Well, as I stated it's going to be a slow start due to time and money constraints but I am making slow progress. Just this past weekend I participated in a log mushroom growing workshop/ experiment that was being put on by Growing Ingenuity Group and supported by the Yukon agriculture branch, Forest Management Branch, and Yukon Research Center's Cold Climate Innovation.
This educational 1-day workshop will serve to set-up an outdoor edible mushroom growing experiment. Using 1 cord of wood (aspen, pine, spruce, salix spp), we will set up outdoor log piles inoculated with 4 different species of fungi spawn to determine the viability of this type of culture in the Whitehorse area, and determine which combinations perform best in our climate. The workshop participants will gain knowledge about the fungi’s life history, local species and will also gain hands-on experience working with fungi spawn to make their own edible mushroom-producing logs at home.
I couldn't have said it better my self so why try 😀 .
So In short I now have a log hanging in my bathroom that has been inoculated with Shiitake mushrooms that should produce if all goes well in the next couple years.
On another Note, I was discussing with the Directer of GIG what their next project would be and it sounds like they are interested in pursuing aquaponics which is something I have long been interested in and researching. I contacted a friend of mine who ran a government sponsored project on hydroponics to see if he had any insight on Aquapnics. Lucky for me, he had begun researching aquaponics in the hopes of pursuing it, unfortunately he was not able to get the necessary funding. That being said he Had a lot of resources on Aquaponics and lent me a text book on aquaculture to read threw. I believe in the next few months I should be able to start planing and designing a small start up system. I will also be introducing my friend to the director of GIG in the hopes that they can team up and get the funding in order to get a aquaponics research project up and running.
Well, I think that's all I'v got for now, I'm not sure how often I will be updating but when ever I have something worth mentioning I will do my best to remember to post! 🙂
"In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
"Be careful when you cast out your demons that you don't throw away the best of yourself." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Very cool. I had no idea that you could do that. I always thought that mushrooms needed to be started in a moist dark environment.
How soon before you know if it will work?
It's hard to say, If it stays with in the right temperature and moisture levels I should start seeing some Mycelia with in 6 to 8 months, If your cultivating outside because of the long winters, they said up to a year and a half before you see Mycelia. Since It's in my bathroom I hope to see some results sooner rather then later :). This is not the same work shop I attended but essentially the same thing we did. We used dowels that had Mycelium and instead of the styrofoam we used bees wax to seal the plugs and both end of the logs. The reason the logs are sealed with bees wax or styrofoam is so that the log isn't contaminated with other bacteria or fungus that could compete with the mushroom's nutrients.
"In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
"Be careful when you cast out your demons that you don't throw away the best of yourself." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
will they just keep going or will it be one crop?
Enjoy them, I have done a number of logs over the years, and been very pleased with the results, some of mine are in year three and still producing well, they are to go three to five plus years before needing to be done again.. very interesting wood choices, hope you will keep us posted.
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
Exactly what farmgal stated, It can produce for quite some time. From what I understood from the class I attended It depends on how dense the wood is and how aggressive the mushroom is. This log is quite dense but fairly small so considering this is my first time trying it, i'm going to guess and say it will probably produce for 3 years. If it goes for longer well, I cant say I will be complaining. 😀
"In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
"Be careful when you cast out your demons that you don't throw away the best of yourself." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
