When good of mushrooms along with the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca, the initial thing which traditionally comes to mind is Mar�a Sabina, Huautla de Jim�nez and hallucinogenic “magic” mushrooms. But slowly that’s all transforming as an effect of the revolutionary work of Josefina Jim�nez and Johann Mathieu in mycology, through their organization, Mico-l�gica.
Based within the village involving Benito Ju�rez, situated in Oaxaca’s Ixtl�n district (more frequently known as the particular Sierra Norte, the state’s main ecotourism region), Mico-l�gica’s mission is threefold: to train both People in mexico and surfers to the particular country in typically the low-cost cultivation of a selection of mushroom types; to teach about the medicinal, nutritional and environmental (sustainable) price of mushrooms; also to conduct ongoing analysis regarding optimum weather regions and the diversity of substrata for mushroom traditions.
The French-born Mathieu relocated to Mexico, and even in fact in order to Huautla de Jim�nez, in 2005. “Yes, coming all the way to South america from France to pursue my curiosity in mushrooms appears to be a long way to travel, very well Mathieu explained in a recent interview in Oaxaca. “But there really wasn’t much of an opportunity to conduct studies and even grow an enterprise within Western Europe, inch he continues, “since reverence for mushrooms had been all but completely eradicated by Church over the course of generations; and I mastered that Mexico nevertheless maintains a respect and appreciation for the medicinal and nutritional value of hongos. South america is far by mycophobic. “
Huautla de Jim�nez is more when compared to a five hour drive by the closest metropolitan center. Accordingly, Mathieu eventually realized of which remaining in Huautla, although holding an ancient allure and becoming in a geographic region conducive in order to working with mushrooms, would hinder the efforts to increase a small business and develop widespread interest inside learning about infection. Mathieu became cognizant of the burgeoning reputation of Oaxaca’s ecotourism communities of typically the Sierra Norte, and indeed the Salón Regional de Hongos Silvestres (regional wild mushroom festival), organised annually in Cuahimoloyas.
Mathieu met Josefina Jim�nez at typically the summertime weekend mushroom event. Jim�nez had moved to Oaxaca coming from hometown Mexico Town in 2002. The two shared comparable interests; Jim�nez had studied agronomy, and even for close in order to a decade had recently been working with sustainable agriculture projects within rural farming areas in the Huasteca Potosina region regarding San Luis Potos�, the forest of Batallador plus the coast of Chiapas. Mathieu and Jim�nez became business, then life companions in Benito Ju�rez.
Mathieu and Jim�nez are concentrating about three mushroom varieties in their hands-on seminars; oyster (seta), shitake and reishi. Their one-day training courses are for oyster mushrooms, and two-day clinics for typically the latter two varieties of fungus. “With Magic Mushrooms Dispensary , also to a lesser extent shitake, we’re also educating a fair bit concerning the medicinal makes use of of mushrooms, so more hours is required, ” says Mathieu, “and with oyster mushrooms it’s predominantly [but not exclusively] a program on cultivation. inch
While training seminars are now just given in Benito Ju�rez, Mathieu in addition to Jim�nez plan to be able to expand operations in order to include both the particular central valleys plus coastal regions involving Oaxaca. The item is to have a network of producers increasing different mushrooms that are optimally suited with regard to cultivation based on the particular microclimate. There are about 70 sub-species of oyster mushrooms, in addition to thus as a species, the adaptability involving the oyster mushroom to different weather regions is amazing. “The oyster could be grown inside a multitude of different substrata, plus that’s what jooxie is experimenting with today, ” he elucidates. The oyster mushroom can thrive when grown on items which would usually be waste, such as discard from cultivating beans, sugar cane, agave (including the fibrous waste produced in mezcal distillation), peas, the normal river reed called carriso, sawdust, plus the list goes on the subject of. Agricultural waste which in turn may otherwise get left to decay or be burned, each with adverse environmental implications, may form substrata intended for mushroom cultivation. It has to be taken into account, though trite, that mushroom cultivation is really a highly sustainable, alternative industry. Over the past a few years South america has the truth is recently been at the intuition in many locations of sustainable sector.
Mathieu exemplifies how mushrooms can assist an arguably also greater environmental great:
“They can keep approximately thirty 1, 000 times their mass, having implications intended for inhibiting erosion. They already have been used to clean up oil splatters through absorption and thus are an important car for habitat refurbishment. Research has already been finished with mushrooms inside the battle against carpenter ant devastation; it’s been advised that the work with of fungi offers the potential to be able to completely revamp the pesticide industry in an environmentally friendly approach. There are virtually hundreds of other eco-friendly applications regarding mushroom use, in addition to in each circumstance the mushroom remains an edible result. Take a glimpse at the Robert Stamets YouTube spiel, 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save The globe. “
Mathieu in addition to Jim�nez can frequently be found selling their products upon weekends in the organic markets in Oaxaca. They’re the two more than happy to talk about the nutritional value involving their products which range from naturally their refreshing mushrooms, but also as preserves, marinated with either chipotle and nopal or even jalape�o and cauliflower. The mushroom’s vitamin B12 should not be found in fruits or even vegetables, and accordingly a diet which in turn includes fungi is extremely important regarding vegetarians who can not get B12, nearly all often within chicken. Mushrooms may be easily some sort of substitute for lean meats, with the edge that they are not packed with antibiotics plus hormones often found in industrially processed meat products.
Mico-l�gica also sell green teas and extracts made from different mushroom kinds, each formulated since either a nutritionary supplement, or for their medicinal properties. While neither Mathieu nor Jim�nez gets the pharmacological background to prescribe mycological therapy for serious ailments, Mathieu’s own exploration points to typically the medicinal use regarding mushrooms dating by pre-history, to the current. They notes properties of mushrooms which can help to restore the proof system, and so the particular use of fungus as being a complement throughout the treatment of tumor and AIDS, and even their utility throughout controlling diabetes plus treating high cholesterol.
“We should most be embracing the organic production of mushrooms, ” Mathieu concludes. “It’s therefore easy, it consists of a minor capital expense, also it gives significant rewards, for both those ingesting hongos for nutritionary and medicinal causes, and for the makers, even small range. Mico-l�gica also offers dried mushrooms. Yet most of the dried mushrooms offered in Mexico will be imported from China, and are not organic and natural. It’s a true shame on numerous levels. “
South america and mushrooms include come far since the era of Oaxaca’s Mar�a Sabina. With the continued efforts of Mathieu, Jim�nez and Mico-l�gica, it may not be long before the planet understands and embraces the magic involving mushrooms within a much broader circumstance.
Alvin Starkman journeyed to Huatula para Jim�nez to encounter the magic involving mushrooms in the 1960s. Some sort of former Toronto a lawsuit lawyer,