A world-first trade experiment:
starting with a single wooden mushroom
(hand lathed by my dad).
No paid ads. No social media algorithms. (Analogue broadcasting permitted!)
> Simply put; I trade you an item. You trade me something of higher value. I keep your item and trade it to the next person, building value with every step. Each trade is face-to-face, completely voluntary, and tracked in real time on The Public Ledger.
When the project reaches a natural end point, the final item will be sold, and the proceeds from the final sale will be allocated as follows:
⅓ → Split equally between Mind (Official registered fundraising), Rewilding Britain (Official registered fundraising), and a leading UK woodland conservation charity.
⅓ → Distributed equally among participants who completed a qualifying swap in the chain *including you if you take part!*.
⅓ → Allocated to fund a mobile community project or social enterprise (such as fitting out a food van, setting up a mobile fermentation rig, or securing local growing space). Starting locally in Wooler or Edinburgh, I will dedicate my time and labor to build and run a venture that brings people together around real food and trade.
> Example: There have been 10 swaps in total. If the final item sells for £999:
• £333 goes directly to my 3 chosen charities (£111 each).
• £333 is distributed equally among the qualifying participants (£33 each).
• £333 funds my mobile community project or social enterprise.
Got an item to swap or want to make the next trade?
What makes a good trade?
This experiment isn’t just about an item’s resale value; it’s about utility, craft, and story. A £50 item with character and practical use is worth far more to the project than a £100 piece of clutter that nobody can store or transport.
To keep momentum moving, ideal swap items fall into three main buckets:
- Practical Utility: Gear people actually use (outdoor/camping kit, kitchen equipment, tools, audio gear, mobility).
- Craft & Character: Vintage, restored, handmade, or well-built items with a story to tell.
- Manageable Size: Items must be portable so they can be transported between trades!
I reserve the right to gently decline trades that might stall momentum (or require a shipping container to store!).
> To keep Project Hushroom fair, transparent, and sustainable, I will stick to a few simple principles:
UK Only – All swaps take place within the UK to keep the carbon footprint reasonable.
In-Person Trades – Swaps are made face-to-face to keep things real, human, and personal.
Thoughtful Curation – I prioritise items with high utility, story and potential for a meaningful next trade.
High Value Swaps – As value builds, trades will be handled transparently with written agreements appropriate to the value and nature of the item.
Safety First – Meets always happen in safe, public places.
Privacy & Consent – Personal data is stored securely and never published without explicit permission.
Transparency – Every swap is logged on the open public ledger for anyone to see.
Kindness – Be respectful, honest, and reliable. This runs on goodwill, not corporate contracts.
> Project Hushroom was inspired by Kyle MacDonald, who once famously traded a red paperclip all the way up to a house.
Mushrooms aren’t just mushrooms! They are the fruiting bodies of mycelium: a massive, hidden, underground network of trust, communication, and mutual benefit. Mycelium feeds trees, passes warnings, trades nutrients, and connects individual living things into a thriving ecosystem.
I want to see if an offline chain of human connection can turn something little into something big purely through trust and word of mouth, sharing the outcome with participating swappers, to charities, and to the community. 🌏
This is a voluntary social experiment; no financial investment or donation is required or requested at any stage.