The Forest Our interest in propagating is growing as we find more and more uses for them. Take 6 a close look around in this area to see if you can find the four mushrooms we inoculated in this area. If you have some shady spots around your home, you could be growing mushrooms as well.

Permaculture Principles that Guided this Part of the Design

Produce no Waste Mushrooms are experts at recycling difficult to digest materials like wood back into the soil. By “inoculating”, (mushroom term for planting) freshly cut logs with oyster or mushrooms, we give wood another opportunity to be productive before it is turned back into humus. We are also using wood chips to grow our Wine Caps and plan on trying Blewits as well. Lion’s mane Observe and Interact ( erinaceus) In looking for mushrooms on our land, we learn to become more observant of the environment around us. We see and learn how mushrooms serve their ecosystems and begin to recognize the conditions necessary for certain species to thrive. Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services Mushrooms form symbiotic relationships with plant roots. When linked with beneficial mushrooms, plants can absorb more water, access more nutrients, develop resistance to harmful pests and bacteria, and gain overall resilience. Mushrooms have been used historically for medicine, dyeing, art, and as a key food source. They are Shiitake seeing a new surge in popularity for not only eating but (Lentinula edodes) are also beginning to be used for pest control, water filtration, soil remediation, and much more. Use Small and Slow Solutions Fungi have the natural ability detoxify soils in addition to building them. The digestive enzymes fungi produce do a great job at breaking down toxins from agricultural How can I apply these principles at home? contaminants, oil, heavy metals, and other harmful chemicals. As water is filtered through soils rich with -A shady spot and a large branch that fell over winter make fungi it also gets detoxified, making fungi a great Wine Cap a good pairing for starting your first mushroom logs. addition to biofiltration systems. (Stropharia rugosoannulata) -Garden beds or even your lawn can be inoculated with Obtain a Yield Winecaps (Stropharia) or Blewits (Clitocybe) and harvested There are a lot of species that can be grown for for years after. consumption indoors and out. As more people start to -Walk your property with a region-specific guide and see if recognize the health benefits of mushrooms, the demand there are any wild edible species around. for them grows. In addition to being tasty, they also Oyster -Test your soil for contaminants. If you find any present, require minimal resources to grow successfully, making them great sustainable sources of protein. When cooked ( ostreatus) research to see what mushrooms might help to reduce them. well, mushrooms are often mistaken for meat. Design by Midwest Permaculture