Chanterelle Mushroom Foraging

Chanterelle mushrooms are delicious!  These bright orange fungi pop up on the forest floor after a moist period (like now) throughout the Ozarks.  Here at Barren Creek Farm, I stumbled upon some in my back yard and within a short walk in our private forest.

 I collected about 10 oz of fresh smooth chanterelle mushrooms between two locations.  I took care to leave over half of the mushrooms unpicked to encourage future generations.

The extra mushrooms I didn't need to cook for dinner were cleaned and stored in a paper bag.  I then shared them with Bubba (Eric) as I knew he would appreciate the fruits of the forest.  For long term storage I could dehydrate them and toss them in a soup or stew as desired.

I sliced them, sauteed them and made a nice wild mushroom cream sauce to top homemade raviolis.  Oh my yum!


Chanterelle mushrooms are a golden yummy gift from the forest!

(never, ever eat any mushroom you have not 100% identified)


It is illegal to sell wild foraged mushrooms at farmer's markets or direct to restaurants in my state (Arkansas).  You may forage from public forest so long as you do so "off trail" and only for your own personal consumption.  Be cool, follow the rules.

What is Barren Creek Farm?

My brother, Eric, and I are embarking on a mission to save our private forest and family farm, Barren Creek Farm in Baxter County, Arkansas. As stewards to over 200 acres of forest land in the foothills of the Ozarks, we are working to ensure the health and safety of the timber, wildlife and ourselves.

Over the past several decades since the farm ceased operation as a working farm, the fields have become overgrown, the forest neglected and a serious forest fire hazard. Several years ago the severe ice storm brought down limbs and trees which litter the forest. It is one good lightening strike or careless trespasser away from becoming a raging fire threatening many homes and neighboring forest land.

In addition to our concern for forest fires, the health of the timber is effected by the overgrowth.  It is time to selectively harvest trees throughout the 200 acres. We are fortunate to have a good mix of older growth hardwoods, large Eastern Red Cedars, small cedars and scrub brush, locusts, hackberry, black walnut which we plan to harvest and sell to markets which will maximize their use and value. In other words, the timber from one acre may be sold to two or five different mills depending on what we harvest. We are most interested in getting the product into the hands of those who appreciate it most. In other words, we won't sell that 24 ft tall, straight cedar for mulch. We'll sell it as a beautiful log for a cabin... or wherever else you might want a beautiful cedar log.

We have a large project ahead of us which will span many years. We invite you to follow along with us.