Are you an eager epicurean, an avid horticulturalist or just interested in mushrooms? Mushrooms are an excellent source of vegetarian protein and nutrition with the added bonus of being “easy to grow.” Neither a plant nor an animal, the mysterious
Are you an eager epicurean, an avid horticulturalist or just interested in mushrooms? Mushrooms are an excellent source of vegetarian protein and nutrition with the added bonus of being “easy to grow.” Neither a plant nor an animal, the mysterious mushroom was considered food of the gods by the Aztecs and Egyptians. The art of mushroom cultivation has been around since the middle-ages with the white mushroom being the first to be cultivated in Europe. Want to know more?
Now you can satisfy your mycology interests at the Volcano Art Center’s Mushroom Cultivation workshop taught by Big Island resident Zach Mermel. He will teach the basics of fungal biology and how fungal mycelium colonizes different materials, particularly wooden logs and straw. He will also cover the health benefits of different edible and medicinal fungi in Hawaii. Attendees will gain hands on experience inoculating their own mushroom kits as well as logs which they can take home at the end of the day.
The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, with a break from noon to 1 p.m. Cost is $75, and includes supplies. Register in advance at 967-8222 or www.volcanoartcenter.org.
Mermel encourages farmers, gardeners and homeowners seeking to incorporate the growing of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms into their lives and livelihoods to attend.
The Volcano Art Center is a nonprofit educational organization created in 1974 to promote, develop, and perpetuate the artistic and cultural heritage of Hawaii’s people and environment through activities in the visual, literary, and performing arts.
