Under the Radar

Nearly year-round, the wild edible mushroom circuit is at work. Under the nose of authorities, migrant pickers in the Western U.S. supply wild edibles for some of the fanciest restaurants in the country. In Under the Radar, Olivier Matthon takes readers on a firsthand account of northern Californian seasonal work communities in the wild mushroom trade. This ethnography takes place in small-town motels, private logging property, and a marijuana growing operation. Matthon highlights the struggle and need for community among migrant pickers, crafting a thoughtful and well-researched story about clandestine mushroom trade in Under the Radar.