Introduction to Medicinal Mushrooms, Their Uses and Applications

Thursday, January 17, 2019

• 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

• Brooklyn Grange Clinton Avenue & Flushing Avenue Brooklyn, NY, 11205 United States

Come explore the deep history humans have with medicinal mushrooms and their power to heal as we journey through this ancient world with Olga Tzogas from Smugtown Mushrooms. In this workshop, we'll identify common types, examine how they grow, demonstrate their uses and ways to prepare them. Learn who and what mushrooms are as we look at how they help forge our immune system, showcasing the diversity of properties within just a handful of selected varieties like the Turkey Tail mushroom, Lions Mane mushroom, & the common culinary mushroom, the Shiitake.

We’ll further untangle the legendary “Mushroom of Immortality”, known as the Reishi or Lingzhi mushroom, put in everything from coffee to soaps to cosmetics as we assemble a double extracted tincture. Learn about how these divine healing heroes of the forest exist in nature and how we can cultivate a working relationship with them in our health regimens while maintaining their sacred and wild essence. Sip on long brewed Chaga tea and freshly extracted homegrown Reishi tea as we explore the ethics of this growing industry. We welcome first time hobbyist and veteran mycologists!

Topics Covered:

• The basic life cycle and biology of mushrooms and their Fungal relatives.

• How mushrooms exist in nature and how we can apply these methods to our lives, agriculture, health regimens and more.

• Journey through a few varieties of medicinal mushrooms that are commonly found in stores.

• Preparing these medicinals for both food and/or medicine.

• Preparing the first part of our Double extracted Reishi mushroom tincture, this involves processing the Reishi and storing & soaking it with supplied grain alcohol.

• EVERYONE goes home with 4oz of Reishi tincture

ABOUT OLGA TZOGAS
Olga Tzogas created & operates Smugtown Mushrooms in Rochester NY. Her journey with Fungi and plants started over ten years ago. Working with these allies by foraging in both urban & more wild settings, and developing skills to identify for food and medicine.  In 2011, Smugtown Mushrooms was established because there was a need for mushrooms & growing supplies, workshops, events & community based science in her area. While continuously learning more and embracing the never-ending, unlocked potential of mushrooms & fungi.  She teaches workshops throughout the region about wild mushroom identification, medicinal mushrooms, biology, and mushroom cultivation.