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On Saturday, June 8 in Stirling, all are invited to grow mushrooms and mingle with enterprising woodlot owners. The Quinte Woodlot Association (QWA) will host their spring field day and AGM. Please register.
Ivan Chan will teach participants how to grow mushroom logs. Ivan is a self-professed fun-gi, and has been cultivating mushroom logs since he completed his Permaculture Design Course in 2011. (Visit www.edeninseason.ca/about-us)
Participants can purchase shiitake or oyster mushroom spawn at $20 for a 5 lb bag (this will inoculate thirty 4 in. diam. logs or ten 8 in. diam. logs). Please pre-order from QWA; see contact below. Also, ready-to-fruit logs can be pre-ordered and are priced by weight starting at $35.
You can also bring along your own fresh log to inoculate. It should be 4-8 in. in diameter and 2-4 feet long. For shiitake mushrooms: maple, ironwood, beech or oak logs are best. For oyster mushrooms,poplar and willow logs are best. If bringing your own log, it should be cut now from a live tree. All tools will be provided, however, you will need to purchase the spawn.
Participants will also be introduced to three QWA members: an artisan, a beekeeper and a maple syrup producer, who will talk about their woodlot initiatives.
After lunch, the group will travel to a nearby woodlot. Member Shane Mumby of Mumby Mills will demonstrate his portable saw mill and explain his milling services. Member Steve Tubb will show us his small hop growing operation. Attendees can enjoy a walk through a mixed, biodiverse forest accompanied by several foresters.
The location is Stirling Rotary Hall, 122 North Street (Hwy. 14) in Stirling. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Backyard mushrooming begins at 8:45 a.m. Lunch is served at 12 p.m. and the woodlot visit is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. REGISTRATION is required by June 3. The cost is $15 for members and $30 for non-members. For an additional $35, non-members can purchase an Ontario Woodlot Association membership, good until 09/2020.
Contact Marianne at 613-922-2453 or quintewoodlotassociation@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram. Also visit www.ontariowoodlot.com
