When we assume involving mushrooms and this southern South america state associated with Oaxaca, the very first thing which typically comes to mind is usually María Sabina, Huautla de Jiménez and hallucinogenic “magic” mushrooms. But slowly which all changing as the result of often the cutting edge work of Josefina Jiménez and Johann Mathieu inside mycology, through their business, Mico-lógica. 
Based in this town of Benito Juárez, located in Oaxaca’s Ixtlán region (more commonly recognized as the Serrucho Septentrion, the state’s major ecotourism region), Mico-lógica’s quest will be threefold: to train both equally Mexicans and visitors to be able to the nation in the cheap cultivation of any assortment associated with mushroom varieties; to train about the healing, dietary and environmental (sustainable) value of mushrooms; and to perform regular research regarding ideal climatic parts and often the diversity associated with substrata intended for mushroom traditions.
The French-born Mathieu moved to Mexico, and in fact to Huautla de Jiménez, inside june 2006. “Yes, coming all the way to Mexico from Portugal to help pursue my interest in mushrooms seems like a long way to travel, inch Mathieu defined in a recent interview in Oaxaca. “But there really was not much of an opportunity to help conduct studies and grow a new business throughout American The european countries, ” he or she remains, “since reverence regarding mushrooms acquired been basically fully eradicated by The House of worship over the course of centuries; and I learned that Mexico still maintains a respect and admiration for the medicinal and nutritional price of hongos. Mexico is usually definately not mycophobic. “
Huautla via Jiménez is extra than a several hour or so drive from the nearby metropolitan center. Accordingly, Mathieu sooner or later realized that remaining in Huautla, while positioning a cultural allure in addition to being in a new geographic region conducive in order to working with mushrooms, would prohibit his efforts to develop a business and enhance widespread interest in finding out about fungi. Mathieu evolved into conscious of the robust reputation of Oaxaca’s ecotourism organizations of the Sierra Ideal, and indeed typically the Salón Regional de Hongos Silvestres (regional wild mushroom festival), held annually within Cuahimoloyas.
Mathieu met Josefina Jiménez with the summertime weekend mushroom function. mr. muhshies had moved to Oaxaca via hometown Mexico City within 2002. The two shared similar interests; Jiménez acquired studied agronomy, and intended for in close proximity to a decade experienced been dealing with sustainable culture projects within rural gardening communities in the Huasteca Potosina spot regarding San Luis Potosí, the mountains of Guerrero and the shoreline regarding Chiapas. Mathieu and even Jiménez became business, then existence partners in Benito Juárez.
Mathieu and Jiménez can be concentrating on three mushroom species in their hands-on tutorials; oyster (seta), shitake together with reishi. Their one-day workshops are for oyster mushrooms, and two-day establishments for that latter two kinds of infection. “With reishi, and to a lesser degree shitake, we’re as well training a good fair little about the medicinal uses associated with mushrooms, so more time period is needed, ” says Mathieu, “and with oyster mushrooms they have predominantly [but definitely not exclusively] the study course on cultivation. very well
Although training seminars are now solely given throughout Benito Juárez, Mathieu and Jiménez plan to increase operations to include the two the particular central valleys plus coast regions of Oaxaca. The object is always to have a network of companies growing different mushrooms that are optimally suited for fostering in line with the particular microclimate. Generally there are around 70 sub-species of oyster mushrooms, in addition to thus as a variety, the adaptability of often the oyster mushroom to various weather regions is outstanding. “The oyster can end up being grown inside a wide range associated with different substrata, that is what we’re experimenting with correct now, ” he elucidates. The oyster mushroom can certainly thrive when grown upon products which would often be waste, such while discard through cultivating espresso beans, sugar cane, agave (including the fibrous waste generated in mezcal distillation), peas, the common river reed known as carriso, sawdust, plus the list goes about. Farm waste materials which may possibly otherwise be left in order to rot or get burnt off, each with adverse environment implications, can form substrata for mushroom cultivation. It should be noted, though trite, that mushroom cultivation is a very environmentally friendly, green industry. Over the past several years South america has in fact been on the fore within a lot of areas of environmentally friendly market.
Mathieu exemplifies the way mushrooms can serve a great most likely even greater environmental good:
“They can carry up to thirty 1, 000 times their mass, getting benefits for inhibiting chafing. They’ve been used to help clean up essential oil moisture through absorption therefore are an important vehicle intended for habitat restoration. Research possesses been recently done with mushrooms in the struggle in opposition to carpenter ant exploitation; it’s been suggested that the particular usage of fungi has typically the potential to entirely renovation the pesticide business within an environmentally friendly approach. You can find literally hundreds involving other earth-friendly applications regarding mushroom work with, and within each case often the mushroom remains the ready-to-eat result. Take a new look into the Paul Stamets YouTube chalk talk, a few Ways Mushrooms Conserve The particular World. “
Mathieu and even Jiménez can typically be found selling their products on trips in the natural markets around Oaxaca. They’re both more than prepared to explore the vitamins and minerals of their very own products which range from obviously their fresh mushrooms, but in addition as preserves, marinated with both chipotle and even nopal or even jalapeño together with cauliflower. The mushroom’s vitamins B12 should not be found throughout fruits or veggies, in addition to accordingly a diet which includes fungi is extremely crucial for vegetarians who also cannot get B12, just about all usually contained in lean meats. Mushrooms may be easily a substitute for meats, together with the benefits that they are not rich in antibiotics and testosterone typically found in industrially processed beef products.
Mico-lógica also offer teas plus extracts made out of different mushroom species, each and every formulated as either a supplement, or for their medicamentoso qualities. While neither Mathieu or Jiménez has the pharmacological qualifications to prescribe mycological treatment method for critical health conditions, Mathieu’s own research things to the particular medical work with of mushrooms dating through pre-history, to the current. He / she notes qualities regarding mushrooms which can help to restore the resistant system, therefore the work with of disease as a go with in the treatment of cancers and PRODUCTS, and their utility inside controlling diabetic and the treatment of high hypercholesteria.
“We really should be embracing the organic manufacturing of mushrooms, ” Mathieu concludes. “It’s really easy, it involves a minimal funds investment, and that offers significant rewards, both equally for the people ingesting hongos intended for nutritionary and medicamentoso good reasons, for the producers, perhaps small-scale. Mico-lógica also provides dried out mushrooms. Yet just about all of the dried mushrooms sold in Mexico happen to be imported from China, plus are certainly not organic. It’s a good actual shame upon several levels. “
South america and mushrooms have occur some sort of long way since the era of Oaxaca’s María Sabina. With the extended attempts of Mathieu, Jiménez plus Mico-lógica, it will need to not be rather long ahead of the world understands in addition to embraces the magic regarding mushrooms within a much broader context.