White oak and cherry trees on the plantation that are crowding better trees and that are around 6 inches in diameter are cut and collected. The logs are sorted and sawed into 4 ft lengths. Quarter inch holes are drilled all around each log with an angle grinder, 6 inches apart. Some species grow on beech trees – which are selected and cut into totems, 3-4 ft tall vertical logs cut into disks.
Each cheery and oak hole is filled with sawdust spawn – a dense mixture of sawdust and mushroom spores, germinating into a net of white mycelium. Once filled, the holes are capped with hot wax to protect the spawn from weather and insects. Each log is labeled with a metal tag marking the date and strain of it’s spawn. Each totem gets sawdust spawn is packed between the layers.
The logs are cabin stacked and moved on palettes – kept in the shade of spruce and pine trees, cool and moist. The totems are covered with a bag or shade cloth. As the logs rot the mycelium will grow, absorbing the nutrients that become the fruiting body of the fungus.
In 9 to 12 months the log should begin to germinate mushrooms, fruiting several times a year for the next 2-3 years, until the nutrients have all been absorbed. To activate production the logs are soaked in cool water for 24 hours. Within a few days the log starts “pinning”, producing white dots of early mushroom growth. The mushrooms are collected when the gills first become visible.
Pholiota microspora
Nameko is a richly colored mushroom that grows in clusters and most productively on cherry (Prunus avium) logs. The mushroom’s slimy cap has gelatinous properties that naturally thicken soups and sauces like miso or stir fries. It is one of Japan’s most popular cultivated mushrooms.
Hericium erinaceus
Beech…
Lentinula edodes
The best logs for shitakke are from hardwood trees (“shii” is “from hardwood trees” in Japanese), particularly oak. Our most abundantly available tree species is white oak, Quercus alba, so shitake is naturally our highest volume mushroom. It’s the jack knife of the collection – tolerant, versatile, and valuable.
Pleurotus ostreatus
We grow our beautiful oyster mushrooms on beech trees. Layers of spawn are pressed between layers of the tree and clusters of oyster mushrooms bloom from the edges. These silky and savory mushrooms can be sautéed, stir-fried, roasted, fried, braised, grilled – you name it!
