Wild Mushroom Food Safety Certification Course

This 5 year mushroom foraging permit meets the criteria required by the state health departments and formally approved for the foraging and selling of wild mushrooms in the following states: South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvannia, New York, Rhode Island. Signups will receive a study guide and slides 1 month ahead of the class.

Limited to 40 people, and no refunds will be available for this event. We might be able to move you to another class in case of emergency.

Where: Dauset Trails Nature Center 360 Mt. Vernon Church Road, Jackson, GA 30233 https://www.dausettrails.com/

Accommodations: Dauset Trails Nature Center offers tent camping. The fee is $5.00 per person per night. Please camp and use the tent pads and fire rings in the designated areas. There are also three "Turkey Roost" platforms (pictured) that have two levels each. Groups that are camping may use nearby Pavilion 2 for meals. Pavilion 2 has built-in restrooms and an outdoor shower. Reservations are made by phone. To book, please call 770-775-6798.

For anyone camping or not, there will be a social on Saturday evening after the ALL-DAY studying.

Other accommodations are not far away if you are not into camping. A quick google search will reveal there are hotels, and several private rentals within a 10-15 minute drive.

When: SEP 9-10, 2023, 9am-5pm

About Dauset Trails Nature Center, Jackson, Georgia

In the early 1980s, Dauset Trails started with a self-guided trail that looped through the woods by a small lake with 13 points of interest. Later, injured, orphaned, or nuisance animals were gradually added for viewing near the Visitors Center. These non-releasable animals were given exhibits for protection and display and gradually grew to become the Animal Trail. The Animal Trail winds about 1/3 a mile through the woods featuring mostly native non-releasable mammals and birds of prey. Read more…

Food: Please bring your own.

Taught by Anne-Marie Bilella, she is the Baker and the Medicine-Maker at Bella Vista Farm in GA. She is skilled in herbal medicine, wild weeds, mushrooms and natural products made from herbs. Anne-Marie was self-taught in her herbal studies until 2014 when she completed a 10 month hands-on intensive herbal course with Patricia Kyritsi Howell of BotanoLogos School of Herbal Studies. She is certified as a Wild Mushroom Forager and Seller as well as an instructor for the Wild Mushroom Safety Course with Mushroom Mountain.

Currently, Anne-Marie creates her own herbal products with her Forager Chick line and teaches homesteaders about herbal medicine, medicinal mushrooms and wild plant identification. She is a homesteader, author and writer for her own blog and has written articles for other blogs, Aroma Culture Magazine and for Mother Earth News – Herbal Living blog.

According to state law, wild foraged mushrooms species must be individually inspected and found to be safe by an approved mushroom identification expert that:

(A) Has met the requirements of knowledge and passed an exam and

(B) Will harvest only those mushrooms species listed below:

• Pink Chanterelles (Cantharellus cinnabarinus)
• Golden Chanterelles (Cantharellus spp.)
• Morels (Morchella spp.)
• Black Trumpet (Craterellus fallax)
• Lobster (Hypomyces lactifluorum)
• Wood Ears (Auricularia spp.)
• Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus spp.)
• Beefsteak (Fistulina hepatica)
• Hedgehog (Hydnum repandum)
• Lions Mane or Pom Pom (Hericium spp.)
• White Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus spp.)
• Cauliflower (Sparassis spp.)
• Maitake (Grifola frondosa)
• Blewits (Clitocybe nuda)
• Honey (Armillaria spp.)
• Blue Milky (Lactarius indigo)
• Golden Milkies (Lactifluus spp.)
• Pecan Truffle (Tuber lyonii)
• Puffballs ( Lycoperdon, Calvatia spp.)