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

Wild Mushroom Food Safety Certification – Tier 1 (Experienced Foragers Only | New Hampshire, Vermont)

October 11, 2026

New Hampshire law requires anyone who intends to sell wild-foraged mushrooms to obtain a license through the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Food Protection Section.

To qualify for this license, individuals must successfully complete an approved course in safe wild mushroom identification and harvesting practices.
This abbreviated certification course is designed exclusively for experienced mushroom identifiers, harvesters, and distributors and includes 4 hours of in-person instruction followed by an examination.

This 5-year Wild Mushroom Foraging Certification meets the State of New Hampshire’s requirements for experienced foragers only.
Registered participants will receive a study guide and slide deck approximately three weeks prior to the course.

Class size is limited to 20 participants. Refunds are only available to registrants who have not yet received study materials.

Time & Location

University of New Hampshire
Spaulding Hall
38 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824

Date: October 11, 2026
Time: Sunday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 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. He teaches multiple courses at UNH, including a full-semester field and laboratory course on New England mushrooms, covering mushroom ecology, taxonomy, identification, cultivation, and culinary uses.

Dr. Neefus is a long-time member of the Boston Mycological Club, where he has led numerous mushroom walks and served on both the Identification and Executive Committees. He resides in Sandwich, New Hampshire, and is an avid forager and cultivator of shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane, and nameko mushrooms.

Course Schedule

Day 1 – Abbreviated Certification (One-Day Intensive)

9:00 AM – Arrival & Registration

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

10:30 AM – Break

10:45 AM –
Gallery of Extended Tier 1 Species & Lookalikes
Specimen Dissections & Discussions (Fresh & Dried)

12:30 PM – Lunch (provided)
Discussion: Participant input on potential Tier 1 list revisions

1:00 PM – Examination

Approved Species List – Tier 1 (New Hampshire)

Under 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 species approved by the state.

Approved Tier 1 species include:

• 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 to legally sell mushrooms to consumers or retail food establishments.
Permit holders may sell only species included on the Tier 1 approved list.

For the Wild Harvested Mushroom Harvester Application, click here.