In this episode of the Mushroom Show we are interviewing Jasper Degenaars, who hails from the Netherlands and is currently located in Guatemala where he is the CEO (or Chief Education Officer) at the prestigious Fungi Academy. Fungi Academy is a center for learning about how to grow mushrooms, community, and wellness. Located on the gorgeous Lake Atitlan, Fungi Academy operates as a hub for international mycophiles to come teach, learn and grow together.
We talk about Jasper's journey into the mushroom world, how culture and legality are not always in sync, how Fungi Academy has altered their positioning as an organization in recent years, benefits and drawbacks of operating in Guatemala, censorship of mushroom content online, and what Jasper is most excited about in the mushroom realm.
My conversations with Jasper are always a pleasure and we're so happy to share this one with you guys - enjoy! Check out the timestamps in the description if you want to skip to a particular section! And as always, enjoy the conversation!
0:00 Intro
1:13 Jasper’s Personal Journey Into Mushrooms
7:55 Legality and Culture are Not Always In Sync
11:06 The Evolution Of Fungi Academy
16:55 What Fungi Academy Is And Future Plans
21:30 Fungi Academy Operating In Guatemala
26:52 Censorship In The Mushroom Space?
35:04 The Mushroom Email (Mushroom Magic On A Monday)
40:07 What’s Exciting About Mushrooms Right Now?
42:06 What Mushroom Are You Most Interested In?
44:54 Where To Learn More About Fungi Academy