Wild Mushroom Foraging Certification Course (NH, VT) – 5-Year State-Approved Permit Training - July 11-12, 2026

New Hampshire law requires anyone who wishes to sell wild-foraged mushrooms to obtain a license through the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Food Protection Section.
To apply for this license, individuals must first successfully complete an approved course in safe wild mushroom identification and harvesting practices.

This 5-year Wild Mushroom Foraging Permit meets all criteria required by the State of New Hampshire DHHS. Registered participants will receive a study guide and slide deck approximately one month prior to the course to allow ample preparation time.

Class size is limited to 30 participants. Refunds are only available to registrants who have not yet received study materials. In the event of an emergency, we may be able to transfer your registration to a future class.

Time & Location

Doris L Benz Sandwich Community Center
18 Heard Rd.
Center Sandwich, NH 03227

Dates: July 11–12, 2026
Time: Saturday & Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

For nearby accommodations, click here.

Instructor

Chris Neefus, PhD

This course is taught by Dr. Chris Neefus, Professor of Biology at the University of New Hampshire, where he teaches multiple courses including a full-semester field and laboratory course on New England mushrooms. His academic focus includes mushroom ecology, taxonomy, identification, cultivation, and culinary uses.

Dr. Neefus is a long-standing member of the Boston Mycological Club, where he has led numerous mushroom forays and has served on both the Identification and Executive Committees. Recently relocated to Sandwich, New Hampshire, he is an avid forager and cultivates a variety of mushrooms, including shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane, and nameko.

Course Schedule

Day 1 – Classroom & Specimen Study

9:00 AM – Arrival & Registration

9:15 AM –
Permit Overview & Guidelines
Exam Structure & Expectations
Proper Handling, Storage & Packaging
Food Safety Regulations
Ethical Foraging & Forest Stewardship
Harvesting for Resale
New Hampshire Regulations
Deadly & Poisonous Species, Toxins & Treatments

10:30 AM – Break

10:45 AM – Gallery of Tier 1 Species & Lookalikes

12:00 PM – Lunch Break (bring your own) & ID Photography

1:00 PM –
Distinguishing species in:

• Porcini (Boletus edulis) group
• Hedgehog (Hydnum) group
• Golden Milky (Lactifluus) group

2:30–3:30 PM – Dissections & Specimen Discussions (Fresh & Dried)

3:30–5:00 PM – Exam Review Session

Day 2 – Field Identification & Final Exam

9:00–11:30 AM – Field Trip: Fresh Specimen Identification

11:30 AM–1:00 PM – Lunch Break & Independent Exam Review (looping slides available)

1:00–5:00 PM – Final Exam

Approved Species List – Tier 1 (New Hampshire)

Per state regulations, all wild-foraged mushrooms offered for sale must be individually inspected and verified as safe by a licensed mushroom identification expert who:

(A) Has met the education requirements and passed the exam, and
(B) Harvests only from the approved Tier 1 species list below:

• Morels (Morchella americana, M. angusticeps, M. puntipes)
• Chanterelles (Cantharellus cinnabarinus, C. cibarius group, C. flavus, C. lateritius, C. minor)
• Black Trumpet (Craterellus fallax)
• Lion’s Mane / Pom Pom / Bear’s Head (Hericium erinaceus, H. americanum, H. coralloides)
• Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus, P. populinus, P. pulmonarius)
• King Bolete / Porcini (Boletus edulis, B. atkinsonii, B. chippewaensis, B. nobilis, B. separans, B. subcaerulescens, B. variipes)
• Matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare)
• Maitake / Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa)
• Wine Cap / King Stropharia / Garden Giant (Stropharia rugosoannulata)
• Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis americana, S. spathulata)
• Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum)
• Green Quilted Russula (Russula parvovirescens, R. crustosa)
• Jelly Ear / Wood Ear (Auricularia americana)
• Blewit (Lepista nuda)
• Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus)
• Trumpet Chanterelles (Craterellus ignicolor, C. tubaeformis, C. caeruleofuscus, C. faetidus)
• Beefsteak Polypore (Fistulina hepatica)
• Hedgehog Mushrooms (Hydnum subgenera Hydnum, Rufescentia, and Alba)
• Corrugated Milky (Lactifluus corrugis)
• Orange Milky (Lactifluus hygrophoroides)
• Tawny / Voluminous Milky (Lactifluus volemus)

After Certification

Upon successful completion of this course, permit holders must submit a Wild Harvested Mushroom Application to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services in order to legally sell mushrooms to consumers or retail food establishments.
Permit holders may sell only species listed in Tier 1.

For the Wild Harvested Mushroom Harvester Application, click here.