Prairie Works

What a great time of year. The woodlands are beginning to bloom with ephemerals  and the countryside is turning green. It is also time for the annual mushroom hunt. An activity steeped in tradition here in the Midwest and is waited for with great anticipation, marking the true end of winter. Like deer season in the fall, cars sit empty along country roads, as the morel hunter scouts the woods hoping to hit it big.

What engages the novice naturalist to get excited about plant life is the Morel Mushroom (Morchella deliciosa). An ascocarp plant that is prized by gourmet cooks and normal joes alike for their great taste and versatility. The recipes for cooking these fungi varies greatly with each family, region and cook having their own distinct method. Festivals are held to honor this edible mushroom. Morels are prominent in Appalachia, the Pacific Northwest but nowhere as prominent as the Midwest.

Along with its popularity enters a bit of mystery. No one knows for sure why mushrooms grow where they do and how. We have yet to learn how to produce them on a large or medium scale. It is well agreed that they prefer growing near old and dead elms, sycamores, ash and apple trees. However, the symbiotic relationship between them is unknown. Also unknown, are the influences that effect the amount and size of harvestable morels. It is agreed that it is a combination of rainfall, ground temperature, humidity and air temperature. Somewhat refreshing to be reminded that man cannot out smart nature. It is widely known that a direct correlation between forest fires and robust morel growth has been observed and confirmed. Usually, three years after a fire one can expect to see a boost in production of the edible fungi. Last years season (2008) was known to be one of the best in memory. Why was that? 

In our area three types of Morels exist: White (or Grey) Morel (Morchella deliciosa), Yellow Morel (Morchella esculenta) and Black Morel (Morchella elata). The variance is rather small with their color being the only noticeable difference. The genus Morchella is derived from “morchel,” a German word for mushroom. 

It should be noted that Morels should never be eaten raw and cooked thoroughly due to the toxins that exist. Mushrooms eaten in large quantities or eaten with alcohol can also have adverse effects.

Morel Fun Facts: 

• In the 19th century, the Russian government had to pass a law making it illegal to burn down the forests in order to harvest morels the following years. 
• German folklore attributes the origin of morels to the Devil. Offended by a very wrinkled old woman, he transformed her into a morel. Ever since, calling a woman a morel in Germany has been a major insult.
• Morels contain a substance used in rocket fuel.
• If a Morel hunter tells you where he found his big take; he is lying.

Good luck out there!

http://www.morels.com/  Post your harvest

http://www.muscoda.com/event_morels_09.html Nearby Morel Festival

http://www.nov55.com/mr/ The science behind Morels

Happy Earth Day, everyone! 

Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has grown into a celebration of the masses and is the one “holiday” that is celebrated by people of all races, religions, countries and beliefs around the world. We all have an impact on the environment. The goal of Earth Day is to raise awareness of the options that we have in order to reduce that impact.

During the past year, I have been involved in a discussion group, hosted by the diligent Dan Wenny. We met monthly on Sunday afternoons. The goal was to analyze household carbon footprints and to assist the other five households in the group, in reducing theirs. We traded tips, advise and took our carbon footprint numbers into an analytical process. Our carbon footprint was established using this calculator: Carbon Footprint Calculator 

The book, Low Carbon Diet,  was given to each of the households to guide us through the process. 

We all had a fun time discovering our habits and lifestyles and realized how they effect our footprint. Analyzing these numbers is a staticticians dream. As you would imagine, housholds with homes with higher square footage and housing more people resulted in the highest footprints. The average carbon footprint in the United States is around 55,00 pounds. In Germany it is 27,000 and in Kenya it is 400.

My houshold’s largest comsumptives were car mileage and water useage. This year we are attempting to reduce those two numbers, and chip away at the others, to give us a footprint of 30,000 carbon pounds next year. A simple Excel spreadsheet can assist you in keeping on track.

This is certainly a fun and engaging way to become more aware of your impacts on the environment. This next year we will become a group host and will help 5 other housholds reduce their carbon footprints. 

There are also many more decisions that can be made that the carbon calculator does not take into account, such as: Eating foods that are locally produced, purchasing used rather than new, buying goods that utilize environmentally friendly processes and of course landscaping with native plants.

Here are some Earth Day links:

http://simplylocalfood.com/ Local Food Group in Northwest Illinois

http://www.green-living.com/ Green Products

http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/04/22/earth-day-2008/  Last year’s Earth Day post