The Mushroom Hour Podcast

Today on Mushroom Hour we are joined by the distinguished Dr. Matthew Smith. Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida and the curator of the UF Fungal Herbarium (FLAS). He teaches the UF mycology course and takes on the responsibility of identifying unknown fungi for a variety of Florida stakeholders, including the UF Plant Disease Clinic, UF-IFAS Extension Service, and the UF Veterinary School. His broad range of interests spans fungal ecology, evolution, and systematics. Dr. Smith has worked extensively on the biology and systematics of hypogeous fungi (“truffles”) and the ecology of plant-symbiotic ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. However, he has also studied a variety of other fungal groups, including plant pathogens Armillaria mellea ("oak root fungus") and Claviceps purpurea (Ergot disease of grasses) as well as the nematode-destroying fungi (Orbiliales and other Ascomycota). Dr. Smith’s work combines the synergistic use of molecular, morphological, and culture-based methods in both laboratory and field settings.Topics Covered:Mycology Journey from Sonoma California to University of Florida  What is a "Truffle"?  Biology of Truffles  Convergent Evolution of Truffle Fungi  Edible Truffles & Genus Tuber  Zygomycetes  North American Truffles  Commercial Truffle Farming  Truffle Foraging & Truffle Hounds  Role of Birds in Truffle Reproduction in Southern S. America  Applied Uses of Mycorrhizal Fungi  Tropical Ectomycorrhizal Fungi  Gondwana & Biogeography  Florida Museum of Natural History  Episode Resources:Dr. Matthew Smith Website: https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/people/faculty-pages/matthew-smith/  Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Gulf-Coast-States-Mississippi/dp/1477318151  Common Florida Mushrooms (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Common-Florida-mushrooms-James-Kimbrough/dp/B00069BG5I  Mushrooms Demystified (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Demystified-David-Arora/dp/0898151694/  Tuber magnatum (Truffle): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_truffle  Tuber melanosporum (Truffle): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuber_melanosporum  Tuber canaliculatum (Truffle): https://midwestmycology.org/tuber-canaliculatum/  Tuber lyonii (Truffle): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan_truffle  William Murrill (Inspiration): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Murrill  

Today on Mushroom Hour we are blessed to have the company of Eugenia Bone. Eugenia is a nature and food journalist, as well as an author and speaker, whose writing is primarily about the connections between food, sustainability and the natural sciences.  Her work has appeared in many books, magazines, and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, and The National Lampoon. A member of the American Society of Science Writers,  founder of Slow Food Western Slope in Western Colorado, and former president of the New York Mycological Society,  she has lectured widely in venues like the Denver Botanical Garden and the New York Public Library. Eugenia is the author of six books, including the mushroom lover must-have “Mycophilia” and her most recent work Microbia: A Journey into the Unseen World Around You. Eugenia has lectured widely in venues like the Denver Botanical Gardens, the New York Public Library, and the Stone Barns Center. She’s currently featured in “Fantastic Fungi”, a movie about the magical world of fungi and their power to heal, sustain and contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth.   Topics Covered:   Winding Road to Mycophilia  How Basic Scientific Literacy Improves Your Life  Diverse Mushroom Community  Fungi as the Glue of Plants, Soil & Community  New York Mycological Society  Mushrooms in Urban Ecosystems  Fungi as a Gateway to Learning  Cooking & Preserving Mushrooms  Exploring the Microbial World  Symbiosis & Dysbiosis  Our Gut Microbiome  Limitless Applications of Endophytes  Psilocybin Therapy  Eugenia’s Favorite Forage Grounds and Mushroom Recipes  Episode Resources:   Eugenia Bone Website: http://www.eugeniabone.com/  Eugenia Bone Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eugeniagbone/  Fantastic Fungi Cookbook: https://fantasticfungi.com/cookbook/  New York Mycological Society: http://newyorkmyc.org/  Mycophilia - Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms (book): https://www.amazon.com/Mycophilia-Revelations-Weird-World-Mushrooms/dp/1609619870   Microbia - A Journey Into the Unseen World Around You (book): https://www.amazon.com/Microbia-Journey-Unseen-World-Around/dp/1623367352

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the pleasure of speaking with the distinguished Todd Osmundson PhD, Associate Professor of Biology at The University of Wisconsin Lacrosse. Todd is a faculty member in the Department of Biology and his research specialties include studying the ecology, genetic relationships, geographic distributions, and conservation biology of bacteria and especially fungi, using fieldwork, microscopy, and molecular genetic (DNA-based) tools. His professional mycology career really began during a fateful encounter with a local mushroom club in Montana. Todd has conducted mycological fieldwork in the U.S., French Polynesia, China, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Svalbard, Thailand, and Australia. His varied research projects have seen him span alpine, arctic, tropical, and temperate habitats in search of fungi. There are few people more familiar with the process of finding, observing, extracting DNA, and genetically sequencing fungi. Let's learn more about where “we” are in cataloging fungal populations, what that means for mycology and how citizen scientists can be a part of this process. Topics Covered:Seizing Opportunity to Begin a Mycology CareerMorea & French PolynesiaModel Ecosystem Modeling with GeneticsPCR Analysis and SequencingInterpreting Genetic DataChallenges of Identifying Fungal SpeciesWhat are Clades and How Do We Use Them?165 Million Species of Fungi?!MicrosporidiansMysteries of Burn MorelsDifferentiating Individuals with GeneticsFungal Herbarium Collections as Genetic Vaults?Biogeography & Evolutionary HistoryDiversity Surveys & Fungi ConservationEpisode Resources:Todd Osmundson Website: https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/tosmundson/Larry Evans (Inspiration): http://www.montanamushrooms.com/tag/larry-evans/Dr Cathy Cripps (Inspiration): https://plantsciences.montana.edu/alpinemushrooms/investigators/principal.htmlMicrosporidians (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicrosporidiaAndy Bruce (student): https://andibruce.com/Alan Rockefeller (Inspiration): https://www.instagram.com/alan_rockefeller/Boletus separans (Mushroom): https://boletes.wpamushroomclub.org/product/xanthoconium-separans/Tylopilus (mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylopilus

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the humbling privilege to speak with Tom Volk, Professor of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Specializing in Mycology and Forest Pathology, Tom teaches courses on Mycology, Medical Mycology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Food & Industrial Mycology, Advanced Mycology, Organismal Biology and Latin & Greek for Scientists. His website, Tom Volk's Fungi has a popular "Fungus of the Month" feature, and an extensive introduction to Queendom Fungi. Besides dabbling in mushroom cultivation, Tom has worked intimately with the genera Morchella, Cantharellus, Hydnellum, Armillaria and Laetiporus, a lineup of edible varieties that will make every forager’s mouth water. He has also embarked on several medical mycology projects, investigations into prairie mycorrhizae, mycoprospecting, and fungi that are involved in coal formation. He also has conducted fungal biodiversity studies in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alaska, and Israel. Having lectured in 35 states so far, Tom is a popular speaker at many amateur and professional mycological events throughout North America, including NAMA and NEMF forays. Not the least of his accolades, Tom was named President of the Mycology Society of America in 2017. Topics Covered:An Obsession with Mycology is bornForest PathologyPrimary & Secondary MetabolitesEvolutionary Origins of MetabolitesMycotoxinsAflatoxinIs Organic Produce More Susceptible to Mycotoxins?Aspergillus, Penicillium and FusariumFuture of Mycelium-based foodsLifecycle of Morel MushroomsMedicinal Compounds in MushroomsCitizen MycologyMycology in AcademiaFungi in Coal FormationsEpisode Resources:Tom Volk Website: https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/tvolk/Tom Volk's Fungi: http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/Aspergillus flavas (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_flavusBoletus frostii (mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exsudoporus_frostiiChanterelle (mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanterelle

Today on Mushroom Hour we are joined by the distinguished Lynne Boddy, Professor of Microbial Ecology at Cardiff University. After undergraduate studies in Biology and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Exeter, she was interested in any and every type of ecology. A fortuitous position at the University of London led her to studying wood decay processes, which would turn out to be the subject of her PhD. That work snowballed into a 40-year exploration of wood decay processes with fungi at its core. As well as scientifically challenging and environmentally of massive consequences, mycelia and their interactions have a huge aesthetic appeal for Professor Boddy. There are so many burning questions when it comes to fungal biology, fungi’s relationships to food sources, fungi’s relationship to other fungi and other microorganisms that she, along with around 40 PhD students, post-docs and other co-workers, have striven and are striving to answer. Lynne’s passion for fungi laces out into studies of mycorrhizal fungi, the rising amateur mycologist community, and nearly every other aspect of how fungi will change human lives. There is an obvious joy in her communication of this information to both student audiences and to the public at large. We’re about to enter an exciting world of fungal battles, life and death struggles, epic hunts for food and the complexities of non-human intelligence. Topics Covered:Professor Boddy’s PhD ResearchWood Decay ProcessesFungi's Role in Wood DecayEndophytesFungal Competitive StrategiesResource Unit Restricted Fungi Cord-Developing FungiHow Does Mycelium Choose Where to Grow?How Does Mycelium Pass Information?Mycelium Network ArchitectureDoes Mycelium Have Memory?Heartwood Rot FungiImpact of Climate Change on FungiImportance of Amateur ContributionsEpisode Resources:Lynne Boddy Website: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/81120-boddy-lynnePhanerochaete velutina (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhanerochaeteHypholoma fasciculare (fungi): http://www.mushroomexpert.com/hypholoma_fasciculare.htmlPhallus impudicus (fungi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus_impudicusMegacollybia platyphylla (fungi): https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/megacollybia-platyphylla.phpDirected, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour (@welcome_to_mushroom_hour) Music by: Ancient Baby (https://peckthetowncrier.bandcamp.com/)   Art by: Wyn Di Stefano (http://www.wyndistefano.com/)   

Today on Mushroom Hour we are excited to travel to Uganda to speak with Josephine Nakakande. Josephine was a founding member of The Environmental Conservation & Agricultural Enhancement Uganda or “Eco-Agric Uganda” and has been the Executive Director of the organization since 2018. Eco-Agric Uganda is a Ugandan Community-based NGO. major focus was improving food security, nutrition, and income among critically vulnerable women through sustainable farming practices. However, over time, they have included interventions like HIV prevention and control, sanitation and environmental strategies that affect agriculture. They have explored a unique, holistic approach to supporting households with interventions like; training adolescent girls with vocational skills so they can support their children. The organization now has over 65,000 beneficiaries with well-established offices in Hoima Kibaale and Wakiso districts. It also started an international volunteers program and since 2017, Eco-Agric Uganda has hosted over 162 volunteers from all over the world. One of Eco-Agric’s biggest projects is their mushroom farming project in partnership with the Marr-Munning Trust. Farmers are trained on how to grow and manage mushrooms in their gardens and the materials needed in mushroom production. Please help empower women and protect the critically vulnerable in Uganda! You can help by donating your time, your mushroom knowledge, your expertise and/or money to EcoAgric Uganda. https://www.givingway.com/organization/ecoagric-ugandaTopics Covered:The Story of JosephineWomen and Agriculture in UgandaChallenges Women Face in UgandaFounding EcoAgric UgandaAgricultural Programs in Wakiso and Hoima DistrictsGrassroots Community OrganizationsImpact of UC Davis Trellis FundDeveloping Systems to Help Critically Vulnerable PopulationsEconomic Development & Vocational TrainingMushroom Cultivation in UgandaImportance of Mushrooms as a Source of Food & IncomePlans to Scale Mushroom Farming ProgramImportance of Volunteer OrganizationsEcoAgric Future Plans - A Call to Action!Episode Resources:EcoAgric Uganda Website: https://ecoagricuganda.org/EcoAgric Uganda IG: https://www.instagram.com/josephine.ecoagric/EcoAgric Uganda FB: https://www.facebook.com/ecoagricuganda.orgGivingway Donation Page: https://www.givingway.com/organization/ecoagric-ugandaAngels for Angels Website: https://www.angelsforangels.net/projects/UC Davis Trellis Fund: https://horticulture.ucdavis.edu/trellisMarr-Munning Trust: http://www.marrmunningtrust.org.uk/Vibrant Village: https://www.vibrantvillage.org/Obutiko obubaala (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termitomyces_microcarpus

Today on Mushroom Hour we are excited to chat with Scott Stimpson. Better known for his incredibly popular social media accounts “woodlandcravings”, Scott has been foraging for over 8 years across 18 different states in the US. Growing up in Broward County Florida, Scott was immersed in a diverse culture and developed a love of foods from all over. His love of food naturally led to a love of cultivation and appreciating the culinary abundance that is all around us in nature. Not until Scott learned the word “permaculture” did he know the path he had to take.  His passion for agroforestry, foraging and mushrooms eventually led him to the mushroom mecca, the Pacific Northwest. As a student of working with the land in all these varied disciplines, Scott has developed an intimate relationship with natural systems. His lifestyle revolves around a symbiosis with the land and he is keenly aware of a responsibility to act as a shepherd of our Earth. As part of his great work, Scott shares his knowledge about permaculture techniques and ethical foraging with others, both online and in-person. For anyone who has followed Scott’s work, it is clear his passion and gratitude for nature’s culinary bounty are present in equal measure. I’m excited to learn more about this sacred relationship we have with the land that provides for us and how to give back as much as we receive.  Topics Covered:Scott’s Early Influences & Love of Food   Path Towards Permaculture  Florida Foraging Safari – Citrus, Smilax, Hog plums & Lactarius Indigo  Primal Connections to Foraging for Food   Shift from Florida to the PNW   Foraging as a Sacred Practice   Understanding Ecology & Sustainable Foraging  Integrating Agroforestry   Responsibility that Comes with Sharing Wild Food Information  The Importance of Hidden Knowledge  Honoring Indigenous Space  Mushroom Recipes & Preservation Techniques  Wild Food Inspiration in the Restaurant Industry  Future of Woodland Cravings  Episode Resources: Woodland Cravings Website: https://www.woodlandcravings.com/  Woodland Cravings IG: https://www.instagram.com/woodlandcravings/  Woodland Cravings Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@woodlandcravings  Smilax (Plant): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilax  Hog Plums (Plant): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spondias_mombin  Catathelasma ventricosum (Mushroom): http://www.mushroomexpert.com/catathelasma_ventricosum.html  Fungi for the People (Inspiration): https://fungiforthepeople.org/ Leah Mycelia (Inspiration): https://www.instagram.com/leah_mycelia/ Chef Virgilio Martínez (Inspiration): https://www.starchefs.com/cook/chefs/bio/virgilio-martinezHericium (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HericiumClathrus Ruber (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrus_ruber

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the good fortune to be joined by Michael Phillips. Michael is a farmer, writer, carpenter, orchard consultant, and speaker who lives with his wife, Nancy, and daughter, Grace, on Heartsong Farm in northern New Hampshire. On the farm, they grow apples and a variety of medicinal herbs. Michael’s orchard, poetically dubbed Lost Nation Orchard, is part of the Holistic Orchard Network, and he also leads the community orchard movement at groworganicapples.com. He is the author of The Apple Grower, The Holistic Orchard, and teamed up with his wife to write The Herbalist’s Way. While all these works are milestones in regenerative orcharding and permaculture farming practices, we’re going to focus on his most recent work, the paradigm-shifting and mind-blowing Mycorrhizal Planet. More than just a celebration of the incredible mycorrhizosphere, this book makes you appreciate the complex ecosystem that is soil and how interactions at the microbial level on up effect everything that is birthed from a patch of Earth. This book will make you see your own lawn or garden as a complex ecosystem, awash in organic processes that, with the proper understanding and techniques, you can facilitate to build healthier soil, teeming with mycorrhizal fungi. Topics Covered:Microorganisms in the Soil & The Underground EconomyEndo and Ecto Mycorrhizal FungiMycelium Transport NetworksRudolph SteinerComplex Intelligence of NaturePlant Nutrients & Plant MetabolismNon-Disturbance PrincipleImportance of Cover CropsRamial Chipped Wood & HügelkulturMycorrhizal Diversity & Plant Quorum SensingUsing Beneficial Fungi in Our Farms, Gardens & Potted PlantsFarming Mycorrhizal FungiNancy’s Influence & the Herbal HusbandEpisode Resources:Holistic Orchard Network (Website): http://groworganicapples.com/Mycorrhizal Planet (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mycorrhizal-Planet-Symbiotic-Support-Fertility/dp/160358658XRudolf Steiner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner

Today on Mushroom Hour we have the honor of chatting with and learning from Eleana Hsu. Eleana is a fermentress focused on transforming foods with the magic of microbes and koji. What makes her most excited is creating new food products and flavors using local produce, different types of beans, and whole utilization techniques. Eleana has experience teaching koji workshops in the Bay Area and crafting ferments for local popup dinners and events. Koji is a filamentous fungi that has been used to ferment food since 300 BC. By employing this wondrous organism in a sort of alchemical, culinary transmutation may play a big role in the future of food as we know it. Currently, she is working on launching unique great tasting fermented food products in the Bay Area with her company Shared Cultures.  Topics Covered:Curing Depression by Foraging in Nature  Mushroom Hunting & Favorite Edibles  SOMA Camp  Fermentation – Transforming our Food with Microorganisms  The Magic of Koji Enzymes  Lipase, Protease, Amylase  Fermenting Inspirations  Uncovering a Family History with Koji  Chinese Cuisine made with Koji  Fermented Fungi as the Future of Food  How to Make Miso and Soy Sauce  Lessons from Becoming an Entrepreneur  Finding Fulfillment  Shared Cultures Products & Future Projects  Episode Resources:  Shared Cultures Website: https://www.shared-cultures.com/  Shared Cultures IG: https://www.instagram.com/sharedcultures/  Eugenia Bone "Mycophilia" (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Mycophilia-Revelations-Weird-World-Mushrooms/dp/1609619870  Sander Katz (inspiration): https://www.wildfermentation.com/  "Noma Guide to Fermentation" (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Noma-Guide-Fermentation-lacto-ferments-Foundations/dp/1579657184  Jeremy Umansky "Koji Alchemy" (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Koji-Alchemy-Rediscovering-Mold-Based-Fermentation/dp/160358868X  Russula Brevipes (Mushroom): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/russula_brevipes.html  Boletus Edulis (Mushroom): https://www.mushroomexpert.com/boletus_edulis.html

Today on Mushroom Hour we are blessed to have the chance to chat with international fungi photographer Stephen Axford.   Watch the new "Planet Fungi - Northeast India" documentary made by Steve Axford and his partner Catherine Marciniak: https://www.planetfungi.movie/   Stephen is an ambassador for Sony Australia and has an international reputation as a specialist in nature photographer with a particular passion in macro fungi photography. He also has a unique expertise in time-lapse photography of fungi. The beauty and scientific accuracy of Stephen’s fungi photography have captivated national and international media, fungi experts and the general public, with a following that stretches from Patagonia to Vladivostok. His photographs have appeared in international books and magazines, including: Nat Geo Magazine in Spain/Portugal, Geo Magazine in Germany, Roots Magazine in Holland, Guardian Observer [UK], Daily Mail UK, Civilization Magazine of Beijing in China and Sciences et Avenir science magazine in France to name just a few. In recent years, Stephen has shared the science of fungi and his experiences photographing fungi to packed houses in presentations in Australia, China and Chile. A new direction in his work is his collaborations with international universities and fungi organizations to photograph and document fungi in forests around the world.   Topics Covered:Origin Story of Steve Axford  Mushrooms of Australia  Secrets of Fungal Photography  The Breakout into Worldwide Recognition  Fungal Diversity in Yunan, China  Hidden Fungal Hotspots in Southeast Asia  "Planet Fungi" Documentary  Fungi as a Nutrition & Economic Resource  Exploring Assam & Meghalaya in Northeast India  Time-lapse Photography  Partnership with Catherine Marciniak  Australian Fires & Fire Obligate Fungi  Sharing the Mystery, Wonder and Appreciation of Fungi with Others  Future Documentary Plans  Episode Resources:   Steve Axford Website: https://steveaxford.smugmug.com/  "Planet Fungi" Documentary: https://www.planetfungi.movie/  Steve Axford & Catherine Marciniak IG: https://www.instagram.com/planet_fungi/  Mycena Interrupta (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycena_interrupta  Mycena chlorophos (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycena_chlorophos  Aseroe Rubra (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aseroe_rubra  Panaeolus Axfordii (Mushroom): https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Panaeolus-axfordii-sp-nov-a-b-Basidiocarps-in-their-natural-habitat-c-Basidiospores_fig1_339459453