By Andi Anderson
Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach will offer its Wild-Harvested Mushroom Certification Class this spring, providing training on identifying and safely harvesting wild mushrooms. The certification is legally required for selling eight different mushroom species in Iowa.
The course, led by ISU plant disease diagnostician Chelsea Harbach, consists of an online lecture followed by a mandatory in-person workshop.
The live online session will be available via Zoom and recorded for later viewing. While attendance at the live Zoom session is optional, participants must review the material before the in-person workshop.
To receive certification, participants must attend one of the three in-person workshops, scheduled for March 15, March 29, and April 12. The workshops will include an exam required for certification.
The registration fee is $60, and interested individuals can sign up through the Wild-Harvested Mushrooms Certification website.
Harbach emphasizes the importance of proper identification to ensure food safety. “This certification helps ensure that wild-harvested mushrooms sold in Iowa are safe. Nobody wants to get sick from a misidentified mushroom,” she said.
Iowa law requires certification to sell morel, oyster, chanterelles, hen of the woods, chicken of the woods, lion’s mane, pheasant back, and black trumpet mushrooms. Those who have not renewed their morel mushroom certification in the past three years must recertify this year.
Out-of-state participants who hunt and sell mushrooms in Iowa are eligible to attend; however, additional certification may be required in other states.
For more details, visit the Wild-Harvested Mushrooms Certification website or email pidc@iastate.edu for training and certification inquiries. Additional resources on safe mushroom harvesting are available through ISU Extension and Outreach.
Photo Credit: istock-guruxoox
Categories: Iowa, Education