What started as a hobby several years ago for Mike Snyder has turned into a vast offering of mycological education opportunities, handcrafted products, and an abundance of events through WildWise Botanicals in Edgar Springs, Missouri. WildWise was born from naturally growing medicinal herbs and mushrooms that the couple used for personal use, which evolved into selling what they grew to family and friends. Eventually, Snyder’s involvement in the Missouri Mycological Society opened his eyes to the demand for mushroom-focused products and education. Alongside his wife, Cara, the Snyders operate their business out of the Ozarks and are dedicated to producing and providing extracts, salves, tea blends, mushrooms, and learning opportunities.
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WildWise focuses on seasonal and ethical harvesting to give customers a full range of gourmet and medicinal-based mushroom products, infused oils, tea, culinary spices and body care items. Shipping is available to St. Louis residents, and pickup is available near Rolla, Missouri. Snyder’s favorite culinary product is a mushroom-based seasoning blend called Shroom Dust. “It’s basically a mushroom seasoning salt made with our log-grown shiitake mushrooms, and it’s used to sprinkle on meats and vegetables before grilling,” he says. “We’ll use wild mushrooms sometimes to create the Shroom Dust, and we’ll add wild mushroom powder in with our shiitake mushroom powder.”
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Snyder also uses WildWise Botanicals to educate those interested in learning more about mushrooms. He hosts various events, including cooking with mushrooms, foraging, and nature experiences with regional experts such as Bo Brown, who wrote “Foraging the Ozarks.” “We really like to get out and teach folks to get mushrooms into their lives and identify them correctly, how to use them in the kitchen, their medicinal properties and how to grow them at home,” he says. He adds that information on guided hikes, private hikes and cultivation workshops is available via WildWise Botanicals’ Facebook page.
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At the heart of Snyder’s passion for product supply and mycological education is a desire to inform the community about fungi and all the ways they can improve people’s lives. Snyder is passionate about getting people out into the woods and interacting with nature healthily and positively. “I’ve been blessed to be able to teach a lot of people about foraging in the last couple of years,” he says. “There aren’t a lot of people who know a lot about mushrooms, so I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job of filling that niche of teaching people all kinds of different mushroom-related things.”
For more information and updates, follow WildWise Botanicals on Instagram and Facebook.
WildWise Botanicals, Edgar Springs, Missouri, wildwisebotanicals.com/