LOG-GROWN SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Greg Spevak & Tad MontgomeryMay 24th, 2015 at the Brattleboro Food Co-op

• Intros• Further Resources• “Why Shiitakes?” — A Big-Picture Summary• Step-by-step Overview of Cultivation Methods• Harvesting, Storing, and Preserving Shiitakes• Value-added Opportunities and Regional

Cooperative Enterprises

Overview

What are Shiitake Mushrooms?

BasidomycetesAscomycetes

Broad Definition:• A delicious, highly nutritious and

medicinal mushroom with a long-standing history of use in Eastern Asia.

Mycological Definition:• A saprotrophic basidomycete.

Saprotrophic = decomposer. Basidiomycete = a category of fungi that produces mushrooms to release spores.

Grower’s Definition:• A unique and valuable crop that can be

grown off of sustainably harvested wood and agricultural waste products.

Estimated 1.5 million species... only 5% formally described.

Life Cycle of Saprotrophic Basidiomycetes

Why grow Shiitake Mushrooms?• Culinary Value – naturally rich in “umami” flavor

• Nutritional Value – low in calories, fat, glucose and sodium; high in protein, all essential amino acids, potassium, phosphorous and Vitamin D

• Medicinal Value – numerous well-documented benefits

• Mycoremediation Potential – shown to break down PAHs (present in coal, oil, gasoline, etc.), PCBs, and PCPs.

• High Value Crop - for farmers, log-grown shiitakes can be a rewarding side-business

• Value-add Possibilities – shiitake-infused honey, beer, tinctures, seasoning blends, soup mixes, and more...

Medicinal Benefits, Ctd.

(Stamets, 2005; Marley, 2009)

Can ALL be grown outdoors via methods

learned today!

Anti-cancer & Antiviral Activity

(Stamets, 2005)

Further Reading forMedicinal Activity...

• First recorded history of use: 199 A.D. in Japan. Remained popular for centuries to come – being coined as the “elixir of life” during the Ming Dynasty (and reserved for just the emperor and his family).

• Earliest approach to cultivation developed by Wu San Kung in 1100 A.D. in China. “Shocked” logs.

• Numerous new techniques developed (largely in Japan) in the 1930s, and through latter half of 20th century. Various sawdust-based approaches were pioneered through the 1970s to the present day.

• Today, many industrial-scale methods exist for both log-cultivation and sawdust cultivation — primarily in Eastern Asia (China & Japan, esp.).

Japanese ChinquapinCastanopsis cuspidata

History of Use & Cult ivat ion

Modern Approaches to Cult ivat ion:Industrial Log-Cultivation

(Indoors or Outdoors)Indoor Sawdust

CultivationSmall-scale Log-Cultivation

(Primarily Outdoors)

Okuda’s “Full-auto”Inoculation Machine

“Artificial log”

Sawdust Block

Potential for Log-Grown Shiitakes• Through a SARE-funded study carried out by UVM and Cornell University, 23 farmers in the Northeast were trained in shiitake log cultivation – in exchange for them inoculating 100 logs, and recording all income/expenses for the next 2 years.

Some key takeaways from their study...

- 1.12 hours were spent per bolt, on average. Inoculating logs took the most time (41%), next to harvesting (13%) and felling/cutting logs (12%).

- A small 500-log operation could gross $9,000 over five years.

- Spending more time per log DID correlate with greater net production per log, across the board.

- Spending more money on the project did NOT correlate to increased production per log or net profit.

- Farmers received $6–$20 per lb for fresh shiitakes. Highest prices paid were at farmer’s markets (vs direct sales, grocery stores, restaurants, etc). Greatest volume sold to restaurants.

Free report: bit.ly/1IPiFXt

http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2015/01/12/mushrooms/

Okay. . . but how should I do i t?

Sorry, but... it depends.

Okay. . . but how should I do i t?

The “Right Way” is the one that best matches your context as a grower.

Sorry, but... it depends.

Okay. . . but how should I do i t?

- How many logs do you want to have in production?

- Are you growing primarily for personal consumption? For sales? To whom?

- How many trees do you have access to?

- What time of year are the logs being cut?

- What’s the diameter of the wood you’re using?

- Do you plan to sell fresh, or to focus on value-add production?

- Time-wise, are you more/less available at certain times of the year?

- Do you have an indoor space (e.g. greenhouse) that stays above freezing (with a reliable water source) year-round?

- Which do you feel you have ‘more’ of: money, or time?

A Few Outdoor Methods...Drilled or Notch-cut Logs Stump Cultivation Totems

Photo: Jereme Zimmerman

Photo:Greg Spevak

Photo:Greg Spevak

Photo:Greg Spevak

Log Inoculation: Step-by-Step- Step One: Plan your Wood Source

- Step Two: Set up Laying Yard

- Step Three: Find your Spawn

- Step Four: Cut the Wood

- Step Five: Inoculate Logs

- Step Six: Incubate... and Wait (While Keeping Logs Moist)

- Step Seven: “Force” the logs, and/or Harvest Mushrooms

Photo:Greg Spevak

Step One: Plan your Wood Source

Photo: L. Shyamal (Wikimedia)

• Seek fresh-cut hardwoods, ideally in Winter or Early Spring, roughly 3-6” in diameter and ~3-4 feet in length. Logs with minimal scarring or disease are preferable. Fresh is key; the logs need to get inoculated within one month!

• Oak or Sugar Maple are regarded as the best wood types, but many others can work. See included handout on recommended tree species for details.

• Tip: build alliances with arborists and municipal (road /power line thinning) crews! “Typical” price per bolt can range from $1.00-2.00. Can be higher. Clearly articulate what you’re looking for, but make it all as easy/simple as possible.

• Consider Timber Stand Improvement cuts as a primary source for your mushroom logs.

• If you’ll be cutting, consider Game of Logging courses.

Handout: Timber Stand Improvement (U. Missouri)

Short-term Strategies

• Partner with local arborists, municipal/utility tree crews, loggers and foresters.

• Selectively harvest trees yourself, as part of a land management plan.

Long-term Strategies

• Trial fast-growing species (e.g. red alder, chestnut) and set up a coppice rotation.

• Perform TSI for woodlot owners as a service, keeping any suitable logs.

Step One: Plan your Wood Source

Photo: L. Shyamal (Wikimedia)

Photo: Greg Spevak (at Eddy Farm)

Key Factors to Consider...• Year-round shade (75-100%). Dense evergreen canopies work well. Alternative strategies: deciduous forest canopies with 60-80% shade cloth in winter; the north side of houses; erected shade-cloth structures.

• Ease of Access. You’ll be going there a lot!• Proximity to water source(s) for irrigating to maintain adequate moisture, or for force-fruiting. Log moisture content should not dip below 30%!• Protection. You’re likely to encounter pests and fungal competitors (more on which later) at some point. Visit your logs regularly, and be observant!

Step Two: Set-up a Laying Yard

- Spawn: the medium (or substrate) on which the mycelium is ‘held’, prior to being introduced to a larger food source (e.g. logs and stumps).

- For outdoor cultivation, spawn typically gets produced as either PLUG SPAWN or SAWDUST SPAWN.

Step Three: Find Spawn

Plugs (myceliated wooden dowels) get inserted by hand via a hammer or mallet.

Sawdust spawn gets inserted by ‘inoculator’ tools, funnels, or by hand if need be. Photo: Joyce CarrolPhoto: Greg Spevak

Plug Spawn• Made from hardwood (typically birch) dowels, 5/16” in diameter, cut to roughly 1” in lengths.

• Inserted by hand with a hammer/mallet into pre-drilled holes.

• Generally more expensive than sawdust spawn, but available in smaller quantities. • Arguably easier to produce on a small scale than sawdust spawn.

• Common form of spawn for outdoor cultivation. Generally cheaper than plug spawn.

• Made from sterilized hardwood sawdust, often with supplements (wheat bran, gypsum) to aid mycelial growth.

Sawdust Spawn

Photo: Greg Spevak

Where do I get it?• Option #1: Go with widely-recognized spawn producers. These include:

(1) Field & Forest Products (Pestigo, WI)(2) Fungi Perfecti (Olympia, WA)

(3) Mushroom Mountain (Easley, SC).

• Option #2: Support a local spawn producer! Two I know personally: (a) Wichland Woods in Stoddard, and (b) Fungi Ally Farm in South Hadley, MA. Certainly others out there.

• Option #3: Learn the skills to cultivate your own – from store-bought, wild-harvested, or producer-sourced mushrooms. A valuable life skill. It can be done!

Recommended Resources:

- Radical Mycology (Peter McCoy and partners)

- Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation (Tradd Cotter)

- Cultivating Mushrooms (Stephen Russell)

Producing Your Own...

Start with Cardboard!• Not considered “efficient” for Shiitake spawn production, but this method will teach you spawn production skills at a low cost.

• Works great for Pleurotus (Oyster) species, Hypsizygus (Elm Oyster), Stropharia rugosoannulata (Wine Cap Stropharia), and others.

Photo: Greg Spevak

Producing Your Own...

Tip: Consider “season extension” by inoculating some logs with cold-weather (vs. wide-range) strains.

Step Three: Find your Spawn

• Wide Range (WR): Fruit in 55-75°F weather. Well-suited to being“forced” on a regular schedule. 6-12 month spawn run.

• Cold Weather (CW): Concentrated fruiting in spring and fall. Colder range: 45-75°F. Don’t respond well to forced fruiting.

• Warm Weather (WW): “Bridge strains”; some like it cold, some like it hot. General range: 50-85°F. Spawn run 9-12 months.

Tip: Consider “season extension” by inoculating some logs with cold-weather (vs. wide-range) strains.

Step Three: Find your Spawn

Step Four: Cut Your Wood• The shorter the time between your felling and your inoculation, the better. This provides less time for fungal competitors to get established on the wood.

• Prioritize logs with a thick ring of sapwood (as opposed to heartwood); these will produce more mushrooms than a heartwood-rich equivalent. That said: sound forest management comes first...

• Until inoculation, store logs off the ground (on stumps, cinder blocks, pallets, etc.) to prevent soil-dwelling competition from getting a head-start.

SAPWOOD

HEARTWOOD

Photos: Greg Spevak

Step Five: Inoculate Logs• Inoculation: the act of inserting myceliated media (“spawn”) into a larger food source (e.g. fresh-cut hardwood logs).

• Find help – both socially, and for sharing/borrowing tools! Inoculating logs can be a time and labor intensive endeavor – in addition to requiring some unusual tools. Invite friends, put on some music, brew mushroom tea and make it into a work party!

Photo: Greg Spevak

• Using a 3/8” brad point drill bit, drill holes 1” deep.• Attaching a stop collar at 1” makes depth of holes consistently accurate. • Using an angle grinder fitted with 12mm drill bit adapter is WAY faster than corded or cordless drills (2,500 rpm vs. 12,000 rpm)!

For Sawdust Spawn: For Plug Spawn:• Use a 5/16” brad point drill bit, drill holes 1 to 1.5 inches deep.• Again, attaching a stop collar makes depth of holes consistently accurate. • Angle grinder will require an additional drill bit, if doing both sawdust and plug spawn inoculation.

Part I: Drill the Holes

Photo: Greg Spevak

“Diamonds? How many?”

Higher Inoculation Rate:Higher cost per log (using more

spawn), but spawn run should occur more quickly. Does not directly

result in more mushrooms.

Lower Inoculation Rate:Lower cost per log (using less spawn), but spawn run will

take longer. Does not directly result in less mushrooms.

Alternatively... Cut Notches

Photo: Jereme Zimmerman Photo: Jereme Zimmerman

WORKSHOP SAFETY GUIDELINES: 6’ FROM ANGLE GRINDER

10’ FROM ACTIVE CHAINSAW

Part II: Fill the Holes

Photo: Greg Spevak (Eddy Farm)

Photo: Greg Spevak (Eddy Farm)

Tip: use clean inoculators. Some cultivators suggest dipping your inoculator in isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide between logs. Then again, others ignore this step entirely and still get mushrooms!

Part II: Fill the Holes

Inoculator Tools

• Use to fill drilled holes with a measured amount of sawdust spawn. Not for plugs!• Kinda pricey (~$30+, plus shipping)• Durable components = longer lifespan

+

Funnel(3/8” to 1/2” diameter)

Wood Dowel(1/8” to 1/4” diameter)

~$2 ~$2

= Cheaper, effective alternative to $30+

inoculator tools.

DIY Inoculators

Larger diameter dowel (or piece of wood) w.

1/8”-1/4” hole

1/8”-1/4”dowel

+ + =

AdhesiveA more

comfortable tool

DIY Inoculators

Photo: Greg Spevak (Eddy Farm)

Part III: Wax the Holes(seals in moisture, reduces contamination)

Wax Daubers

1” Foam Brushes

$0.25

$0.22

Photo: Greg Spevak (Eddy Farm)

Wax Daubers

Foam Brushes

Suggestions:• Use food-grade wax.• Have dedicated equipment (pot/pan or double-boiler setup + a warmed-up knife to split large blocks of wax into smaller chunks) and a stable, standalone surface for waxing!• Don’t attempt on wet logs; wax will peel right off! •Wax should be hot (350-400°F, or lightly smoking). If it turns white immediately after being applied, it’s not hot enough. • Be safe! Wax has a low flash point; do not heat excessively, or place anywhere near a potential source of sparks.

(seals in moisture, reduces contamination)Part III: Wax the Holes

LE 464/12/15

LatinName

(Letinula edodes)

Part IV: Label the Logs

Strain Date

• Pre-made aluminum tags (pictured right), old window blinds, discarded drip cap flashing, and aluminum soda cans can all work well.• Staple guns are very handy for this part!

Notes

Driedout?

Photo: Greg Spevak

Photo: Greg Spevak (at Eddy Farm)

Step 6: Move to Laying Yard...and observently wait.

Photo: Field & Forest Products

Photo: Greg Spevak (at Dana Forest Farm)

• Retains log moisture well• Doesn’t provide for great air flow, and thus can promote contamination

Dead Stacking

Photo: Greg Spevak (at Eddy Farm)

Crib Stacking

!

Photo: Greg Spevak (Dana Forest Farm)

Hill Stacking

• Works great on hillsides• Provides good aeration• Relatively easy to harvest• Slightly more labor-intensive set-up

Keep Logs Moist!

• Logs begin with about 40-45% moisture content, and must never dip below 30%.

• If it’s exceptionally dry, logs can be submerged under water or wetted under a sprinkler for ~1-2 hours.

• Different species hold moisture better than others. Red oak holds it well; bitternut hickory does not.

Step Seven: Harvest (or Force)• Logs are fully “colonized” when white mycelium is visible on the log ends.

• The temperature range for shiitake mushrooms varies by strain, but for wide-range strains generally is ~55-75°F.

• Forcing Logs: once they’re fully colonized, your logs can be submerged in cold water (the larger temperature difference the better) for 12 to 24 hours. Troughs, kiddie pools, trash cans, and ponds can all work. Expect to see flushes of mushrooms 7-14 days later. It is recommended to let logs “rest” and regain vigor for 6-8 weeks before forcing again.

Photo: Shawndra Miller(Radical Mycology Convergence)

Photo: Greg Spevak (at Eddy Farm)

Photo: Greg Spevak (at Dana Forest Farm)

Forced Fruiting Systems• After forcing your logs (for wide range strains), they can be set up in an “A-frame” (pictured below), Japanese Hill-stack, loosely spaced Crib Stack, or against northern side of building.

Photo: Greg Spevak (at Wellspring Forest Farm)

Image: Steve Sierigk

Harvesting Tips

Photo: David Yarrow

• Harvest before the outer edge of the mushroom flattens out; these over-ripe shiitakes are edible but of lesser value. Gills should be visible, with the edge still slightly curled under.

• If expecting rain, drape a clear plastic tarp or 80% shade cloth over the fruiting logs. Soggy shiitakes = poor product. Note that tarps should be used as little as possible, however; they decrease mushroom quality by creating less-than-ideal light, temperature and humidity conditions.

• Harvest can be done with a knife, or by hand(s). Gently twist the stem at its base if harvesting by hand, aiming to keep bark intact.

Potential Pests• Slugs – the most common pest for shiitakes. Many potential remedies! Some include: covering logs with agricultural cloth; providing toad habitat; introducing ducks/chickens around perimeter of the yard; building gravel beds; lining the perimeter with Sluggo or wood ash / charcoal. Check every mushroom when harvesting (esp. after a rain) for slugs.

• Pleasing Fungus Beetles – have hard red-brown !” bodies, and can be a serious problem. Agricultural cloth (row crop cover) draped over fruiting logs should discourage them, in addition to keeping your fruiting mushrooms from drying out. Double-win.

Potential Pests• Thrips – tiny black insects that eat mushroom spores, but cause little to no damage to the fruiting body itself. Blow on the gills, and they will reveal themselves. Lightly tapping mushrooms usually dislodges them. For serious infestations, use an air compressor.

• Squirels and Chipmunks – some eat the mushrooms, some just nibble. Covering logs with ag. cloth, introducing dogs, or trapping/removing them should address any issues.

• Deer: though not generally considered a pest, there have been a few reported incidents where deer took extreme interest in shiitakes. Spraying deer repellent (or applying “bone sauce”) around your yard should keep them away.

Photo: John Caddy

Potential Fungal Competition• Bulgaria inquinans (Black Bulgur): appears in groups, with shiny gum-drop appearance. Competes for nutrients but won’t directly attack shiitake mycelium. Should dissipate, over time.

• Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail): Aggressive decomposer that can easily spread via spores to other logs if given the chance! Highly medicinal, but will diminish a log’s shiitake mushroom production. Keep it, but move it elsewhere.

• Schizophyllum commune (Split Gil Fungus): common shell-shaped fungus with white gills. Prefers dry conditions, direct sunlight. Competes for nutrients but won’t directly attack shiitake mycelium. Keep logs moist and shaded.

Bulgaria inquinans

Trametes versicolor

Schizophyllum communePhoto: Jerzy Opioła

(Wikimedia)

Potential Fungal Competition• Hypoxlyon truncatum: like Trichoderma, Hypoxlyon develops on sunlight-exposed, dry logs with warmed bark. Competes with shiitake for nutrients, but won’t attack the mycelium itself. Keep logs moist and shaded.

• Trichoderma spp. (Trichoderma): green mold that grows on log ends. Only the spores are green; the mycelium is white. A mycoparasite (feeds on fungi), it produces antifungal compounds that can hinder shiitake mycelium. Logs exposed to prolonged sunlight, warmer temperatures, and/or low log moisture content create the conditions for trichoderma. Keep logs moist and shaded.

Trichoderma spp.

Photo: Robert L. AndersonUSDA Forest Service

Hypoxlyon truncatum

Storage of Fresh Shiitakes• Get fresh shiitakes refrigerated ASAP. If kept in a cool (41°F), dry and dark location, they can remain fresh and marketable for several weeks.

• Sealing in airtight containers is discouraged. Paper bags (not plastic) work okay, but only for a few days. Wax-lined cardboard boxes (with air holes) are reported to work very well.

• Note that mushrooms will dry out and lose weight (that’s your $.$$) the longer they are stored. Sell them as quickly as possible, or value-add!

Drying Shiitakes• When dried for 6 hours over 2 consecutive (dry) days, with the gills facing up, shiitakes (whole, with stems removed) can convert ergosterol to enormous quantities of Vitamin D2. Shiitakes that started with Vitamin D levels of 100 IU/100g, dried under the above-stated conditions, skyrocketed to nearly 46,000 IU/100g! These high levels of vitamin D can remain active for least a year.

• Such shiitakes can then be powdered – or could be cubed or sliced before drying (increasing vitamin D uptake by exposing more surface area) – and converted to awesome value-add products...

Photo: Charley Hoke

Shiitake Hazelnut Paté Value-add Possibilities...

Shiitake Hazelnut Pate Value-add Possibilities...

“That’s all great, but who has the TIME (and money) to create such products?”

“I need a licensed kitchen...”

“Processing

equipment is

WAY too

costly...”

“I don’t have the storage capacity or labor to do this, at scale...”

“I’m too time/money

strapped to do such a

big thing, myself!”

Bringing it All Together:Building Regional Enterprises

for Northeast Agroforesty Products

Cooperative Regional Enterprises Do!

Bringing it All Together:

Link to Article: bit.ly/1BhGy2i

Learn More At:(1)

radpioneers.com

(2) https://www.facebook.com/

NEMushroomGrowers

Temperate Forest Mushroom Growers

Network

+ = Opportunity for Fungi-based Enterprises Throughout the

Northeastern US?

Why not grow Shiitake Mushrooms?Culinary Value

UMAMI!Nutritional Value

Medicinal Value

Mycoremediation ValueHigh Value Crop... on “Non-Productive Land”

The Galaxy of Value-Added Product Opportunites...

“Productive Ecological Restoration” Value

(Utilizing bi-products of sound forest management practices)

Marketing ValueBuilding demand for other Forest-

grown “Specialty Mushrooms”

Now let’s go put Theory into Practice at Amazing Planet Farm!