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Mather: I'm insulted the health unit won't let me sell wild mushrooms

Sudbury.com's longtime outdoors colummnist has a bone (or a fungi) to pick with Public Health Sudbury and Districts
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Viki Mather has been picking and eating wild mushrooms for 40 years. (Viki Mather)

November is here, and alas, the last of the wild mushrooms for 2018 was picked a few days ago. This has been one of the most abundant wild mushroom seasons ever! Sadly, only a few people are able to enjoy the fruits of the season. Only people who already know what to pick can delight in the earthy delight of our wonderful wild harvest.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts (formerly the Sudbury and District Health Unit) has forbidden the sale of wild mushrooms everywhere. 

Many people fear fungi, which is the proper thing for those with no background in the field. To suggest that I would ever share a poisonous mushroom with anyone is an insult.

I have 40 years’ experience with wild mushrooms. My teacher in the late 1970s was David Arora, author of Mushrooms Demystified.

In this book, David goes into great detail about why our culture fears fungi. He believes that knowledge is the cure for fear, not just with fungi, but with any subject.

When my daughter went to summer camp in the 1990s, the camp director forbade them to eat blueberries. The director was from southern Ontario, and was unfamiliar with the berry that is so common for us in the North.

Her fear of the unknown impacted the simple enjoyment of young girls to have a snack while hiking along the trails of the North Channel. My daughter did not return to that camp.

Indeed mistakes are made by people who have no knowledge about mushrooms. Mistakes are not made by collectors with experience.

Many people contact me because they want to learn about edible wild mushrooms. I have been teaching mushroom courses for the past 30 years, but not frequently enough to keep up with demand.

Most of these people remember picking mushrooms with a parent or grandparent when they were young. They regret not paying more attention, and now want to learn.

I always suggest finding someone who picks mushrooms, and ask to tag along. More often than not, these experienced people pick only one or two varieties of mushrooms and they totally ignore all the other mushrooms they may see while collecting.

These people do not confuse similar-looking poisonous mushrooms with the mushroom they know. They are not mushroom experts, yet they safely pick and enjoy wild mushrooms every year.

Older people contact me because they want to buy mushrooms that they enjoyed when they were able to forage for themselves. In past years, while selling these mushrooms at Eat Local Sudbury, these people were ever so grateful to continue with their passion for wild mushrooms.

The health unit does them a disservice by forbidding them to purchase wild mushrooms.

Through emails exchanged with Public Health it was determined that there is no law or regulation prohibiting the sale of wild-harvested edible mushrooms. And clearly everyone agrees that the sale of poisonous mushrooms is not legal or desired.

The only reason given not to sell wild-harvested mushrooms is that health unit staff is uncomfortable with the product.

Wild-harvested mushrooms are marketed in other places in Ontario. Here are a few links of where to find them: WildFoods.ca/wild-mushroomsYourWildestFoods.com, and LloydFarmersMkt.net.

For the health unit to forbid their sale is discriminatory — to the collector, the retailer, and the customers.

Eat Local Sudbury bought wild-harvested mushrooms from a number of foragers for several years. What has changed?

I offered to bridge the knowledge gap. I would like to help the SDHU let go of fear. I offered to develop a protocol for the sale of wild-harvested mushrooms. This could include a list of verified collectors, and possibly a list of acceptable species.

So, with the season over, I look to finding another way to make the sale of wild mushrooms in Sudbury a reality. I’ll spend the winter pursuing appeals.

Editor's Note: Sudbury.com did reach out to Public Health Sudbury and Districts for an explanation on why wild mushroom sales are banned in the region. Communications officer Christopher Pollesel offered the following response: Public Health Sudbury & Districts does not permit the sale of wild foraged mushrooms in any retail setting including special events or farmers market stalls within our service area. The rationale for this decision is health-based as edible and toxic species of wild mushrooms can be difficult to differentiate, and consumption of toxic mushrooms can lead to significant health impacts. Under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and the Ontario Public Health Standards, health units are responsible for preventing, eliminating, and decreasing health hazards in the community, and ensuring that food served or sold to the public is safe to eat. 
 
 

Viki Mather has been commenting for Northern Life on the natural world and life in Greater Sudbury since the spring of 1984. Got a question or idea for Viki? Send an email to [email protected]


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