Category: Free Inquiry

I want to consider two works on mushrooms in this final blog post, and think through how they might help us burgeoning mycelium appreciators and as subjects under a capitalist political economic regime.

Anna Tsing, in her book The Mushroom at the End of the World, looks at the relationships that mushroom pickers, buyers, supply chain capitalists, and consumers have with the Matsutake, also known as the Pine Mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake or Armillaria ponderosa). Tsing argues that by analyzing such as small commodity, the mushroom, we can reveal and understand the vast arrays of histories and politics that are a part of its collection and consumption. Through these analyses, Tsing argues, we can look at the ways that the commodity structures impact broader political acts globally and find ways to disrupt or use the structures to create viable networks of care and aid for living in the wreckage of climate collapse.

Tsing’s work is fascinating for a number of reasons. I think foremost she has done excellent work exploring the political economy of the matsutake market. The mushroom, growing best in forests that have been heavily disturbed by human action such as logging, are highly prized in Japanese haute cuisine, but are becoming more and more difficult to find in Japan. Matsutake mushrooms, with their distinct peppery and spicy smell and taste can fetch upwards of 800$ per kilogram in Japan. Good specimens will run 80$ per mushroom. Despite the high cost of the commodity, workers engaged in picking are often in the most precarious positions. They operate as independent hunters, forced to compete with other hunters and sell their finds to bulk buyers who run near monopoly wholesale operations and hunters tend to be from populations that are already systemically disempowered (Tsing discusses how pickers are often migrant labourers, veterans without health support, etc…).

Throughout her discussion, Tsing notes that noticing the connections that the Matsutake mushroom harvest makes between labour and capital, and between high class consumers in Japan and forest destruction in Korea or the west coast of North America, allows us to find novel forms of networked solidarity and community in a world collapsing under the weight of capitalist accumulation and its consequences. Troublingly though, Tsing underplays the visceral reality of people living through the collapse and the reasons why they find mushroom picking as their only option. She portrays the matsutake as a symbol of hope, of finding ways to survive through the destruction. Her portrait of the mushroom however, is nothing more than a palliative for privileged persons who are too timid to stand up against the forces that are targeting people deemed superfluous. Mushrooms that live through destroyed forests can certainly be a sign of hope, but intentional or not, Tsing implicitly encourages a kind of blissful resignation to destruction.

Tsing’s patronizing distance from the lived realities of the precarious workers she portrays as ‘free’ in the woods picking mushrooms (as if living off starvation wages because nothing else is available to you or because the society you live in has thrown you aside is ‘freedom’) is not helpful to us if we want to organize to actually emancipate ourselves from imposed social conditions under capitalism. However, her analysis of the networks that are arranged to accumulate wealth with the matsutake is. Read alongside Paul Stamet’s work Mycelium Running, we can start to think through mushrooms not only as analytic devices that reveal capitalist relations in our networked world, but as tools for disrupting those relations.

Stamets, a mycologist from Oregon, writes of his experiments that show the ways in which mycorrhizal fungi (mushrooms that are symbiotic with other plants) have demonstrated the capacity to filter water, or even breakdown toxic and radioactive materials through a process of myco-remediation. Beyond these capabilities, limited though they may be, mycelia are demonstrably beneficial to overall soil health and the reclamation of depleted soils for farming or re-wilding. Stamets specifically recounts the history of the world’s oldest organism, a massive mycelium in Oregon that is some 2200 years old and over 2400 acres in area. This fungus has worked on the decaying forest to create incredibly deep soil and conditions necessary for the massive trees we are familiar with in the Pacific North West. Research into the uses of fungi as tools of fixing the problems that capitalism has caused remains in its infancy, especially given the complications of encouraging mycological growth. As Tsing noted, the matsutake in particular is quite resistant to attempts at cultivation. Stamets’ and Tsing’s work shows us how novel ways of organizing ourselves and of relating in the nature we are a part of are crucial to survivance in the capitalist world. Using the work of both Tsing and Stamets we can look at how we may disrupt capitalist networks through the actions of non-human force, build new human-nature relationships that mitigate and reverse the damage, or at least clean up the damage. Beyond this however, we need to organize so that our survivance is not something just based on growing like a mushroom in the wreckage, but rather the spreading mycelium that continually makes and remakes the conditions for a better future world.

Throughout this inquiry project I have explored growing mushrooms, hunting for mushrooms, how mushrooms are connected to the history of colonization, and now what mushroom relationships let us think through and organize politically. This project has been helpful for me in one way in particular. Thinking mycologically and getting some experience harvesting and caring for mushrooms has been a goal of mine for some time, but the impetus to get to it has been lacking. I think that facilitated inquiries can be most helpful as a kick in the pants and a way to unlock the desire for learning in people that may otherwise be stagnating. I suppose we’re all kind of like mycelium in that way. Lurking underground for the right conditions to sprout forth fruiting bodies. Weird imagery.

I think the best part about this kind of experience is that it almost always precipitates a long-term process of learning, or at least some kind of skill development that you can keep with you. For me, that has been the reinvigorated commitment to thinking political relationships through a social-environmental lens, and of course the newfound skills in mushroom growing and hunting I can keep working on. Together, these provide whole new connections and conversations with a growing community of mycological appreciators that I can have, which in itself is a wonderful outcome of the project.

Thanks for a great semester team (especially to anyone who actually read any of these posts)! I hope we can keep pushing the boundaries of pedagogy together.

In solidarity,
Ry

When we think about mushrooms, we tend to think of these guys.

This is Fly Amanita (Amanita muscaria) also known as Fly Agaric.  The classic mushroom with a red cap and white dots. Fly Amanita is a widespread mushroom throughout the northern hemisphere and, as you’re all wondering I am sure, is commonly associated with its intoxicating effects. Despite the fact that it has been used in many cultures for precisely these reasons, the intoxication brought on by Fly Amanita isn’t quite as predicable as those darling Psilocybin friends. Ingesting Fly Amanita may induce intoxicating effects, but will likely just make you very sick as well.

Though Fly Amanita is common, it’s not anything to be overly worried about. It’s a little toxic, as I said, but it announces itself like no other with such distinctive colouring. The poisonous mushroom of note for Vancouver Island, is the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides).

The Death Cap has a pale green to yellow-olive cap, white gills, a skirt-like veil on the upper stock, and a cup at the base of the stock (often underground). The Death Cap is native to Europe and northern Africa and grows as a symbiont with hardwood trees like oak and chestnut. This kind of symbiosis is ectomycorrhizal, meaning that the fungus grows on the roots of the host. First spotted in Mission BC in 1998, it is believed that the Death Cap came to BC as the fellow traveller of an imported decorative tree from Europe. Since 1998, sightings have increased in the lower mainland, with the first sightings in Vancouver in 2008, and on Vancouver Island shortly after that.

The Death Cap is one of the deadliest known mushrooms in the world. Its mortality rate sits at between 10% – 30% depending on access to care. This is so high in part because it takes up to 24 hours after ingestion for symptoms to appear, at which time the toxins have been fully absorbed by the consumer.

Be careful out there folks! The general rule with mushroom picking is eat nothing unless you are completely certain you know what it is. This is especially important around Death Caps as they can easily be mistaken for another popular and very delicious mushroom, the White Matsutake or Pine Mushroom (Tricholoma magnivelare) shown below.

Delving into the life of the Death Cap and other poisonous mushrooms that manage to get themselves to places they are not native to has revealed some questions I didn’t know I had about urban design, ecosystem management, and colonization. When we think of invasive species, we think of things like Scotch Broom, the European Green Crab, or Atlantic salmon escaped from fish farms. These all carry adverse affects on ecosystems that we can see, but can also insert themselves into niches that were disrupted by industrial activity. The spread of European trees as decorative trees in cities will aid the spread of the Death Cap. The ways in which cities are organized and impact the ecosystems they grow in is based on colonial models of urbanism and a kind of settler colonialism of plants and animals, not just people. Though this inquiry project does not have the space for the kind of investigation I would want to do on such questions, future posts will begin to look at them more closely.

This weekend I got out and had the opportunity to go hunting for mushrooms! Myself and some friends set out in the morning to look around for Pacific Golden Chanterelles (Cantharellus formosus). Our crew left early and trekked out to Sooke where we know of a few secret spots that have historically been pretty decent sources of chanterelles.  At least according to a friend of a friend.  I myself had never been before but I was very excited.

Hunting for wild mushrooms is a challenge.  You need to be aware of a number of things about the mushroom you’re looking for, but also about the area you are hiking through to find them.  Without giving away our spot (I see you all trying to sneak in and grab some mushies 😉 ), I can say that we all have extensive knowledge of the hills in the area and are very familiar with the trails and non-trailed parts. Without getting off topic, preparing for a day hike that may include bushwhacking and non-trail travel is no small matter.  It’s important to take it more seriously than any mushroom based aspect of the hunt.

Chanterelles tend to grow under denser second growth Douglas Fir and Hemlock areas.  They prefer sparse ground cover, mossy growths, and ground made up of lots of woody debris. Generally speaking, once you’ve found a patch, you can be pretty sure that they will be there year after year.  Because they are easy to recognize and a typical mushroom that first time hunters go for, they can now be harder to find.  Pickers may have ‘claimed’ spots and don’t always want to share that information with others.

There are four key things to look for when hunting chanterelles in order not to mistake them for other mushrooms; interior colour, gills, stem shape, and cap shape. Chanterelles are a golden yellow colour, but this can of course vary from mushroom to mushroom.  All chanterelles however have white interior flesh.  The gills of chanterelles are ‘false’ in that they are shallower, look like wrinkles, and extend towards the base of the stem. Chanterelles are trumpet shaped (they narrow towards the base and sometimes ‘cup’ on top, and their caps are wavy and irregularly shaped rather than round. Although chanterelles are comparatively easy to identify unlike lots of other kinds of mushrooms, there are still plenty of false chanterelles out there.  Be careful when you go picking any mushroom and make sure you are very certain you have something edible.

After a few hours out on the hillsides looking for chanterelles… drum roll please… we found none.  Well we did find one single one but decided not to pick it.  However, upon returning home, I heard word from a friend that he had been out elsewhere and found lots! I got a small present of some chanterelles from him and cooked up some tasty German chanterelle, wurst and spaetzle dishes.  Here’s hoping I can find some more next time!

This week I finally got to a stage of mushroom care that I was very excited for, harvesting!

In a sense I am grateful that I am harvesting these mushrooms at home before I have gotten the chance to go out searching for mushrooms in the woods.  Caring for the growing fungi on my balcony has meant that I am doing a lot more reading and care prior to getting into the hands on components.  Before going in for a harvest I did some reading about proper technique for pulling mushrooms out of the ground (or plastic block I’ve got mine in). I had a suspicion there would be a specific way to go about this and I was right.  Don’t pull them! Cut them out with a knife.

Mushrooms are a fascinating thing.  As the fruiting body of the larger underground mycelium, the mushroom spreads spores for the overall fungus. In the process of harvesting, if you pluck the mushroom from the ground or whatever container it is growing in, there is risk of damaging the underlying mycelium.  This damage could prevent subsequent blooms and limit the growth of the whole organism, so it is best to avoid it.  A twist and pull reduces the potential damage, but the sure-fire way to not harm the fungus is to cut the mushroom off at the stem.  There is a prevalent rumour that cutting the mushroom at the base of the stem will leave the remainder behind to rot.  This is not true! The stem left over is still connected to the growing mycelium underground and will not rot, it may even start growing again!

Cooking mushrooms, as many of you will know, is delicious.  To celebrate the first harvest of my mushrooms, but also because I didn’t want to work too hard, I put together a quick beef and broccoli and oyster mushroom stir fry.  Super tasty stuff, super easy.

• Fry up your broccoli and beef cut. (You could cook the beef cut any way you like and would probably get a nicer outcome than just frying it, but like I said, I wasn’t interested in effort at this point)
• Separately, fry up and reduce those shroomsters.
• Mix together a sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh grated ginger, lemon juice, and honey.
• Add to the mushrooms so they soak it all up.
• Toss in the broc and beef, stir to coat.
• Serve with rice or noods.

The real exciting part of this inquiry project comes next weekend.  I’ll be heading out to hunt for mushrooms in the woods! A friend of mine is taking me out to some great spots for chanterelles and we’ll be looking to rake in a new delicious fungi friend.

Sadly, this week was full of business for me and it kept me away from hunting for mushrooms on a hike like I planned.  But that doesn’t mean we didn’t see some exciting developments coming from the now growing mushrooms on my balcony! Nor does it mean I didn’t spy a few cute little fungus friends popping out of neighbourhood yards.

While out walking the other day I saw these little cuties.

Growing in a few small cluster these white capped young blooms had me curious.  I’ve combed through my identification books but I don’t have confidence in what they are yet.  I’ll keep looking though because now I’m set on knowing!

Despite the hinderance to getting out and investigating the damp undergrowth of the forests for mycological wonders I did learn some very interesting things about the cultivation of mushrooms and the surrounding political economy of mushroom growing and picking. First off, completely unbeknownst to me, white button, brown cremini, and portobello mushrooms are all one in the same!  It’s something quite stunning to realize that so many of the foods available in our grocery stores may appear to be different varieties, when in fact they are identical, just at different stages of life.  White button and brown cremini mushrooms are young blooms of Agaricus bisporus, while the portobello is the mature fruit. This species is particularly widespread, and is easily cultivated as it will grow readily in soil, on wood or sawdust, or on other decomposing matter.  The ease of cultivation, relative shelf life, and versatile flavour have made this mushroom the staple fungus of casual North American cooking.  What fascinates me more however, is the notable myco-phobia (that is fear of mushrooms) that permeates so many eaters here when compared the plethora of mushrooms in say European or east Asian culinary traditions. I have picked up a copy of Anna Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World which explores the political economy of mushroom pickers that harvest the matsutake, a highly sought after mushroom in Japan.  I think that investigating the wider social, cultural, and political-economic trends around mushrooms offers us some unique insights into global food systems and planetary food cycles.

Now onto the good stuff.  My oyster mushrooms have bloomed!

              These little friends are growing well, despite the trouble we’ve had maintaining the humidity they need in all this wind.  The incoming cold front gusts run the risk of drying out the covering tent that these mushrooms grow in.  Without proper humidity the oyster mushrooms run the risk of growing long stocks, small caps, and developing an unappetizing fibrous and woody texture.  I’m keeping a careful eye on these new blooms to ensure that they stay happy and healthy, and with that I’m hoping to eventually get a second, third, and if I’m very lucky fourth bloom from this kit.

Today I thought I would share a little of what I have learned about Oyster Mushrooms, which are the variety of mushrooms I am attempting to grow in my apartment.

Earlier this week I received an exciting package in the mail. I opened the box and I found my beginners mushroom growing kit from a small farm up Island near Sayward.  Oyster Mushrooms are a fairly easy to handle variety and when they grow they are delicious to fry or bake and add to stir fries or pastas. I’m very much looking forward to incorporating these newly grown mushies into dinner!

Maintaining this kit is relatively simple.  You just need to maintain conditions that are optimal for mushroom growth.  Luckily, with the fall here, the conditions are naturally occurring! I’ve set my mushroom kit up on my apartment balcony.  Conveniently for the mushrooms, but not for me or any of the other plants I have been growing, recent construction has completely eliminated the sun I used to get.  The indirect light, relatively cool temperature, and constant humidity I apply are all essential to the growth of good mushrooms. One very interesting thing that I have learned regarding the condition’s mushrooms are grown in is about the air quality they need.  If the air is stale then oyster mushrooms can end up with long stems and small caps giving a woody fibrous texture to them.  With too much air exchange however, the humidity becomes hard to maintain and they can try out and not fruit.

Throughout my preparations I have been exploring what the parts of a mushroom are called and how to identify them.  There are three major sections of every mushroom (with lots of variety and exceptions); the mycelium (like roots), the stem, and the cap. The mycelium are the real bulk of the organism and are a beautiful network of tendrils under the ground.  It’s here that the magic of decomposition and soil enrichment takes place.

The mushroom itself is nothing more than the fruiting body of the mycelium. On top of the cap we’ll find the scales, and under it the gills of the mushroom.  Of course all finds of fungi appear in all different ways.  Some don’t have clear caps or stems like the Chicken of the Woods.

 

Others have a clear cap but it looks nothing like what we normally expect mushrooms to look like, like morels.

This coming weekend I will be going out and taking a count of all the mushrooms and funguses I can find.  I may even harvest a few to investigate more thoroughly at home. Once I get out and about we’ll get some photos up here to really dive into the parts of a mushroom and what kinds of wild fungi are around southern Vancouver Island.

I was oscillating back and forth over what kind of project I was interested in exploring for our Free Inquiry assignment for quite some time. I wanted to be able to do something that I had been thinking of taking up anyways as this gives me a reason to stop procrastinating. There were two things I had been meaning to take up semi-regularly and learn a bit more about; birding and mushrooms.  For the purposes of this assignment and blogging journey I have opted to go with the mushrooms, though maybe I’ll treat my obviously very wide audience to the occasional blurry bird photo.

Perusing through the information we have on ‘free inquiry’ was, to be perfectly honest, less than exciting.  I agree that it is a relatively novel way for organizing educational projects for the majority of public schools in Canada, but it’s by no means a novel thing in and of itself.  Essentially, this is research and personal exploration of a topic dressed up in corporate buzzwords like ‘inquiry’ and ‘innovation.’ This doesn’t take away from the power of inquiry based learning at all, but I worry about the discursive means by which it can be co-opted as the tool of private interests (ya’ll have already seen my take on that one in my look at the recent documentary we watched, so no need to go into it here). I do value research and exploration as a method of education.  I come from a background in outdoor education and backcountry guiding where this method is key.  We operate within the framework we have available to us (whatever means of movement for our camping trip we’re using – kayak, hike, etc..) but form our lessons based on the interests of our participants.  I have lead countless trips in the Gulf Islands for example where our participants interests lead us to inquire about intertidal life, or geology, weather, or the history of the area.  In each case our participants left our trip with new learning, new interests, and a feeling that they have what it takes to explore what they want.

Anyways, on to the main story.  I’ve elected to start growing my own mushrooms and learning to harvest wild ones!  There’s not much to say about this so far.

I’ve ordered a beginner mushroom growing kit from a farm up in Sayward on the north end of the Island, so that will take some time to get here.  In the mean time I’m finally diving into a few books I have and calling on friends with experience to talk about wild mushrooms.  My only hope is that I can live up to the style of David Arora, author of All That The Rain Promises and More.  What a legend.