen of the Woods
In Traditional Chinese Medicine Maitake is used for: cancer prevention, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), hepatitis, hay fever, diabetes, high blood pressure, weight loss or control, cancer including breast cancer, and easing side effects of chemotherapy.

 

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