Hunting... or Finding?

It was kind of funny, two different family members called yesterday for advice on hunting for morel mushrooms and a cousin was talking about it on Facebook. I think it's probably prime time in Ohio, but in this part of Kentucky I believe the time has passed for morels. Perhaps I've made it sound easier than it is, as the timing is of great importance (they only last for a few days before shriveling up or being eaten by wild animals) and just being in the right place to find them is critical- there is definitely a lot of luck involved!

We have found morels on only a fraction of our farm's wooded areas, and there doesn't seem to be a common denominator with the the two areas they've been discovered, other than that there is plenty of shade. If you read what the experts say, you'll see a diversity of opinions about what kinds of trees to look under, etc.

A grey morel, the best tasting (we only find a few of these here)

The morels we found this year were in about the 2nd week of April, which is almost always when we have found them. It has been an exceptionally wet spring, as it was during the banner year for morels that we had two years ago (last year we didn't find ANY).

So, my best advice is to take your time and enjoy the woods. There is something very relaxing about getting out into nature, especially in the springtime when so much new life is happening before your eyes.

Your eyes will become trained to spot the shape of a morel, but don't dismiss everything else you see on the forest floor (can you spot the two small morels in the picture above?).

There is so much beauty in the shapes, textures, and colors you'll see.

Even the lichens are beautiful if you take the time to look.

The "morel" of the story? If you're REALLY lucky, you'll fill the sink with these (small morels from this year's harvest). If not, well you'll have been lucky anyway... just to get out and enjoy nature. My next foraging experience? We're going to forage nettles this week, stay tuned!

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The Fungus is Among Us!

I can't help it, I just love to say that! It's true, the morel mushrooms are here! For some reason I felt that this was going to be a good year for them. Although we generally get out and look at least a few times each spring, it has been quite a few years since we have found any on our farm, perhaps due to the dry weather. Last week I checked out our most reliable spot, but nothing has appeared there... yet (I remain optimistic!)
Then when MB and I were trail riding, I suggested stopping at an area where we had found morels one year and never since. Jackpot! We found quite a few and surprised Paul with them upon our return.

On Easter morning, we all hiked back up to the "honey hole". We saw these interesting reddish mushrooms on the way, which were somewhat similar to morels- we later learned from a field guide that they are related to morels, aren't particularly edible, and are called "Brown Bonnets." We discovered that the morel area was even larger than previously thought. It was really fun tromping around in the woods with the family, and just as fun frying up some of the tasty mushrooms upon our return to the house.

Most of what we found were "Half Free Morels", a variety with a long stem and smaller cap. Although tasty, we discovered that the Black Morels (of which we haven't found nearly as many) are more flavorful. We harvested enough to think about preserving some, and found lots of good websites with tips- we dried some in our dehydrator and froze others.

Last night, we went out again with our nephew Ryan and farm resident Danna. There were still tons of morels to be found, and again we had a great time searching. I have concluded that it's one of those activities in which I feel firmly "in the moment", and it is very relaxing, quickly chasing away a crabby mood. Afterwards we came back and had a great dinner and wine. I made spinach fettucine alfredo with smoked chicken and morels, and we had some local Woodford County wine- Wildside Vines American Cabarnet Franc, which was amazing! It felt really good to be eating and drinking from at least some local sources and I look forward to doing a lot more of that as our garden matures.

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Life's Ups and Downs- RIP, Sweet Yoda

Last Tuesday was a rainy, lazy day in which I couldn't get motivated to do much. Little did I know that I'd be saving up for a crazy several days in a row after that!

It started with a phone call that one of our alpaca guardian dogs, Yoda (a Great Pyrenees), had been found in a coyote snare on a nearby farm and that he was injured. I went to pick him up, and despite the wound on his hind leg not looking all that bad, he didn't even look like himself due to the dullness of his eyes and I knew he was in serious condition, with a cold leg and poor demeanor.

As I was dealing with that, our farm manager notified me that one of our top herdsires and most valuable animals was acting very ill and had an extremely low temperature (the nearly 50-degree drop in temperature can be rough on newly shorn animals). The vet was fortunately already coming, and after checking both animals she advised taking them both to inpatient vet clinics, including the OSU Vet Hospital for the alpaca. I immediately got on my way and drove the 3 and 1/2 hours to Columbus (I had taken two alpacas there for the first time in over 4 years, just 6 days previously!). Long story short, the alpaca made it and is fine but after much intervention including IV fluids and treatment in an ultra-oxygenated hyperbaric chamber, Yoda slipped away. I like to think that he perished in the line of duty, perhaps determinedly chasing a coyote far away from his beloved alpaca herd. Above are a few pictures of him, the one when he was just a puppy. Below is our alpaca being examined by a vet at OSU- they gave him AND our others AWESOME treatment! The next day I was glad to take a little bit of time that I really didn't have to go for a ride with Mary Beth. That was so much fun and so good for us all! We ended up finding some of the elusive morel mushrooms (more on that in the next day or two).

On Friday I helped Jenny with some farm work and we joyfully welcomed a beautiful new female cria into the world! (Her name is, fittingly, Passion since she was born on Good Friday). The weekend was filled with family and friends as we celebrated my wonderful stepson Jason and Crystal's impending marriage at two couples showers and hosted Easter dinner here on Sunday. I finished the quilted table runner just in time, and was pretty pleased with how it came out since it's really my first "quilt." I'm ready for more sewing projects, now just need to find the time! (By the way, I'm sorry that this post was "sent" before I had it completed! Sorry if you got it twice).

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Mushroom Madness

Paul and I both LOVE morel mushrooms, and the appearance of trillium (above), mayapple (below) and rainy conditions is our signal to start looking. Although I was raised in town, our suburb had an awesome, woodsy park area in which I have a fond recollection of finding my first morels while tromping around with my parents and brothers. Walking around looking at the ground may sound boring, but if you're a nature lover like us there's always something to observe and signs of spring everywhere.
Once the first mushroom (or 4-leaf clover, or whatever you're trying to identify) is found, one's eyes seem to focus more clearly for finding more. I can recall filling an entire grocery bag full! Mom would slice and then roll them in flour and sautee them in butter with a tad of salt, and nothing in the world would taste better!

These are definitely NOT morels, but I figured it's a good sign to see other mushrooms popping up.
On one of the first years we lived on our farm, we decided to see if our land could support any morels. After probably an hour of hunting, I came upon a small patch of the coveted fungi and we found more there in many subsequent springs, as well as a few other random patches. The past several Aprils, we have come up empty-handed- probably just not looking at exactly the right time. I am determined to look every few days this spring so that we don't miss them!

It was a cold and dank afternoon, with the temperature having dropped nearly 40 degrees from the day before when Mirian and I rode the horses in t-shirts (us, not the horses). Ya gotta love Kentucky this time of year for it's fickleness. I enjoyed hiking in my new, stylish Dubarry boots, just had to show them off!
My foray yesterday didn't produce any morels, but I did enjoy the hunt, as well as the wildflowers (and domesticated ones in our yard). These daffodils, which bloom later than the others, are my favorites to bring inside as they are fancy AND fragrant.

I hope wherever you are, you're getting a taste of the outdoors! Pin It Now!