Note from Kathy: In April of 2018 I visited Greg and Jan Judy at Green Pastures farm. When I arrived, Greg was in the middle of inoculating logs with Shiitake mushroom mycelium, and he explained the process and the adjustments they’d made to their operation as it has grown. Check out Greg’s video here, as he describes how creating silvopasture, and his drive to always figure out ways to grow food, turned into this new enterprise. He talks about what kind of wood works best, provides some info on growing mushrooms, and what the final product adds to farm income. Then, I’ve added some pictures below, showing inoculation in progress, and the equipment he uses.
Mushrooms growing
They can get BIG!
Greg and Jan started with a simple hand inoculator for just $35. As the enterprise expanded, they invested in an Okuda Hand Inoculator, shown here, with the material that it uses to seal the holes after they’re innoculated with mycelium. At $400, this isn’t for the person who’s just going to do a few logs, but it has made all the difference for expanding the Green Pastures Farm operation.
To make the work easier and more efficient, Greg built this table to hold the logs as he works on them. Thinking about more efficient ways to get things done is one of Greg’s real talents.
Finally, here’s Greg inoculating the logs.
Finally, if you’d like to read a little more about growing mushrooms, here’s an article with a link to a helpful booklet:
