Wisconsin Wild Mushroom Identification Class
Looking for the list of Certified Identifiers? Check here.
Otherwise... please read on to find out more!
Looking to sign up for a class? Classed run in the winter to early spring months. Please check back in late 2025 for new classes to be announced.
Don't see a date or location that works for you?
If the currently open class date does not work for you, please put your contact on our 'Class Interest' list! This does not sign you up for any class but ensures you get an email from us for any future dates announced. WMS members also get these emails already.
Click Here for the Class Interest Contact Form
Time: for all course dates, the class starts at 9:30 AM and runs until around 3:30 PM, with testing starting then until all students finish, typically by ~4:15 PM.
Testing accommodations: There is no time limit on the test. If we had to leave the venue before you were ready, we would work to accommodate a way for you to finish up anyway. We also would love to hear from you if we could find a way to make testing more accessible to you. Please reach out in advance to wisconsinwildfungi (at) gmail (dot) com.
Venue location: are sent to you after you sign up by email, if a venue is finalized for your testing date/location. If it is not yet finalized, the email will note that and give a date by which you should hear from your teaching assistant (TA) with the specifics.
Course with testing for certification is: $125.00
Course for education & fun, without testing and without potential certification is: $80.00
** Those who already registered "TBD" earlier get first pick of those dates **
If you are registered already as "TBD" you should have already heard from us!
If you have not yet replied, please do so as soon as possible. Email: wisconsinwildfungi (at) gmail (dot) com.
Registration policies:
If you register for a specific date, you are counting toward the numbers we expect for that class. For this reason, cancellation with refund is only available 5 days or more prior to your course date, except in cases of unforeseen injury, illness, or other catastrophe. If you miss your registered date we can work to reschedule you.
If you have not yet confirmed a specific date but pre-registered as "TBD" and need to cancel, you can reach out to us for a full refund.
If you have signed up for a specific course date and are cancelling due to illness at any time, you can obtain a full refund. This is determined on a case by case basis after you reach out.
Cancelling for any other reason at least one week or more in advance of the course date and you may obtain a full refund.
Cancelling for any other reason closer to your course date? You can obtain a partial refund on request. What will be missing will be your portion of the cost of any materials (test printed, catering obtained).
Please note refund requests may take us some time to get done!
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) asked The Wisconsin Mycological Society (WMS) to create a class with the objective of protecting the public from foodborne illness and accidental poisoning in mushroom sales outside of farmers markets - namely sales to food/grocery stores and restaurants. We have designed this class independently from any other mycological society or academic program. It is customized for Wisconsin as an environment, and for the species currently approved for sale in Wisconsin. This program will help protect the public and support good conduct and trust between wild foraged mushroom sellers and purchasers.
The class includes:
- a PDF study guide, sent to you by email - you maintain access to this study guide for ongoing reference
- a day of instruction in the curriculum in-person
- a break for lunch with catering available
Adding the test includes:
- administered test on the curriculum in-person, that same day
- grading of your test and communication of your results within 14 days of testing
- if passing, 3 year certification in the state of Wisconsin to sell approved wild foraged fungi to grocery stores and restaurants
- if passing PDF copy of a certification card you may choose to print or use digitally on a website, social media
- card includes a QR code that leads to a webpage maintained by WMS affirming your certification and displaying the contact details for you or your business which you choose to have visible
- the cost of recertification following your 3 years of certification expiration date will be less than the initial cost of certification
The class covers:
- key identification practices for approved species for sale to grocery stores and restaurants in Wisconsin
- correct handling and storage of wild harvested fungi for sale
- use of "Wisconsin Statement of Sale for Wild Mushrooms" forms to document your transactions
Wisconsin Wild Mushroom Currently Approved Species List
- Morels - all WI species in genus Morchella
- Chanterelles - all WI species in genus Cantharellus
- Trumpets - all WI species in genus Craterellus
- King Boletes / Porcini - all WI species in Boletus edulis clade
- Oyster mushrooms - all WI species in genus Pleurotus & the invasive Pleurotus citrinopileatus
- Hedgehog mushrooms - all WI species in genus Hydnum
- Lobster mushrooms - Hypomyces lactifluorum on its host
- Lion’s Mane, Bear’s Head, and Comb Tooth - all WI species in genus Hericium
- Matsutake - in Wisconsin our species is Tricholoma magnivelare
- Maitake / Hen of the Woods - Grifola frondosa
- Chicken of the Woods - Laetiporus cincinnatus and Laeitporus sulphureus except: Laetiporus huronensis
- "Salisbury Steak of the Woods" / Resinous polypore - Ischnoderma resinosum
- Pheasantback / Dryad's saddle - Cerioporus squamosus
- Giant Puffball - Calvatia gigantea
- Ganoderma Species considered Reishi in WI - Ganoderma tsugae (primarily considered reishi), plus Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma sessile
- Chaga - Inonotus obliquus
- Turkey Tail - Trametes versicolor
If it is not on this list, and it is a Wisconsin wild foraged fungi sold fresh and unprocessed you will not be able to legally sell to grocery stores, restaurants, or any purchaser for grocery stores or restaurant use in any venue (i.e., a chef buying from you at a farmer's market). We are able to expand the species covered over time, and are interested in feedback from you, the mycological community.
Inclusion on this list does not mean WMS endorses any particular medical benefit claim made about a species. Please follow up in the scientific literature to investigate and support any claim. Some fungi included on this list may cause allergic reactions or minor gastrointestinal upset as any other food may on a person-by-person basis. They are all widely considered reliably safe for human consumption with correct handling based on the species (morels for example must be well-cooked to remove a heat-sensitive toxin).
Who is required to gain this certification, and by when? How will it be enforced, and by who?
It is our understanding from our conversations with the WI DATCP that this certification is required:
Starting in January 2024 for any person selling fresh, unprocessed, non-imported, wild foraged fungi to grocery stores, restaurants, or any agent purchasing on behalf of grocery stores or restaurants. The law will be enforced by health inspectors, who will check for appropriately filled out Wisconsin Statement of Sale for Wild Mushrooms forms as filled out by you and held by the purchasers of your wild foraged fungi for 90 days.
Imported wild foraged fungi from another state are not covered under this regulation, and do not require this certification or Statement of Sale process. However, these imports may be subject to some other form of regulation. Please follow up yourself with state regulators if you are unsure.
It is very much in the best interests of sellers of wild foraged fungi covered under this law to obtain this certification, comply with the documentation, and support your buyers in following the law and having a good experience purchasing your fungi. You represent yourself, your business, and the community of wild foraged fungi sellers as a whole.
You will have each certification listed besides your name and preferred contact information on our website -- this help you will establish your history and experience in the field!
Is this course open to those who are interested from a purely educational standpoint?
Yes! You are very welcome to sign up regardless of your intentions of being certified, or using your certification for business purposes. You will be able to register as a course taker who intends to take the test at the end and therefore potentially obtain certification, or as a course taker who will not take the test and not obtain certification, but who will be fully welcome to a seat in the class and learning engagement with the teacher and teaching assistants.
Looking for the list of Certified Identifiers? Check here.
Otherwise... please read on to find out more!
Looking to sign up for a class? Classed run in the winter to early spring months. Please check back in late 2025 for new classes to be announced.
Don't see a date or location that works for you?
If the currently open class date does not work for you, please put your contact on our 'Class Interest' list! This does not sign you up for any class but ensures you get an email from us for any future dates announced. WMS members also get these emails already.
Click Here for the Class Interest Contact Form
Time: for all course dates, the class starts at 9:30 AM and runs until around 3:30 PM, with testing starting then until all students finish, typically by ~4:15 PM.
Testing accommodations: There is no time limit on the test. If we had to leave the venue before you were ready, we would work to accommodate a way for you to finish up anyway. We also would love to hear from you if we could find a way to make testing more accessible to you. Please reach out in advance to wisconsinwildfungi (at) gmail (dot) com.
Venue location: are sent to you after you sign up by email, if a venue is finalized for your testing date/location. If it is not yet finalized, the email will note that and give a date by which you should hear from your teaching assistant (TA) with the specifics.
Course with testing for certification is: $125.00
Course for education & fun, without testing and without potential certification is: $80.00
** Those who already registered "TBD" earlier get first pick of those dates **
If you are registered already as "TBD" you should have already heard from us!
If you have not yet replied, please do so as soon as possible. Email: wisconsinwildfungi (at) gmail (dot) com.
Registration policies:
If you register for a specific date, you are counting toward the numbers we expect for that class. For this reason, cancellation with refund is only available 5 days or more prior to your course date, except in cases of unforeseen injury, illness, or other catastrophe. If you miss your registered date we can work to reschedule you.
If you have not yet confirmed a specific date but pre-registered as "TBD" and need to cancel, you can reach out to us for a full refund.
If you have signed up for a specific course date and are cancelling due to illness at any time, you can obtain a full refund. This is determined on a case by case basis after you reach out.
Cancelling for any other reason at least one week or more in advance of the course date and you may obtain a full refund.
Cancelling for any other reason closer to your course date? You can obtain a partial refund on request. What will be missing will be your portion of the cost of any materials (test printed, catering obtained).
Please note refund requests may take us some time to get done!
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) asked The Wisconsin Mycological Society (WMS) to create a class with the objective of protecting the public from foodborne illness and accidental poisoning in mushroom sales outside of farmers markets - namely sales to food/grocery stores and restaurants. We have designed this class independently from any other mycological society or academic program. It is customized for Wisconsin as an environment, and for the species currently approved for sale in Wisconsin. This program will help protect the public and support good conduct and trust between wild foraged mushroom sellers and purchasers.
The class includes:
- a PDF study guide, sent to you by email - you maintain access to this study guide for ongoing reference
- a day of instruction in the curriculum in-person
- a break for lunch with catering available
Adding the test includes:
- administered test on the curriculum in-person, that same day
- grading of your test and communication of your results within 14 days of testing
- if passing, 3 year certification in the state of Wisconsin to sell approved wild foraged fungi to grocery stores and restaurants
- if passing PDF copy of a certification card you may choose to print or use digitally on a website, social media
- card includes a QR code that leads to a webpage maintained by WMS affirming your certification and displaying the contact details for you or your business which you choose to have visible
- the cost of recertification following your 3 years of certification expiration date will be less than the initial cost of certification
The class covers:
- key identification practices for approved species for sale to grocery stores and restaurants in Wisconsin
- correct handling and storage of wild harvested fungi for sale
- use of "Wisconsin Statement of Sale for Wild Mushrooms" forms to document your transactions
Wisconsin Wild Mushroom Currently Approved Species List
- Morels - all WI species in genus Morchella
- Chanterelles - all WI species in genus Cantharellus
- Trumpets - all WI species in genus Craterellus
- King Boletes / Porcini - all WI species in Boletus edulis clade
- Oyster mushrooms - all WI species in genus Pleurotus & the invasive Pleurotus citrinopileatus
- Hedgehog mushrooms - all WI species in genus Hydnum
- Lobster mushrooms - Hypomyces lactifluorum on its host
- Lion’s Mane, Bear’s Head, and Comb Tooth - all WI species in genus Hericium
- Matsutake - in Wisconsin our species is Tricholoma magnivelare
- Maitake / Hen of the Woods - Grifola frondosa
- Chicken of the Woods - Laetiporus cincinnatus and Laeitporus sulphureus except: Laetiporus huronensis
- "Salisbury Steak of the Woods" / Resinous polypore - Ischnoderma resinosum
- Pheasantback / Dryad's saddle - Cerioporus squamosus
- Giant Puffball - Calvatia gigantea
- Ganoderma Species considered Reishi in WI - Ganoderma tsugae (primarily considered reishi), plus Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma sessile
- Chaga - Inonotus obliquus
- Turkey Tail - Trametes versicolor
If it is not on this list, and it is a Wisconsin wild foraged fungi sold fresh and unprocessed you will not be able to legally sell to grocery stores, restaurants, or any purchaser for grocery stores or restaurant use in any venue (i.e., a chef buying from you at a farmer's market). We are able to expand the species covered over time, and are interested in feedback from you, the mycological community.
Inclusion on this list does not mean WMS endorses any particular medical benefit claim made about a species. Please follow up in the scientific literature to investigate and support any claim. Some fungi included on this list may cause allergic reactions or minor gastrointestinal upset as any other food may on a person-by-person basis. They are all widely considered reliably safe for human consumption with correct handling based on the species (morels for example must be well-cooked to remove a heat-sensitive toxin).
Who is required to gain this certification, and by when? How will it be enforced, and by who?
It is our understanding from our conversations with the WI DATCP that this certification is required:
Starting in January 2024 for any person selling fresh, unprocessed, non-imported, wild foraged fungi to grocery stores, restaurants, or any agent purchasing on behalf of grocery stores or restaurants. The law will be enforced by health inspectors, who will check for appropriately filled out Wisconsin Statement of Sale for Wild Mushrooms forms as filled out by you and held by the purchasers of your wild foraged fungi for 90 days.
Imported wild foraged fungi from another state are not covered under this regulation, and do not require this certification or Statement of Sale process. However, these imports may be subject to some other form of regulation. Please follow up yourself with state regulators if you are unsure.
It is very much in the best interests of sellers of wild foraged fungi covered under this law to obtain this certification, comply with the documentation, and support your buyers in following the law and having a good experience purchasing your fungi. You represent yourself, your business, and the community of wild foraged fungi sellers as a whole.
You will have each certification listed besides your name and preferred contact information on our website -- this help you will establish your history and experience in the field!
Is this course open to those who are interested from a purely educational standpoint?
Yes! You are very welcome to sign up regardless of your intentions of being certified, or using your certification for business purposes. You will be able to register as a course taker who intends to take the test at the end and therefore potentially obtain certification, or as a course taker who will not take the test and not obtain certification, but who will be fully welcome to a seat in the class and learning engagement with the teacher and teaching assistants.
