Midwest Women's Herbal

Keynotes

Finding the Mother Tree: Changing Our Future with Women in STEM | Suzanne Simard

Suzanne Simard is changing how people view trees and our connections to one another. In this illuminating and accessible talk, Simard helps audiences understand just how vital trees are—to each other and to humans. Based on her incredible book and her research at The Mother Tree Project, Simard shares her deeply personal journey of discovering the interconnectedness and collaborative qualities of trees. She explains how trees behave with intelligence and civility, and how these behaviors can teach us how to protect and heal our natural world from climate change. Simard encourages other women and girls to follow in her footsteps to learn about the beauty and complexity of nature, and to understand our crucial role in finding natural solutions to our environmental crises.

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Mindful Mushroom Picking and Our Place on the Planet | Barbara Ching

In this presentation, we’ll explore how a woman-focused mushroom foraging practice can deepen our connections to flora, fauna, and funga and enrich our experience of our earth. We will re-envision the stories we tell (or were told) about the forest (remember Little Red Riding Hood?) to strengthen our ability to advocate for the trees of life and belong to them. I’ll also talk about the importance of recognizing crucial mycorrhizal fungi that we walk over as we gather from the forest. Afterwards, when you enter the forest, you’ll know what’s yours to take, yours to share, and more importantly, yours to protect. 

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Lichen Mysteries Explained | Pat Armstrong

Lichens are two plants living as one: are they a mutualistic symbiosis or a controlled parasitism? There are many conflicting theories about lichens. They are both old and young, long-lived yet extremely sensitive to air pollution. Come and appreciate how beautiful and interesting these awesome little plants are.​

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Workshops

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Mycelium in the Garden: Weaving Life with Earth | EagleSong Gardener 

To know mycelium is to better understand nourishment. EagleSong Gardener, brings mycelium in the garden alive in this workshop. You'll learn how mycelium helps stabilize moisture & temperature and increases nutrient uptake in soils. Learn how your garden can be transformed with a no-dig approach and the BOCA: No-Turn compost system that you can make in less than 2 hours. Mycelium, an incredible garden ally.

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Mushrooms & Immune Health | Gina Rivers Contla

Cultures from around the world have used mushrooms in their traditional healing practices, some for millennia. Modern research often confirms the wisdom of ancient healers, and sometimes uncovers new possible applications. In addition to this review of the literature, we will also cover the basic anatomy and physiology of the immune response. We will then delve into specific mushroom species and discover how these unique organisms intimately interact with the human immune system.

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Mushrooms as Nourishment for Wildlife (including us!) | Sarah Foltz Jordan

Mushrooms provide nourishment to a wide array of wildlife, including but not limited to ourselves. An entomologist by profession and a mushroom forager at heart, Sarah will take us on a captivating journey of discovery of the macrofungi in our region, with an eye towards insect-mushroom interactions.  There are numerous insects that depend on fungi and rather than seeing them as a pest or problem, this workshop will invite you to see them for who they are--animals with very sophisticated life histories that are actually not all that different from our own.  Like us, insects are lovers, siblings, parents, homemakers, community members, innovators, farmers, foragers...and many delight in fungi!  In addition to insect interactions, Sarah will cover some her of own fun and practical culinary adventures with mushrooms.

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Just Add Water: Extremely Easy Oyster Mushroom Cultivation | Cornelia Cho

Participants will learn the easy cultivation method developed by Milton Tam of PSMS. Taking advantage of the pellet-forming process, we eliminate pasteurizing. Using kitty litter made from recycled newspapers, we inoculate with oyster spawn and stuff into recycled plastic newspaper sleeves. Myceliation happens rapidly with fruiting bodies appearing in as soon as 3 weeks with several subsequent flushes. The spent mycelium can be used to repeat the process through several generations.

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Tasting “Corn Smut", or Magic Fungus Dust | Barbara Ching

Mexicans know it by the sonorous name “huitlacoche,” but fungus-fearing farmers call it corn smut, a puffy soot colored fungus that invades ears of corn, replacing the sweet tender kernels with an even more delicious burst of umami. We’ll play with some simple concoctions such as tortillas, cheese, and tomatoes to experience this misunderstood fungus.

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Shamanic Journey to the Mushrooms | Sue Van Hook

Bring a towel or blanket to lie on the lawn for a drum journey to visit the mycelia in the lower world. Ask your question for guidance, ask the fungi for help, be open to messages the fungi may wish to share with you. 

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Cultivating Medicine of Place | EagleSong Gardener

Imagine your garden as a habitat, a place that actively cultivates your well-being as you tend it. By choosing plants and practices that support you and life on the planet you begin cultivating medicine of place. Procuring fresh herbs, the changing climate and access to work at home options make this a perfect time to bring your medicine closer home. This fun & eclectic approach to gardening reminds us we're part of life on earth.An experiential presentation using lecture, discussion, demonstration and interactive exercises to actively engage participants in the art & craft of garden as medicine. 

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The Mycobiome for Gut and Immune Health | Linda Conroy

We have long known that beneficial bacteria promote gut and overall immune health. Mounting evidence is now suggesting that fungi also play a crucial role. Collectively termed the mycobiome, gut fungi communities of molds and yeasts are crucial to maintaining gut health and overall immunity. Evidence also suggests other domains of life, such as viruses, also influences metabolism. In this workshop, we will take a deep dive into the microorganisms that we coexist with. We will discuss approaches to enhancing gut and immune health, dealing with health issues related to the mycobiome, and strategies for enlisting or encouraging our funga allies in the interest of overall health.

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Citizen Science in Mycology | Rebecca Chandler

Citizen science refers to the collection and analysis of data, typically in collaboration with professional researchers. There are many species of fungi that haven’t been adequately documented so amateur mycologists can play an important role in this field! We’ll go through the steps that professional mycologists use to identify unknown specimens and methods for cataloging your findings on digital platforms. This class will give you the tools to become a valuable citizen scientist!

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The Sensual Mushroom | Gina Patton

Come delve into the world of fungi with all your senses. In this hands-on workshop we will get to know the mushroom beings of the natural world through scent, sight, touch, sound, and beyond to the memories, intuition, empathy, and the wonder they evoke in us as women and humans. If you desire to know fungi on a more intimate level, this workshop is for you.

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Mushroom Pendant Make and Take with Storytelling | Rose Tursi

Participants will talk about the states that hold a special connection with them, and what species of mushrooms best represent those places. We will then learn how to make flat back glass cabochon jewelry pieces using State Mushrooms as the theme. Woman can create their own tiny art to fit under the glass, or use pre-printed photos and art provided by the instructor. Everyone makes a lapel pin or pendant to take home with them.  

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Paint Mushrooms! | Rose Tursi

Paint watercolor mushrooms using pigments made from mushrooms and other natural compounds. We will briefly go over the process of how watercolor paints are made, how one can make paint from certain species of color-giving mushrooms, lichens, plants, and minerals. We will learn about species of mushrooms that can even be used as a substitute for gum arabic (the traditional binder for watercolor paints.) We will then use pre-made paints to make beautiful art.

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Mushroom, Mind, and Meditation | Laura Adrian

Mushrooms are powerful transformers and they’ve supported humans in shifting from the inside out for millennia. In this workshop, we'll explore mushroom consciousness and the transformational element of the fungi kingdom through discussion and a regenerative guided body-based meditation. Participants are invited to bring a blanket, yoga mat, or any other props that may be supportive for a lying-down meditation. 

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Gilled Mushroom Identification Workshop | Sue Van Hook

Learn to identify the stature types for gilled macrofungi using a simple framework based on gill attachment and spore color.  We will learn the framework and practice keying agarics using this knowledge.  Bring a handlens if you have one. 

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Spores Galore! | Gina Patton

Did you know that the spores of a single fungi can number in the trillions? Spores are everywhere. On the ground. In the air. In our bodies as we breathe them in, but they are so tiny we humans barely notice them or their magical qualities. Spores are more than reproduction for fungi. Come join this hands-on workshop and learn to make beautiful, easy spore-prints for identification, cultivation, and artistic expression. 

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Fun Fungi Latin | Gina Patton

Do you find scientific Latin dull and confusing? I did too, until I started digging into the meanings behind the scientific names. Did you know there is a mushroom named Wolf Farts in Latin? What about Big Bald Skull? Come join my workshop on fun, memorable, fungi Latin and walk away with the tools to learn even more scientific names to impress your friends and mystify your family.

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Diversify your Garden with Mushroom Cultivation | Ingrid Daudert

Have you thought about what else you might be able to grow if you have a garden that is too shady for tomatoes? What about an area you would like to enhance with mycelium to get healthier crops of vegetables while also growing and harvesting mushrooms. Come learn techniques to add diversity to your gardens and improve your soil health by adding funga to your landscapes.

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Mushroom Bitters | Ruth Glass

In this workshop we will learn the benefits of bitters, how to use them, and learn how to make a unique shroom bitter blend!

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The Wonderful World of Fungi: a Mycophile "Innoculation"  | Ingrid Daudert

In our 1 ½ hours together we will explore the fascinating and diverse world of fungi, acknowledging their vital role in maintaining life on this planet.  How can we interact with them in ways that will help us forge a bond with this ancient yet hardly understood world living all around us?  • Introduction to the world of fungi ecology • A brief primer on mushrooms for food and health • An overview of mushroom propagation • Some basics of mushroom foraging This class is a primer that will “inoculate” you for the in depth classes offered this weekend.

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A Gift of Reciprocity: The Healing Power of Creativty Through Ephemeral Art | Shannon Sloan-Spice

Often, we forget that we are in a constant state of co-creation with the natural world. In this workshop, we set our intentions and create gifts of ephemeral art with foraged materials. The power of reciprocity through gratitude and the joy of being creative leads to deeper levels of healing the ecological unconscious. Through these small personal rituals, we will integrate and share the wisdom of working in this ceremonial and playful way.

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Mushrooms in Clinical Practice | Cornelia Cho

Medicinal Mushrooms are our healing allies, producing complex molecules often compatible with human physiology. Lion’s Mane Hericium mushroom produces nerve growth compounds able to cross the blood-brain barrier and stimulate nerve cell growth. Another mushroom is now curing chemical addictions, helping treatment-resistant depression and more. We will discuss clinical research, case studies, precautions and DIY cutting-edge mushroom methodologies.

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Shroom Soup | Ruth Glass

Join Ruthie for an interactive workshop on incorporating medicinal mushrooms into soups and other nourishing recipes. Together we will make a batch of soup while learning about the magic and medicine of mushrooms!

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Fresh Caught Songs | Sarina Partridge

Join Sarina Partridge, Minneapolis songleader and songwriter, for a welcoming workshop that invites you to slow down, turn inward, and go deeper. Sarina will share original "fresh-caught songs" - simple and beautiful part songs. These are songs accessible to singers at any level, that touch on themes of receiving and releasing, healing, being gentle to ourselves, moving through transitions, and connecting with the cycles and seasons of the natural world.

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Daughter & Death Doula of a Copper Beech Tree: How Love & Fidelity to Grandmother Initiated Me into Her Mycelium Mystery | Shannon Sloan-Spice

This workshop will be part performance, part curated art show of over 1000 pictures Shannon took of her beloved Grandmother tree during her nine-month devotional ritual of visiting her every day. Inspired by a conversation with Suzanne Simard at the spring conference, Shannon will guide you on an intimate journey of love and loss, and the wisdom she carries from this transcendent love with the super-human world.

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Exploring the Soil Food Web and the Interrelations of Flora, Fauna, and Funga | Tina Hope

Have you ever wondered about soil health and the role fungi play in it? Join us as we delve deeper into the underworld to learn about the complex interconnections of soil organisms. We will extend our meanderings to include an up close glimpse of the mycorrhizal associations in the mycorrhizosphere that enable plants to survive in different habitats, including annual and perennial gardens and landscapes.

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Saving and Sharing Seeds | Kari Witthuhn

Preserving our heirloom garden seeds & indigenous wild seeds is the cornerstone of any localized food movement. In our time together we'll explore ways to building a sustainable seed community. Topics to be touched on include: basic seed saving info, seed libraries, hosting seed swaps, useful tools & best practices for harvesting/storing seed.

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Forays

Looking in Books After Finding Mushrooms | Barbara Ching

There’s nothing more soothing and exciting than settling in after a foray with a mushroom guide to figure out what you found. In this foray followed by an I.D. session, we will work with published mushroom “keys” to identify what we found.

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Talking Tree Walk | Pat Armstrong

A walk to identify different trees bigger than a whale and older than Methuselah. Trees join Earth to Sky & hold millennia of wisdom. Your conversation with trees becomes more intimate & personal when you honor them by knowing their names.  In this Walk, we will: 
Learn the observed parts of a tree used in identification. 
Understand the terms used to describe the features of trees for ID purposes. 
Know the common and some botanical names for some trees. 
Tell interesting things about some trees.

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Hooray! It's A Foray! | Rebecca Chandler

A mushroom foray is a walk in the woods with the purpose of hunting for edibles, collecting for scientific study, or looking at the beauty and diversity of mushrooms. This mushroom walk will showcase a wide diversity of mushrooms as we hone our identification skills. We will gather mushrooms to add to the identification table. All levels will benefit from this class!

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Foray Through A Pine Forest | Sue Van Hook

Open your senses to fungi and experience their colors, odors, textures, and ecology as we stroll through the pine plantation and roadsides. Bring a handlens.

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Fungal Phylogeny Foray | Sarah Foltz Jordan 

This walk will invite you to expand your understanding of the phylogeny (evolutionary relationships) between the different fungi we encounter.  We will also discuss mushroom edibilty and critial identification features, along with some of the more subtle aspects of morphology and biology, such as smells and tree associations.  At the end of the walk, we will be using a large printed phylogenetic tree of macrofungi to place our mushrooms where they belong in relationship to each other.  Sometimes mushrooms that look nothing alike are actually very closely related, and vice versa, so prepare to be surprised!

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Free Time Activities

Hands-On Hawthorn Food & Medicine Making | EagleSong Gardener

Join EagleSong Gardener, the Hawthorn Whisperer, for several hands-on experiences with Hawthorn. This Open Time offering is a series of short demonstrations making preparations for your table, apothecary, and yes, even a wee bit o' magic to keep your life interesting all using Hawthorn’s flowers, leaves and fruits. Perhaps, even a thorn or two! Drop in and stay and go as you like. 

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Mycelial Archery | Rebecca Chandler

Find your mycelia in the grounding act of archery! This class will be geared towards learning to shoot the bow with accuracy and confidence along with helpful visualizations. This meditative practice can help your mushroom observation skills in surprising ways. All equipment will be provided. 

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African Dance: Ayo Alston

Join one of two 45-minute sessions. Description Coming Soon!

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Shiitake Log Inoculation | Ingrid Daudert

Shiitake Log cultivation is an ancient Japanese mushroom farming technique several thousand years old. This technique uses 4-8 inch diameter oak logs that are drilled and injected with sawdust spawn into the holes which are then covered by wax. Once the mycelium is in the log it becomes a living thing and must be nurtured for a year before it is ready to fruit. Once a log starts fruiting these logs will produce amazing shiitake mushrooms for years. You can come and learn the process or if you want to take home your own log we will have logs and shiitake spawn available to take home. ($35 per log)

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Dialoguing With and Mothering Our Inner Children | Stephanie Wiedenhoeft

In this guided journaling session, you will be given basic framework and tools to help you discover what your inner children might need you to say to them, or what they need to say to you. How do you mother in the world? What mothering did you need? The opportunities are endless. Perhaps you will find forgiveness, perhaps closure, maybe you will find a way to move past a trauma. How deep you go depends on how open you are to the process. Together in support of each other’s journeys we will explore this process. The tools offered can be used again and again to help heal old wounds. You might finish and wish to share. You might delve into something unexpected. I will guide you as we travel through time to revisit and rewrite our many different pasts. You are the author of your story, why not write it with love.

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Drinking Mushrooms: Mushroom Beverage Bar | Linda Conroy

Visit the mushroom beverage bar for samples of homemade beverages that feature some of our favorite mushroom allies. Samples of hot as well as cold beverages will be served. Bring a friend or meet new ones while you enjoy drinking mushrooms in this community mycelial space. 

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Film Screening: María Sabina, Woman of the Spirit

After listening to a podcast summation of Maria Sabina's life, we will screen a documentary on the life and work of Maria Sabina. The film is an intimate portrait of the world-renowned Mazatec curandera and her extensive use of Psilocybe mushrooms as a healing aid. A facilitated discussion of the film will follow the viewing. The film runs for 1.5 hours.

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Morning Activities

Flowing with Nature: Creating Space for Relaxation and Rejuvenation | Laura Adrian

In this morning activity, participants will be guided through practices that cultivate a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation through a direct connection to the natural world.  These are very simple, easy to learn, and fun practices that participants will be able to take home with them and integrate into their self-care toolbox.

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The Power of Connection through Mycelium Wisdom | Laura Adrian

Mycelia are great connectors in the web of life. As a group we'll tap into the power of mycelia and cultivate a deeper sense of connection to the earth, all lifeforms, and yourself through this guided, heart-centered awareness meditation.  

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Sunrise Yoga | Marguerite Ramlow

Start your day off right with a flow-style hatha yoga class for all levels of experience. Class will begin with warm-ups followed by a variety of yoga postures and a short relaxation. Receive guided instruction on alignment of the yoga poses. Find balance, strength, and flexibility that will carry you through the day allowing you to sit in comfort and retain the information given in the herb workshops to follow. All levels welcome.

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Move Like A Mushroom | Mary Bue

Join Mary Bue e-RYT 500 for 45 minutes of slow, luxurious movement to energize, invite focus, and prepare for a day of learning. We will link breath and movement in a gentle-to-moderate flowing sequence, weaving in the wisdom of our plant allies & mysterious mycelium (sometimes in a very silly way)! Gentle modifications will be offered, and you'll be serenaded by Mary's music during the final resting posture. All bodies are welcome, and especially beginners!