anyone around these parts ever go out and pick Chaga?
Chaga is a mushroom that grows on Birch trees, I have found it on both Yellow and White Birches.
It is believed to offer health benefits to your immune system. I haven't tried any but might, just to try it. I cook with plenty of garlic and vegetables and get excellent amounts of strenuous outdoor physical activity ... I don't worry about my immune system very much.
It is a bit of a fad here in the USA among the Health Food Store types. I personally like those stores and buy plenty of items from them, but I have learned to go in and back out quickly, as I've noticed that the people who hang out around them tend to be Hypochondriacs, a little more interested in what new health problem they can buy something to fix than I wish to discuss with them.
Anyhow, if they want to buy a little bottle of powdered Chaga for $45, well someone has to go out in the woods and pick the Chaga for them - unless wild-sourcing it is pointless; i.e. if producers just inoculate Birch trees and grow lots of Chaga all in a small area or something, dunno.
I picked a couple pounds a few weeks ago. I am debating whether I want to detour from picking cones and running saws and maybe hit some stands where I could probably find more, if I went deliberately looking for it rather than just lucking into it once in a while during other activities. I'm thinking a pair of binoculars would be pretty handy for this. ?
Chaga
Re: Chaga
Shhhhhit the word's out. It's also a fad here in Canada.
It's growing in popularity with the general public as a 'miracle mushroom' (studies are being done, but it's long since been in traditional first nation, chinese and russian medicines - anywhere with a boreal forest will have it) Studies are finally being started on humans, its long list of benefits have been unchallenged without research or interest from western society. I'm no conspiracy theorist nor health nut, but I've been drinking it for three years through the winter and no longer get bronchitis, pneumonia, colds or the flu. I used to be sick constantly November through to April, the only thing that's changed is my age and the fact that I drink it weekly. Who knows. All I can say is that it has a long listed of purported benefits to the body, and so far I've noticed a difference. Those pills health food stores sells are BS - heat or alcohol extraction is the only way the body can absorb the benefits.
It grows on old growth birch, best if found on yellow or golden birch (grows bigger). It can also be found on ironwood but does not have the betulinic acid in which case, I think it also lacks other things but can't remember right now. The tree is usually about 25+ years when the Chaga shows. It will eventually kill the tree, but that takes decades.
Unfortunately, because it's in every damned health food store now, it also means that there's a whole bunch of pickers who see it as a quick and easy buck to make. It is relatively easy to find and harvest, it's not a mushroom with plenty of lookalikes - but most people haven't been harvesting responsibly/sustainably. As in, they pick it right down to the core of the tree - that tree is now dead. I've noticed a HUGE change in behaviour about it in the last three years. Before when it was relatively unknown aside from the rare few, picking it was looked at with a curiosity and/or disinterest. Now that people have realized it will sell and the market is there, it's their new money making scheme. Our last trip across Canada we noticed that every area we looked for Chaga had been picked already, and that 8 out of 10 times whoever picked it had done so in a way that killed or would kill the tree. To say I am pissed is an understatement.
If you are going to start harvesting (for profit, or not) please, and I do beg of you, please harvest it with respect to the tree. Chaga will grow back and can be harvested again in 3-7 years, but ONLY if it is not picked completely out of the tree. I have been back to spots we picked 3/4 years ago, and you can see it's growing back, but will be another few years where the size has grown enough to be worth picking again.
Essentially, when you are at a point where you're seeing that orange squeezable part of the mushroom, stop there. Chaga starts growing from the centre of the tree, and pushes its way to the outside, past the bark. When it is picked clean it leaves the core of the tree exposed and will kill it. While you could argue that Chaga eventually kills the tree, birch don't have a super long lifespan (in comparison to other trees), and Chaga only shortens it slightly; harvesting irresponsibly cuts decades off a tree's life.
The Chinese are growing it; they've somehow managed to reproduce the spores and maintain a 'crop' with Chaga. It lacks the same benefits that wild grown Chaga has, they're not sure why, but they are slowly figuring it out. Everything I've read about them growing says that it is because it has been picked to the point of exhaustion - hence why I'm kind of going on a rant here about it.
Binoculars are good, but nothing beats walking around the forest, it's not easily mistook for something else. A hatchet is key. Climbing isn't really worth it, when you get to an old growth forest with Chaga, it'll be easy to find at lower heights. Clean it soon after picking it, chop it up before it starts to dry. Dehydrate ASAP or it will mold. Once dehydrated it'll lose most of its weight, so when you think you've made big cash cuz your backpack is heavy as, remember that the price given is for dehydrated.
End rant. Pm me if you want more info.
It's growing in popularity with the general public as a 'miracle mushroom' (studies are being done, but it's long since been in traditional first nation, chinese and russian medicines - anywhere with a boreal forest will have it) Studies are finally being started on humans, its long list of benefits have been unchallenged without research or interest from western society. I'm no conspiracy theorist nor health nut, but I've been drinking it for three years through the winter and no longer get bronchitis, pneumonia, colds or the flu. I used to be sick constantly November through to April, the only thing that's changed is my age and the fact that I drink it weekly. Who knows. All I can say is that it has a long listed of purported benefits to the body, and so far I've noticed a difference. Those pills health food stores sells are BS - heat or alcohol extraction is the only way the body can absorb the benefits.
It grows on old growth birch, best if found on yellow or golden birch (grows bigger). It can also be found on ironwood but does not have the betulinic acid in which case, I think it also lacks other things but can't remember right now. The tree is usually about 25+ years when the Chaga shows. It will eventually kill the tree, but that takes decades.
Unfortunately, because it's in every damned health food store now, it also means that there's a whole bunch of pickers who see it as a quick and easy buck to make. It is relatively easy to find and harvest, it's not a mushroom with plenty of lookalikes - but most people haven't been harvesting responsibly/sustainably. As in, they pick it right down to the core of the tree - that tree is now dead. I've noticed a HUGE change in behaviour about it in the last three years. Before when it was relatively unknown aside from the rare few, picking it was looked at with a curiosity and/or disinterest. Now that people have realized it will sell and the market is there, it's their new money making scheme. Our last trip across Canada we noticed that every area we looked for Chaga had been picked already, and that 8 out of 10 times whoever picked it had done so in a way that killed or would kill the tree. To say I am pissed is an understatement.
If you are going to start harvesting (for profit, or not) please, and I do beg of you, please harvest it with respect to the tree. Chaga will grow back and can be harvested again in 3-7 years, but ONLY if it is not picked completely out of the tree. I have been back to spots we picked 3/4 years ago, and you can see it's growing back, but will be another few years where the size has grown enough to be worth picking again.
Essentially, when you are at a point where you're seeing that orange squeezable part of the mushroom, stop there. Chaga starts growing from the centre of the tree, and pushes its way to the outside, past the bark. When it is picked clean it leaves the core of the tree exposed and will kill it. While you could argue that Chaga eventually kills the tree, birch don't have a super long lifespan (in comparison to other trees), and Chaga only shortens it slightly; harvesting irresponsibly cuts decades off a tree's life.
The Chinese are growing it; they've somehow managed to reproduce the spores and maintain a 'crop' with Chaga. It lacks the same benefits that wild grown Chaga has, they're not sure why, but they are slowly figuring it out. Everything I've read about them growing says that it is because it has been picked to the point of exhaustion - hence why I'm kind of going on a rant here about it.
Binoculars are good, but nothing beats walking around the forest, it's not easily mistook for something else. A hatchet is key. Climbing isn't really worth it, when you get to an old growth forest with Chaga, it'll be easy to find at lower heights. Clean it soon after picking it, chop it up before it starts to dry. Dehydrate ASAP or it will mold. Once dehydrated it'll lose most of its weight, so when you think you've made big cash cuz your backpack is heavy as, remember that the price given is for dehydrated.
End rant. Pm me if you want more info.
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Scooter
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Re: Chaga
This is a great post. Someday, I'm going to get some Replant t-shirts printed. When I do, the first one goes to you.
Free download of "Step By Step" training book: www.replant.ca/digitaldownloads
Personal Email: jonathan.scooter.clark@gmail.com
Sponsor Tree Planting: www.replant-environmental.ca
(to build community forests, not to be turned into 2x4's and toilet paper)
Personal Email: jonathan.scooter.clark@gmail.com
Sponsor Tree Planting: www.replant-environmental.ca
(to build community forests, not to be turned into 2x4's and toilet paper)
Re: Chaga
Thanks snap!
I hope you don't mind discussing it here, which is probably better than talking about it on Facebook at least.
I look at the walls of pills in a Health Food store and just, wonder. I get a cold about once every 2-3 years and almost always when I am around people who are around an elementary school. People who are indoors a lot and not that active; well, I'm not like that.
Last year we lucked into it on a job-site; actually we had some guests at camp for a night and they pointed it out on a Birch right next to us. They were friends of the kid working with me and they were pretty far from being any type of 'outdoors' people (Trustafarians, really), and they knew all about it. It was weird learning about something in the outdoors from kids like that, I would have to say. After that my helper got pretty good at spotting it while we drove through the woods as obviously that is easier for the passenger. We picked the one we were shown but left 2 others on the tree, though I stopped by and picked one of them this year. It probably helps that I never get very close to the small city with the University those kids were from. I doubt it is a fad in the 150 soul crossroads where I spend my time.
So now I know several stands where it exists. And plenty of places with large old Yellow Birch - our Federal forests have very low harvest volumes of anything. So low that they are now a little worried about the population status of White Birch, an early successional easily replaced by other tree communities. Anyway,
It has seemed like the commercial websites for it tend to end in .ca
Thus I figured I would ask here and it wouldn't make any difference as I doubt the raw stuff can go across the border without some sort of corporation making it into a "product" first, but I could be wrong. It is easily available on eBay, where I would guess the prices on offer there are probably double what you could get from a commercial buyer.
I'm on my way to becoming a dealer in tree seed so I'm very used to the inter-play between weight and moisture content.
What I picked this year I got by just hitting it with a hammer, or the bottom pole segment of my pier fishing net. I hope that leaves enough on the tree. I could probably cut it with a small hand saw a lot of times and dial that in just perfectly.
I figure to pick it on purpose I will just be sure to walk through a stand of Birch with an emphasis on looking on the side of the tree away from any vehicle vantage point...but I am definitely always looking. The nursery business in general here is struggling to get enough seed sometimes as people just aren't into the outdoors any more and the idea that there are "Yellow" Birches would blow most people's minds as they frequently in my presence point at the pretty "Birches" = Aspen. That makes for great fishing lately, at least, and I'm not too worried about it being depleted unless prices get crazy good. Except for anywhere within a short drive of a Health Food store perhaps.
I hope you don't mind discussing it here, which is probably better than talking about it on Facebook at least.
I look at the walls of pills in a Health Food store and just, wonder. I get a cold about once every 2-3 years and almost always when I am around people who are around an elementary school. People who are indoors a lot and not that active; well, I'm not like that.
Last year we lucked into it on a job-site; actually we had some guests at camp for a night and they pointed it out on a Birch right next to us. They were friends of the kid working with me and they were pretty far from being any type of 'outdoors' people (Trustafarians, really), and they knew all about it. It was weird learning about something in the outdoors from kids like that, I would have to say. After that my helper got pretty good at spotting it while we drove through the woods as obviously that is easier for the passenger. We picked the one we were shown but left 2 others on the tree, though I stopped by and picked one of them this year. It probably helps that I never get very close to the small city with the University those kids were from. I doubt it is a fad in the 150 soul crossroads where I spend my time.
So now I know several stands where it exists. And plenty of places with large old Yellow Birch - our Federal forests have very low harvest volumes of anything. So low that they are now a little worried about the population status of White Birch, an early successional easily replaced by other tree communities. Anyway,
It has seemed like the commercial websites for it tend to end in .ca
Thus I figured I would ask here and it wouldn't make any difference as I doubt the raw stuff can go across the border without some sort of corporation making it into a "product" first, but I could be wrong. It is easily available on eBay, where I would guess the prices on offer there are probably double what you could get from a commercial buyer.
I'm on my way to becoming a dealer in tree seed so I'm very used to the inter-play between weight and moisture content.
What I picked this year I got by just hitting it with a hammer, or the bottom pole segment of my pier fishing net. I hope that leaves enough on the tree. I could probably cut it with a small hand saw a lot of times and dial that in just perfectly.
I figure to pick it on purpose I will just be sure to walk through a stand of Birch with an emphasis on looking on the side of the tree away from any vehicle vantage point...but I am definitely always looking. The nursery business in general here is struggling to get enough seed sometimes as people just aren't into the outdoors any more and the idea that there are "Yellow" Birches would blow most people's minds as they frequently in my presence point at the pretty "Birches" = Aspen. That makes for great fishing lately, at least, and I'm not too worried about it being depleted unless prices get crazy good. Except for anywhere within a short drive of a Health Food store perhaps.
Re: Chaga
Hey thanks Scooter and Tnalp. I had wondered how my post would be received... I can get a bit obsessive about harvesting anything sustainably.
newforest I don't mind discussing it here, but there's some info I won't publicly announce for understandable reasons.
I do harvest it with my partner, for a company here in Canada. I also sell what's left of our wholesale amounts (mostly powder and smaller chunks) at craft fairs packaged under the name of my small business.
I find the powder a more complicated a process to work with, but it sells for a higher price. I'm not actually sure why, as would seem obvious, the black portion of the mushroom provides the darkest and most potent liquid, the orange lesser so. Not much to do with powder vs chunks for quality from my perspective - when I make it for myself I use chunks, they're easier to strain. The grains or chunks can be kept (in the fridge), and reused a number of times, usually about 3 or 4 before there's a need to add new chaga to the mix or start fresh.
When you knocked it off the tree, you probably used the best method possible, it tends to break where it should. I have a sweet video somewhere of Lark throwing my hatchet to knock a piece off a tree about 15 feet up. I couldn't believe it worked.
I've always been curious about shipping across borders or even within Canada, I know things get complicated once the FDA is involved, and since most people advertise with health benefits technically the FDA should be involved. I've never had reason to research the laws as I don't really ship. Wholesale, farmer's markets and craft fairs work for me.
newforest I don't mind discussing it here, but there's some info I won't publicly announce for understandable reasons.
I do harvest it with my partner, for a company here in Canada. I also sell what's left of our wholesale amounts (mostly powder and smaller chunks) at craft fairs packaged under the name of my small business.
I find the powder a more complicated a process to work with, but it sells for a higher price. I'm not actually sure why, as would seem obvious, the black portion of the mushroom provides the darkest and most potent liquid, the orange lesser so. Not much to do with powder vs chunks for quality from my perspective - when I make it for myself I use chunks, they're easier to strain. The grains or chunks can be kept (in the fridge), and reused a number of times, usually about 3 or 4 before there's a need to add new chaga to the mix or start fresh.
When you knocked it off the tree, you probably used the best method possible, it tends to break where it should. I have a sweet video somewhere of Lark throwing my hatchet to knock a piece off a tree about 15 feet up. I couldn't believe it worked.
I've always been curious about shipping across borders or even within Canada, I know things get complicated once the FDA is involved, and since most people advertise with health benefits technically the FDA should be involved. I've never had reason to research the laws as I don't really ship. Wholesale, farmer's markets and craft fairs work for me.
Re: Chaga
Well I checked the labels on the bottles at my hometown Health Food store. The owner used to be my landlord, but he didn't know much about it. One company turned out to be from the northern tip of Michigan's lower peninsula, 125 miles north of my hometown. The other seems to be an importer - based in Sault Ste. Marie, MI - essentially my new hometown, at least in terms of when I need a real trip for groceries, though I won't be back up there until June or so.
So I suspect the latter is importing it from Candada and the former is using domestic sources.
I just kept all the Chaga I picked this fall with me. It was mostly dried indoors for about two weeks and has been in my truck since, basically refrigerated though frozen this weekend. I will probably start making my own tea some time this winter once I have a camp set up where I will be for more than a couple days, which has been occupying my free time so far.
I am cutting some Grey Birch almost every day (Virginia) right now but I don't think I am at enough altitude (2,500 feet) for true Boreal conditions, though I am not far away from such. I inquired about Chaga with the Botanist on a planting project I did last year at 4,000 feet (about 75 miles south of where I am working now), where there is a whole lot of Yellow Birch, but no Grey or White. He thought it was around but he wasn't familiar with it.
edit: turns out what I am seeing is 'Cherry Birch' or 'Sweet Birch' (B. lenta), and it is known to host Chaga. So I will be on the look-out, though might not have enough altitude for the Chaga. Like Yellow Birch, I like chewing on the twigs when I can get them.
Good to know about the dark/orange parts. I would have thought the orange part would be the most 'active'. I'm looking forward to trying it more and more. I think next year I will be able to pick more than I would need, and pick it sustainably. The only people I see in those woods are bear hunters, usually.
So I suspect the latter is importing it from Candada and the former is using domestic sources.
I just kept all the Chaga I picked this fall with me. It was mostly dried indoors for about two weeks and has been in my truck since, basically refrigerated though frozen this weekend. I will probably start making my own tea some time this winter once I have a camp set up where I will be for more than a couple days, which has been occupying my free time so far.
I am cutting some Grey Birch almost every day (Virginia) right now but I don't think I am at enough altitude (2,500 feet) for true Boreal conditions, though I am not far away from such. I inquired about Chaga with the Botanist on a planting project I did last year at 4,000 feet (about 75 miles south of where I am working now), where there is a whole lot of Yellow Birch, but no Grey or White. He thought it was around but he wasn't familiar with it.
edit: turns out what I am seeing is 'Cherry Birch' or 'Sweet Birch' (B. lenta), and it is known to host Chaga. So I will be on the look-out, though might not have enough altitude for the Chaga. Like Yellow Birch, I like chewing on the twigs when I can get them.
Good to know about the dark/orange parts. I would have thought the orange part would be the most 'active'. I'm looking forward to trying it more and more. I think next year I will be able to pick more than I would need, and pick it sustainably. The only people I see in those woods are bear hunters, usually.