Year of the Mushroom
Netflix’s “Fantastic Fungi;” the New York Times labels mushrooms as a potential ingredient of the year; micro-dosing gains popularity, and mushroom motifs are appearing everywhere on runways. Over the last year, we’ve seen a lot of mushrooms, and it seems like they’re having a major moment in science and in fashion.
These Heather Kahn mushroom earrings are a part of our own mushroom moment!
They’re becoming the new florals. Mushroom motifs are all over TikTok. We even carry a fair amount of mushroom-inspired products. But our fungi friends are infiltrating more than just the fashion industry. Mushrooms are also becoming more present in the food industry and drawing more attention from the scientific community as we continue to discover new ways that they can benefit us.
The cutest mushroom earrings from JaxKelly
In short, mushrooms are amazing. A lot of scientists believe that fungi may hold the key to healing us and our planet. There are species of fungi that break down plastic polymers, can clean up oil spills, and could work as an eco-friendly substitute for leather. Just these three benefits alone from fungi could have a massive positive impact on our environment. Imagine the impact of employing plastic-eating fungi in landfills. We’d have a lot less plastic wasting entering our oceans and destroying delicate ecosystems. And oil spills, so much marine life would be saved by mycoremediation. Our pollution could be decreased greatly by learning how to use fungi to clean up our messes. And instead of opting for plastic-based vegan leather, we could have natural, cruelty-free solutions that don’t contribute to our pollution problem.
My own little mushrooms
As a plant-based eater, I’ve always loved mushrooms. They’re a staple in my diet, but learning about the how they can heal our earth only increases my love for them. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but our core tenant at Meadow Collective is sustainability and creating a better world for tomorrow—that’s why we don’t carry any brands associated with fast fashion. So, when I hear that we have the ability to use nature to heal nature, I’ll all in.
Mushroom pendant made by Meadow
I even started growing my own mushrooms. And while I don’t think my mushrooms will save the world, maybe I can inspire someone to grow their own mushrooms or do more research about their potential to save our planet. Maybe I can help spread knowledge about the benefits of fungi, or at least maybe I might convince someone to personally experience the health benefits mushrooms can offer us.
Not only do mushrooms and fungi have the potential to improve our environment, but they also have some pretty remarkable health properties. Lion’s Mane mushrooms have been show to improve cognitive function in dementia patients and have anti-inflammatory properties. Turkey Tail mushrooms can improve your gut health and may improve immune function in people with certain types of cancer. And chaga is known to have anti-flammatory properties and be a rich source of antioxidants. Just like plants, mushrooms contain a lot of healing properties that have been used as medicine across many ancient cultures.
It seems like we’re finally re-discovering the natural tools that have been with us for centuries, and I only hope that we continue to study and come up with new ways to use fungi for our environment and our health. And while this past year has been “the year of the mushroom,” I hope that we can make 2023 and every subsequent year, the year of the mushroom.
One of our mushroom iron-on stickers
