Module 3: How the Course Works

Module 3: How the Course Works

You’ll move through each module at your own pace. Watch the videos. Study the guides. Review the graphics. Complete the tasks. Take the Final Assessment. 

Once you complete everything, you’ll enter a 30-day trial period. That’s your time to prove you can do this on your own. Find the fungi. Track your movement. Log the data. Label your bags. Submit your harvest. Get paid.

When you pass the trial period, you’re fully certified. You’ll join the TruNorth Harvester Network.

Gear Set-Up

A few notes before we dive in:

You need to budget around $500 for basic gear. That includes a pruning saw, GPS tools, containers, and some safety gear, a large freezer for Chaga storage after harvest if you don’t have one already.

You don’t need new or fancy gear but its got to be reliable. You will see full list in the gear Module 5

Phone Apps

You will also need a two mobile apps. These will be used to find and track your harvesting routes in the forest and submit harvest forms during the harvest and at the end of the day. 

You will use Avenza for tracking (compatible on iPhone and android) 

You will use ODK Collect to submit your harvest forms if you have an android phone.

Or, you will use GIC Collect to submit your harvest forms if you have an iPhone.

We’ll walk you through the setup and use for the apps in Module 3.

Business Registration

You’ll also need to register as a sole proprietor so you can legally work and invoice TruNorth. We’ve got a full breakdown of that process at the end of the course.

Our community is here to support you so check out the message threads to ask questions or help others too.

We know online training can feel dry but keep your eye on the prize, in a few short weeks you will be working in the forest, treasure-hunting for Chaga, getting paid for what you find, and building a successful harvesting business.

Our motto is simple: You get what you give.

Module 2 Quick-Hit Recap:

• This course trains you to become a certified Chaga harvester with TruNorth.
• You’ll learn how to find, harvest, track, label, store, and get paid for wild Chaga.
• Harvesting is done ethically, legally, and sustainably—integrity is non-negotiable.
• Once certified, you become part of the TruNorth Supplier Network.
• You’ll go through self-paced modules, then a 30-day trial period.
• Trial period = real-world test: harvest, log, and label properly. Mistakes are part of learning.
• You’ll need about $500 worth of gear to get started (tools, containers, safety items).
• Several mobile apps are required for maps and data tracking—setup happens in Module 3.
• You must register as a sole proprietor to get paid—covered in a later module.
• You’ll have access to a student message board for questions and support.
• This course is built for self-sufficient people who respect the land and do the work.