I’m generally a curious person and love to learn about new things. That is why having the opportunity to work with clients in a variety of fields has always been interesting to me. With every new project, there is always something new to learn. I’ve always enjoyed diving in and learning about my clients’ worlds — whether that involves getting consumers to switch to electric transportation, getting lawmakers to support summer learning opportunities for kids or getting farmers to switch to organic, biologic fertilizers and soil amendments for better crop yields — I get excited about each one!  

After spending the last year or so working with Sempera Organics, I have dived into the world of mushrooms and I am obsessed! I have learned so much and yet feel like it is only the tip of the preverbal iceberg. To create a brand identity for this new company, I first had to understand how they are producing mushrooms and what is different about their methods. To do that, I had to understand how mushrooms grow and what they can be used for (everything!). It is fascinating. Having forgotten the basics from grade school science class, I was reminded about fruiting bodies (the mushroom form we are used to seeing) and the mycelia, or the network of cells that connect mushrooms to each other and the rest of the world. It is everywhere and grows quickly. This mycelial network of cells is the core of the mushroom world and why we decided to use a visual depiction of it in our logo developed for Sempera. 

Learning about how mushrooms grow was the start. Then I started learning about what they can do. It seems like the possibilities are endless and science is just now catching up with what people have known for centuries. Mushrooms can be used in medicine and wellness. They have amazing flavors and can be used in endless ways in cooking and as ingredients in food and beverages. They can be used in the environment to clean things up and filter water. The positive psychoactive effects of psilocybin are being studied more and more. 

All of this is beautifully laid out in the film, Fantastic Fungi. It explores the world of mushrooms and how they connect to everything. They explain in an engaging and visually stunning way how mushrooms work, the immense mycelial network that connects all living things and how people are using mushrooms. It is fascinating. There is so much to learn and so much we don’t know. For example, are they a plant or an animal? Some say they are in between—the third kingdom. They are mysterious and the more you learn, the more you want to know. I’m ready to take a foraging class!

To start your obsession, I suggest checking out the film on Netflix or Amazon or a number of other ways. You can find out more information here at the Fantastic Fungi website. 

They’ve even made a collection of recipes online from the community of mushroom lovers that you can find here. From that, a physical cookbook was created. You can find the Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook at the Simon & Schuster website.

I also heard a great conversation with Eugenia Bone, the author of the cookbook on the podcast The Splendid Table, with host Francis Lam. You can catch that podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts.

The world of mushrooms has been eye-opening for me. I’m looking forward to learning much more!