Lotus Mycology

So how did I get started with this hobby? Why do I love fungi?

My fungal journey began in childhood with long hours spent in the woods near my home. My favorite creatures were always insects and fungi. I was drawn to their different, seemingly alien, appearance and ephemeral nature. I always admired mushrooms but it wasn't until my late teens that my interest truly blossomed.

By this time I had left home for college and was suffering from a deep depression and problems with substance abuse. Hearing reports of the healing power of certain magical 🍄's I sought them out. They helped me break out of the shell of depression and addiction. They showed me that I was responsible for my thoughts, emotions, and actions. This realization brought me great freedom to build a better life. They also helped to reconnect me to mother Earth and a sense of spirituality that I had lost in my adolescence.

As time passed my interest in fungi grew and I found myself immersed in field guides, mycology books, and the woods. Eventually I found myself working at a commercial mushroom farm.

During my time at the farm, I was introduced to the culinary dimension of mycology. I learned about the dozens of species available to eat (beyond the soggy canned button mushrooms 🤢) and I began to incorporate them into my diet. I also learned a lot about cultivating several different species of mushrooms and began to grow them at home for food and medicine.

In recent years my focus has been on connecting with other mushroom enthusiasts. From foragers to cultivators, therapists to herbalists, the myco community is wide and grows wider every year. I'm so grateful to be a small node in this network and enjoy sharing my knowledge and helping people start their own grows.

I'm also excited to be offering fresh mushrooms, at home mushroom grow kits, mushroom genetics, grain spawn, substrate bags, medicinal tinctures, capsules and chocolates, all made to order. More updates on products to come! Please send me a DM or an email [email protected] if you want to buy something for yourself or as a gift.

Thanks for following along with me on this journey!

Peace,

Alex

For those of you new here, welcome to Lotus Mycology.

My name is Alex Hummel and if you know me you know I love mushrooms. I've been a forager and mushroom cultivator since about 2018. I created this page to expand and share my mushroom knowledge, to connect with other enthusiasts, and to offer mycology related products and services.

The fungal Kingdom has a lot to offer and teach us mammals and my mission is to do whatever I can to help in this process. So whether you have a cool mushroom picture to share, a mycology question, or want to buy some grow bags to grow mushrooms at home, I welcome you to this page.