In spring of 2009, a clogged artery almost killed me. The doctor put in a stent and told me to get more exercise.  I agreed.

The lilacs were ready to burst wide open and the local papers were littered with articles about all things Minnesota spring, especially morels. I decided my exercise would be walking the woods…looking for morels.

Lao Tsu says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  I didn’t know it would take me two years and many hours of walking to gather enough of the tasty Ascomycetes to fold into my wife Katey’s oh-so-tasty scrambled eggs. And I didn’t know that the simple quest for exercise and morels would lead me to start Forest Gold Botanicals .

During those first years of morel hunting, I fell down the mycelial rabbit hole. My eyes opened to the world of edible wild mushrooms:  chanterelles, chicken-of-the-woods, oysters, the giant puffball, shaggy manes, honeys, maitake and the wiliest of them all, Porcini.

As I delved into the identification of wild mushrooms, I came across reports of their incredible health-giving properties. That spurred me to read everything I could get my hands on concerning the medicinal qualities of fungi. I began seeing many mushrooms known for their medicinal characteristics rather than flavor on my walks through the woods. Then I took the leap.

On a hike outside of Bozeman, Montana I discovered beautiful specimens of Ganoderma tsugae, a relative of Reishi, the Mushroom of Immortality.  I had read many articles from the NIH citing its properties as an antioxidant, an immune system booster and a blood pressure reducer. So I decided to decoct some into a tincture and try it myself.

When the tincture was ready I started my regimen. I plotted my blood pressure and observed both the systolic and diastolic numbers drop by five points over the next two months. As a bonus, I didn’t succumb to my usual winter cold that first season!

 I studied up on Turkey Tail, Maitake, Chaga, Shitake, Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane and Birch Polypore. It was fascinating and exciting to learn about the medicinal properties of fungi and realize how these natural products could benefit so many people in ways that might have eluded them thus far.

 I didn’t know if I should pursue this path any further when I discovered an abundant patch of pristine Turkey Tail at my family’s farm in Ohio. I felt compelled to harvest them and upon my return, a dear friend called to ask if I had any Turkey Tail tincture.  He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and his research had led him to believe his chances would be improved with the addition of Turkey Tail tincture along with his traditional medical treatment.

Some would say it was a sign. So I started producing double extraction tinctures and thus began Forest Gold Botanicals.

The mission of Forest Gold Botanicals is to supply high quality mushroom products to compliment your health regimen, employing responsibly grown and harvested mushrooms and using local, organic ingredients when possible. The tinctures are produced in small batches following a best practice procedure ensuring purity and highest quality.

Welcome to the mushroom revolution!