The Mushroom Hunter
Daniel Stewart scanned the short grass near a creek in front of Pinnacle Buttes late Summer 2023. Finding the right combination of moisture and ground temperature is vital for finding all types of mushrooms. Often times areas too close to creeks where the ground is too waterlogged or too dry if an area is too far from a drainage.
Riverton Wyoming - Small business owner Daniel Stewart navigates the ins and outs of cultivating and selling mushrooms through his startup called High Country Fungus. Starting out as a hobbyist, the Montana native cut his teeth foraging near Missoula over ten years ago with guidance of a mentor at University of Montana. Since moving to Riverton Wyoming, the hometown of his wife, Chelsea, Stewart has taken on the challenge of learning how to forage and farm mushrooms in the equality state’s more tricky range of climates. Learning to adapt and navigate these new landscapes has helped his business grow along with his family.
Daniel Stewart uncovered two King Boletes, commonly known as Porcini, mushrooms in Bridger-Teton National Forest in late summer. Known for their rich nutty flavor and meaty texture, these mushrooms are amongst the most prized wild mushrooms in the Rocky Mountain Region. At local markets they fetch prices of $20 per oz when dried and a dried mushroom will weigh in at around 5oz, yelding $100 per mushroom.
High Country Fungus owner Daniel Stewart spoke to Landerites interested in mushrooms at the Garden Expo in 2023. Stewart enjoys sharing his love for foraging and growing mushrooms with the community of Fremont County at local events and farmers' markets. Setting up booths at markets provides Stewart with a chance to get new products out and to grow his network of customers.
Accompanied by his dog, Scout, Daniel Stewart walked through a wooded area on Togwotee Pass in Western Wyoming. Despite large portions of the Cowboy State's climate being too arid for mushroom habitat, the varying elevations of the mountainous areas offer wetter climates when the snow melts and summer precipitation arrives.
Daniel Stewart shaved dirt and insects off the base of a King Bolete mushroom in Bridger-Teton National Forest, Sep. 14, 2022. "Leaving shavings for future hunters is an important part of foraging ethics," said Stewart. "Leaving spores around the forest will help propogate future generations of mushrooms."
A group of Calypso Orchids bloomed in the forest around 7500 feet elevation Summer 2023. The flower,sometimes commonly called the fairy slipper, is an indicator species for morels, meaning that when the soil has the right temperature and ph levels both species should be present in the same area.
A morel mushroom poked through the forest floor on the Jackson side of Togwotee pass June 2023. The crown of morels have a distinct honeycomb pattern, making them relatively easy to identify. Morels can be found in burns in the forest from years past as the high heats activate the fruiting bodies to emerge from the forest in the years following the fire.
Elm oyster mushrooms (hypsizygus ulmarius) bloomed out of a grow bag kit in Daniel Stewarts grow tent in Riverton. The grow bags Stewart sells can produce up to 1.7 times their weight in edible mushroom harvests over 2-3 blooms. They offer an easy, but involved start into culinary mushrooms for those without equipment or experience.
The day's haul of morel mushrooms was presented in the hands of Daniel Stewart June 21, 2023. Morels are prized in the culinary world for their distinct flavor. Since they're extremely difficult to farm in a commercial setting, their scarcity also adds to their popularity around the world.