Chick of the Woods

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Chick of the Woods

Foraging adventures, classes, and events.

10/01/2025

Ruby would have been 16 today. For a decade and a half that yellow dog followed me from room to room and forest to forest. She's been gone for a few months now but I can still hear that reassuring sound of her collar jingling, knowing she was near. She was always there.

There were some testing times. Like when I built a fence in the back yard for her and the first day I put her back there, she literally plowed straight through the fence. Same for the second day. She was notorious for getting into the garbage. She ate the neighbor girl's first birthday cake (a special, healthy, home-made, star-shaped cake that mom set outside to cool... one hour before the party started). She bit a couple dogs. She shat in the neighbors lawns. Among other things. But I loved her and she loved me. She was my little girl.

I know she lived a good life. A long and healthy one. What every pet owner hopes for. But it doesn't make saying goodbye easier. However, what I really wanted to share in making this post is that we decided to have her put to sleep at home and that did make the process so much better than going to the vets. If you have the means of choosing this option and circumstances allow, I can't recommend it enough. There are a few at-home euthanasia companies out there so if you have a pet, I would take a couple minutes now to find which ones are in your area so you don't have to stress about this during those last moments together (I used MN Pets). And after you do that, go lay with them and give them all the kisses and hugs and pets and attention you can possibly spare.

28/12/2024

Scrolling through some old photos, I came across these from 2010 that I posted on Facebook. It made me cringe reading what I wrote about that "orangish colored hen" (now knowing it's a nasty old chicken of the woods). So dumb and embarrassing. 🤦 I ate any old mushroom back then that was considered edible, even the ones that were discolored and stinky and riddled with bugs. 🤢 But everybody has to start somewhere. My boyfriend at the time was the one who introduced me to mushrooms and the only person I knew that knew anything about mushrooms, but he only knew Hen of the Woods and morels. Learning more mushrooms was such a slow process for me. I eventually joined the Minnesota Mycological Society which helped me tremendously. Learning from others in person is by far the best and fastest way to learn.

If you are interested in accelerating your learning process and confidence, consider joining one of my classes. I've already posted some for the 2025 season on my website: chickofthewoods.com.

17/12/2024

The 3rd Annual Holiday Forest Fair, hosted by Chick of the Woods, was a smashing success! Despite the hairy road conditions, we more than doubled the attendees from last year. We also doubled the vendors and added Sam Thayer to the mix, which probably didn't hurt. 😉

There were 8 awesome demonstrations, including one from the fabulous ForagerChef (when he wasn't trying to get people to try his nuts 😄) and one additional and completely impromptu presentation that Samuel Thayer offered to do (in addition to the one he was already doing) when he found out one of the presenters couldn't make it due to the bad roads... With 5 minutes notice. What. A. Guy. ❤️

Taco La Catrina food truck made some delicious tacos with Lion's Mane mushrooms donated by R&R Cultivation. Fun Fact (after the fact): the food truck had never seen or heard of Lion's Mane mushrooms until the night before and they stayed up all night testing a bunch of recipes. 😬 But they killed it!! 🤤

There were people that literally stayed the ENTIRE day! I had someone tell me that "this was her Disney World." And someone told me of someone they saw crying tears of joy that said she finally found "her people." It became clear to me that this event was not just a market with some vendors and presentations... It's a gathering of people that belong together. A community. People that "get" each other. That breathe the same forest air. Forest Friends. It just felt good. (Even with only one hour of sleep the night before)

Thanks to all that braved the roads to support small businesses, learn from experts, and visit with new and old friends. Thanks to the vendors that worked their asses off to get you some freaking awesome $hit. Thanks to the presenters for teaching us stuff we actually want and need to know. And to the The Mustard Seed Garden Center staff and volunteers that had to put up with this crazy Chick. I love you all. Save the date for the next one... December 13, 2025.

If you'd like to tell your favorite moments of the day, please share in the comments below.

08/12/2024

THE SCHEDULE IS HERE! Let me know in the comments below which demonstrations you are most excited to see.

Don't worry, we will have a lounging area with food and beverages to let you rest because you're probably gonna wanna be there a long time, if not the whole day. We'll even have a library with cool old mushrooms books to look at.

RSVP to the Holiday Forest Fair at ChickOfTheWoods.com. Tickets are not needed to get in, but we'd like an approximate head count for food and beverages and a way to communicate with you if there are any schedule changes or important updates.

28/11/2024

That's me with my Horns of Plenty. Very Thanksgiving-y, right? It made sense in my head. It was either this or Turkey Tail. 🤷

Anyway, as we all should stop and think about the things we are thankful for today and every day, I thought about it too. It's pretty deep, so bear with me. 😉 I'm thankful for my car for getting me to the forest. My fridge for keeping my mushrooms fresh. My hiking boots for keeping my feet safe while I hunt for mushrooms. My eyesight for helping me find mushrooms. My basket for protecting my mushrooms from getting squished. For public land that still allows mushroom hunting. For people that let me hunt on their private land. My dehydrator for working long hours drying my mushrooms. My cast iron pan for cooking my mushrooms. My many knives I've left in the woods for others to find (ok... lost) while cutting mushrooms. Permethrin for keeping the ticks off me. My phone for taking pictures of my mushrooms. The onX app for logging my mushroom finds. My legs for allowing me to walk for hours on end looking for mushrooms. The rain for feeding the mushrooms. The sun for shining while I'm hunting for mushrooms. All the people that have taught me about mushrooms. Socal media for letting me gloat about my mushrooms. Of course I'm being a little silly and facetious. All of those things are true, but I truly am most thankful for all of you that support me and follow me in this crazy journey. And especially for my friends and family for not disowning me during "mushroom season." I love you all. Happy Thanksgiving. Now I'm gonna go make a mushroom hotdish.

28/11/2024

Today I found this cig butt hanging out on this rotten log with some frozen deadly galerina mushrooms. I thought about how fitting it was seeing these two deadly things next to each other. Kinda like how bad people like to hang out with other bad people so they don't feel so bad about being bad. Or something like that. 🤔 Anyway, did you know that about 480,000 people die from smoking ci******es in the U.S. every year? A HALF A MILLION PEOPLE! Do you know about how many die from mushroom poisonings in the U.S. every year? The answer is 3. THREE! And if you want to reduce your risk of dying from mushroom poisoning even more, I found this "shocking" statement on a website that claims "Misidentification of edible mushroom species appears to be the most common cause and may be preventable through education." 😄😄 You don't say?? If only there was someone out there that could help you identify poisonous mushrooms. 🤔😁 I've actually started adding a couple classes for next year already! Look at me being all planny n stuff. (Planny is now a word, fyi.) Just doing my part in helping reduce that number to zero. Yer welcome. Classes are on my website and my website is chickofthewoods.com.

26/11/2024

The tentative schedule for the Holiday Forest Fair demonstrations has been posted on chickofthewoods.com... although you might wanna be there the whole day with this lineup: Sam Thayer with Forager's Harvest, Alan Bergo with ForagerChef, Olena the Mushroom Lady, JJ Reich with Black Walnut Daddy, Ron Spinosa and Kathy Yerich with Minnesota Mushrooms (MN Mycological Society), Jodi Gruhn with Borealle , Jaime DeSmit with Earth Meets Body, and Shane Brown.

There will be food, beverages, a lounging area, vendors, Santa, Morel Man, a coloring station, henna tattoos, necklaces to make, and even a library to keep you satiated, comfy, and entertained all day long.

While you're checking out the schedule at chickofthewoods.com, make sure to RSVP so you can be alerted of any changes.

See you in the cozy, heated greenhouses of The Mustard Seed Garden Center on December 14.

25/11/2024

Julie Maines with Griebnik has been hunting mushrooms since she could walk. Her family immigrated to the US from Russia in 1991. Russians love hunting mushrooms. So much so, that there is actually a name for it "грибник" or "Griebnik" as it is pronounced. It means "Mushroom Hunter". That's where the name of her bags come from. She began picking the same mushrooms here in the Midwest as she had in Russia.

Unlike in Russian where you can waltz through the forest with a basket, we needed a foraging bag that would protect the mushrooms through harsh conditions and still be functional for a physically demanding hunt.

Julie makes every bag by hand. She uses high quality materials and tests them out. She is constantly improving designs based on feedback from her customers and friends.

Stop by her booth at the .forest.fair on December 14 to see the true quality of these bags in person. She will also be selling hats and gear for keeping you warm in the winter.

09/11/2024

This is a project I've been working on lately. As you can imagine, mushroom hunting doesn't really pay much in the winter. Or the summer for that matter. 😄 So I need to get creative if I want to continue this lifestyle. I know this post is not really mushroom related, but I have found plenty of mushrooms within walking distance of this location! 😄🤷 Share with anyone that may be looking for a sweet apartment and a nice landlord. 😁

Large 1 bed, 1 bath apartment available Dec 1 in beautiful Prior Lake, MN! $1325/mo includes underground heated garage, storage locker, and all utilities except electric and internet.

Located in the heart of Prior Lake, this newly renovated apartment is in an ideal location on the top floor with a spacious open floor plan. You will love having a heated garage stall in the winter months and a separate storage room that is conveniently located just across the hall. Shared laundry is also on the same floor just around the corner. No stairs necessary! (Pictures are from a few months ago - I'm still finishing up the renovation.)

3 restaurants, grocery store, post office, gas station, and shopping are all within a few blocks. If you like the outdoors, you’ll love being within walking distance of several city parks and endless walking trails. Only 5 minute drive to Watzl’s Beach on Prior Lake or Cleary Lake Regional Park and 10 minutes to Murphy Hanrehan.

Security Deposit: $1000
Rental insurance required.

Application fee of $50 per adult includes:
Background check (No felonies in last 8 years, no evictions in last 5 years)
Credit Check (600+)
Reference checks
Minimum Gross Income: 3x rent

Pets considered for additional fee.
Non-refundable pet deposit: $500 per dog/$350 per cat/$400 two cats
Pet rent: $75/dog, $50/cat, $75/2 cats
Restrictions - either 1 dog less than 30 pounds or up to 2 cats allowed, but not both categories of pets.

16955 Toronto Ave SE, Prior Lake, MN

Message me here or at [email protected] if you have any questions.

03/11/2024

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the Calendar Photo Contest!

1st - Tavis Lynch Tavis's Mushrooms
2nd - Michael Karns FoundFoods Michael Karns
3rd - Kelly Roth Down On The Korner
4th - Tavis Lynch
5th - Abbe Turman
6th - Alan Bergo ForagerChef

Thank you all for taking the time to enter pictures and/or to go through the agony of voting for your top six. There were sooooo many great ones and it was hard to pick only 6. ❤️🍄

All of these pictures will be featured in the Chick of the Woods 2025 Mushroom Calendar and Foraging Guide and all winners will be receiving a free calendar (two for Tavis!). What about the other 6 months of the year? Those will be pictures taken by yours truly and you will have to order a calendar to see those pictures. 😉

The calendar pre-sale ends Nov 5. You can save up to $13 by ordering at chickofthewoods.com/events.

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Videos

I found a maple syrupcicle on this box elder tree today. Only a high of 20°F today and it's dripping sap. 🤷 Did you know the box elder tree (Acer negundo) is the only maple tree with compound leaves in North America? Learn more about native trees at my upcoming tree identification class on April 2. Link in bio.

2024... It was a year filled with many smiles and only a few moments of tears. It was a year making less than most, but feeling richer than most. It was a year of confusion and chaos, but satisfaction after it was over. I don't think life ever goes as planned and I'm thankful for that because how boring would that be? Here's to another year of big smiles, heartfelt hugs, and taking whatever life gives you with an open heart and mind. Cheers!

When people ask me how often I go foraging, I tell them that it's nearly every day. Every time I step outside I'm always keeping my eyes peeled. Whether it is a walk through town, a walk in the woods, or a walk to the beach. When I had a desk job, I'd spot mushrooms from my window and go foraging in the park on my lunch break. And my morning break. And my afternoon break. And on my way home. And even sometimes on my way to work. Take a step into my head: Eyes see tree. (Enter 1980's computing noises) Tree is identified. Brain scans to location mushrooms may be growing on or nearby this tree during this season. Mushroom found=happy and keeps looking! Mushroom not found=bummer, but keeps looking! But today I really wasn't looking because it was cold and windy AF and I just needed to get the dog walked. But then the sidewalk surprised me with some hackberries! Hackberries can technically be foraged all winter, but one of the hardest parts is reaching them. And it's hard to see them in the grass if you want to pick the ones that fell. But the combination of the blustery wind and a little bit of snow on the sidewalk made it so easy to find these little guys today. I mentioned Maria Wesserle with @fourseasonforaging in my video. Just Google "Four Season Foraging Hackberry" and you'll find some fun ways she's used these healthy little niblets. Or you can be lazy like me and just crunch on them. If your teeth are strong. Cronch, cronch.

Wondering what to do when you find those little worms in your mushrooms? #protein #mushroomhunting #forager

Dinner is served! Steak of the Farm topped with Lion's Mane mushroom sauteed in butter, garlic, and soy sauce. Ummm yeah. 🤤 I tried putting ramp butter on the butternut squash but that didn't taste quite right. 🤷 It did however taste just right on the steak and mushrooms. ☺️

Take a tour of my calendar, submit photos for the photo contest before midnight on Halloween, and order your calendar before the sale ends on November 5. Chickofthewoods.com/events for more info.

I found quite a few elm oysters and pheasant backs today in an area near Minneapolis that has had less than 0.1" rain in the last 45 days. Watch to find out how.

These are the kind of areas I like to target during a drought. There's also an impromptu tutorial on honey mushrooms vs deadly galerina. This area has had less than 0.1" of rain in the last 45 days. However, i did find two fresh chicken of the woods... One near a swamp like this, and the other in upland desert-like conditions. Chicken and some other "tree mushrooms" don't need rain as much as others. I also found a few fresh resinous polypore and a couple perfect pheasant backs in more upland areas. So, i recommend targeting lowlands and downed trees that don't get a lot of wind. The area I'm taking my class this coming Sunday, Oct 20, 2024 has gotten between 1.5 to 2 inches over the last 30 days. If you want to join, you'll find more info and tickets on my website chickofthewoods.com.

Brick Cap Mushrooms (Hypholoma lateritium) are out now and a good edible mushroom to know since you can find it growing in abundance on dead hardwoods. Sound on to learn how to identify this mushroom. (I don't know why I can never get the captions to work, but I tried! 🤦) Beware of the poisonous look-alike, the sulfur tuft mushroom, which does not have the brick red colored cap. I have one more mushroom hunt scheduled for Oct 20, 2024 if you want to come along and see if we can find this one. Tickets on my website www.chickofthewoods.com.

Throne of the Woods. 👑

Who would you connect your buttress with? #nicebuttress #checkoutthatbuttress #treesrule #togetherforever

Just when you're about to throw in the towel... #mushroomhuntingaddict

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