We've update the workshop schedule and we're moving a few things around. Notably we're moving the Shiitake Mushroom Log Workshop to Thursday nights. We still plan to have them bi-weekly, although we'll be skipping a week during Thanksgiving...

October 16, 7:00pm - Shiitake Mushroom Log Workshop: Fun and casual hands-on workshop to learn the process of making mushroom logs. Discussion will include care and maintenance. Workshop will last approximately one hour and you will make your own Shiitake Log to take home to your garden. $20 fee - all materials supplied. Please call to reserve a spot as space is limited.

October 30, 7:00pm - Shiitake Mushroom Log Workshop: Fun and casual hands-on workshop to learn the process of making mushroom logs. Discussion will include care and maintenance. Workshop will last approximately one hour and you will make your own Shiitake Log to take home to your garden. $20 fee - all materials supplied. Please call to reserve a spot as space is limited.

November 13, 7:00pm - Shiitake Mushroom Log Workshop: Fun and casual hands-on workshop to learn the process of making mushroom logs. Discussion will include care and maintenance. Workshop will last approximately one hour and you will make your own Shiitake Log to take home to your garden. $20 fee - all materials supplied. Please call to reserve a spot as space is limited.

December 4, 7:00pm - Shiitake Mushroom Log Workshop: Fun and casual hands-on workshop to learn the process of making mushroom logs. Discussion will include care and maintenance. Workshop will last approximately one hour and you will make your own Shiitake Log to take home to your garden. $20 fee - all materials supplied. Please call to reserve a spot as space is limited.

Filmed in March and posted a few months ago at TED Talks, this 17 minute clip is a wonderful presentation by pioneering mycoremediation author and mushroom advocate Paul Stamets. Here Mr. Stamets focuses on many of the themes outlined in his latest book Mycelium Running : How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. He covers some new territory as well, illustrating six specific ways mushrooms can act as agents to heal and repair, both body and ecosystem. It's a highly recommended clip and well worth 17 minutes of your time!

The last month has seen daytime highs in the low 90's or high 80's here in Knoxville... not what you'd consider typical shiitake mushroom weather. Just three weeks ago, our own shiitake log garden in North Hills was producing a handful of mushrooms after a decent rain.

Today we heard from shiitake log workshop attendee Daniel L. with similar news. His log was created in our workshop just about a year ago and the recent rains from the remnants of Faye seemed to have sparked a few fruits to emerge:

We're a little floored by these late summer, hot weather mushrooms volunteering themselves. Maybe it's the dry summer we've been having, but these rains are bringing on mushrooms when we'd normally not expect it. It must be time to start checking on the logs, especially after saturating rain.

This is a test. More blogging soon.