So far, we have been receiving pletiful rains this spring in northern Wisconsin. There have been numerous Gyromitra eculenta popping up in my woods, but surprisingly not much else. I think on the first warm day, the oysters will start fruiting. In fact, I can smell their tell-tale scent in the air. Morel season is still in full swing in the southern part of the state and, if you are lucky enough to have a 'spot' in northern WI, they are starting to fruit here as well.
This is a great time of year to start growing your own mushrooms for eating, and there are many resources out there for purchasing spawn. Our favorite is Field and Forest out of Peshtigo. Recently, Kemp Natural Resources Station held a session on growing shitakes. Club member Joel Vetter attended and shared some photos of the innoculation process (see below). Shitakes take a little longer to get established, so if you are looking for more immediate fruits for your labor, you may want to try oysters or winecap stropharia. There are lots of other species of fungi that can be grown as well, so be sure to check out the Field and Forest website.
This is a great time of year to start growing your own mushrooms for eating, and there are many resources out there for purchasing spawn. Our favorite is Field and Forest out of Peshtigo. Recently, Kemp Natural Resources Station held a session on growing shitakes. Club member Joel Vetter attended and shared some photos of the innoculation process (see below). Shitakes take a little longer to get established, so if you are looking for more immediate fruits for your labor, you may want to try oysters or winecap stropharia. There are lots of other species of fungi that can be grown as well, so be sure to check out the Field and Forest website.
 Innoculating log with shitake spawn (photo by J. Vetter) |  Waxing over spawn plugs (photo by J. Vetter) |
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