Your best bet for organic cover crop seed in bulk in the North East is Lakeview Organic Grain, in Penn Yan, NY.

http://www.lakevieworganicgrain.com/

Happy growing.

11 years ago

cover crops

Need irrigation advice for a one acre garden

On my farm we use t-tape. It’s cheap, fast, easy to set up, easy to repair and I get multiple seasons out of it. http://www.dripdepot.com/1568

Often I will only use one piece of t-tape and move it across my beds as irrigation is needed.

If you have other farmers in your area who use it, you might be able to scavenge sections of it for free.

I have been using all the ends, connectors ECT for 5 seasons now. http://www.dripdepot.com/drip-irrigation-tape-fittings

make sure to use a http://www.dripdepot.com/1025 in line before water/fert gets to drip lines.

Also with t-tape you will also need a pressure reducer so you dont blow the line. http://www.dripdepot.com/drip-irrigation-pressure-regulators

Hope this helps.

Be well, Dave

11 years ago

organic

How do I keep my outdoor fungi patch going?

In the case of oyster mushrooms I would suggest making sequential beds. As one bed becomes colonized but before it begins production decline use it as inoculum for the next bed.

With your existing bed I would check to see the vigor of the mycelium and to see if the fungus is still alive and viable. Place some wet corrugated cardboard on top of an area of your patch, cover and keep moist. I soak the cardboard and separate it so you wind up with a corrugated face that you will place down. You should see mycelium running on the cardboard within a week or two. If indeed it is still active I would use some of the old bed as inoculum for a new one.

Oyster mushrooms colonize rapidly and yield well on chopped straw. You can try adding a layer of hardwood chips and or straw in between flushes to “feed” existing beds. Denser substrates such as wood chips will result in longer lived beds. Lighter substrates such as straw will colonize and fruit faster build will not be as long lived.

Do your best to maintain moisture in your patch, even in the winter, Irrigating if necessary. Mulching with straw, card board or even a tarp can help ensure a patch will not dry out in some drier months of winter.
Remember oyster mushrooms are primary decomposers so when they are finished breaking down their substrate and fruiting, secondary decomposers, bacteria and insects move in to finish off the soil making process.

This is why I recommend using an active bed as inoculum for newer beds.

Other mushrooms like the wine cap stropharia and lepista nuda are more suitable for longer lived beds that can be fed to lengthen the life of the patch.

Hope this helps.
Be well, Dave

11 years ago

fungi

What's the next step in mushroom farming?

Hello all... lurking for awhile.

As a mushroom farmer of 10 years I will tell you your next step is to start growing mushrooms regularly. Start small, experiment, make mistakes, learn and create a cultivation system that works for you. You will figure it out as you go.. As long as you keep going with it... and not stop.

I would also highly recommend you attend a Stamets seminar if you have not already. It will be the best money you will spend as a new fungi farmer.

FYI: you will either need to build your own lab and produce your own spawn as I did.... or.... You have to buy it in from someone else. That’s how you’re "keep it going". Paul Stamets has some wise words to share with all fungi farmers...."whoever controls the spawn, controls the farm"

Hopefully there is some info in the following links that will help you along your way and understand how I started and where I am today.

www.openmindedorganics.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/drumbum1577

www.edibleeastend.com/online.../the-mushroom-man-redux/

Be well, Dave

11 years ago

fungi