'Morel' Values: Online classes will help enthusiasts ID, sell popular wild mushroom
K-State, KDA team up to offer guidance
At a glance: K-State Research and Extension and the Kansas Department of Agriculture will be hosting two classes to help people earn the necessary approval to sell wild morel mushrooms.
More information: Pam Paulsen, 620-662-2371, ppaulsen@ksu.edu
Related: K-State Research and Extension Food Safety
March 8, 2024
K-State Research and Extension news service
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- K-State Research and Extension, in partnership with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, is offering online classes to help people earn the necessary approval to sell wild morel mushrooms.
The classes will be offered online through Zoom twice on March 21, the first class from noon to 1 p.m., and a second class from 6-7 p.m.
Registration for the classes is now open at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety and costs $5. Participants will receive the Zoom link for the training after registering.
Morel mushrooms grow in the wild but can be hard to find. For that reason, they are highly favored among chefs and mushroom enthusiasts. False morels include a number of species that look similar but are actually poisonous.
The classes are intended to help ensure that wild harvested mushrooms sold as morels in the state of Kansas are safe to consume. Current regulations under KDA’s food safety and lodging program require that mushrooms picked in the wild for sale must be individually inspected for safety by a registered mushroom identifier.
Upon completing the class -- which includes passing an online exam -- participants will be recognized as registered morel identifiers in Kansas to meet this regulation.
For questions or to register, call the Reno County Extension Office at 620-662-2371 or send an email to Pam Paulsen, ppaulsen@ksu.edu, or Londa Nwadike, lnwadike@ksu.edu.
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K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.