DIY Mushroom Cultivation: Growing Mushrooms at Home for Food, Medicine, and Soil

by Willoughby Arevalo

Overview

"Offering clear and comprehensive instructions for low-tech growing for a range of budgets, interests, and scales, this book offers practical inspiration and a sense that "hey, I can do this!"
–— DANIELLE STEVENSON, owner, DIY Fungi

DIY Mushroom Cultivation is full of proven, reliable, low-cost techniques for home-scale cultivation that eliminate the need for a clean-air lab space to grow various mushrooms and their mycelium.

Beautiful full-color photos and step-by-step instructions accompany a foundation of mushroom biology and ecology to support a holistic understanding of the practice. Growing techniques are applicable year-round, for any space from house to apartment, and for any climate, budget, or goal. Techniques include:

• Setting up a home growing space
• Inexpensive, simple DIY equipment
• Culture creation from mushroom tissue or spores
• Growing and using liquid cultures and grain spawn
• Growing mushrooms on waste streams Indoor fruiting
• Outdoor mushroom gardens and logs
• Harvesting, processing, tinctures, and cooking.

Whether you hunt mushrooms or dream about growing and working with them but feel constrained by a small living space, DIY Mushroom Cultivation is the ideal guide for getting started in the fascinating and delicious world of fungiculture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780865718951
Publisher:	New Society Publishers
Publication date:	07/16/2019
Series:	Homegrown City Life , #6
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	391,644
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	16 Years

About the Author

Willoughby Arevalo is a mycologist, artist, kitchen wizard, father, and educator who made friends with mushrooms as a young child and has been showing people how to work with fungi for the last decade. He’s been a presenter and co-organizer of the Radical Mycology Convergences of 2012, 2014, and 2016, taught at The Art and Science of Mycorenewal, Recomposing Life and Walking the Mycelial Web intensive mycology courses, and has led workshops and forays at the New Moon Mycology Summit, Telluride Mushroom Festival, and Sunshine Coast Mushroom Festival. Willoughby regularly teaches community workshops locally and internationally on mushroom cultivation, ecology, identification, foraging, and cooking, and serves on the Education Committee of the Vancouver Mycological Society. He works on an organic vegetable farm, makes art in relation with fungi, and grows mushrooms at his home in Vancouver, BC.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction
Mushrooms and Humans: Past, Present, and Future
A Bit about Me and My Approach to Mushroom Cultivation

1 Mushroom Basics
What Are Mushrooms?
Mushrooms in Ecosystems
What Mushrooms Need to Survive and Thrive

2 Overview of the Cultivation Process
Cultivation Flow
Preparation

3 Workspaces, Tools, and Equipment
Lab Infrastructure and Aseptic Transfer Spaces: Flow Hoods, Still Air Boxes, and More
The Lab Environment and Tools
Where to Inoculate Bulk Substrates
Where to Incubate Growing Mycelium
Fruiting Space: Factors to Consider
Options for Home-Scale Fruiting Chambers
Environmental Control in Fruiting Spaces
Other Spaces

4 Sanitation and Techniques to Avoid Contamination
Vectors of Contamination and Management Strategies
Common Contaminants: Recognition and Management

5 Starting and Maintaining Cultures
Get Cultured
Liquid Culture
Agar Culture
Long-Term Culture Storage Methods

6 Making and Using Grain Spawn
Making Grain Spawn
Using Grain Spawn

7 Fruiting Substrate Formulation and Preparation
Containers for Mycelial Growth and Fruiting
The Substrates
     Substrate Treatments
     Sterilization
     Pasteurization and Alternatives

8 Outdoor Growing and Mushroom Gardening
Growing Mushrooms on Logs and Stumps
Mushroom Beds
Next-Level Applications

9 Harvest, Processing, and Use
When and How to Harvest
Basic Cooking Techniques
Preservation Methods
Mushrooms and Mycelium for Medicine

In Conclusion: Substrate for Thought—Toward Further Applications
Mycopermaculture
Mycoremediation on a Home Scale
Mycoarts and Fungi as Functional Materials
Community-Based Cultivation Efforts

Appendix 1: Species Profiles
Agrocybe aegerita— Pioppino
Coprinus comatus—Shaggy Mane
Cordyceps militaris—Caterpillar Fungus
Flammulina velutipes and allies—Enoki
Ganoderma lucidum and allies—Reishi
Hericium species—Lion's Mane and allies
Hypsizygus tessulatus—Shimeji
H. ulmarius—Elm Oysters
Lentinula edodes—Shiitake
Pholiota nameko and allies—Nameko
Pleurotus species—Oyster Mushrooms
Stropharia rugoso-annulata—Wine Cap
Trametes versicolor—Turkey Tail

Appendix 2: Resources
General
Annual Mycology Gatherings

Bibliography
Index
About the Author and Illustrator
A note about the publisher

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"DIY Mushroom Cultivation is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to begin or advance their mushroom cultivation practice. Offering clear and comprehensive instructions for low-tech growing for a range of budgets, interests and scales, this book offers practical inspiration and a sense that: "hey, I can do this". Willoughby has a refreshingly warm way of communicating about the art and science of mushroom cultivation, which welcomes the reader into a community of delight and appreciation of the fungi and the many ways we can work with them to support human and ecological health and well-being."
— Danielle Stevenson owner, DIY Fungi

"With hands of an artist, eyes of an ecologist, and the heart of a deeply connected human, Willoughby brings the practical and joyful together through the science and wonder of mycology. This volume on mushroom cultivation is an invitation to read and share in community to grow not only mushrooms, but our true earthly relationships."
— Nance Klehm Director of Social Ecologies, and author, The Ground Rules and The Soil Keepers: Conversations with Practitioners on the Ground Beneath Our Feet

"Willoughby's unique combination of talent, passion, and experience growing and cooking mushrooms has produced this beautiful and informative contribution. Well done, Mycology Maestro."
— Robert Rogers author, The Fungal Pharmacy

"It is simply a fact that as the horrors of climate change descend upon us, ecosystem regeneration will become our overarching drive. Then, finally, we will seek advice and assistance from our beloved ancestors, the forest fungi. Ever forgiving, they will supply our indoor protein, nurture our new forests, financially support our drawdown effort, and mend our damaged world. This delightful book gets all that started in clear language and beautiful illustrations, at home scale and low budget, one new mushroom grower at a time."
— Albert Bates owner, Mushroom People, North America's oldest mushroom tools supply company, and author, The Biochar Solution.

"DIY Mushroom Cultivation by Willoughby Arevalo is a great book for those looking to dig deeper into the powerful world of mushroom cultivation and appreciation. Willoughby's knowledge, passion, and sincere love for fungi makes this book a wonderful, accessible, and informative read. The book provides a solid foundation for inspiring and empowering individuals and communities to grow mushrooms for food, healing, and remediation."
— Leila Darwish author, Earth Repair: A Grassroots Guide to Healing Toxic and Damaged Landscapes

"Fun to read and easy to digest, this guide is both practical and inspirational. There are few people in our modern society that have the kind of deep connection with the fungal realm as Willoughby Arevalo—the mushrooms actually speak through him. Both experienced and novice mushroom growers will enjoy the adventure and grow their skills."
— Maya Elson mycologist and Santa Cruz Program Director, Wild Child Free School