Agroforestry Mushroom Discussion Board

Timing logs and inoculation

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 20:05:09 GMT

Hi there

It has really been the winter that never was- at leat here in southeastern MA...

We are getting reading to start our second season of Shiitake inoculation and just wondering if the warm weather should influence whrn we cut and inoculate our logs.

We plan on inoculating approx 100 logs (50 white oak, 25 red oak, 25 red maple)

Our tentative plan is to cut the trees March 11 or March 16th and inoculate March 31/April 1.

Does that sound reasonable?

Thanks in advance,

Erin

Turkey tail spawn-effectiveness on controlling armillaria

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:41:56 GMT

I have checked Field and Forest and Fungi Perfecti for availability. Paul Stamet's noted that Trametes versicolor mycelium over ran Armillaria mellia in a culture dish. What happens in vitro is not necessarily an indicator for what happens in nature. Paul envisions turkey tail preventing blights and other diseases.
Why am I asking? I've noted several trees that were cut in a logging operation or that have died where the rhizomorphs have grown. I am interested in research on this work.

Free Spawn for 2012 season for SARE growers

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:31:07 GMT

Shiitake Growers,

I'm glad to announce UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture will be able to provide up to four 5lb bags of WR-46 spawn and 10lbs of wax to growers who are willing to track an additional year of inoculation and harvest records for 100 bolts inoculated this year.

This opportunity will be available first to NE SARE research project participants and alternates. If we don't get 20 growers who are interested, we will open up the opportunity to other growers who would like to become involved.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO INDICATE YOU ARE INTERESTED- via email at ben.waterman@uvm.edu or via phone at (802) 656-9142.

Our goals are similar to those last year at the start of the SARE research project: -- to share some of the risk for growers in the first years of starting enterprises; to encourage good record keeping and enterprise planning practices; and to track critical data on Shiitake mushrooms as a viable agroforestry enterprise so other growers can gain knowledge from research results.

The offer for free spawn this year is supplementary to the ongoing SARE project. SARE research project participants-- Please continue to keep records for last year's inoculated logs as part of the SARE project.

Feel free to contact me at 802 656 9142 or ben.waterman@uvm.edu with any questions, thank you,

Ben Waterman
UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Truffles native to the North Country

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:36:34 GMT

I'm interested in learning about any truffles native to the North Country woods. I'd like to dabble in this if possible. Does Cornell offer any classes or information regarding this? Are there any known commercial sources of truffles (again native to the northeast).

mushroom spawn

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:25:55 GMT

My name is David Wichland.

I have a small mushroom business in Keene, NH.

Wichlandwoods.com

We specialize in plug spawn, woodchip, growing mushrooms and helping others through workshops, consulting and experential learning.

I would love to help anyone who is into growing mushrooms try some new species and just be into any ideas or conversation.

May the spores be with you,

David Wichland

Wichland Woods

64 High St.

Keene,NH

603-762-0782

interested in next Camp Mushroom

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:07:18 GMT

Hi--I'm new to mushroom growing and might possibly want to undertake it on my VT homestead. I've got poplar, beech, some sugar maple, etc. I'd be interested in knowing when the next Camp Mushroom will take place, especially if there's one at a VT location. Thanks!

Fall shiitake

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:51:16 GMT

We're just now starting to pick our cold weather shiitake growing on oak. Really late season it seems. Anyone experiencing this? Our beech and sugar maple cold weather logs started long ago.

Grow shiitake mushroom by using machine system

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:32:11 GMT

My name is Mark, I have been doing shiitake and oyster mushroom research, experiments and teaching farms to grow mushrooms for over 25 years.

I also worked in commercial shiitake mushroom companies in Asia, Europe and North America and specialize in helping farmers to set up and manage a commercial shiitake mushroom business with a machine system, The whole system is inexpensive, highly efficient, and uses less labor. The mushroom farms that use our system produce mushrooms with more competitive prices.

The machine system we provide includes the bagging machine, mixer, storage conveyor, and conveyor. All the machines working together will make thousands of mushroom bags in just few hours, which you can inoculate with a variety of mushroom spawn to grow different kinds of mushrooms using the same machine system. Some examples include shiitake, oyster, enike, maitake, and king oyster.

If you are interested in using our machine system, please visit our website at:

http://www.growshiitakemushroom.com

You also can watch brief video on youtube, below is the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lufP-lBeQd4

Shiitake Workshop

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:28:58 GMT

Gemmie & i would like to thank everyone who made the Shiitake Workshop at Arnot Forrst a great success.

Very truly yours,

Ray & Gemmie Pescevich

Vermont bolts available

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:06:39 GMT

I am a Consulting Forester in Vermont, new to the forum and growing mushrooms. However, I am excited about any opportunity involving alternative uses of forest products.

To that end, I have multiple forest and wildlife management operations occurring throughout the year, beginning ASAP and would like to have bolts available to growers.

I am accepting orders for bolts. Red maple, sugar maple, beech, hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana). No oak. Red maple available now. Bolts made to order so plan ahead.

$2.00/bolt Does not cover transportation. Contact for transportation costs.

Do not reply to thread

Contact

802-244-8131.

Northernstewards@gmail.com

http://www.northernstewards.com

Site Visit Reports

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:56:49 GMT

    On Saturday, April 2nd, Alyssa and I made our first (two) site visits to

Matt Anderson and Greg Sweck, near Millrook, NY. It went quite well. In addition to collecting the necessary information (on the form Alyssa sent around), we worked alongside Matt, Greg, Matt’s wife, and Greg’s son for 5 hours or so, along with 7 hours travel time made for a long day. It certainly isn’t necessary for all site visits to include the “labor” part, or at least not so much of it. Matt and Greg were sharing the task of inoculating 100 logs each, and transporting Matt’s half to his laying yard several miles away. They each used a combination of oak (60 logs) and sugar maple (40 logs).

    Regarding laying yards, Greg’s laying yard was on a steep slope so we showed them how to do the Japanese Hillside Stacking Method (JHSM). Greg’s laying yard was more or less level. Both laying yards were almost entirely

deciduous trees, so we recommend winter artificial shade using shade cloth (available from greenhouse supply companies like Griffin) laid directly on top of logs.

    Regarding log diameter measurements, we were surprised how long it took to measure and record diameters for 200 project logs (100 for each participant). Do all site visitors have a D-tape (diameter tape)? A ruler is adequate but a D-tape is more accurate. We could order and send one to any site visitor that needs one. All in all, Greg finished his 100 logs and Matt had 60 remaining. They planned to finish the next day (Sunday) as well as inoculate logs in addition to those for the project.

We decided to add two questions to the survey form:

1.      Have you visited the NEFMGN website?

2.      Are you subscribed to the Message Board on the NEFMGN website? (mushrooms.cals.cornell.edu)

Question about Lentinan reaction

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:03:40 GMT

Saw this article in last Sunday's NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/magazine/20fob-diagnosis-t.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=shiitake&st=cse

I guess some people (about 2% based on the numbers in the article) have a reaction to Lentinan.

I wonder if people with these allergies also react when consuming dried mushrooms?

Inrorduction for Steve Rockcastle

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:39:28 GMT

I am a Shiitake mushroom grower in Western New York. My wife Julie and I raise mushrooms on our 200 acre farm and we have 1400 logs in production at this time. We have been growing shiitake's for 4 years now and are learning new things about raising mushrooms and ideas for better production yields on the logs in production every year. We inoculate approximately 400 to 500 logs a year and are getting to the volume now where we can have a fairly constant flow of mushroom harvesting through out the summer. We market our mushrooms through the Williamsville Farmers Market in Buffalo which includes fresh, dried and value added products like Shiitake Pate' and Shiitake Mushroom Barley soup. We also are certified organic in our mushroom production along with veggies, pastured chicken broilers and eggs. We also raise grass fed beef on certified organic pastures.

Please introduce yourself

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:07:14 GMT

Welcome, I'm Ken Mudge (New York), along with Allen Matthews (Vermont) I'm one of the directors of the SARE mushroom project you may already know about. We hope that this message board and other resources on this Web site, along with the UVM list serve can help promote communication among a growing cadre of Northeastern forest mushroom growers, where everyone, not just the beginers, and not just SARE project participants can learn from each other. I know that those of you who are ongoing participant is the SARE mushroom project, will be inoculating 100+ logs this spring, perhaps for the first, and I'm sure you must have questions, concerns, suggestions. There are some very experienced forest mushroom growers who will be part of this "community of learners", and, knowing (some of) them, they will enjoy sharing what they know about mushrooming.

By the way, SARE mushroom project participants will be receiving a Shiitake Research Project Workbook from us explaining how the project will proceed with inoculating those 100 logs and beyond. The workbook will include a list of suppliers and approximate cost of the supplies you will need, such as inoculators, wax, labels, wax daubers, etc. for We will let you know soon when to expect the WR46 spawn, and Alyssa will be in touch with you soon about scheduling a date for a project "site visit" that corresponds to the day you will be inoculating your logs. This is not too early to beging logging the trees you want to use for substrate logs, but mid April or so is not too late. Maybe some of you more experienced folk would like to comment on when you think is the best time for logging.

So, that's a rather long winded way of encouraging you to "check in" by replying to this post, to tell us who you are and a bit about your plans or experience with forest cultivation of mushroom logs.

By way of introducing ourselves, that's Joe Krawczyk of Field and Forest mushroom company (R) and Steve Sierigk, Hawk Meadow Farm, one of our very experienced mushroom cultivators near Trumansburg, NY. But Steve, you should introduce yourself anyway.

MacDaniels Nut Grove Openhouse

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 16:08:26 GMT

This is a shot from the MacDaniels Nut Grove Openhouse on October 2, 2010 where good folk could learning about various non timber forest crops used in forest farming including forest cultivated mushrooms (e.g. shiitake, lions mane), medicinals (ginseng, goldenseal), fruits (raspberries, blackberries, pawpaw) and ornamentals (hosta, fern). MNG is open to the public anytime, and if you'd like to be a "Friend of MacDaniels Nut Grove", email me at kwm2@cornell.edu.