Summer updates: products, life, and more!

Hi there,

We've been quiet this year, but not without activity! It has been quite a doozy of a year so far and we're just a little half way through. We've attended many mushroom festivals and speaking engagements, added some new products, and will be adding more very soon! Thanks for tuning in!

Lyme Protocol

I've been developing a protocol to serve clients with Lyme disease. It is something I am very passionate about because I and many of those around me suffer from Lyme disease. The tick population this year is out of control. It is more important than ever to be aware of tick hygiene and also how to assess and treat Lyme disease. I could write an entire post about either of those subjects, but I'll leave it for now. I have five new tinctures that are already available for 50% off on pre-order. You can check them out here: New Arrivals

We also have a Lyme disease section here: Lyme disease

The section includes a lot of products that serve many different functions. I have a list of functions and herbs/preparations that would help with that. If you are interested in support I am offering free initial 30 minute consultations for people who suffer from lyme and a discount code for our products that support those suffering from lyme. The new arrivals include: Chinese Skullcap, Chinese Cat's Claw, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, Hawthorn berry/leaf/flower, and Andrographis paniculata dual extractions.

CHAGA!

We've been foraging chaga for almost a decade and use it in many tinctures, but I was overwhelmed by the idea of making it available for sale other than some wholesale clients. (it's not that big of a deal lol)

We now have granules and chunks available in sizes all the way from 1 ounce bags to 5 kilo cases. You can find that here: CHAGA

What is chaga?

Chaga is a fungus that primarily parasitizes birch, as well as other hardwood trees. Technically not a mushroom but a sclerotium — a hardened mass of mycelia the tree forms in response to the fungus. It grows in cold climates across Northern Europe, Asia, Siberia, Russia, Northern Canada, Korea, and North America.

How to work with chaga
Chunks are best suited for a slow decoction; granules work well for a quicker daily steep.

• Chunks: Add 1–2 tbsp of chaga chunks per quart of water. Bring to a gentle simmer (never a hard boil) and let steep for 1–4 hours — the longer the simmer, the deeper the extraction. Strain and enjoy hot. Reserved chunks can be re-simmered 2–3 more times before they're spent.
• Granules: Steep 1–2 tsp per cup in hot (not boiling) water for 10–15 minutes, or run through a French press for a smoother cup. Great for a quick daily brew or blending with cacao and spices.
• Store brewed tea in the fridge for up to a week.

Chaga Tincture (Dual Extraction)
Chaga's beneficial compounds are split between water-soluble and alcohol-soluble fractions, so a traditional dual extraction pulls both:

1. Coarsely chop chunks or use granules, and pack loosely into a clean glass jar.
2. Cover completely with high-proof alcohol (vodka or grain alcohol, roughly 80–100 proof). Seal and macerate for 4–6 weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking every few days.
3. Strain and reserve the alcohol extract. Simmer the strained-out chaga (the "marc") in water for 2–4 hours to draw out the water-soluble compounds.
4. Strain the water decoction and combine it with the reserved alcohol extract.
5. Bottle in dark glass. Properly made, a dual-extract tincture keeps for several years stored in a cool, dark place.

Prefer not to make your own? See our ready-made Chaga Tincture for a finished dual-extract product.

Foraging chaga is a lot of fun, we do it in the winter time to honor the tradition of Native Americans. They claim that the energy of the birch trees that host chaga drop energy from the branches/leaves during the winter and it goes back into the trunk and roots and pass through the chaga. I believe this, and in some ways it can be verified by science as the chaga has high concentrations of betulinic acid, betulinic acid is found in other birch loving fungi and in the birch trees itself. I would wager that concentration is higher in the trunk (where chaga grows) in the winter.

Many roots are harvested in dormant phases, such as our Japanese knotweed root tincture, where I go out and forage in the very early spring or mid winter when the energy is all stored up in the roots.

Guest appearances

Despite having two babies and a very full schedule, I have managed to get around and do some speaking engagements. I have most of these recorded on my youtube channel

We offered a class on Medicinal mushrooms 101 at a local hemp dispensary that carries our products.

Then we were at Ohio mushroom festival for the 4th year in a row since its beginning doing a talk about Psychoactive Amanitas of North America.

Then just a 2 weekends ago we went to Mycofest and had a roundtable discussion I call The Modern day witchhunt: Navigating the Wyrd Wide Web.

Next week I'll be doing the Psychoactive Amanitas talk again hosted by the Western PA mushroom club. Then in October 12-15th I'll be doing 4 presentations, one of those including working with Amanita as microdose coach at the Good Medicine Confluence in New Mexico.

It's a good time, and you should go if you can! We go as a family and make it a fun trip.

That's all folks

That's all I got for now. I thank you for reading this far, and I hope you appreciate these emails. I am truly grateful for all the great feedback from you all. People are really healing with the aid of natural medicines and I love to be a part of that. This year the business has really blown up a lot more, we have an employee coming regularly to help with production and orders. I am spending less time posting on social media and more time living life. I plan to do more of these emails and stick to my smaller social spaces.

If you want to join our new private signal group you can do so here: Harmony Acres Network

Thank you and BE BLESSED!
-Michael
Harmony Acres

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