Friday Fun-gi Facts

Winding Brook Farms - mushrooms & more 

04 - 11 - 24

Howdy fun-gi folks -

The mushroom image above is obviously AI-generated. The cartoony quality makes it easy to spot, unlike certain mushrooms in the wild (can you hear us morels?!?)

Artificial Intelligence does not know anything about mushrooms or fungi. This isn’t very pleasant to those of us who have researched and gained fungal experience the correct way. Shannon is always cautious when taking folks on forays. He teaches people basics at first and then the steps for proper mushroom identification.

Amateur mushroom pickers have been made aware to avoid foraging books sold on Amazon as many appear to have been written by artificial intelligence chatbots. Amazon has become a marketplace for AI-produced books being passed off as having been written by humans when in actuality they are filled with unsafe misinformation.

We recommend that you take a class, or work with an educated mushroom expert, or purchase a good field guide. You can also explore using Mushroomexpert.com or INatualist.com to help you with the identification process of wild mushrooms.

Remember this classic Czech joke "All mushrooms are edible, but some are only once." Be safe!

FARM UPDATE! We are excited to announce that we will be at the Mint Hill Farmers Market, twice a month, starting in May. Our mushrooms can also be found at TWO NEW locations! Vegeez Plant Based Eatery is a new restaurant in the downtown Waxhaw area. We are also at Stegall Produce Market in Indian Trail. We will be offering foraging classes soon so make sure to follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram to keep up-to-date.

You can also find our mushrooms at Bountiful Blessings Farm Fresh Produce in Monroe (out near Fairview, right off of 601) and Three Sisters Essentials in Camden, SC.

Don't feel like cooking and are near downtown Monroe? Check out the mushroom dishes at Main Street Bistro or Exchange Pizza Depot.

Support your local farmers and businesses wherever you call home. Your interest and purchases make a big difference to all of us! Teresa & Shannon