Shawn and Jennifer McDyre have spent years studying in regards to the typically difficult rising means of mushroom cultivation.
Whereas they formally began Solar Arms Farm 4 years in the past, their journey studying find out how to develop mushrooms began almost a decade in the past.
“Our first youngsters had been mushrooms. We took them the place we went on trip, we continuously made certain they had been rising; that that they had their humidifier. That they had a particular place the place they stayed — we didn’t have a nursery or further bed room, we had a mushroom room,” Jennifer stated.
Shawn will probably be sharing their years of data throughout a mushroom workshop centered on at-home mushroom cultivation through the seventh annual Free the Seeds occasion which runs Saturday, March 5 by way of Monday, March 7 with a number of digital workshops and two seed giveaway areas.
Land to Hand Montana is internet hosting the occasion which goals to supply free seeds and agricultural workshops for communities throughout the valley. A few of the workshops this 12 months embrace pickling, making skincare merchandise and a child’s cooking class, amongst others.
Now years later, the McDyres have actual kids that they’re able to help by engaged on the farm. Shawn stated “mushrooms are lastly paying the payments,” after he and Jennifer settled into six acres outdoors of Kalispell and left their careers to run Solar Arms Farm full-time. The primary 12 months they grew largely produce, however quickly realized there was a bigger demand for his or her mushrooms — a crop they’ll develop 12 months spherical in sheds.
Shawn stated when the couple moved to Montana he had an curiosity in permaculture, different agriculture and microbiology. This naturally spilled over into rising mushrooms, which was a tough feat eight years in the past earlier than details about it was available on the web. He stated he began studying books on the topic and started experimenting.
“I transformed our storage, components of our home to all these cultivation processes and thru years of trial and error, a ton of failure and horrible moldy experiments, we simply discovered what works after which fortunately 4 years in the past, once we obtained the farm, there began to be extra of a presence on Youtube and different social media the place individuals shared what they had been doing,” Shawn stated.
With extra individuals sharing how they develop their mushrooms, Shawn was in a position to work on the ultimate kinks in his years-long experiment. Now they haven’t any bother rising the mushrooms or promoting them. He and Jennifer have a sales space on the Whitefish and Kalispell farmer’s markets within the summertime and likewise supply a subscription field service. He stated yearly increasingly more individuals are thinking about mushrooms. The fungi supply a sustainable supply of protein and are manageable to develop indoors.
“So, in slightly two-square-foot space you’re rising kilos of fairly excessive protein meals. Mushrooms are in-between eggs and rooster when it comes to protein content material, after which the well being advantages of mushrooms are off the charts,” Shawn stated.
Shawn’s workshop through the Free the Seeds occasion will embrace at-home, low-tech strategies for rising that don’t want a ton of infrastructure. He stated he’ll concentrate on cultivating oyster mushrooms which he considers the simplest for newcomers. Rising mushrooms will be finished on many surfaces, however issues like straw and logs are preferable. Shawn stated as soon as he teaches the fundamentals, he talks about rising different varieties of mushrooms and the variations between their commercial-scale operation and smaller, at-home growers. That is his fourth 12 months giving the workshop and makes it out there after the very fact on their Youtube channel.
“Rising mushrooms at house has the identical ideas as gardening…in principle, all of it appears very step-by-step, however typically there’s a whole lot of troubleshooting,” Jennifer stated. “At first, it typically looks as if individuals are hoarding data, that it’s inaccessible or one thing they’ll’t perceive, the place that’s Shawn’s complete aim: exhibiting individuals this may be pleasing, it may be enjoyable, it’s sophisticated and you’ll fail, however there are methods round that.”
Mushrooms proceed to place meals on the desk for Shawn and Jennifer. Quickly, they hope to begin providing extra ready-to-grow mushroom logs — a form of all-in-one package deal that makes rising a lot simpler. Within the summertime, Solar Arms Farm has a sales space on the Kalispell and Whitefish farmers markets, however their mushrooms can be found year-round with their subscription field service and will be discovered at some native grocery shops. Discover out the place their mushrooms are offered at sunhandsfarm.com.
“I believe the final couple of years have taught us that our meals system is brittle and fragile proper now, the extra we are able to concentrate on native meals, the higher. ‘Saving seeds’ and sharing is the theme of the occasion this 12 months…the concept you develop a bunch and share it along with your neighborhood, with somebody who doesn’t have that and pay it ahead in a roundabout way. You at all times be taught one thing whenever you come to considered one of these workshops,” he stated.
The Free the Seeds runs March 5-7. This 12 months’s occasion features a free seed giveaway and free digital workshops and a panel dialogue.
Seed giveaways will probably be 9 a.m. to midday on Saturday, March 5 in Kalispell at Flathead Valley Neighborhood School within the west parking zone and in Columbia Falls on the ImagineIF Library.
Every digital workshop will function an professional presentation with time for questions and solutions.
On Saturday, March 5 workshops embrace Constructing Neighborhood Seed Gardens by Robin Kelson of The Good Seed Co. from 2-3:30 p.m. and From Seed to Potent Pores and skin Care by Annegret Pfeifer of Kettle Care Organics from 4-5:30 p.m.
Additionally on Saturday, a neighborhood dialog panel from 6-7:30 p.m. known as Inform Our Future consists of presenters who will lead an open dialogue with panelists after which the ground will open up and individuals will probably be inspired to interact within the dialog.
On Sunday, March 6 workshops embrace Mushroom Cultivation by Shawn McDyre of Solar Arms Farm from 1-2:30 p.m.; Pickling Your Backyard by Julie Laing by Twice as Tasty from 3-4:30 p.m.; Children’ Cooking Class by Farmer Whitney by Land to Hand Montana from 5-6:30 p.m.
On Monday, March 7, will probably be Seed Beginning 101 by Nathan Christianson of Raven Ridge Farm from 5-6:30 p.m.
Pre-registration is required for all workshops. Hyperlinks to registration varieties will be discovered at landtohandmt.org/applications/free-the-seeds/.
Apart from gifting away seeds, Free the Seeds welcomes seeds saved by native gardeners to go on to different growers. Heirloom, open-pollinated, and non-genetically modified seeds will be donated at ImagineIF library areas in Columbia Falls and Kalispell. Seeds will also be mailed to Land to Hand MT, PO Field 4404, Whitefish, MT 59937.
For extra data, electronic mail freetheseeds@landtohandmt.org or name Gretchen or Andrea at 406-616-2017.
