Straw and Spores: Cultivating Straw Bale Mushrooms

Are you a gardener who is looking to expand their repertoire? Maybe you are a mushroom aficionado who wants to become more self-sufficient. This class will teach you the skills you need to get started. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn how to turn the humble straw bale into a bountiful harvest of versatile fungi. Participants will learn to prepare and inoculate the substrate, learn conditions and growing requirements to maintain a mushroom straw bale, and troubleshoot common problems. A $15 material fee will be due to the instructor on the day of the class. Each participant will receive a pound of mushrooms to take home from the bales they inoculate, along with the knowledge needed to grow your own mushroom bale. No prior experience is necessary, only your curiosity and willingness to learn! Pre-registration required.

Sep 27

Sat, 10:00am-1:30pm

UVC, St. Helena

Zuniga, Outdoor Garden Area

$70

The instructor, Jacob Zuniga, with a background in small-scale sustainable agriculture, has operated a home permaculture garden for the last four years, and in particular to mushroom cultivation, has successfully grown large quantities of blue oyster and wine cap mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus and Stropharia rugosoannulata, respectively) in the last year. Jacob is eager to share this experience and enthusiastically pass on such skills and knowledge to others.

Refund Policy: “Requests for a refund on fee-based classes not cancelled by the college must be made at least five (5) working days prior to the beginning of the class. A $5 per person processing fee will be retained on all refunds unless the class is cancelled or meeting times are changed by the college.”