Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, along with Friends of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, hosted a Shiitake mushroom workshop. Presenters Bob and Wendy Burt, and Cindy Campbell have grown mushrooms with great success, and brought some that had been recently harvested to showcase. They gave instructions and tips for successful mushroom growth, and then helped as participants prepared logs for the project. Freshly cut birch logs were drilled using a special drill bit with a stopper, so the holes were not too deep. Then, mushroom plugs were placed and hammered into the holes that had been drilled into the log. Finally, a thin layer of wax was applied over the hole. The logs will need be placed in a shady area, and kept damp. In about a year, the mushrooms should be ready to harvest.
The mushroom workshop was both fun and informational. Everyone left with an inoculated log, tips for future mushroom log projects, a catalogue of where to get supplies, and mushroom recipes. We hope to offer this workshop again next spring.
