Antique mall owner says morel mushrooms are about challenge and fun, not money

JEFFERSON CITY — Tommy Lee Northway's shop on Broadway in Jefferson City is filled to the brim with trinkets and treasures - from old flags to toys and furniture. Back in the fridge, though, around this time of year, bags of his favorite 'delicacy' sit waiting to be picked up by friends.

Northway operates Yellow Moon Antique Mall during the day, but in his free time, he hunts morel mushrooms. It's a hobby he's loved since he was a young boy.

"My parents had a log cabin on the Osage River that we went to every weekend," he said. "That was one of the things we did in the spring was go out and mushroom hunt, and I was pretty good at it."

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, morel mushrooms are a Missouri favorite. The fungi is easy to spot and can be found in every county in the Show-Me State. The hunting season goes on for about five weeks in the spring.

Northway said morels tend to grow well where snow falls.

"The further north you go, the more you'll find," Northway said. "You go up to Alaska, there's literally billions of them, in a short period of time. Go down to Florida, not near as many."

Northway said after a rough season last year, he was excited to round up 14 pounds last week with his friend. He and his family enjoy cooking them and eating them as long as they can.

Something unique about Northway though, he doesn't sell his morels. The at times hard to find fungi can sell for anywhere between $50 and $70 per pound. However, Northway said he gives lots away each season.

"I don't do it for the money," he said. "I do it for the joy. I love to do it."

A quirk about the morel hunting community - hunters almost never reveal where they find their mushrooms. In Facebook groups, where hunters share photos of their finds, they may post what county they are in, but never the exact location. Northway said this is to avoid giving away 'good spots,' but also, he said the hunt is what makes morels fun.

"I love the challenge," he said. "We like to be able to say, 'Yeah, we found mushrooms when everybody else couldn't.'"

To submit your morel photos, click here.