Certified Wild Mushroom Harvester Classes
About our certification classes
The MMS conducts one mushroom certification in cooperation with the MDA each year, typically in February or March. We will announce information about this class on the Events page of our website, in our quarterly newsletter, and linked in the MMS Upcoming Events section at the bottom of our weekly MMS emails. Once you register, you will receive an event confirmation email with the details for your class as well as information on canceling your registration should you need to.
This certification class is not for beginners. It is intended for those with advanced identification skills and prior foraging experience. Passing the final test with a score of 90% or higher is required to earn a certificate. Earning this certificate is proof that you have successfully completed the course.
This certification class is not for everyone
Certification is only necessary if you want to sell wild (i.e., not cultivated) mushrooms harvested from land you own or control. It is illegal to collect mushrooms intended for sale from public lands. Not foraging for wild mushrooms to sell? Then you don’t need this class. Membership and active participation in our club’s meetings and forays will provide the basic identification knowledge you need to identify common edible mushrooms for safe, personal consumption. Plus, if you scroll down further on this page, you will see a beginner’s class we offer called Mushrooms 101. We also recommend our MMS Passport Program as a fun way to learn how to identify mushrooms at your own pace while earning exclusive MMS Passport SWAG.
Earn the certification required to be qualified to sell wild-foraged mushrooms to commercial eating establishments and markets in Minnesota by completing this 5-hour class. This is not a class for beginners. Previous knowledge of basic mushroom identification and experience foraging for wild mushrooms is essential.
What do we cover in these classes?
- Identification of mushrooms using macro-features
- Specifics of the food safety regulations administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as they pertain to gathering and selling wild foraged mushrooms
- Food handling safety as it pertains to mushrooms
- How to collect, grade, store, and transport your finds
- Edibility concerns
- Dangerous and inedible mushrooms
What mushroom species will you be certified to sell?
- True Morels (Morchella species)
- Chanterelles (Cantharellus species)
- Black Trumpets, Tubies, Yellow-foots (Craterellus species)
- Sulphur Shelf (Laetiporus species)
- Lobster Fungus
- Hedgehog
- Hericium species
- Giant Puffball
- Hen of the Woods
Cost
We will announce the cost for the certification class annually when we post the class. If you’re not an MMS member, you can save $10 by joining now and then signing up for the class.
Mushroom Foragers and Food Service – Commercial Sale of Wild Foraged Mushrooms
In accordance with the Minnesota Food Code 4626.0155: Mushroom Foragers wishing to sell their Wild Foraged Mushrooms to Commercial Establishments must have successfully completed a course in Mushroom Identification, Traceability, and Safe Food Handling, and provide documentation of course completion issued by a Mycological Society or Academic Institute to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). See MDA’s wild mushroom foraging page for more information.
Mushrooms 101: A Mushroom Class for Beginners
This is a FREE, MEMBERS-ONLY class that we offer annually. We require advance registration for this event; no exceptions will be made.
We have designed this annual introductory class for individuals with little to no prior knowledge of mushrooms. Registration is announced on our website, in our quarterly newsletter, and in our weekly MMS emails, and will remain open until the class fills or the deadline passes. Space is limited to 70 attendees. Once you register, you will receive an event confirmation email with the details for your class as well as information on canceling your registration should you need to.
If you have already attended a beginner class in the past or consider yourself more advanced, please do not register for this class, as it will be too basic for you. We plan to have intermediate-level classes in the future, and will provide information on how to register for this class once it is scheduled.
What does this class cover?
- An introduction to the science of mycology
- How to sort mushrooms into five major categories
- The basics of mushroom Identification
- Poisonous mushrooms that every mushroom forager should know
- Some common mushrooms found in Minnesota, including the “Safe Six” edible mushrooms
The instructors will bring some interesting mushrooms to the class for examination and discussion.
Learn About Mushrooms All Year Long!
The best way to learn about mycology is to join the Minnesota Mycological Society. We provide members with forays as well as monthly meetings and special events. Grow your knowledge of the fungi kingdom while meeting others who love mushrooms as much as you do!