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Up North Lowdown, Ep. 3: Morel certainty

This week: Could morel mushrooms be grown, instead of needing to rely on foraging? Also, a look at leadership and money in the local arts community. And we get a glimpse of Mackinac Island in the offseason, as the summer season approaches.

Morel mushrooms are rare, expensive, and — let's not kid ourselves — delicious. (There's a particular recipe our host loves.)

They're also prized in Michigan, where they grow in the wild and can be foraged now through May. But the knobby little mushroom is notoriously hard to cultivate. This week, we heard from a man who thinks he might have a solution.

Our top story, though, is about the arts: A look at leadership and money at various arts organizations, and how they're still recovering after the COVID lockdowns called a halt to a lot of their events.

We'll also spend a moment or two with the Sehoyans of Mackinac Island — a couple who live there year-round. They're getting ready for the busy summer visitor season to begin.

Ed Ronco is IPR's news director and the local host of "Morning Edition," as well as the "Up North Lowdown" daily news podcast.
Max Copeland was the local weekday host of All Things Considered on Interlochen Public Radio and the producer of The Up North Lowdown, IPR’s weekly news podcast.