The Medicinal Value of Chaga Mushrooms

I've always been interested in chaga "mushrooms", since they have a lot of medicinal benefits and make a delicious coffee additive. The bummer is that chaga is not found in western Oregon, at least not as far as I can tell. Chaga is harvested mostly from birch forests in Siberia and Canada. It is extremely difficult to cultivate, but researchers are working on ways to grow it. However, I have found a good wild-crafted source at a locally-owned and ethical company called Mountain Rose Herbs. Here is an article from the Good News Network about this amazing fungus:

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/the-medicinal-value-of-chaga-mushrooms-as-a-nutraceutical-for-good-health/

Anyone out there ever find chaga in the wild?

I used to make a living in the chaga business and funny enough, was Mt. Rose's main supplier for a number of years. They were great people to work with. It's been several years now since my business has been active, but I do consider starting it back up from time to time. My main picking grounds were the Upper Peninsula of MI, and I would buy chaga from WI and MN to resell as well. As far as medical benefits, I think there is a lot of hype and probably some truth to all the claims, but it's hard to figure out which is which. One reason I stepped away is from all the people emailing asking for medical advice, or clearly putting all their hope in this fungi that could well turn out to be 'snake oil' for all I really knew; that will weigh on you after a while.

You may be able to find the odd chaga conk up in the mountains of OR. I've heard of it growing in the Cascades anyway.

Here's a fairly helpful 'listicle' from some entrepreneurial wild crafters in the northeast:

https://birchboys.com/blogs/about-our-chaga/10-chaga-misconceptions

I've found it fairly often in northern NY and Vermont when rambling in the woods there, as I developed an eye for it. Made tea semi-regularly for a while and do seem to notice an overall sort of calming and soothing mood-stabilizing effect with it. I know Ben Falk (permie in VT) is a big fan of it and have heard other positive anecdotes, not sure about specific health benefits. It's a super duper anti-oxidant which can do a variety of things in the system, not all necessarily beneficial however. I've heard it labeled as an 'adaptogen' though which tends to work synergistically to help with what's needed around the house, as it were.

Haven't searched in the West or heard of finds, but wouldn't rule it out! It definitely prefers very cold winters, so like zone 4 and below.

There are quite a few chaga-based businesses in my neck of the woods. The Adirondack Mountains apparently is known for being a source of chaga. I haven't intentionally have gone out and looked for it but I'll keep an eye out the next time I'm out scouting some land.

A friend just brought me some nice ones he found recently in Appalachians. I've always used chaga as a destress/calming supplement, it doesn't make you sleepy or 'out of it', more of a decompressed/breath of fresh air/calms the static kind of feeling. I usually combine it with lions mane and reishi (all ground up) and simmer it in water at a low temp on the stove with a bit of cardamom, coconut cream and some honey or maple syrup. I'll add cordyceps mushrooms too if I need a big energy boost. (simmering them in the hot water helps extract it so that more of the beneficial stuff is bioavailable - you can do much longer more involved extraction processes that extract a lot more, but this works well for a convenient cozy drink with a lot of feel-good power) You don't have to strain it out, just pour it in a mug and voila!

I harvested 1000s of pounds, of Chaga.
I once had 2000 birch trees tapped, collecting Sap for making wine. Lady of the Woods.

Company was Sap World.

Yet had a bad business partner. Took on partners and then they got rid of me, from my own company.

Was crazy times.

Yet been thinking about setting up a new tapping site and making birch syrup. I want to look at smoking Rainbow Trout and using a birch glaze.

Birch Glazed Smoked Rainbow Trout.

You knows it's good. 😋

As for Chaga, it's the best. I had a Facebook group/page. FB called me a drug dealer for promotion Chaga.  Blocked the site.

I had 100s of research papers, links about Chaga, health benefits,  how to harvest, how to use.

And I was driving the other day, looking for Chaga on the trees. I found some. Now I can get back into drinking Chaga tea.

I'm in Newfoundland Canada. 57,000 hectares of birch stands.  Lots of Chaga.

We I stated, very few knew about it. Now many are out hunting, selling, consuming.

I made tea bags,  tonic, capsules, powder and raw chunks.

Good stuff, Chaga

Yes! Here in Northern Wisconsin  it's petty available if you know what your looking for.

We have found it near our home, in the mountains of WV.
I’d say we have a lifetime supply in the woods. My husband is great at spotting it.
We are careful not to over harvest it!!!
We put a couple chunks in a crock pot, fill with H20 set it on low. We like to drink ours cold.
It is more thirst quenching than water.

Chaga can definitely be found in the wild in the lower 48, though relatively rare. I’ve read it infects about 1 in 20,000 birch trees and it certainly seems to me I check that many before finding some!

Some things I’ve learned about Chaga: it should only be harvested from a living tree. Chaga will eventually kill its host tree, at which point it produces spores and is no longer as beneficial medicinally.

Chaga should not be consumed every day for long periods of time, especially not in high doses. There is apparently such a thing as too many antioxidants! It seems to be best used periodically or when you need it vs. in a daily regimen.

As far as foraging ethics: I personally will not harvest the entirety of the chaga on any given tree. In fact I revisit chaga bearing trees for years, harvesting here and there. That’s just me. It feels greedy to do otherwise, and harvesting only what I need allows me repeated harvests - Chaga takes a long time to complete its life cycle.

I encourage everyone to their own research and to listen your body. Happy and safe hunting and wild medicine making.