‘Mushroom Guy’ returns to VAC

Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

Instructor Zach “the Mushroom Guy” Mermel is back to teach the basics of mushroom cultivation at Volcano Art Center.

Instructor Zach “the Mushroom Guy” Mermel is back to teach the basics of mushroom cultivation at Volcano Art Center.

A wonder drug or just darn tasty, the humble mushroom belongs to a kingdom seldom explored, Mermel says. Mushrooms are an excellent source of vegetarian protein and nutrition with the added bonus of being “easy to grow.” Their health benefits are well-known and their ecological advantages are just now being fully realized.

Mermel will teach basic fungal biology and how fungal mycelium colonizes different materials, particularly wooden logs and straw. Attendees also will discover the health benefits of different edible and medicinal fungi in Hawaii, and gain hands-on experience inoculating mushroom kits as well as logs, which they can take home at the end of the day.

The workshop is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday (bring a lunch). Course fees are $40 for VAC members, $50 for nonmembers, plus a $25 supply fee. Pre-registration is required.

To register, call 967-8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.