Mendofamilyforage

04/18/2025

4/16/25 Mushroom Tour
One of my favorite clients returned yet again on a big detour to pick black trumpets with me. We almost filled a big paper bag with thick walled mature trumpets. Such a fun afternoon adventure.

04/13/2025

04/08/2025

These are black chanterelles (not blues). I stand corrected, thanks David Arora for the info. I'm called an expert by others but consider myself a constant student. There's so much nuance here.

04/08/2025

I picked some blue chanterelles yesterday along with a pile of black trumpets. Beautiful contrast between these two special mushrooms.

03/30/2025

“I may be small, but I run this operation. Mushrooms, morale, and mild mischief—handled.”

03/29/2025

“I didn’t choose the mushroom life. The mushroom life chose me.
I was a lobster, sure. But deep down, I was spores and secrets.
That’s when I met Chris. That’s when everything changed…”.

03/25/2025

Can you even handle the cuteness?!!?? Having Francesca as a friend and designer has been a life changer- her creativity and ideas and ex*****on make this all so. Fun. THANK YOU!

03/20/2025

Amanda, here, the other half and I thought it would be fun to share the story of “James”- our new little mascot. I got his little guy for Chris on Valentine’s Day and somehow since then it has brought the 3 of us lots of joys and laughs. James is a sloth dressed as a lobster and for some reason it just screams Chris (he is a lobster diver for one).

He lived in Chris’ mushroom office and anytime Abira and I would visit, we always gave him a squeeze. Seeing this little sloth/lobster made me so happy, reminded me of how much i love Chris and I declared it was definitely the best gift i have ever given him.

Abira shared one day that sloth/lobster should go to our local mushroom club meeting and have his own little chair. This brought lots of laughs and that night Chris and I were chatting and brainstorming (as we often do in the wee hours of the evening) and Chris starting creating this idea of him being our little Mendo Family Forage mascot. He would bring another element of fun, of silliness, we could make him little clothes, create funny story lines.. it just all felt so hilarious and glorious.

The next morning, the spark of this still was sparkling in the air.. I told Chris i had been thinking of what his name could be. He said, maybe James? I squealed. Yes. James. Chris brother who passed away several years ago that we often say would have loved our life in the Mendocino magic. He was a fearless force of pure living. He was heartfelt, fun, loyal, and out of the box… it was perfect!

So.. maybe James is unconventional and a weird choice for a mascot on the outside.. really he is the most PERFECT! For so many ways.

So cheers to this first day of Spring and to having fun in your life.. not caring what people think and just being yourself! James is here to stay :)