Functional Mushroom Workshop

Functional Mushrooms are an exploding topic. With all the research happening and new products becoming available a deeper exploration is advised. This course is a full two-day course, looking at some ancient history, a dive into Traditional Chinese Medicine and right through to the latest published papers. Together, we look at the  research into the active ingredients and how they work. Then we go out into the field collect samples, and learn how to identify them. After we brew several different types of preparations hands-on.

Friday:

• Introduction to Fungi and their Ecological role. 
• A brief history of Medicinal mushrooms.
• Active mushroom compounds.
  

Saturday:

Morning session:

• Homeostasis.
• Understanding our immune systems and what makes them tick.
• Making Medicinal Mushroom Hydrolysates.
  

Lunch: Medicinal Mushroom soup, Mushroom salad, Mushroom dessert.

Afternoon session:  

• Basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  
• Use of Mushrooms in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Top mushrooms in the Chinese Pharmacopeia.

Sunday:

Morning session:

• Mushroom collection. 
• Sorting the collections.

Lunch: Medicinal Mushroom soup, Mushroom salad, Mushroom dessert.

Afternoon session:

• Making mushroom preparations; Tinctures, decoctions, creams.
• Choosing the delivery system; what preparation to use and when.
• What to watch out for when purchasing commercial products.
• Mushroom contraindications.

Things to bring: Assorted clothing layers for all eventualities, hat, sun screen, bug dope, sturdy boots or shoes (we may hit some wet spots.), a good knife in a safe sheath, A loupe or magnifier if you have one, a BIG basket or bucket, mushroom field guides (Should include Mushrooms of Western Canada). Any mushrooms you need help identifying.

Included: Refreshments, Mushroom lunch, mushroom knowledge, dirty hands. Lunch will be medicinal, gluten-free and omnivorous. If that doesn't suit you, please bring your own lunch.

Things available on site: mushroom field guides, medicinal mushroom books, loupes.