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medicinal mushrooms

Mid-October Update; "Chicago, we have mushrooms."

Wed, 2007-10-17 17:11 — Justin

I have experienced success in cultivating some kind of mushroom. It looked early on as if it was going to be a typical oyster mushroom and then developed into something different. It may have gotten contaminated at some point or parasitized by some gremlins. Unless the spawn I recieved was mislabeled, the base of the growth ought to be Pleurotus ostreatus, or the typical tree oyster mushroom / white oyster mushroom.

Carbon dioxide and/or temperature and/or humidity levels may have something to do with the developmental oddity. These are certainly not oyster mushrooms as I know them. Please see the photos attached to this blog post for details.

I will also seek a new strain for comparison and continue the 'blank' trial, already in progress, which is testing to determine the efficacy of the strong pH solutions against municipal water. It may be that the substrate material is sufficiently clean to not necessitate further sterilization. If this is the case, we can eliminate the CIP fluid handling, which is a labor, time, and energy intensive process relative to using basic tap water, already on site. To clarify, CIP fluids still represent an appealing alternative to heat pasturization. Transporting them and coordinating pickup with a busy brewer has been daunting, and if it is an unnecessary step (i.e. the substrate can be inoculated directly), let's get rid of it. I'm not out to handle materials for the sake of doing so. If CIP fluid rinses reduce contamination rates, which it stands to reason they would, facilities co-located with a brewery would be an excellent implementation scenario. Until this process is proven and demonstrated to partner satisfaction, it is unlikely that this scenario will play out.

I have it on Gunter Pauli's word that this process has been completed in Namibia and in Japan (Shinano brewery). Gunter is the Founder of ZERI (see links section), and a mentor of mine. He indicates that Namibia stopped their process in 2002 and that Shinano is still making bread with some of their spent grain, but does not have an active mushroom cultivation program since the passing of the late owner. I am looking further into this and will report more as I have it, here. The bread angle is an interesting one. I was fortunate enough to be in the same ZERI course with the owners of SKA Brewing, a brewery located in Durango, CO. Jeff, the Master Brewer there, treated us with some bread made with some of his spent grain It was fantastic! This model seems most appropriate for relatively small-scale breweries, due to the spoilage possibilities of spent grain and the consequent properties transmitted to the bread, which, though great fresh, apparently does not keep well. This seems to be different, from Erzquel brewery, however, who I believe offered a series of byproduct-related goods, including bread -- a great way to spread the brand, for sure!

I will soon be working with a liquid inoculation technique that will provide for significant relative increases in amplification of spawn. Before November, I will also be making more additions to the links section to provide site visitors with more content. Thanks to those of you who have made suggestions and inquiries; these dialogs have prompted more research on my part and will yield more appropriate information for this community. Not the least of which research led me to a couple of mushroom videos which I purchased and found to be excellent sources of information for the home cultivator. I will soon put these nuanced methods to work and report on results, probably before the end of the calendar year and most likely through this blog and a series of appropriate links.

CPF&A

May 7 2005 Boston Globe article

This Boston Globe article features Dave Demarest and VTea, Reishi mushroom cultivation.

I've spoken with Dave and, though I have yet to visit his operation, I have friends who are familiar with it and send him kudos - Keep up the good work, Dave!

Dave does his cultivation outside, projecting mycelia from his lab into the woods. It would be interesting to see whether some degree of insulation (straw? woodchips? bivuacs?) might enable year-round cultivation, as opposed to the seasonal method currently employed. Just a thought...

Going_Back_to_the_Land

Fungi Perfecti

From site:

Fungi Perfecti® is a family-owned, environmentally friendly company specializing in using gourmet and medicinal mushrooms to improve the health of the planet and its people. Founded by mycologist and author Paul Stamets, we are leaders in a new wave of technologies harnessing the inherent power of mushrooms and fungal mycelium worldwide. Fungi Perfecti® is Certified Organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. In business since 1980, we offer an ever-expanding product line for the mushroom enthusiast.

http://www.fungi.com

Mushroom Cultivation and Marketing

By Alice Beetz and Michael Kustudia
NCAT Program Specialists
July 2004
© NCAT 2004
http://www.attra.ncat.org

Abstract:

The market for mushrooms continues to grow due to interest in their culinary, nutritional, and health benefits. They also show potential for use in waste management. However, as fungi, mushrooms have life cycles very different from those of green plants. The choice of species to raise depends both on the growth media available and on market considerations. Oyster mushrooms, which grow on many substrates, are easiest for a beginner. Shiitake mushrooms already have earned considerable consumer demand. Only two mycorrhizal mushrooms, morels and truffles, have been commercially cultivated. Mushroom cultivation offers benefits to market gardens when it is integrated into the existing production system. A careful analysis of potential markets must be the first step in deciding whether to raise mushrooms to sell. Many information resources are available for further research.

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