Contributed
Mushrooms were in the spotlight at the April 13 meeting of the Seven Lakes Garden Club.
A program on the fungi followed the annual plant exchange, which took place in the parking lot of the Chapel in the Pines Fellowship Hall.
Members bring their plants and cuttings to share, open up their trunks and the propagation begins. Participants don’t have to bring a plant to take a plant, but the majority of those who bring something cannot resist taking home new botanical delights. It is a fast and furious process of checking out what is available while scooping up what you like before someone else does.
The program started off with a serving of “crab cakes” made from lion’s mane mushrooms. The delicious samples were prepared and served by Lois VonCannon, mother of the day’s speaker, Mark VonCannon, a licensed forager. Together, they operate Spore to Table, a provider of gourmet mushrooms and medicinal tinctures.
Mark talked to the group about the kinds of mushrooms found in the wild and the relationship they have with their forest partners. Mark grows his mushrooms on logs and in wood shavings.
He demonstrated how to grow lion’s mane mushrooms on your kitchen counter from bags that only require moisture and light to produce a harvest.
Mushrooms have medicinal properties, and those properties can be easily accessed through tinctures. Mark explained the benefits of the various tinctures he creates and supplies.
Mark and his mother can be found at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax on Saturdays throughout the year. Many participants left with mushrooms for supper.
