The one where they inoculate shiitake logs!
Mika Miyamoto | Sustainable Mushroom Cultivation Consultant
Do you ever wake up knowing the day is going to be a good one? Maybe it was because I opened my eyes to the peach sunrise hitting the top of the forest. Or maybe it was because I knew soon the orange would turn to blue and it would reach 67 degrees. Either way, I woke up energized on April 3rd, as I was going to cross off a bucket-list item I’d been excited about for a very long time: inoculating shiitake logs with friends and family.
I rushed downstairs to start melting two crock pots full of cheese wax, and was scarfing down a bagel when I heard the rumbling of a car pull up to the farm. Ingrid Daudert from Misty Dawn Farms, a long time outdoor shiitake log cultivator and member of the shiitake growers association (Shiigaw) stepped out of the car. She had graciously agreed to help lead our shiitake log inoculation and lend some tools and equipment. I met her outside and we began to set up our two inoculation stations equipped with drills, inoculation hand tools, and planks atop sawhorses to hold the logs. As volunteers began to trickle in, the birds continued their morning song and I caught a glimpse of an eagle soaring above. Ingrid began to give us a quick description of the shiitake log process, proper tool handling, and tips on efficiency- we felt so grateful to have her with us!
We set up our assembly with one person drilling holes, two people filling the holes with shiitake spawn, and two people covering the holes with wax. We quickly learned how difficult it was to work with the sticky wax, and how much of a mess it made, compared to the relatively simple hole drilling station. Between the learning bumps and the laughs, we moved into a steady rhythm, and soon enough we were proud to see we had inoculated a little over half our logs.
As the sun reached its peak at noon, us Wisconsinites began to slow down; our winterized bodies were not accustomed to such “extreme” heat levels. We unanimously decided to migrate toward the backyard to enjoy the MOST delicious enchiladas verdes, made by Patty, along with other tasty treats and refreshing drinks. It felt so wonderful to enjoy a picnic under the sun and connect with new and old friends after all these cold months indoors. We were all enjoying the warmer weather.
Bellies full, we made our way back to inoculation stations and finished up the remaining logs. We had to scramble together scraps of wax from tables and crockpot sides, as our original 10 lb supply didn’t quite make the cut. Even with our best efforts, there just wasn’t enough wax, and our last 8 logs had to wait for another day to be inoculated. Despite the minor wax conundrum, we ended with a grand total of 110 inoculated logs! We felt incredibly proud with all we had accomplished. The logs got tucked away in their shade and wind protected homes, in the pine grove near the house where they will be held and monitored for the next year until the mushrooms are ready to fruit.
All in all, it was a day filled with sunshine, spawn, and smiles (and a only few sunburns)!
Thank you to all our amazing volunteers: Sara, Trent, Karen, and Andy. We couldn’t have done this without all of your hard work and amazing attitudes! Also, huge thank you to Ingrid for all your help and guidance, and for sharing your immense well of knowledge.
Everyone at Wonka’s Harvest is so excited to watch these mushrooms grow, and when the time comes, share the harvest with all of our CSA members and market customers next year!