Shiitake Log & Wine Cap Mulch Inoculation

Learn to grow edible mushrooms on logs! This outdoor workshop will cover the life cycle, ecological functions of fungi as well as outdoor cultivation of fungi. We will drill holes in logs, fill them with mushroom spawn, and seal them with wax. You will learn what types of wood are viable, sources for mushroom spawn, how to take care of your log, fruiting mushrooms, harvesting, and pest control. Inoculate 2 logs and take 1 home and grow mushrooms outdoors. 

In the afternoon, we will create a large Stropharia mulch bed which will fruit Wine-Cap Stropharia (aka the Garden Giant) on the farm for years to come. Learn about how to sheet mulch with fungi and the importance of fungi in our soils. You will learn how to set up your own companion fungi in your garden and resources to get started.

Light refreshments will be served. There will be a 1-hour break for lunch, which is available for purchase in the Farm Stand. 

John Michelotti is the founder of Catskill Fungi which empowers people with fungi through outdoor educational classes, cultivation courses, mushroom art, and mushroom health extracts. John is a former President of the Mid-Hudson Mycological Association (MHMA). He serves as Medicinal Mushroom Committee Chair and is a Poison Control Consultant for the North American Mycological Association. He is an instructor for the Wild Mushroom Food Safety Certification courses in NY. He was chosen by the Catskill Center as a "Steward of the Catskills" for his contribution to the environment. His goal is to educate and inspire people to pair with fungi to improve the environment, their health, and communities.