The Art and Science of Working with Fungi: GROWING MUSHROOMS FOR FOOD, MEDICINE AND SOIL This workshop series covers the skills needed to grow spawn and mushrooms year-round. Core concepts and practical skills are covered in-depth and include the simplest and most reliable low-cost techniques to grow mushrooms and their mycelium at home, in the garden or on the farm without the need of a dedicated lab space. The class will meet weekly for seven sessions. Each session will include a lecture and a lab component. Over the duration of the course, each participant will culture and grow their own oyster mushrooms from start to finish, getting hands-on experience with each step of the process. These skills can be applied to grow many other species of mushrooms. Cost is $325 and includes materials and two mushroom cultures. Students will create and go home with multiple fruiting kits made from straw, coffee grounds, sawdust and logs.  Lecture Topics Include Fungal Biology and Ecology  Principles of Working with Fungi  Sourcing Materials Indoor Fruiting Environments  Mycoremediation Applications  Principles of Mycopermaculture  Off-Grid Adaptations Scaling Up Species to Know, Species to Grow  Usage and Storage Strain Development and Maintenance  Hands-on Lab Skills Include Cloning Mushrooms  […]

12pm-3pm : Truffle cooking class in Duncan B.C. at the Cowichan Green Community Hall, 360 Duncan Street Chef Robin Jackson and Toivo Heyduck will lead a truffle cooking class and tasting featuring local Vancouver Island cultivated and wild truffles.

Oyster mushrooms are some of the quickest, easiest and most satisfying mushrooms to grow – and they aren’t picky eaters! In this hands-on workshop we will grow them on one or more types of agricultural or urban waste products, creating delicious, nutrient-dense food-medicine. Each participant will make their own fruiting kit to take home, capable of producing at least two flushes of mushrooms. Participants will learn the life cycle, medicinal properties, identifying features and natural habitat of oyster mushrooms, and how to care for their mushroom kit, ensuring continued harvests. There will be an explanation of how the spawn was made, to give a more complete picture of the cultivation process. The workshop will conclude with a tasting of sautéed oyster mushrooms. Info and Registration: https://italianculturalcentre.ca/blog/events/growing-oyster-mushrooms-on-upcycled-materials/