Mushrooming in Ellicottville
Mushrooming in Ellicottville
The Fungus Goddess takes us on a hike through the world of mushrooms
Just when you thought your “hobbies basket” was full, here comes mushrooming. Commonly associated with rot and decay, local mycology enthusiast Quincey Widger (aka the Fungus Goddess) carved out some time to set the record straight. “Mushrooms shape the world around us and offer lessons for how to live in it,” Widger said.
Now as a highly suspicious person who was more concerned about fashioning the ideal “mushrooming outfit,” this seemed a little outside my grasp. I recently met up with Widger and together we sped up the access trail of Little Rock City in Little Valley. Widger advised me to “start looking for orange on the trees.” Okay I thought to myself, the hunt begins. I’m not going to lie … it was sort of exhilarating! We pulled off near one of my favorite hiking trails. Charged with this new focus, it was as if I was seeing Little Rock City for the first time.
It. Was. Magical.
The first mushroom was spotted and from there it didn’t stop. With two other mushroom aficionados in our company, sometimes the conversation went over my head … spores, mycelium, spawning … there was so much to learn. Nature in my mind has always been a giant museum, and it occurred to me mushrooms were its oldest antiquity. Widger led us through brambles and spiderwebs alike while the group happily charged along.
There was one mushroom that looked like a cluster of black pipes called moose antler fungus. When you touched them, they let off ‘smoke’ - but in reality it was their way of procreating and spreading its spores. Just like in life, not all things are guaranteed on a mushroom hike. We unfortunately didn’t find any edible species but saw over 10 types of fungi and soaked in the knowledge the Fungus Goddess gave us. My favorites were the turkey tails, dead man’s fingers, Indian pipes, puffballs and jackolanterns. (Jackolanterns get their name because they are orange and look fleshy like a pumpkin.) “These are commonly confused with chanterelles,” Widger told us. And they sure did fool me a few times in the woods.
After our hike, Widger filled me in with details of her next venture, Enchanted Mountain Mushrooms. This is a mushroom farm Widger and her mom have started, to supply clients with fresh toadstools to purchase, even if they don’t come across any edible varieties on their hike. At this outdoor mushroom farm, she let’s “Mother Nature” do her thing. “The mushrooms were prepped last fall and we are waiting patiently for the first batch,” Widger said.
Aside from the lessons gained being in and examining nature, “post-hike I want my clients to feel like they are walking away with something in hand.” Having a steady supply of mushrooms year round will remedy this. Widger hopes to have enough to supply local restaurants as well.
Foraging in the wild is currently how Widger supplies what she offers at the Ellicottville Farmers’ Market. There are also tinctures she makes that allow you to get the benefits of the mushrooms in a shelf stable product. The Farmers’ Market takes place every Friday from 4:00-7:00pm on the lawn of the 1887 Building.
My biggest takeaway: look, don’t touch. These little ecosystems naturally meander under nearly all of the earth’s surfaces. They symbolize growth and expansion. Mushrooming provided me a quiet escape to sip in the views and pay attention to things I’d commonly overlooked. What a world there is if we take the time to look closer.
As always, I like to leave you with a funny quip. Here is my mushroom joke: “Did you hear the joke about the fungus? I could tell it to you, but it might need time to grow on you.” — (stolen from the internet, August 2021)
Be sure to follow Widger on social (@fungusgoddess) to keep up-to-date on the farm and all things mushrooming, and book your own personal experience with the Fungus Goddess!