MOTHER EARTH NEWS Grows Shiitake Mushrooms

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Growing mushrooms was recently added to my personal “bucket list.” I had mentioned this new goal off-hand to friends, as a way to put my yard (which doesn’t get enough sun to properly grow even 

grass) to produce food for my table. Much to my surprise, a local friend and farmer decided to cut down some oak trees in order to build a wood-framed stone garage — and he had extra limbs cut into short lengths perfect for mushroom inoculation. It appeared destiny had decided that I would become a participant in the ideal world Paul Stamets refers to as “Mycotopia.”

Oak logs that are freshly cut during dormant, winter months make an ideal substrate for growing shiitake mushrooms. (In some translations, “Shii-take” is taken to literally mean “Oak-mushroom”). It is also one of the easier, least labor-intensive ways to get started growing mushroms: Few tools are required, and once the logs have been inoculated with the shiitake mushroom spawn you only need sufficient moisture, dappled shade and patience. All in all, our supply list was short:

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