Wild Mushroom Foraging Certification Course (SC, NC, GA, VA, AL, PA, NY, RI) – 5-Year State-Approved Permit Training - July 18-19, 2026

Earn your 5-year Wild Mushroom Foraging Permit, formally approved by state health departments for the legal harvesting and sale of wild mushrooms in the following states: South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, New York, and Rhode Island.
Registered participants will receive a study guide and slide deck approximately one month prior to the course to support exam preparation.

Class size is limited to 30 participants. Due to the nature of this certification, no refunds are available. In the case of an emergency, we may be able to transfer your registration to a future class.

Location

Mushroom Mountain
200 Finley Rd.
Easley, SC 29642

Accommodations: Click Here

Dates & Hours

July 18–19, 2026
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM both days

Instructor: Kenny Rupert

This course is taught personally by Kenny Rupert, a respected mycologist and educator with over 23 years of experience in mushroom identification and taxonomy. Kenny is known for his deep understanding of fungal diversity and his commitment to staying current with the rapidly evolving world of mycological classification.

His professional background includes serving as Business Manager and Wild Edibles Instructor for No Taste Like Home, instructor for Mushroom Mountain’s Wild Mushroom Certification Course, and local mushroom expert and manager for Wild Purveyors. Kenny also administers several mushroom identification groups across the United States and internationally.

Today, he leads educational mushroom tours throughout North Carolina and the greater Southeast, helping foragers develop strong identification skills grounded in science, safety, and ethics.

Certification Requirements

State regulations require that all wild-foraged mushrooms intended for sale be individually inspected and verified as safe by an approved mushroom identification expert who:

(A) Has met the required knowledge standards and passed the appropriate exams, and
(B) Harvests only species approved by the state:
https://mushroommountain.com/approved-mushrooms-by-state/

This course provides the training and examinations required to meet those legal standards.

General Schedule

(Subject to change)

Day 1

9:00 AM – Arrival & Registration
9:15 AM – Permit Overview, Exam Guidelines, Proper Handling & Storage, Packaging, Safety Regulations, Ethical Foraging & Forest Stewardship, Harvesting for Resale, State-by-State Rules, Toxic Species & Medical Considerations
10:30 AM – Guided Mushroom Hunt & Collections
12:00 PM – Lunch Break (bring your own) & ID Photos
1:00 PM – Gallery of Tested Species & Lookalikes; Fresh & Dried Specimen Dissections
3:00–4:00 PM – Continued Dissections & Identification Practice
4:00–5:00 PM – Review Session for Exam 1

Day 2

9:00 AM – Exam 1
10:00 AM – Gallery of Permitted Species & Key Identification Features
11:00 AM–1:00 PM – Lunch Break & Independent Study (looping slides available)
1:00–5:00 PM – Final Exam