and I and others pick them for my own use. The location is far north coast California.

When there is a good bloom commercial pickers come and also buying stations are set up and the Feds require commercial picking permits for the National Forests. The highest grades are sent to Japan for very high prices.

Usually November is the prime month for mushroom picking, not just the matsutakes but there are other mushrooms as well (but morels are Spring mushrooms).

The weather was extremely dry, no rain, this Fall. I and others expected an extreme bloom when the rain did come but there were close to zero matsutakes to be found.

I buy portabella and white and brown mushrooms at Costco and Safeway and prices and availability seem normal. Have zero idea where they are produced.

I have been picking the wild matsutakes for nearly 60 years. Can walk into the National Forest across the road from my house and find them 1/4 mile away (when they are there).

Granted I have come and gone from here all my life and have not picked every year. But I am a geezer and picking the matsutake(called tanoak mushrooms locally) was a family thing from my childhood (and that of parents and grandparents). Mushrooms and huckleberries too. And salmon and steelhead trout, often smoked.

I was certain that once the rains came there would be a huge bloom of the mushrooms in a short season late Fall but was wrong and nada. Most years even now there would be some matsutake mushrooms left to pick but pass the peak. Its sunny today and maybe I will wander out to see if I can find some but doubt it. Bought shallots, Christian Bros sherry and half and half to make soup but no mushrooms. drats.

is just outside of Philly in the Kennett Square area. I think all of their 'shrooms are grown "inside", so weather wouldn't impact that.

I've been fighting the nasty things all year, won't stop trying to fill my yard

They were popping up in my potted plants outside all summer. I kept getting those wild yellow-colored ones.

The rain every couple days since the spring probably would have drowned the poor edible 'shrooms though.

Those mushrooms in Kennett Square are all grown in huge warehouses. It's pretty cool.