This week we began preparations for our Shiitake mushroom project. Doug, our mushroom guru, and I spent Friday felling oak trees on a small woodlot in the back of the farm and cutting out logs of 3′ long and 4″ to 6″ in diameter.
We plan to plug at least 120 logs with a total of 1000 Shiitake mushroom spores and stack the logs in three locations around town: the farm, the Melone House, and the Sugar House. Each location has a slightly different microclimate and ground moisture. By placing the logs in various locations we hope to be able to determine which area (and stacking technique) works best.
If you are interested in helping with the Shiitake mushroom project, please join us for a day of volunteering on Earth Day (Wednesday, April 22nd) at the farm. We will be inoculating and stacking our mushroom logs and working on other projects around the farm. More details are coming soon, so be sure to check the website.
– Dave, Conservation Land Manager
