Chris Parker is co-founder, along with his wife Kat, and an instructor at The Forest Farmacy. He is a self-taught mycologist who started cultivating mushrooms at young age and has continuously expanded his knowledge of mycology, botany, agriculture, permaculture and ecology, with 30 years of experience in mushroom cultivation, wild harvesting, and herbal medicine making. He is passionate about food sovereignty, resilient local food systems, and the use of fungi in innovative applications such as myco-remediation. Chris loves being in his mycology lab where he experiments with and expands various strains of mycelium. He continues to be a teacher and mentor to many beginners and professionals who are interested in and share his passion for growing mushrooms for food, medicine, and profit. Chris founded Asheville Fungi which provides mycological supplies—including cultures, spawn, grow kits, and tools—across the country and fresh mushrooms locally. As a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Chris carries knowledge of ancestral food practices and skills such as arrow making, bow building, animal processing, flint knapping, and fire by friction.
