Winter Medicine: Chaga

Well, my interest in mushrooms has been growing for a while. It's hard to ignore the research over the last decade supporting traditional uses of many mushroom species for metabolic support, glucose regulation, stress hormone modulation, antiviral, antiparasitic, anticancer, and more.   A few years ago I met mushroom expert Christopher Hobbs, PhD and we immediately connected over our mutual love for Sassafras.  I love being in the woods and I immediately love other people that do too.  I took a day long class that he taught this fall and my curiosity only grew. However, without a local guide (Christopher lives in California) and limited time to "get off the farm", I had to seek other opportunities to learn.

 

In early December, I got a call from a local forager who has been harvesting mushrooms for nearly thirty years.  He was interested in finding an outlet for the medicinal products that he collects.  I was initially skeptical due to past experiences with untrustworthy wildcrafters lacking in ethics and/or identification skills.  However, I was quickly won over by his love for the woods and his knowledge.  He promised locally harvested Chaga and Turkey Tail within the week and we agreed to meet.  Meanwhile, I had to learn more about what I should do with his harvest.

 

About Chaga

Most medicinal mushrooms have two parts: the visible fruiting body and the threadlike mycelium that serves as a communication network and nutrient supply. Chaga is unique because it is actually condensed mass of mycelium called a "fungal sclerotium" adapted to survive extreme environments, like the cold. Chaga typically grows on Birch Trees. Previously, concerns about unethical harvesting practices leading to unnecessary tree death and overharvesting of the Chaga made me hesitant to purchase chaga.  However, good harvesters avoid damaging the tree and leave enough Chaga to regrow over a few years.   

 

Sharing the medicinal uses of Chaga can make me feel like a snake oil salesperson because the benefits sound unbelievable.  Used to prevent and treat cancer, incredibly high in antioxidants, regulatory of metabolic and immune function, and antimicrobial, there is good reason for the thousands of years of documented traditional use. I wanted to try drinking it daily to see its effects. 

How to use Chaga

 

Later that week I met my new "mushroom guy" and found a kindred spirit.  He walks in the woods every day, monitoring the trees for signs of health and disease, and notes any adverse human impacts on the ecosystem.  His sensitivity to the needs of the trees and the mushrooms, and his extensive knowledge of their lifecycles, impressed me.  He excitedly shared his beautiful black and orange chaga harvest, dripping with Birch sap and smelling of Wintergreen with a floral vanilla undertone. He then explained that our native Black Birch produces some of the most potent Chaga, superior to anything imported from farther north.  I imagine that many would argue this but having tasted both I certainly cannot.

 

I took home my new gift, froze most of it for future tincture manufacturing, and ground a small amount into powder.  I have been slowly simmering this powder (about a heaping teaspoon per cup) on very low heat for about an hour before drinking it throughout the day.  While I don't notice any specific effects, I feel generally resistant to everything coming my way, with steady energy levels, and improved sleep.  Having a history of melanoma, I need to protect myself as much as possible if I keep farming.  High intake of antioxidants is the number one prevention. 

 

I expect to be able to start offering our locally and ethically harvested wild chaga and turkey tail extract in spring.  If I have enough, I will also offer it as powder.  Although wild harvested and not certified organic, my new mushroom friend assures me that he only harvests from unsprayed private land.  Like many mushroom harvesters that I've met, he is mysterious about specific locations, but you'll have to trust my instincts here in trusting him at his word.