AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host a three-hour class for anyone interested in being certified to sell morel mushrooms legally within the state of Iowa. The workshop will be held on three consecutive Saturdays in April on the Iowa State University campus.
To legally sell morel mushrooms in Iowa, sellers must complete a certification workshop that covers identifying morels and false morels. People can be poisoned by eating mushrooms that are misidentified as morels. By the end of the workshops, participants will recognize true morels from false morels.
Morel certification lasts for three years. Iowans who have not certified for three or more years must recertify this year. Registration is open to out-of-state individuals, but keep in mind local certification may be available in your home state.
All three workshops will be held on the Iowa State campus in 210 Bessey Hall (2200 Osborn Drive, Ames, Iowa) from 1-4 p.m. on April 7, 14 and 21. Participants need only attend one workshop. Please arrive by 12:45 p.m., as class starts promptly at 1 p.m.
Enroll in the workshop by registering online at http://bit.ly/MorelWorkshop. Registration is $50 per person. Preregistration is important so adequate materials are prepared for the workshop. The registration deadline is March 30. For registration assistance, call Registration Services at 515-294-6222.
Free parking is available near Bessey Hall in Lot 41 on the east side of Wallace Road. See the online campus map.
Each workshop session will include:
- Pre-training identification test
- Slide presentation on recognizing morels and false morels
- Examination of preserved morels and false morels
- Post-training certification test (and re-testing as needed)
Everyone who completes the training will receive both a wallet-sized training certificate and a larger certificate suitable for framing and display.