Mushroom logs have sprouted!
In April, the Dacha hosted a mushroom log workshop, where participants got to inoculate aspen logs from our property with oyster mushrooms. After a rainy and cold early fall, I’m happy to report that the first crop of oysters have fruited on our logs!
One thing I’ve learned from this process is that logs need to be as fresh as possible for the best result. On some of our logs, which were harvested 6 months before the workshop, I’ve noticed some competing mushroom growth in addition to the oysters. If you’re cultivating mushrooms, make sure you can identify the mushrooms you’ve “planted.”
What’s next in Dacha mushroom cultivation? Shitake logs, perhaps?
If you’re interested in mushroom cultivation, or mushrooms in general, I highly recommend Paul Stamets’ excellent book, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World
October 20, 2010 @ 2:13 pm
our downtown log is fruiting, too!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boojee/5078868719/
October 21, 2010 @ 9:50 am
What a beautiful photo!
January 24, 2011 @ 11:03 pm
Wow! I met you all pounding those pellets into logs back in April with Katya on our visit from Philly…. so exciting to know they have been eaten and cherished! I’ve been following along on the growth of the project, and it’s all very inspiring. I’ll be in Ithaca in April to present my mobile media project at the Finger lakes environmental film fest- I’d love to stop by reconnect, and help out with whatever you got on deck…
January 25, 2011 @ 12:23 pm
Hi Laura,
Great to hear from you. You should definitely get in touch and/or stop by when you’re around. Things have changed quite a bit in the last year, and we have tons of exciting stuff to show off. It would also be super sweet to see your media van in person and find out how your media work is progressing. I’ll send you an email with my contact info so we can get in touch a little later in the year. –Danila
January 28, 2011 @ 1:54 am
So happy to see you guys are growing mushroom logs. I used to work at a spawn company in Oregon, specializing in shiitake cultivation and strain research. I highly recommend checking out ‘Shiitake Growers Handbook: The art and science of mushroom cultivation’ by Paul Przybylowicz and John Donoghue, if you decide to get into shiitake logs.
Aloha!
Erin (Joe’s friend from Hawaii)
March 14, 2011 @ 1:46 pm
we’re in TX now, learning about growing Oyster mushroom in straw beds. Have you ever looked into it? It’s even easier then shiitake logs!!