Morel Season is Right Around the Corner! Are You Ready?

Preparations for morel hunting in Iowa include obtaining certification for wild-harvested mushrooms for those intending to sell their bounty. Some useful tips about finding morels for novice mushroom hunters, too. 

Iowans with an eye for fungi are invited to participate in upcoming Mushroom Cultivation Workshops in central and eastern Iowa this spring. Hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the workshops are open to anyone interested in learning how to grow mushrooms at home.

Pollinator declines are a global concern, and agriculture sits at the center of the challenge. As farms grow more efficient and landscapes become increasingly simplified, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are losing the diverse habitats they depend on. One widely promoted solution is planting native vegetation, but an important question remains: Can pollinator habitat embedded within conventional farming systems truly help if pesticides remain in the surrounding landscape?