The Chanterelle Seeker by Janisse Ray caught my attention in particular out of the reading assignments for today. I think mostly it was because of the description of a dude that just sounds like Hozier and also EXACTLY the kind of guy you expect to run into in the woods looking for mushrooms. I don’t actually know anything about mushrooms other than that sometimes they come up in my yard before my dad runs over them with the mower, so this was kind of a look into a whole different reality, one where this store-brand folk singer has emotional attachments and reactions to mushrooms. And this man, Ancil, has managed to make a whole job about the food he’s passionate about. He’s a mushroom farmer, which I honestly had never thought of as a real job, but also a forager of mushrooms.
The woods are full of free food. Of course, most of us don’t know enough to tell the toxic mushrooms from the terrible tasting to the actually good ones. If you want to get technical, everywhere nature flourishes is full of free food, it just depends on how dirty you want to get your hands. Foraging is a much more sustainable method of acquiring food than just going to Walmart to buy it, but it takes mental and physical energy, and lots of time, which means that it’s not a viable choice for most people in this day and age.
Will Write for Food 
Hi Megan!
I laughed at the beginning of your post, the description was similar to Hozier, who WOULD be the kind of person to mushroom hunt. I also relate to living at home, and watching my dad run over the few mushrooms that grew in our yard with the mower.
I actually heard about mushroom hunting as a hobby a few weeks ago. I reported for the Missourian over winter break, and had the chance to write a life story. Sometimes when Columbia natives pass away, family members contact the paper to share more specific stories and memories of their loved one. In this case, a man was remembered for his annual mushroom hunting trips up to southern Missouri. I just found it interesting how I didn’t expect to learn about mushroom hunting in two different circumstances.
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