By Derek Cornet

Chanterelles ready for picking early this summer

Jul 21, 2020 | 2:20 PM

LA RONGE, Sask. – Mushroom picking in northern Saskatchewan has arrived early this summer because of the high precipitation.

“There are quite a few mushrooms so far and that should keep up for a while,” Keewatin Community Development Association CEO Randy Johns said. “We’re expecting a pretty good year this year.”

Prices this season are set at $6.50 per pound for chanterelles, which Johns noted is an average price for the delicate product. Back in 2018, pickers received $7.50 per pound in what was described as a bumper year.

Chanterelles are a highly sought-after product used in high-end restaurants as they are considered a delicacy, Johns explained.

He also noted it’s difficult to say how the season will turn out, but added if there is wet weather until August, it could go for six to eight weeks.

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“Locally, a lot of people make some fairly decent money picking mushrooms,” he said. “People also enjoy it because it connects them with nature and the land. That’s a really big thing for northerners.”

Keewatin Community Development Association, which is a non-profit organization with an all-Indigenous board of directors, is looking to purchase even more mushrooms than in 2019. Johns noted that was an average year, so he would be happy with the season if it’s the same.

“The business is challenging, but it’s growing the way we think it can,” he said. “We’re trying to develop the business to get people some income earning opportunities here in northern Saskatchewan.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno