*Free for Journeyperson program participants and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). Scholarship application for anyone interested is available here.
Mushrooms are a delicious addition to almost any garden, homestead, woodlot, or farm. In this workshop, learn how to select mushroom logs and varieties, with a specific focus on shiitakes; design an appropriate site for growing shiitakes outdoors; and practice inoculating logs. Participants will be able to bring home an inoculated shiitake log — with spawn from Fedco Seeds and logs sustainably harvested from MOFGA’s woodlot — which will fruit next season, given proper care.
Courtney Williams will lead this introductory workshop. Courtney has eight years of small scale, commercial mushroom farming experience, and has taught workshops and classes about organic mushroom production to hundreds of aspiring mushroom growers in Maine and New England. She is also a worker-owner, Branch Coordinator and Seeds Product Developer at Fedco Seeds Cooperative in Clinton, Maine.
This class is aimed at beginner mushroom growers and will teach you what you need to get started growing shiitakes in own backyard, community garden, or woodlot. This class will not cover wild mushroom foraging or indoor mushroom cultivation and will focus primarily on shiitakes, though we will briefly discuss other easy-to-cultivate varieties.
Please bring some snacks or lunch, a water bottle, work gloves and ear and eye protection (if you have it). Long hair should be tied back for the hands-on part of the workshop. All other supplies will be provided. This workshop will be held primarily outdoors, but there are indoor facilities including bathrooms nearby; the event will move fully indoors if needed due to weather. If you have any questions about site or workshop accessibility, please feel welcome to reach out.
Space is limited to 15 participants.
Questions? Email [email protected].