By learning to cultivate wild mushrooms from our local woodlands, we can bypass the need to buy commercial spawn (the mushroom equivalent of purchasing seeds for your garden), and safeguard against the introduction of non-native invasive mushroom species. In this class we’ll leverage low-tech techniques to create spawn from native fungi and discuss strategies for small-scale home grow set-ups. This DIY approach to cultivation creates opportunities to deepen your mycological knowledge while also playing a crucial role in preserving your local ecology.
Interested in cultivating wild mushrooms, but need to boost your foraging skills first? Join us the day prior for Fall Mushroom Foraging! More info: https://bookwhen.com/driftlessfolkschool/e/ev-szvz-20241005090000
Date: Sunday, October 6
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Lunch will be provided.
Ages: 18+
Materials Fees: $10
Location: People's Food Co-op, 315 5th Ave S, La Crosse, WI 54601
Instructions: Feel free to bring your own freshly foraged mushrooms, if collected in or near the Driftless Region. (Please do not bring store-bought mushrooms, or decaying wild mushrooms!) You may also wish to bring a water bottle, snacks, or something to take notes with.
Sliding Scale Course Fee Guidelines (not including Materials Fees)
Supporter Level Ticket: $120
If you move through the world with financial ease and the means to fulfill many of your wants as well as your needs – you are able to eat out when you want, abundantly meet your needs through employment or can comfortably not work, have access to family wealth, own property, etc. – consider paying at this level, which will help us ensure the long term sustainability of our programs while keeping our offerings accessible to those with access to fewer resources.
Sustainer Level Ticket: $95
If you are able to meet your needs with relative ease while budgeting your educational and entertainment spending – for instance, you are able to take classes and eat out occasionally as long as you are mindful – consider paying at this level, which will help sustain the work of the Folk School at a modest level.
Supported Level Ticket: $70
If you struggle to fund your basic needs and have limited access to resources in your family and community, or if you would not be able to access this offering without a discounted payment option, consider paying at this level. We value your presence and contributions to our community and do not want any economic circumstances to be a barrier to attendance!
Instructor Bio — Andi Reisdorf (née Bruce)
Andi is a professional mycologist, avid wild food forager, and amateur rockhound with a green thumb and a love affair with the natural world. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a focus on environmental sustainability and social justice. She also has a master’s degree in biology with a focus on mycology, the study of mushrooms and other fungi. Her master’s thesis represents the first published study examining the spread of non-native golden oyster mushrooms in the United States. After spending 4 years as a scientist in the San Francisco Bay Area’s biotech industry, the Wisconsin woods have called her home to focus on the transfer of cultural knowledge and traditional skills.
She is also currently the DFS Registrar!