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News & Stories / Writings Cooking Tips with Shea Moss – What is Galangal? At the FFSC September General Meeting, Jozseph Schultz used galangal in one of his dishes. What is galangal? Shea Moss • October 1, 2009 Galangal rhizome ready to be prepared for cooking (from Wikipedia) It is a member of the ginger family that is used extensively in Thai and other southeast Asian cooking. It differs from other gingers in both consistency and smell, with a non-fibrous texture and fragrance similar to balsa wood. Listen to the pronunciation here: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/galangal You can use it sparingly to lighten very strong flavors, such as reconstituted dried honey mushrooms or in a fresh shitake stir-fry. It is an excellent foil for gamey foods and makes excellent bolete or chicken stock. Simply cut a 1” slice and simmer with soup for a clean-tasting broth. Remove it from the dish after cooking, as galangal is not meant to be eaten but is a flavor enhancer (like a bay leaf ). I have not tried it with tomato based soups, but it works well with 'Magical Leek' soup base (vegan) as described in the book French Women Don't Get Fat . You can purchase galangal at TinTin Market on Bollinger and Blaney in Cupertino, Lion Foods on Tully and King in San Jose, and sometimes at Staff of Life in Santa Cruz. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushroom Soup Tip – Fried Dried Mushrooms Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Collection Ethics and Etiquette We share these pointers to promote fungal fruiting and maintain harmony in the mushrooming community. Agaricus campestris. Photo by D. DeShazer Respect private property: One person can cause collecting privileges for the entire mushrooming community to be revoked. Don’t pick every mushroom you see: Leaving very young and very old mushrooms, along with a few in their prime may allow them to sporulate and reproduce. Don’t leave trimmings and broken mushrooms around: Bury your trimmings in the depression in the duff and cover with more duff. This keeps the mycelium healthy, prevents that “ravaged” look and vastly improves the aesthetics of a walk in the woods. (Cutting mushrooms and leaving the bottom exposed does not help the mycelia to regrow a mushroom as some people think.) You’ll know you’ve done a good job when you stumble across the area again and hunt it twice! Respect personal space: When collecting with a group, be respectful of your neighbors’ personal space. That said, if you found a huge bonanza, share a few of your findings with those less skilled or fortunate. It will come back to you! Review event policies: Each FFSC event includes a few policies for the safety and well-being of all participants, cancellation policies, and/or policies defined by the facilities we use. Be sure to read the policies carefully before registering and before attending each event. For long-distance forays, please also read Must Know to Participate in Long-Distance Forays . Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / Earth Stars — Astreas Hygrometricus I went to Yuba County to hunt for Earth Stars. Although they are curled up and dry during the summer months, they aren’t too hard to find once you find a few older stray ones. The grass isn’t tall and it’s dry as well. Hugh Smith • July 3, 2026 Astreas hygrometricus. Photo by Hugh Smith These are Water Measure Earth Stars, Astreas hygrometricus . They open up when it’s wet, pushing themselves up through the Oak duff. Astreas hygrometricus . Photo by Hugh Smith The petals (rays) of this fungus curl up when conditions are dry, then repeat when a rain comes, pushing themselves up again above the duff. They can do this for a decade or more! I’ve studied them for several years, collecting some of the prime specimens to take home and put in my yard. I put them in other people’s yards too, putting them where hopefully, they'll be noticed when they open up. When an Earthstar opens up, they remind me of a creature, maybe even something that might have just fell out of the sky, an alien looking thing. Most people don’t even recognize them as anything when they’re dried up and curled. But when you see them open, holding their puff ball shaped spore sack high above the ground, you’d think they might wonder. Astreas hygrometricus . Photo by Hugh Smith (Continued below) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Busted Memories of Matsutake Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Eggs Benedict with Morels Morels add both flavor and color to this dish, and are a great complement to other egg dishes as well. by Vince Viverito Morchella snyderi. © Laura and Thomas Marlowe (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 28660 Method Prepare the Morels Clean and chop the morels. Sauté in 2 Tbsp. butter until they release their liquid and brown slightly (5 to 15 minutes, depending on how you chop them). Set aside. Prepare Hollandaise Sauce Separate 3 of the eggs. Place the yolk, lemon juice, and cayenne in blender. Cover, and then quickly turn the blender on and off. Heat 1/2 cup butter till melted and almost boiling. Turn blender on high speed, and then slowly pour in the butter, blending till thick and fluffy (about 30 seconds). Keep mixture heated by placing bottom of container in or over a bath of hot water till ready to serve. Poach the Eggs Melt 1 to 2 Tbsp. butter in frying pan. Add milk to about 1/2" depth, and bring to simmer. Crack 4 eggs, keeping them whole and intact, and drop into simmering milk, keeping eggs separate from each other. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, spooning some of the simmering milk over the eggs occasionally, until the eggs reach your desired doneness. Loosen eggs from bottom of pan with a large spoon.* Assemble and Serve In the meantime, preheat broiler. Split English muffins and butter them. Toast under broiler until they start to brown. Place Canadian bacon on top, and continue broiling until bacon is hot (follow the bacon's instructions). Place the poached eggs on the Candian bacon, spoon sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the sautéed morels. * Zero-waste note : The cup of milk you used for poaching the eggs will now taste like milk and egg, and it will have absorbed some of the protein from the eggs. You can discard it if you wish, or you can strain and reuse the milk as a savory, high protein ingredient in other dishes (as long as the egg was cooked through and you kept the milk bath clean). For example, use it as an ingredient in waffle dough, béchamel sauce, chowder, egg nog, or one of the creamy mushroom soups listed on this website. (It might taste odd in sweeter foods, but feel free to experiment.) If you save the milk for later use, just be sure to store it properly. Recipe contributed: September 1997 This dish is really great served alongside honeydew melon slices covered with peaches, blueberries and strawberries. Objective: Main course Total Time: 1 to 1.25 hours Yield: 2 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Morel (Morchella sp.) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 7 eggs 2 English muffins 4 slices Canadian bacon 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp. butter Dash of cayenne pepper 1 cup (approx) milk 1/2 cup fresh or reconstituted morels Blender Frying pan Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

About FFSC and Our Mission Our mission is to foster and expand, through education and by example, the understanding and appreciation of mycology; and to assist the general public and related institutions or groups to further this goal. And to always keep the "fun" in fungus! Local Foray 2023. Photo by Katherine Elvin The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz (FFSC) is made up of a collection of creative individuals who come together for the study and pursuit of wild mushrooms. We are a diverse lot with members of many interests: master gardeners, winemakers, chefs, beekeepers, chocolatiers, brewers, and of course, mycologists. In addition to running our own events for our members, we co-sponsor or volunteer at community educational events, provide grants to mycology students, and provide mushroom identification services to local hospitals. FFSC evolved as a result of David Arora’s mushroom classes and early Fungus Fairs in the Santa Cruz area in the 1970’s. We incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 1984, and celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2024! Visit our FFSC History page to learn more about how we started. FFSC an affiliated club of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA). Visit our Other Mycological Clubs page to learn more about NAMA and some of the other clubs in California. Visit these pages and other areas of this website to learn more about our organization: Why Join FFSC? FFSC Financials FFSC Bylaws Contact FFSC Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / The Great Alaska Foray 2010 Bill and Jerri White’s 2010 Great Alaska Foray was attended by many FFSC members. Hugh Smith provided this artistic travelogue of his trip. Hugh Smith • September 1, 2010 Beauties from the 2010 Alaska foray. Photo by Hugh Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2009 Alaska Foray Travelogue 2015 Alaska Foray Report Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Shaggy Mane and Parasol Soup Shaggy mane forms the basis of this creamy soup, and the parasol mushrooms provide an additional nutty flavor. by Rene Seltzer Coprinus comatus. © skatskatson (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 359946197) Method Melt half of the butter in a saucepan, add the shallots (or onion) and soften over a low heat, then add the shaggy mane and garlic, and sauté gently until the mushrooms soften and the juices begin to run (5 to 8 minutes). Add the stock, bring back to a boil and simmer shaggy manes for 15 minutes. Puree and return to the saucepan. In the meantime, start warming your soup bowls. Melt the remaining butter in a nonstick frying pan, add the parasol mushrooms and cook over medium heat until they are safely cooked through (10 to 15 minutes). Add to the shaggy mane saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream for about 2 minutes; add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into warmed bowls, garnish with parsley. Serve with torn fresh bread, to soak up every drop! Recipe contributed: May 2002 I was out and about, crossing a grassy field and found some perfect Coprinus comatus (shaggy mane). This recipe is inspired by one in The Ultimate Mushroom Book* by Peter Jordan and Steven Wheeler. For best results, use shaggy mane that are closed and egg-shaped, and haven't started to blacken. Once they have begun to blacken, they are unpalatable and will also darken the soup. Learn more about Coprinus comatus : Coprinus comatus -- What Is Going On With That Inky Cap? Inky Caps - from "Basic Inky Cap ID for California" Important : Chlorophyllum molybdites (green-spored parasol, also known as "the vomiter") is toxic, and causes more poisonings in North America than any other mushroom. They've been found in Santa Clara county and Santa Cruz county. Make sure you read your field guide carefully, so that you are able to identify and distinguish these species from edible parasols before harvesting parasols to eat: Chlorophyllum molybdites. © Shane Reyes (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 313264429) Chlorophyllum molybdites. © capsince97 (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 383507416) The original recipe called for Macrolepiota procera (the true parasol), a choice edible which isn't found in the US: Macrolepiota procera. © Floris (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 372595417) Macrolepiota procera caps. © marnusvl (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 391690449) In California, we have Chlorophyllum rhacodes (the shaggy parasol). C. rhachodes has a nutty flavor with an aromatic scent. We also have Chlorophyllum olivieri and C. brunneum. Many people eat all of these species without issue; but some authorities (mostly in Europe) list C. olivieri and C. brunneum as toxic, and a small percentage of eaters have reported GI upset or allergic reactions. In any case, parasols must be thoroughly cooked. Be sure to only have a small taste the first time you eat any of these species: Chlorophyllum rhacodes. © Chris Martin (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 358491408) Chlorophyllum rhacodes caps. © terumatsu (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 44272402) Chlorophyllum olivieri. © Taye Bright (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 37252290) Chlorophyllum olivieri caps. © grey (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 330527251) Chlorophyllum brunneum. © tkgoggin (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 199760947) Chlorophyllum brunneum caps. © Damon Tighe (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 331773123) If you don't have access to parasols, you could try substituting the parasols with sautéed porcini slices, toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, or browned butter with crisped sage for a similar nutty flavor. * The Ultimate Mushroom Book is out of print, but may still be found in online thrift bookstores. Objective: Soup Total Time: About 45 mins Yield: 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus) Shaggy parasol (Chlorophyllum brunneum) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 4 Tbsp. butter 4 shallots or 1 medium onion, chopped 2½ cups shaggy mane mushrooms, trimmed and chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock 1 ¾ cups of parasol caps, trimmed and sliced (if including stems, only use young stems and mince finely) 4 Tbsp. heavy creams 2 Tbsp. lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Yellowfoot Cheese Tart This dish got a thumbs up at one of our planning meetings. by Rex Verris Craterellus tubaeformis. © Damon Tighe (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 329175599) Method Let puff pastry stand at room temperature until pliable (about 20 to 30 minutes). In a 10" or 12" frying pan, melt butter over high heat. Add mushrooms and thyme (or tarragon). Stir often until all liquid evaporates and mushrooms brown (about 8 to 10 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste, then let cool. Unfold puff pastry in a lightly greased 10" x 15" baking pan. Brush pastry with the egg and prick surface all over with a fork. Scatter cheese and sautéed mushrooms evenly over pastry. Bake in a 425°F oven until richly browned (about 20 minutes). Cut pastry in wedges or squares, and serve hot or warm. Note: You can also make the mushroom mixture the day before, and then chill until you're ready to bake the pie. Recipe contributed: April 1991 I found this recipe in The Fungus-Amungus newsletter of the (now defunct) Spokane Mushroom Club. I've tried using different mushrooms with it, including Agaricus bisporus and Cantharellus infundibuliformis (now called Craterellus tubaeformis ). Editor's Note: The name of this recipe's original contributor wasn't listed in the Duff. Perhaps Gloria Woodside or Bridget Binko? If you know, feel free to let us know! Objective: Side or first course Total Time: About 1.5 hours Yield: 10 to 12 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Yellowfoot (winter chanterelle) (Craterellus tubaeformis) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 of a 17-1/4 oz. package) 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine 3/4 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 tsp. dry thyme leaves (or tarragon) Salt and white pepper About 1 Tbsp. beaten egg 1 Cup (4 oz.) shredded jarlsberg or swiss cheese 10" or 12" frying pan 10" x 15" baking pan Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Writings Stories from the April 1, 2009 Issue of Duff FFSC members foraged far to fetch mycological miscellanea for this month's issue of Duff ... Sue Willis • April 1, 2009 Amanitas. Photo by Bob Sellers New Supplement Makes Virtually Every Foray Fruitful! One of the first questions I encounter when identifying a mushroom for beginners is, "Is it edible?" Well, edible or the Latin word edulis means fit to be eaten, and is often used to contrast with unpalatable or poisonous examples. However, edibility is in the mouth of the beholder, because a lot of fungi are edible but not "tasty" (my narrow experiential definition of edible). So herein is the dichotomy, "Yes, the mushrooms are edible, but so is cardboard with leftover pizza sauce" (often more tasty than the fungus my novices are inquiring about). Is it edible? Photo by Bob Sellers This dichotomy is about to change. Handheld Enterprises , a large vitamin and food supplements pro-ducer in Scotts Valley, CA will soon be marketing a capsule that makes nearly every mushroom edible! Called Fungedible ™, this herbal supplement containing the compound sillymarin, derived from silk thistle, will when ingested, make Russulas refreshing, Sarcodons scrumptuous, those jumbo Gymnopilus gustatory (it's about time!), Paxillus prominently palatable, Leucopaxillus lip smackin' good, and Cortinarii comestible. Have you got a favorite patch of Entolomas?Never mind, a couple capsules taken before cooking will render those fruiting bodies extremely enticing to eat. The package insert says to ingest several capsules at least an hour before eating any mushrooms to give the silly-marin time to deaden the user's nervous system and taste buds. However, the supplement is not to be used with hepatotoxic Amanitas and others because it doesn't neutralize mushroom toxins in these species. The FFSC expects to have this supplement in its stores in time for next year's mushroom season. Happy April Fool’s Day! Bob Sellers Minister of Local Forays and longtime toadstool tester Wandering in the Wilderness With(out) Bob! Foray to Snipehunt State Park. Bring a compass and water. Foray leader Bob Sellers will lead a group into, but not out of, this uncharted territory, leaving only a trail of morels as your guide back to the parking lot. Participants on the foray will do their best to ditch you — yes, you! — and pretend they forgot you stepped off the trail for a moment to ... you know. Guaranteed to be fun for those in the know! Meet at the Snipehunt State Park, Futility Trailhead at 10 AM, Wednesday, April 1st. Confirm details before you depart. New Rules for State Parks Starting September 2009, it will be a misdemeanor to leave established trails in state parks, according to new rules established by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Parks Director Ron Sterns says, “when people get off trail, it’s usually an excuse to do bad things, like pick mushrooms and wild berries. This has to stop!” Marks added that, “taking mushrooms and berries from our parks is a bad, bad thing. It’s just plain theft of state park resources.” Every time a mushroom is taken from the park, an animal goes hungry, he claims. Sterns says he is aware of mushroom collecting tricksters who wear binoculars and carry copies of Sierra maga-zine to throw off rangers. “Seen every trick in the book,” says Sterns, “and my binoculars are bigger.” Mushroom Named for New President A mushroom new to science was recently found on the outskirts of Washington DC recently. To honor President Barack Obama, the mushroom will be named Barack obamaensis . The fruiting body has a large cap with evenly spaced gills and sits on a firm stalk. This mushroom which is believed to be mycorrhizal with the common Aprilus foolus tree. Well Known Author to Host Dinner and Mushroom Event David Arora was truly inspired by this year’s remarkable FFSC Fungus Fair. During the two days he spent at the fair, he chatted with old friends, cer-tified the ID of several fungi in the displays, and offered advice to newcomers. In fact, he was so moved that he has invited the entire membership of the FFSC to his home near Gualala this summer. In a letter to CEO Bill White, he expressed his gratitude for the fine accom-plishments of the club. He noted the obvious focus on mushrooms at the fair, and he praised the members of the FFSC for their hospitality. In return, said Arora, “I want to give back to the club that has done so much to engender mushroom education in the Bay Area.” Arora promises a full day of activities, including a tour of his African collections, the famed koi pond, and a personal tour of his 100 acre property. Breaking News During the height of last year’s bolete season, mycologists from UC Berkeley swarmed over David Arora’s property, noting the GPS location of each porcini in its natural habitat. As part of a long term study, every specimen will become part of a scientific study into the growth patterns and locations as the host trees age. We have just learned that a laptop containing this valuable data has been stolen from the Department of Mycological Studies. The alleged thief may not know that the porcini study is on the computer’s hard drive, but we’ve heard on the street that the value of the GPS data is higher than the value of the laptop. Happy April Fools Day, David Rust East Bay Duff Correspondent Book Review: Churning Up the Duff Churning Up the Duff by Debbie Viess, paperback, Nine Speed Press, 2009 Churning up the Duff is a must-read for any mushroom club member in California and beyond. This startling expose, an insiders’ look into the social anthropology of local mushroom clubs, chronicles the voyages of 'Amanitarita' through interviews and stories gathered for nearly a decade. Her analysis of the social mores and culture of key players rivals Gary Alan Fine’s Morel Tales . Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Stories from the April 1, 2010 Issue of Duff Writings Stories from the April 1, 2011 Issue of Duff Writings Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac Faculty, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac. is a fourth generation, internationally known herbalist and mycologist, licensed acupuncturist, herbal clinician, research scientist, consultant to the dietary supplement industry, expert witness, botanist, public speaker, and author of over 20 books and numerous articles with over 40 years of experience. He is the author of the recent book “ Christopher Hobbs’s Medicinal Mushrooms, the Essential Guide ,” with German and English editions. He earned his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley with research and publication in evolutionary biology, biogeography, phylogenetics, the chemistry of plants and fungi, and ethnobotany. Now faculty at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. christopherhobbs.com Home - Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D. DR. CHRISTOPHER HOBBS is a fourth-generation, internationally renowned herbalist, licensed acupuncturist, author, clinician, botanist, mycologist, and Christopher Hobbs Upcoming Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets Medicinal Mushrooms Saturday, January 12, 2013 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Room 3 Cooking With and Use of Mushrooms for Health and Healing Friday, January 10, 2014 4:45 PM - 6:45 PM Room 1 Cancer, Viral Syndromes and Other Immune Disorders: Prevention and Treatment with Medicinal Mushrooms. Sunday, January 12, 2014 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM Room 1 Mushroom Medicine: Foraging for the best and most potent local California species Saturday, January 14, 2017 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Room 3 Mushroom Medicine: Science and controversies of mushroom products Saturday, January 13, 2018 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 Medicinal Mushrooms - Properties and diversity of cooked mushrooms for health Sunday, January 14, 2018 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Room 3 Herbal Spirit Medicine (Saturday) The ancient use and modern scientific research of the benefits of psilocybin and an overview of the genus of Psilocybe mushrooms for healing a… Show More Saturday, January 12, 2019 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 Herbal Spirit Medicine (Sunday) The ancient use and modern scientific research of the benefits of psilocybin and an overview of the genus of Psilocybe mushrooms for healing a… Show More Sunday, January 13, 2019 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Room 3 Visionary Mushrooms An overview of the benefits of psilocybin and of the genus of Psilocybe mushrooms for healing and health. Saturday, January 11, 2020 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Room 3 Practical Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms Featuring Reishi Learn how to choose, prepare and make your own medicines with the best fungi for optimum health and how to evaluate products on the… Show More Sunday, January 12, 2020 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 The Magic Mushroom Class Discover the healing benefits of psilocybin fungi as spiritual guides, as an ego dissolver to help access traumatic events, and the roots of psychic… Show More Saturday, January 13, 2024 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 The Magic Mushroom Talk Psilocybin mushrooms are renowned as spiritual guides and tools for dissolving the ego, helping to overcome trauma, limiting beliefs, and mental blocks and clinical… Show More Saturday, January 11, 2025 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Room 3 Magic Mushroom Microdosing Magic mushroom microdosing is gaining global attention, with growing scientific research and personal testimonials highlighting its benefits for cognitive health, brain plasticity, neurogenesis, and… Show More Sunday, January 12, 2025 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Room 3 Past Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Magic Mushroom Microdosing Magic mushroom microdosing is gaining global attention, with growing scientific research and personal testimonials highlighting its benefits for cognitive health, brain plasticity, neurogenesis, and enhancing brain immune function. This talk will explore the emerging science and practical applications of microdosing, led by a speaker with 40 years of experience. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Sunday, January 12, 2025 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Room 3 The Magic Mushroom Talk Psilocybin mushrooms are renowned as spiritual guides and tools for dissolving the ego, helping to overcome trauma, limiting beliefs, and mental blocks and clinical research shows they can effectively treat anxiety, depression, addiction, and PTSD. In this talk, we'll explore the transformative potential of psilocybin through recent science and practices. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 11, 2025 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Room 3 The Magic Mushroom Class Discover the healing benefits of psilocybin fungi as spiritual guides, as an ego dissolver to help access traumatic events, and the roots of psychic and physical, emotional, and spiritual tension in our lives. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 13, 2024 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 Practical Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms Featuring Reishi Learn how to choose, prepare and make your own medicines with the best fungi for optimum health and how to evaluate products on the market. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Sunday, January 12, 2020 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 Visionary Mushrooms An overview of the benefits of psilocybin and of the genus of Psilocybe mushrooms for healing and health. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 11, 2020 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Room 3 Herbal Spirit Medicine (Sunday) The ancient use and modern scientific research of the benefits of psilocybin and an overview of the genus of Psilocybe mushrooms for healing and health. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Sunday, January 13, 2019 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Room 3 Herbal Spirit Medicine (Saturday) The ancient use and modern scientific research of the benefits of psilocybin and an overview of the genus of Psilocybe mushrooms for healing and health. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 12, 2019 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 Medicinal Mushrooms - Properties and diversity of cooked mushrooms for health Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Sunday, January 14, 2018 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Room 3 Mushroom Medicine: Science and controversies of mushroom products Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 13, 2018 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 Mushroom Medicine: Foraging for the best and most potent local California species Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 14, 2017 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Room 3 Cancer, Viral Syndromes and Other Immune Disorders: Prevention and Treatment with Medicinal Mushrooms. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Sunday, January 12, 2014 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM Room 1 Cooking With and Use of Mushrooms for Health and Healing Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Friday, January 10, 2014 4:45 PM - 6:45 PM Room 1 Medicinal Mushrooms Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 12, 2013 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Room 3

Santa Cruz is blessed with some of the finest foray habitat on the West Coast. Fungal enthusiasts, whether taxonomist, dye artisan or edible collector, can choose from hundreds of species available in the area. With this bounty so close at hand and popular, many intrepid FFSC members heed the call of far-away places as they venture away from the Central Coast. FFSC members adventure up and down the West Coast and to points farther afield as they participate in FFSC’s long-distance forays, private ad-hoc forays, and organized events with other mycological groups. FFSC's long-distance forays are usually 2- to 4-day group trips, and we stay at campgrounds or rustic cabins. We allocate at least one day for organized activities, such as a group meeting before we all go out to hunt, a delightful potluck dinner and mushroom ID assistance. Other activities vary per location and season. Before joining any foray, we ask that you review the Collection Ethics and Etiquette page and familiarize yourself with our Must-Know to Participate in Long-Distance Forays guidelines. Costs For most long-distance forays, the fee (if any) covers your accommodations. We may add a small surcharge to help the club defray our annual operational costs (insurance, etc.). Meals are bring-your-own and potluck, unless otherwise specified. These forays are organized and led by our club ministers, who are volunteers. You must be an FFSC member to sign up for and participate in our long-distance forays. (We also offer one-day local forays in the Santa Cruz area, for both members and non-members.) Popular Long Distance Forays Our long-distance foray calendar is subject to change each year depending on environmental factors (weather, fires, and what’s coming up) and the availability of group accommodations. Here are some of the forays we arrange most years. Subscribe to the FFSC Calendar or join our Contact FFSC to find out when registration opens for each trip. Albion Long Distance Forays Our Albion forays are weekend-long trips to the Mendocino area, where chanterelles, black trumpets, and more can be found. Event Overview Spring Long Distance Foray Join our Spring Foray when the snow melts in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and enjoy the vernal appearance of morels, coccoras, woodland agaricus and early boletes. Event Overview Alaska Long Distance Foray Our Alaska Long Distance Foray is a joint event between the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz and Bill White's Alaska Sports Lodge on the banks of the Kenai River in Sterling Alaska. Event Overview 44 days to the event Albion I Long-Distance Foray, December 2026 Dec 04, 2026, 3:00 PM – Dec 06, 2026, 11:00 AM Albion Field Station, 34000 Albion St, Albion, CA 95410, USA Save the date for our December foray in Mendocino! Enjoy fruiting fungi, pleasant people, feast on fabulous foods, and refreshing rains. Buy Tickets Scheduled Long-Distance Forays Past Long-Distance Forays August 29, 2026 at 3:00 PM – September 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM Alaska Long-Distance Foray, September 2026 January 23, 2026 at 3:00 PM – January 25, 2026 at 11:00 AM Albion II Long-Distance Foray, January 2026 December 12, 2025 at 3:00 PM – December 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM Albion I Long-Distance Foray, December 2025 August 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM – August 23, 2025 at 11:00 AM 2025 Alaska Foray February 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM – March 3, 2025 at 11:00 AM 2025 Albion III Special Event - February January 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM – January 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM 2025 Albion II Foray, January | Guest Speaker: Chad Hyatt Load More Alaska Foray participants Long-Distance Forays Long-distance forays are overnight (or longer) trips farther afield. They carry the allure of new fungal finds, amazing culinary pleasures, and collaborative education adventure.

News & Stories / Stewardship Notes from the CEO — April 2001 Greetings to all, Spring is drawing close and we're all looking forward to morel season, including the Spring Foray and whatever surprises Horst and Bill may cook up for us! Deb • April 1, 2001 Tubaria furfuracea sp. 'IN01' © Lisa Tesler (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 341689933) The Beginner-Intermediate ID class is drawing to a close, and sincere thanks go out to Bill Maxfield, class coordinator, and his partners (in slime?) Henry Young and Phil Carpenter for their efforts. "Really outstanding" were the words one member used to describe the class. Plan to attend when classes resume in October! The Wine & Mushroom Gala in March was a huge success. I wasn't alone in regarding it as the best ever; the sentiment was unanimous! Nine wineries poured, FFSC members brought a great variety of exquisite food, and the room literally sparkled, thanks to the Culinary Committee's crack decorating team. Culinary Minister Rene Seltzer's boundless energy brought the whole event together, with a fantastic team effort on the part of the committee. Thanks to all of you! May will bring our biennial elections for officers of the Board of Directors, or Ministers, as we prefer to call ourselves. As noted in our bylaws, printed herein, officers are divided into two groups, elected and appointed . Terms run for two years, with job descriptions given in the bylaws . The slate of officers are proposed by the Nominating Committee. Additional nominations will be taken from the floor at the April General Meeting. Voting on the slate of officers will take place at the May General Meeting for elected positions. Appointed ministers will be designated to fill positions by the Ministry. I encourage everyone to take a look at the position descriptions to see if there is a job you'd like to take on or provide assistance for. Taking part in the operation of the club is really a lot of fun. It's an opportunity to get to know a great group of people, take part in planning events you'd like to see happen, and a guaranteed good dinner once a month at the Ministers Meetings! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or ideas. We welcome your input and ideas. To quote Phil Carpenter (former President for Life), "It would really be interesting to have more than one candidate for an office!" See you at the meeting! Debbie Johnson, CEO Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Notes from the CEO — March 2001 Stewardship Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article