 |
Links |
SCHEDULE
All events take place at Ottawa’s Washington
Square Park, Rt 23 South, Ottawa, Illinois.
MOREL UNIVERSITY
Friday, May 4th.
3-7p Morel Museum
4-4:30p Morel University Seminar
4:30p-6:30p Morel University Guided Hunt
Cost: Ages 13 & over - $30, 12 and under - $15
Walk-ons add $5
Price includes a Souvenir Sack
CHAMPIONSHIP HUNT
Saturday, May 5th. Limit 440 Hunters
7a-8:45a Sign-in & Waivers
8:45-Sign In Deadline
(Hunt Forfeiture & Walk-Ins Scheduled)
9AM-Transportation & Hunt
12PM-Busses Return
Cost: Ages 13 & over - $30, 12 and under - $15
All participants receive a Souvenir Sack
MOREL AUCTION
1PM-MOREL AUCTION
Sellers Check-in at 7AM
Selling Order Drawing at 8AM
2:30PM-MOREL AWARDS CEREMONY
_____
MOREL UNIVERSITY
Friday, May 4th. Learn & Guided Hunt. Limit 120 Hunters
4PM-Sign-in & Seminar
4:30PM-Transportation to Guided Hunt
8PM-Busses Return
Cost: Ages 13 & over - $30, 12 and under - $15
LEARN FROM EXPERTS - SHARE THE MORELS!
Tom Nauman of Morel Mania, Inc. and other morel hunting experts will be your instructors for Morel University. The class is for beginners or anyone who wants to learn the finer points of shrooming: morel habitat, tree identification, correct harvesting techniques, and tricks of the trade.
We will gather morels for approximately two hours.
The morels gathered will be divided equally among all participants. So, there will be no need to rush to gather the morels before someone else beats you to them. More important than the morels we gather that day are the morels you will be able to gather in the future with the knowledge you acquire.
Feel free to bring a camera, a knife to cut the mushrooms, and a compass or GPS. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Tom Nauman at 815-866-0319 or email tom@morelmania.com
_____
CHAMPIONSHIP HUNT
Saturday, May 5th. Limit 440 Hunters
Saturday Only - Adult Price Includes a Souvenir Shroom Sack™ (a $12 value)
7AM-Sign-in & Waivers
8:45-Sign In Deadline (Hunt Forfeiture & Walk-Ins Scheduled)
9AM-Transportation & Hunt
12PM-Busses Return
Cost: Ages 13 & over - $30, 12 and under - $15
General Info: We have set a limit of 440 entrants on a first come-first served basis. Entries will close when we reach that number or onMay 1, 2012, whichever occurs first. Walk-ons will be permitted
only if space allows also on a first come-first served basis. Also, the entry fee for walk-ons will be
$5 additional. Check the experienceottawa.com web site for last minute details. ;The entry fee for ages
13 and over is $30.00. Each competitor will receive a Shroom Sack™ - a $12 value. The fee for
children ages 12 and under is $15. ; ;IMPORTANT: Each competitor or his/her guardian will be required
to sign a liability waiver. ; ;CONFIRMATIONS WILL NOT BE SENT. Your canceled check or credit card
receipt is your confirmation ;An update of registered competitors will also be posted periodically to
our web site, you may verify your registration there: [link to our list of competitors] ; ;All pre-registered
contestants will report to the sign-in table in the the large tent at the festival site before 8:45 a.m.,
on Saturday May 5, 2012. ;If you have not signed-in by 8:45 a.m. your spot will be forfeited and sold
to stand-by participants. ; ;All contestants will be bussed to the hunt site. NO OTHER VEHICLES WILL BE
ALLOWED TO FOLLOW THE OFFICIAL HUNT VEHICLES. The busses are for contestants only. The
Championship is open to anyone. ;Entries Limited to 440 Competitors ;First Come / First Served
The Rules: The Midwest Morel Fest Grand Champion shall be the person that turns in the most morel
mushrooms gathered in the allotted time at the hunt site. If the Champion is male, the male who
turns in the second highest count of mushrooms will claim the Men's - First Place prizes, and the
male who turns in the third highest count of mushrooms will claim the Men's - Second Place Prize. If
the Champion is female, the female who turns in the second highest count of mushrooms will claim
the Women's - First Place prizes, and the female who turns in the third highest count of mushrooms
will claim the Women's - Second Place Prize. Judge';s decisions are final. ; ;The hunt will be exactly 2
hours and will begin with a shotgun start - bring a watch!. No one is permitted in the woods until the
start is announced. Hunters will be penalized 10 mushrooms for being late. An additional 10
mushrooms will be deducted for each minute thereafter. Anyone more than 10 minutes late will be
disqualified and will forfeit their mushrooms. Contestants cannot be accompanied in the woods by
non-contestants. ;Anyone observed pooling mushrooms or getting unauthorized help in any manner
will be disqualified by the hunt officials and will forfeit their mushrooms. Other complaints may be
submitted to the hunt officials for settlement. ; ;Only morel mushrooms (species Morchella) will be
eligible during the contest. ; ;IMPORTANT: Mushrooms must be torn or cut above ground level. Any
mushrooms showing signs of "root" damage shall be disqualified. Mushrooms must be turned in in
the furnished mesh bag - plastic or paper bags are not allowed. You may use you own mesh bag if
you attach the furnished mesh bag to it so we know who the mushrooms belong to. ; ;If any contestant
does not agree with the official count of their mushrooms, they must request to the hunt officials a
recount before the mushrooms are removed from the custody of the hunt officials. Any count of
mushrooms done without the supervision of the hunt officials will not be considered valid. ; ;All bags of
mushrooms will be available for the contestants to pick up after the mushrooms are counted. It is the
responsibility of the contestants to pick up their own mushrooms. The hunt officials will not be
responsible for bags of mushrooms left after the winners are announced. ;Contestants will be given a
general map of the hunt site. All surrounding land is privately owned and out-of-bounds. Neither the
hunt officials nor the owners of the hunt site will be responsible for anyone arrested for hunting on
private land or for accidents. ; ;Additional rules will be announced at the hunt site.
PRIZES
The Midwest Morel Fest Grand Champion Morel Mushroom Hunter for the year 2012 will receive a
trophy and $200.00. The Men’s First Place and Women’s First Place winners will each receive a trophy
and $75.00. The Women’s Second Place and Men’s Second Place winners will each receive a certificate
and $50.00. In the event of a tie, the total weight of the mushrooms shall determine winner. Trophies
will also be given to the persons that find the largest and smallest mushrooms as determined by
combined height and girth of the mushroom.
MUSHROOM AUCTION
Drawing to Determine Order of Selling at 8:00 a.m.
The order of selling will be determined by drawing at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. Sellers should check-in their mushrooms Between 7:00 & 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. At 8:00 a.m. we will draw lots to determine which seller goes first, second, etc. Sellers submitting mushrooms for the auction after the drawing will sell on a first-come, first-serve basis after the last lot of sellers that submitted mushrooms before 8:00 a.m. have sold their mushrooms.
Mushrooms submitted for auction do not necessarily have to come from the festival hunt. If you gathered them prior to the hunt and they are still fresh, they may be submitted for auction. Absolutely no washed or soaked mushrooms will be permitted to sell. It is against the law to sell any mushroom that has been washed. Please realize we are dealing with health concerns here and owe it to our buyers to not misrepresent our product. Package the morels in plastic bags in half-pound lots (approximate). A perforated vegetable bag works best. DO NOT SEAL THE BAG! All mushrooms will be inspected prior to sale.
MORELS ONLY, no elephant ears, red ear, beefsteak, etc. Half-free morels are permitted. The auction cashier will collect the appropriate amount from the buyer and deduct an auction fee based on the following:
up to $14, the fee is $2
$15 to $29, the fee is $4
$30 to $44, the fee is $6
$45 to $59, the fee is $8
$60 to $89, the fee is $9
$90 to $119, the fee is $10
$120 to $149, the fee is $12
$150 and over, the fee is $14
Please submit mushrooms for auction at the auction table in the Festival tent as soon as you arrive, auction personnel arrive at 7:00 a.m. Don't let them spoil in your car! Sellers must be present when their mushrooms are sold.
Mushrooms will be presented for sale based on the drawing at 8:00 am. The seller may sell a maximum of 8 packages when it is his/her turn at which time, if the seller has more mushrooms to sell, he/she will be given a second ticket to submit for the drawing. All proceeds from the auction will go to the City of Ottawa.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO SELLERS
Each seller must submit and sell their own mushrooms. You may not submit or sell mushrooms for another person. Each seller must have their mushrooms in a separate container. Due to public health restrictions, all sales must be administered through the Festival.
Anyone discovered selling mushrooms otherwise will be escorted from the festival.
Keep Your Morels Fresh
Place ice in a sealed bag in the bottom of a cooler. Next place 2-3 layers of cardboard on top of the ice. Then place the morels on top of the cardboard in a mesh bag or at least an open ventilated bag. Don’t close the top of the cooler tightly. If it is a warm day, don’t place the cooler in the trunk of your car. Replace the ice as needed.
Note to Buyers
The mushrooms sold at auction are wild grown and harvested and not subject to regulatory inspection.
All of the mushrooms at the auction will be morels and are usually safe for consumption. However, roughly 1 in 200 people is allergic to any food. So if you’ve never had morels before you should try just a taste, wait 24 hours, and if there are no ill effects then consume larger amounts.
The committee does not weigh the bags for sale and therefore the bags may or may not weigh exactly a half-pound. Please realize that if it is a dry, low humidity day the mushrooms may start to dry out and weigh less than when packaged. This won’t harm the mushrooms, they will reabsorb moisture when you wash them prior to consumption.
NOTICE
These mushrooms have been picked in the wild and have not been approved as safe to eat by any expert or regulatory agency. Persons who suspect they have mushroom poisoning should seek medical care immediately if any of the following symptoms occur after consuming wild mushrooms: gastrointestinal irritation, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, dizziness, weakness, or hallucinations. It is strongly recommended to thoroughly cook these mushrooms prior to consumption.