There is such a wonderful feeling to be had, when you set your dreams in motion.
I have been wanting to start a mushroom farm for quite a while now. Everything I know about Fungi, I have taught myself, with the help of books and online talks, especially by Paul Stamets.
I have been fascinated with them since I was a child and although my life took me on an alternative path, I am now returning to one of my earliest passions. And it feels really good.
I have been waiting for the opportunity, to begin an online course on mushroom cultivation. The main issue was financial, but because I have powered down some of my Hive (for the first time in over 4 years, since joining). I have now been able to do just that.
Thanks to @riverflows who recommended the course, I signed up and it started today.
I have been super excited about this and have been telling anyone who would listen, that finally, I have kicked started my mushroom farm journey. What I am most excited about is the forum that I am now a part of, which is full of experts and beginners like myself, people who I can ask advise from and learn from. That to me is valuable.
There are many reasons why I am super excited to begin this course provided by the Milkwood Farm in Tasmania.
I have lifelong access to all the course details. which also means I can study at my own pace, which as a solo parent is really important, to me. On top of that, the people who run the course, are committed to only using easily recycled materials on which to grow their mushrooms, another huge selling point for me.
Something that was super encouraging and important to me, is that they acknowledge the traditional un-ceded nations throughout Australia and around the world, who have such a strong connection to the land and water. In the introduction video, they expressed their gratitude to the Melukerdee people, who are stewarding the area that they live in, which is Southern Lutruwita in Tasmania.
I have begun to acquire some of the materials that I will need. On Saturday, I went to town to see if I could source some food grade buckets, in which to grow the mushrooms I will be cultivating. Which turned out to be really easy. I managed to get 6 of the same size from one of the local Morocco shop in town.
I buy a lot of my spices, seeds and nuts from there, so the owner knows me. I was so excited to share why I needed the buckets and he became excited for me. I am currently looking for somewhere in Spain, where I can source Grain Spawn, which needs to be inoculated with Pleurotus Ostreatus ( Oyster Mushrooms).
I have been told that a 2kg bag will be enough. So far, I have located suppliers in Germany, France and Austria, but I would really like to find a Spanish supplier, so the search continues.
So today, I received my first module, of which there are eight and it was all about the ecology of Mushrooms. Something that I have read about already, but it was so good to go over it again. To reignite my sense of wonder and excitement.
To finally be able to call myself an Amateur Mycologist. You have no idea how happy that makes me, I think I need to make myself a badge or something, lol.
So I listened as I was told about the 4 million species of Fungi, 10 times more that all the plant species put together. Pretty mind blowing isn't it!
How Fungi are Heterophic like us and animals, because we all need to consume other things in order to survive. Fungi produce strong enzymes that speed up the chemical reactions that are needed in order to break down the materials that they encounter. The mycelium then reabsorb the liquid that is left, back into themselves and that is how they get the energy and nutrients that they need.
This course we will be focusing on Saprobic mushrooms, which means that they take their energy and nutrients from dead and decaying matter. Which makes them easier to cultivate, as you can use wood chip and straw on which to grow them.
Mycorrhizal mushrooms are more difficult to cultivate, as they tend to have a co dependant relationship with plants. But the mushrooms I have my heart set on growing, are all Saprobic, so I am very happy indeed.
I am so stoked to finally set the wheels in motion. I could have begun with the knowledge that I have learnt myself, but I would not have the support of the Milkwood community behind me and the ability to reach out and make contact with someone who can guide me when things go wrong.
I have been like a little kid all day, beaming with the knowledge, that finally I am making my dream come true!
