where to get kefir grains and kombucha mushrooms?

[Guest guest]

I did a " search " in this group, but it just turned up the words in any

random order.

Before I actually got around to deciding to try these things, I had

seen several times where people had offered kefir grains and kombucha

mushrooms, seemingly for free (just trading them back and forth). So

one time I requested kefir grains on a list, and turns out that

apparently this person was expecting some unknown amount of money (I

ended up somehow giving her a couple extra bucks when I bought

something else), and the kefir tasted really quite yeasty and nasty,

hardly anything like the organic store-bought milk kefir.

Another time, somebody " offered " kombucha mushrooms on a national

list, suggesting they would send them just for the cost of shipping,

but when I went to look, it was a LOT more than shipping charges. And

from a stranger, too...

If people want money for these things, that's fine, but they need to

say it up front, not hem and haw and try to weasel a couple of bucks

out of you after they've suggested that they were offering them up for

free (which is what I would certainly do -- give them totally FREEly

-- if I ever get started on these things and end up with more cultures

than I can use).

Now I'm afraid to ask on these other local groups. Where do y'all get

yours, and how am I supposed to know how much money to give them for

these cultures?

thanks

Joy