Katherine has invited us back to her farm in the beautiful town of Springwater to explore for wild mushrooms.  This is a great opportunity to pick some interesting mushrooms and learn about them from people who have studied them. You will learn which are safe to eat and whether any are good to eat.

Note: it is safe to pick mushrooms, but wait until you know what is what before you eat them.

Char will lead the Climbers. After checking in at the farm parking lot to sign the waiver and to receive the instructions on how to collect a specimen, the Climbers will carpool to Amanda’s Garden where Ellen Folts will host the group for an hour at her place. Then the Climbers will car pool to the All Western Evergreen South field Road entrance off Story Road and hike down through the wholesale trees A through E (back and forth through Fraser fir, Concolor fir, Korean and Turkish fir and notice the view, then back to Story Road to go through the Northwest Forest to the Cathedral pines, the south forest, across the choose and cut lots of Fraser fir, Korean fir and Concolor fir, to the North field road, scouring the hedgerow for mushrooms. Then we will hike up the farm road to Story road, staying on the farm land around the stone pile and back to the carpooled cars, drive back to the house.

Tourists will be led by Katherine or Carol: After checking in at the farm parking lot to sign the waiver and to receive the instructions on how to collect a specimen, the Tourists will hike to the south up through the woods and fields to Swartz Road and back through the Norway Spruce up by the pond and up through the Cathedral pines, across to the fields through O lots (correction strip trees), across the fields to the North field road down along the hedge row, through Scot Hill Triangle, down north field road along the hedgerow and just below the UVW fence, then through the woods back to the house where downstairs the mushrooms will be identified by Dr. Randy Weidner from RAMA and then we will have dish-to-pass social upstairs.

Naturalists: After checking in at the farm parking lot to sign the waiver and to receive the instructions on how to collect a specimen, the Naturalists, led by Gene & Georgia, will hike around the back yard behind the house including the Alaska Yellow Cedar, the nursery and up through the forest up behind all the houses along Liberty Pole Road, back up the hike path to the XY Douglas-fir and Concolor, through the fence around UVW across to the man gate at X center lot and then up the outside of the UVW fence to the Cathedral pines along the south field road and back to the house via the pond J Lot and forest back to the house where downstairs the mushrooms will be identified by Dr. Randy Weidner from RAMA and then we will have dish-to-pass social upstairs.

After the hikes, we will gather in the garage to see all of the collected mushrooms. Mushrooms will be identified by Dr. Randy Weidner from Rochester Area Micological Association (RAMA) from about 4:30 to 5:00. Hikers should plan their time to return to the house before that time.

Following the mushroom identification, join us for a dish-to-pass social upstairs.Please bring a dish to share (or make a small donation to the social fund) and your own beverage of choice. Water and tea will be available. Paper plates and plastic utensils will be provided unless you wish to bring your own place setting (and help save a tree). There will be space in the range oven and in the refriderator/freezers for your dishes if needed – please come in the garage and call upstairs if no one is there.

Directions to 6840 Liberty Pole Rd, Dansville, NY (in beautiful Springwater, NY):

Note: It has been reported that some GPS systems use the center of the farm as the target location and send you to the wrong side of the farm. Before you leave check that the last road is Liberty Pole Rd and not Swartz Rd. Google Maps seems to know the location of the house. Or, use the directions below. There is a tree farm sign clearly visible at 6840 Liberty Pole Road and the house is visible from the road.

From Springwater: Go west from the Springwater light on Rt 15 North.  Just past the top of the hill, turn left on Co Rd  38 (Liberty Pole Rd).  The farm is on the left 1.1 miles from Rt 15 at 6840 Liberty Pole Rd.

From Geneseo: Go south on NY 63. About 6.4 miles after passing Rt 408, turn left on County Road 1 at Groveland.  This road becomes CR 1A at Scottsburg (rt 256) and then Liberty Pole Rd (CR 38).  It is 7.1 miles from Groveland to the All Western Evergreen Tree Farm.

From Honeoye: Take 20A west to Hemlock and 15A south to Springwater.  Then follow the Springwater directions.

From Rochester: Take I390 south to Exit 9 (NY 15 / Lakeville).  Turn left onto NY 15 and follow Rt 15 through Lakeville and Livonia (16.5 miles).  Just past Webster’s Crossing stay straight on CR 60 when Rt 15 bears left.  Take the first right off CR 60 onto Liberty Pole Rd (CR 38). The farm is on the left at 6840 Liberty Pole Rd.