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REMER, Minn. (AP) — People are roaming northern Minnesota forests in search of chaga, a black and crusty fungus that has become an alternative health sensation.
Minnesota Public Radio News (http://bit.ly/1JyrFT1 ) reports more people are searching for chaga with it fetching as much as $20 a pound. Believers in the fungus say it helps treat ailments such as joint pain and Lyme disease.
Shane Dugan started a chaga business in tiny Remer, which is about 100 miles west of Duluth. He and Ted Frick recruited foragers to harvest chaga, and they're shipping the fungus globally.
The state Department of Natural Resources is concerned some people are illegally harvesting chaga in state parks. Ed Quinn, a natural resource program consultant with the department, says there's also a concern that some collectors could be damaging trees.
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Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mprnews.org
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