THE BRCC NEWSLETTER
AUGUST NEWS
Here we go…….let’s embrace the last days of summer! The forest has been getting a good soaking, mixed with hot temps, has made a recipe for good mushrooming! This summer has seen an amazing chanterelle year, two friends and myself picked over 100lbs in one morning forage, I delivered 50 lbs to Whaley farm brewery in old fort, that will become two different brews (can’t wait), I’ve picked some of the same patches at least 7 times each, included chanterelle picks on my tours all July and was able to sell many at local markets and still dehydrate a bunch!! Some mushrooms have been right on time, while others are showing up a week or two late, it’s interesting to follow the patterns in nature and how they change, adapt and make their own rules!
August is a full month of different events going on…..my market schedule of events is just below and also can keep up with me on social media. This month I’ll be pretty open during weekdays for foraging tours, groups, individuals, property visits or special events.
Monthly Special
$5 Off Cordyceps Double Extracted Tincture
As the dog days of summer are closing out, it’s the prefect time to get a boost from our cordyceps tincture. Made with clones of a wild foraged Cordyceps I found in the forest! Cordyceps extracts are used by many endurance athletes, fitness folks and just about anybody looking to keep the energy flowing throughout the day. Personally, Cordyceps is a part of my daily routine before I head out foraging. Other benefits include increased oxygen intake, improved brain health, sexual function and heart health. Read more about Cordyceps in the last section below!
Cordyceps — Dual‑Extracted Mushroom Extract made with Wild‑Foraged Fruiting Bodies (When Available) & Cultivated Fruiting Bodies • Dual‑Extracted for Full‑Spectrum Potency
Cordyceps has a long history of use in traditional herbal systems as a mushroom that supports energy, stamina, and respiratory vitality. It’s one of the most sought‑after mushrooms today for its ability to support steady, non‑stimulating energy and cognitive clarity. We work with real fruiting bodies, never grain‑grown mycelium, and use a true dual‑extraction process to capture both the water‑soluble polysaccharides and the alcohol‑soluble cordycepin‑rich compounds.
This extract reflects Cordyceps’ deep global tradition and its modern reputation as a reliable, everyday tonic for energy, endurance, and whole‑body vitality.
Ingredients
Cordyceps dual extract (alcohol/water).
Other Ingredients: Grain alcohol, purified water.
2 oz (60 mL)
August Mushrooms
Odd Ball Edition
August will be a mushie month in the forest. In this section we’ll look at some of the more unusual fungi. Sometimes I get most excited to see the weird mushrooms out there. Unusual characteristics and shapes make me feel like these life forms came straight from outer space. These mushrooms are some of the most fun finds this month, so keep an eye out!
Shaggy Stalked Bolete
This strange bolete is a straight alien! The boletes have no gills, instead have tiny pores on the underside of the cap. Shaggys have long, reticulated stems and often small caps. I really enjoy the lemony taste to this mushroom. It looks like no other!
Snow Fungus
Like an icicle on the branch and in the Tremella family, this jelly mushroom is a powerful medicinal. It shines most in skin care, regular consumption or topical use may improve skin elasticity, protect against UV damage, and support a youthful appearance, it’s edible! What a beauty this mushroom is……
Squid Stinkhorn
Pseudocolus fusiformis is the stinky squid, known, as are many of the stinkhorns, for smelling terrible. However, how cool is this guy! Resembling squid tentacles coming out of the pine needles. Needless to say this mushroom is not for eating.
Blue Indigo Milk Cap
It’s a blue mushroom, need I say more. Indigos are not very abundant in our region. They are milky mushrooms and bleed blue latex when bruised. These guys are fun to make with eggs (green eggs and ham). With no look alikes, this is an easy one to ID. The blue stain can also be useful for dying fabrics.
Old Man of the Woods
Some describe the old man as ugly, while others marvel at it’s sight. I personally enjoy the flavor of this bolete, to me it looks an oreo cookie. They have small spiky caps and often have white pores. Make them crispy in the pan for best results.
Cauliflower
Yet another odd fungus among us. The cauliflower is really one of best smelling shrooms. It looks like noodles in a cauliflower shape. Cauliflower tastes really good and has medicinal properties such as heart health-helping to prevent strokes, anti cancer and high in vitamins.
August Markets
Weekly Markets:
Weaverville Tailgate-Wednesdays from 3-6
@60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville, NC (every other week)
Yancey County Farmers Market- Saturdays 8:30-12:30
@322 W. Main St. Downtown Burnsville 8/1, 8/15 &8/29
East Asheville Tailgate Market- Fridays from 3-6 @954 Tunnel rd
Specialty Markets
Summer festival- Sat, Aug 8th From 12-5 @Brevard College
Second Sundays- Sunday, Aug 9th From 10-2 @Wilderness Muse Fairview next to the Local Joint
Highland Brewing Summer Market Series- Sunday, Aug 16th From 11:30-4:30 @Highland Brewing Asheville
Pigeon River Fest- Saturday, Aug 22nd From 10-6 @Downtown Canton
Special Tour- Sunday, Aug 23rd From 2-3:30 $50 cost @Ten Acre Garden in Canton
Follow me on Social Media to get the latest updates!
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
The end of summer marks the beginning of cold and flu season. It’s never a bad time to get a jump on it and fortify your immune system. We have two great options. Our four of a kind tincture brings together the top four mushrooms, all of which help regulate and boost the immune system. Not to mention this is simply just an overall super blend of benefits rolled into one.
Second our Resilience Blend Tea is made for cold season, combining our wild foraged, medicinal mushrooms with some powerful herbal allies.
Get ahead of the season……….
**** Four of a Kind****
Double Extracted Immunity Blend Tincture
Chaga-Reishi-Turkey Tail-Lions Mane
Resilience Blend Immunity Tea
Ingredients: strawberry leaf, blackberry leaf, hibiscus, rose hips, juniper berry, acerola, elderberries, astragalus root, echinacea root, turkey tail mushroom, maitake mushroom, chaga mushroom, orange peel, elder flower, ginger root, cinnamon chips, bee balm, licorice root.
4 of a Kind — Full‑Spectrum Mushroom Tonic is Dual‑Extracted, 100% Fruiting Body • Wild‑Foraged in Appalachia
What It Is
A pure, mushroom‑only extract featuring four of the most respected medicinal fungi in traditional herbalism. Each mushroom is dual‑extracted (alcohol + water) to capture the full spectrum of polysaccharides, triterpenes, and bioactive compounds.
This blend is simple, potent, and deeply rooted in Appalachian forest medicine.
Ingredients
Proprietary blend tincture (alcohol/water extract): Chaga dual extract, Reishi dual extract, Turkey Tail dual extract, Lion’s Mane dual extract.
Other Ingredients: Grain alcohol, purified water.
2 oz (60 mL)
Appalachian Resilience Handcrafted Mushroom + Herbal Tea Blend — Daily support for resilience, rooted in plants and mushrooms.
A rich, berry-forward herbal tea crafted to support immune resilience—layered with warming spices, citrus, and functional mushrooms.
Ingredients: strawberry leaf, blackberry leaf, hibiscus, rose hips, juniper berry, acerola, elderberries, astragalus root, echinacea root, turkey tail mushroom, maitake mushroom, chaga mushroom, orange peel, elder flower, ginger root, cinnamon chips, bee balm, licorice root
Brewing: Daily Cup: 1-2 tablespoon per 8–10 oz hot water. Steep 15-20 minutes, covered For a stronger brew: 3-4 tablespoons per quart. Steep 30+ minutes
Net Weight: 1.7 oz (45grams)
Mimosa- Herbal Extract- Wild Harvested Flowers and Bark - Stress & Anxiety Relief
Mimosa Tree, is ‘the tree of happiness’, has been used in traditional herbalism for it’s calming effects, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety, helping to improve mood. Also known to improve sleep, ptsd and adrenal fatigue. Additional benefits include digestive health and detoxification, Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant properties.
We forage both flowers and bark in mid spring, each offering separate benefits.
Ingredients:
Mimosa flowers and bark
Grain Alcohol
New Product
Mimosa Herbal Tincture
Mimosa- Herbal Extract- Wild Harvested Flowers and Bark - Stress & Anxiety Relief
Mimosa Tree, is ‘the tree of happiness’, has been used in traditional herbalism for it’s calming effects, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety, helping to improve mood. Also known to improve sleep, ptsd and adrenal fatigue. Additional benefits include digestive health and detoxification, Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant properties.
We forage both flowers and bark in mid spring, each offering separate benefits.
Cordyceps militaris
Cordyceps is known as ‘the zombie mushroom’, getting that name because it’s a parasite that infects it’s host (usually an insect such as a caterpillar or other larva) and grows out of it’s body. Any mushroom hunter knows these little mushrooms are super hard to find, often times on the side of trails or sticking out of the moss, it takes a careful eye and a slow, intentional search! Cordyceps is most famous coming from the Himalayas where the variety ‘sinensis’ grows wild. Both have similar medicinal benefits.
Recently on a backpacking trip over two days, we found 55 of these amazing fungi….it really was exceptional and exciting to find so many!! I recall my early foraging days, not being able to find one for years. These days when I find some, I give them to some local friends who can duplicate and grow them in mass, off the wild samples I provide, and those I use in our double extracted tinctures.
Cordyceps has a wide range of benefits, most notably providing energy and endurance, also aiding in muscle recovery and boosting oxygen intake during exercise. They support the immune system, brain health, lung and breathing function, help to regulate blood sugar levels, enhance sexual performance, and support kidney function……all this from such a little mushroom.
Cordyceps is a daily tincture I dose up on before going out into the woods and it keeps me going all day long…….I really get excited anytime I encounter them in the wild and admire how interesting and valuable they are to find…..
