But if someone else came foraging and found it, then they would also get some musakane mushrooms like us for their dinner. If it was like a ‘seed’ for next year, then that was good. “We need something for next year too, don’t we?” “Let’s leave this one,” he said, smiling. I was about to pick the last one when he stopped me. As we picked one bunch after the other, our bag was also getting full. “Just find the root of the bunch and give a gentle tug,” my dad advised when he saw me struggle to pick them up. I walked round the log, crouched on my knees, and checked underneath it and lo and behold! There were more! He explained that they are usually found in abundance. My dad asked me to check the log for more musakane mushrooms. “Mmmmm, adding ‘timmur (sichuan pepper) is a must!” my father continued as he licked his lips. “It is slightly crunchy and tastes divine with chillies, onions, garlic and tomato”, he explained while my mouth watered thinking about the delicacy we were going to have for dinner. “I wonder what it tastes like?” I asked quickly. A warm feeling rose inside me, and we stood together. He showed me the blunt looking tips of the bunch which were shaped like the ears of mouse. “We call it musakane (mouse-ear),” he laughed.  All morning we had not found enough mushrooms to have as a tarkari (curry) for our dinner. My feelings of doubt and confusion were replaced with happiness when I saw how delighted and proud he was of my find. “You have found the perfect mushroom!” he said proudly, “It is a coveted one.” He crouched next to me, checked it, and smiled. “Is it edible?” I asked as I pointed at the mushroom.  He had gone a little further into the forest, where he used to look in previous years, to check other logs for horma (oyster) mushrooms. I called for my dad, louder each time because the nearby Tumbasha rivulet had swelled up and was making too much noise for us to hear each other. “Should I pick it or not?” I bent down looking closer.  I realised I had never seen such a mushroom before. Hidden behind the inner parts of the log’s bark was a bunch of whitish-colored mushrooms with branches that had blunt roundish tips. I walked towards it quickly and crouched next to the big decaying log on which it was growing. Then I noticed an unusual-looking mushroom in the distance. The squelching earth under my feet felt soft as I took a deep breath of air that smelled of woods and decaying leaves. It had rained the night before, so the ground was damp and squishy, giving leeches a chance to try to climb up my gumboots and onto my legs.īut I was not concerned. Sun and cloud were playing hide and seek creating a komorebi (sunbeam)effect in the forest near Syaubaari, Jhumlawang, where my dad and I were looking for edible wild mushrooms.

Mushroom wars mushroom hunters

#Chicago suntimes update When most people talk about the Chicago Sun-Times they really talk about the people of the past, and they give names of people in the past,” Wright said. “For the first time, we get to talk about a future. The group Ferro brought together reportedly lost $80 million. Wrapports, an investor group led by tech entrepreneur Michael Ferro, bought the paper for about $20 million in 2011, then sold it for $1 in 2017 to a group that included wealthy Chicagoans and unions. The paper filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009, and a group of businessmen bought the paper later that year, paying $5 million and assuming $20 million in debt. It took its current form in 1948, when the Chicago Sun, founded by department store heir Marshall Field III, merged with the Daily Times. The paper has endured a succession of owners and financial struggles for some time. “We were certainly in the lion’s den as it relates to that.” “I’m happier than I’ve been professionally over the last five years given the doom and gloom (in the industry),” she said on the panel. The Sun-Times and WBEZ have collaborated on more than 100 news stories since the acquisition, including primary coverage, an investigation on water debt and more. Nykia Wright, CEO of the Sun-Times, said she is feeling optimistic about the future. Earlier this year, The Chicago Reader made the transition, too. Today, the Hyde Park Herald announced it had completed its merger with the nonprofit South Side Weekly. Legacy news organizations around the country are increasingly converting to nonprofit status in search of financial viability. Moog expects to end the year with about 360 total roles. The majority of open roles are in the newsrooms and on the audience team. They’ve hired 32 so far this year, and 30 open positions are posted, Moog said. The organizations have also been on a hiring spree this year and do not expect to slow down.  Chicago Public Media raised $61 million to finance the no-cash deal to acquire and invest in the paper, but a membership program would supply steady funding. Moog said that in a typical public media funding model about 20% comes from corporate sponsorship, 20% comes from philanthropic foundations and major individual donors, and 45% of revenue comes from members-WBEZ has about 87,000 members. Moog said the goal is to reach 100,000 digital members over the next five years.  The membership program is still in development, a WBEZ spokeswoman said, and declined to share details on timing. “We’re going to drop the paywall of the Chicago Sun-Times and launch a membership program that will count on voluntary contributions to support the journalism.” “One of the major initiatives we have that we know has some risk associated with it but we’re very committed to is to roll out a membership program,” he said. Almost 200,000 people are either members or subscribers, and Moog said there’s an opportunity to build on that. Together, their content reaches about 2 million people in Chicago. #Chicago suntimes update Executives of the paper and radio station spoke earlier this week on a panel hosted by Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and gave an update on how the two organizations have been doing since joining forces.Ĭhicago Public Media CEO Matt Moog said the organizations have been collaborating on stories and building readership.

Make the emo happy game