On my way to the Eastport Market I passed a hand-lettered sign: “Fresh Morels.” On the way back I stopped at the impromptu morel stand on US-31. Canny little merchants, these.
How much? I wanted to know. $23 per quart, they told me, not batting an eye. Yikes. I inspected the goods. They had an entire cooler full. I did the math. Something like $300 worth of morels here. Yikes.
They looked pretty fresh, and they were morels, not the pesky false morels that have been sending people to the hospital. In fact, they looked pretty darned good. But $23 per quart – yikes. I decided I could live without them, and headed home.
I pondered. Back in the day I was tickled to earn a whole dime for an afternoon’s Kool-Aid stand effort. That tells you much more about how ancient I am than it does about the economy. But still. Yikes. I hope the little pirates do well. Better them than a lot of other promoters I can think of. They have the goods and they tell you the price right up front, no fooling around. I respect that. Yikes.
Torch Lake Views 
Louan
May 28, 2011
Oh Gerry, I saw my first Camp Fire Wood sign, this year. I have yet to locate the camp, but the signs for it are everywhere.
Gerry
May 28, 2011
I’m pretty sure it’s over on Arrowhead – the signs are clustered thickly there, near Barnes Park. The logo is pretty cool. I wish I had a Camp Fire Wood t-shirt.
Louan
May 28, 2011
I love family enterprises. As children, my siblings and I made several attemps at the lemonaid stand and other such money makers. We always wished we had a captive audience, like the kids at Mackinaw, who sold smoked fish and soft drinks, from little red wagons, up and down the rows of cars waiting to cross on the ferries. Our country location made the wait for cars, to drive by our stand, almost unbearable. We, of course, drank most of the profits, as we waited.
Gerry
May 28, 2011
The funny thing is, I don’t remember ever having a big idea of what I wanted to do with that money. I don’t remember wanting stuff. I had everything I really needed and, well, what else was there? This was before television of course.
P.j. grath
May 28, 2011
Not just anyone can set up as a roadside morel merchant. As you say, gotta have the goods, and they had gotten them. I’m betting they sold out. Restaurants are the big buyers in our neck of the woods. We’ve had a couple meals employing some of our harvest, and I dried the rest for future guests.
Gerry
May 28, 2011
I wouldn’t be surprised if they sold out. The Rowe Inn does some nice things with morels. Tapawingo did perfectly ethereal things with morels, but Tap is no more. Chris and Sonny, you will recall, grow their own (Mother of all morels).
P.j. grath
May 28, 2011
P.S. Looked again. Really gorgeous mushrooms!!!
Dawn
May 28, 2011
I might have splurged, having never actually tasted a morel. Then again….yikes!
Gerry
May 28, 2011
I think they’re very good. Then again, most anything fresh tastes good this time of year. I might have splurged just so I could pretend I found them myself. There is a certain cachet to being able to find mushrooms. But it’s no fun pretending. I’m going to go look some more this weekend.
Joss
May 28, 2011
Those kids look like an interview panel! Like they would be vetting you to see if you were up to the job of taking responsibility for their morels. Like the RSPCA and lost dogs.
Gerry
May 28, 2011
I believe you’re right. Although they do expect me to eat their little darlings.
Robin
May 29, 2011
That price sounds about right (and is the main reason I haven’t had a morel since I last picked one in Wisconsin many, many years ago). They are so beautiful. I hope they managed to sell them.
Gerry
May 30, 2011
I would be willing to bet on it. The Cowboy has been looking thoughtful. He is considering the possibility that he has made poor career choices.
oldtimer
May 30, 2011
thats a very good price for the mushrooms !! Most places are getting $40.00 to $50.00 a pound ! i bet theres close to pound in each quart !
Robin
May 30, 2011
I’ve seen them for $80-$100 a pound, the last time I visited a market in Philadelphia. That’s why I thought it was a good deal too, Oldtimer. 🙂
Gerry
May 30, 2011
The Cowboy is right. We have made poor career choices.
Gerry
May 30, 2011
Could be I suppose, but I’m thinking more like a half pound per quart. Mushrooms are light.
“Most places” around here aren’t getting anything a pound because most people around here find our own or go without. 🙂
I don’t dispute that it might be a good deal, you understand. Just one that I would be prudent to forego.