The Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) invites the public to attend a field trip to Mushroom Mountain in Easley, S.C. Mycologist and founder of Mushroom Mountain, Tradd Cotter, will lead a tour of his facility which currently maintains over 200 species of fungi for food production and a laboratory space for research.

The tour of Mushroom Mountain will include an introduction to fungal ecology and life cycles, laboratory tour and research overviews, and the fruiting room. Many aspects of mushrooms, including medicinal properties, cooking, and mycoremediation to soil creation will be discussed along the way.

Tradd Cotter is a microbiologist, professional mycologist, and organic gardener, who has been tissue culturing, collecting native fungi in the Southeast, and cultivating both commercially and experimentally for more than 22 years.

In 1996, he founded Mushroom Mountain, which he owns and operates with his wife, Olga, to explore applications for mushrooms in various industries, food production, mycoremediation of environmental pollutants, and as natural alternatives to chemical pesticides.

His primary interest is in low-tech and no-tech cultivation strategies so that anyone can grow mushrooms on just about anything, anywhere in the world.  Mushroom Mountain is currently expanding to 42,000 square feet of laboratory and research space near Greenville, S.C. to accommodate commercial production, as well as mycoremediation projects.

Participants are asked to meet at the PAC office, 2060 Lynn Road, Suite 1 in Columbus at 12:15 p.m. on June 14 to arrange carpooling and begin the approximately one hour and 15-minute drive to Mushroom Mountain in Easley. The farm tour begins at 2 p.m.

Pre-registration is required, there is a small fee to attend the farm tour, and there is a maximum 30 participants who can attend. Register online at mushroommountain.com/products/junetour and contact PAC at 828-859-5060 or e-mail landprotection@pacolet.org to sign up.

– article submitted by Pam Torlina