Highlights from Canada & a Mini Herb Profile on Turkey Tail Mushroom
Catch up with me, and learn about Turkey Tail mushroom
We are back from our month in Canada, and there was some really great herbal and witchy fun had by the whole family. While I have already shared a more detailed recap of our trip over on the most recent Old Ways for the New Age podcast episode (Season 3 Episode 5) with a video version available also for watching either here on Substack or on Youtube, I wanted to share a few of my top highlights of the trip here for you to have a read in case you aren’t a listener or watcher. I am also going to share some information on one of my favourite fungi allies, Turkey Tail mushroom, and where you’ll be able to find my special Turkey Tail Truffle recipe!
If you’re new here, my husband is from Canada. This also means my sweet wee babe is half Canadian, and so it was time we took him back to his other homeland to meet the rest of his friends and family. While we were there, I wanted to make the most of the trip and do as much fun “Hannah” stuff as possible considering I was in for a more than 24-hour return trip back to Australia at the end of it all, with a 9 month old baby and an Aries husband (IYKYK).
So, what were some of the highlights of my trip? Here is a quick roundup for you:
I had the privilege of attending the Vancouver Island Herb Gathering and meeting some herby inspirations of mine (Yarrow Willard, Dr Jacqui Wilkins and Sajah Popham just to name a few) while learning some great tips and lessons around herbal and ethical entrepreneurship and all things plants and sustainability.
I was honoured to also attend an intensive lecture on medicinal mushrooms from mycologist Robert Rogers which has really expanded the way I think about working with fungi both clinically and energetically.
I got to explore a bit of Vancouver Island, seeing so many incredible wild plants in full bloom. I felt very at home here in an unexpected (but also totally expected) way, and I look forward to returning there at some point - hopefully around the same time of year so that I can make the most of working with all of the wild-growing Rose, St John’s Wort, Mullein and more.
I finally bought a handmade broom from my favourite broom shop in Granville Island in Vancouver.
I got to meet Jim McDonald in Michigan and go on a plant walk with him, where I met Mugwort, Bee Balm, White Vervain and other wonderful plant folk.
I found an unexpected herb farm and met a florist/chef/herb farmer named Cynthia with the most spectacular workshop.
I made friends with a wonderful person named Melanie who owns a beautiful witchcraft shop called Seven Sisters in Ontario.
I got to spend quality time with friends and family, introducing Finn to all his extended loved ones. We took many walks by Lake Huron, playing with wild Echinacea and enjoying the sunshine. It was so nice to be away in a new place for the first time in a long time, and Finn really was such a chill traveller. I am very grateful for his ease and grace!
If you want to know more and perhaps see a little show-and-tell of some of the bits and bobs I brought back with me you can find them on the podcast/on Youtube as I’ve mentioned and linked above. When we got back I dove right into working on my newest submission for the Rad Herb Zine, as well as an article for the delightful Botanical Anthology Autumn edition. I chose to submit a recipe for decadent chocolate truffles featuring my beloved Turkey Tail mushroom.
This edition is now available for order, and there are truly so many FANTASTIC features for this round. I really am so blown away to be featured alongside some big names, and to just be a part of such an incredible herby publication. Harmonie, the heart, mind and soul behind Botanical Anthology and the Plant Wonder Collective really has such dedication for this cause, and truly puts her all into creating such a high-quality resource and platform that lifts up and encourages the herbal community to share their gifts and passions with the world.
In honour of this, I thought I might share a few cool bits of wisdom around Turkey Tail and why they are an ally that you might consider working with yourself.
For example, did you know that Turkey Tail is one of our most generous fungi kin? They are found in a native form on almost every continent on Earth, including here in Australia. When an ally shows up in this way, I really appreciate their energy as very open and approachable. Plants and fungi of this wavelength really are so open to being worked with in a variety of ways, and by many different people and communities. These are the spirits we should focus on working with, rather than really rare and not-as-readily abundant plants that are indigenous only to certain countries or very small and specific areas of the world. But alas, I digress (that really is a conversation for another time).
Turkey Tail is rich in bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, phenols, and flavonoids. In fact, the polysaccharopeptides that this mushroom contains are what have been seen to offer immunomodulatory effects in the body. This means they can help to regulate our immune system and keep us well long-term!
This mushroom has antioxidant properties, helping to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress - which also helps to prevent premature ageing of all kinds - both with our skin and external body, but also on a cellular level. The beta-glucans in mushrooms like Turkey Tail help to regulate cortisol and support overall nervous system function, acting in an adaptogenic manner to help us to be more resilient in the face of a stressful time. This offers up opportunities for us to remove stressors so that we can thrive in the future without needing to rely on these herbs as a bandaid fix for recurring stress.
This mushroom is well known for what they offer as an adjunct to cancer therapies, with an ability to help the body to kill off abnormal cells, reduce the side effects of conventional treatments and more.
I have been working with Turkey Tail extracts for about a decade now, and I really have such a special bond with this fungi friend. I hope you enjoy getting to know Turkey Tail yourself, and perhaps even make my Turkey Tail Truffle recipe! If you do, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations.
Happy herbing,
Hannah xx
p.s. If you buy the Botanical Anthology Autumn edition this week, you also get a free bonus booklet on Elderberry, which is another one of my all-time favourite plants!