Mushrooms are a great natural source of vitamin D. In Paul Stamets book “Mycelium Running”, he talks about the difference exposure to sunlight can have on the amount of vitamin D available. The level of vitamin D in shiitake mushrooms went from 110 IU to 21,400 IU per 100g by drying outside in the sunlight, remarkable differences were found when they were placed gills up to dry in the sun. Mushrooms continue to fascinate me and can indeed help us heal!
Tag Archives: Shiitake
Mushroom Farmer
An inspiring story about a young mushroom farmer named David Falkowski, who was asked the question…
“Why mushrooms? I realized that mushrooms are a key component in the cycling of organic matter. Through mushroom cultivation not only do you create humus, or organically rich soil, the basis of soil, but also, as a bonus, we create awesome healing healthy food and powerful medicinals.”
Shiitake Growing Kit
I just got to check out the shiitake growing kit from Fungi Perfecti. This was an indoor growing kit and looked like it is ready to go.
http://fungi.com/kits/indoor.html
Some lucky guy in my family got it for his birthday! He is a budding mushroom farmer so it was a great gift. I will keep us updated on the site as it grows. I hope to report on the eating of these mushrooms also. Shiitakes are great for us and another way to eat your medicine and like it too!
You can find more kits like this one from the people at Fungi Perfecti on the link on the main page of this site.
Mushroom Growing Kits
Mushroom kits are a great way to get started growing mushrooms.
Mushroom growing kits can be purchased online. They come in quite a variety of mushrooms. They produce fairly well and don’t take up much space. The different types usually involve sawdust and grain of some sort. The bag is complete with the growing substrate and spawn. The only thing left to do is to water them and put them in the right place to incubate. The directions vary but are usually detailed and clear.
Shiitakes take from 2 to 4 weeks to start flushing, and might flush for up to 16 weeks after. They need a temperature between 50 and 80 degrees.The kits are similar to how production mushrooms are grown. Most of them are grown on blocks kind of like the kits, for fast production.
The selection has become incredible in the last few years.You can find just about anything from Lions mane to Reishi. These kits would be a good start for beginners, and when done flushing, can be put to use in a mulch pile or outdoor experiments.
Mushroom growing kits can be found online at Garden City Fungi and Fungi Perfecti, links on the homepage. Some stores carry the kits so watch for them.
Shiitakes for Food and Medicine
Shiitakes are a great way to eat your medicine.
Shiitake mushrooms have proven to be an all around healthy food. The medicinal properties are almost as good as the Reishi, which is tasty but difficult to eat in volume.Western society has finally realized what eastern society has known for centuries. Mushrooms are good for you and have incredible healing properties for our ailing society.
It only stands to reason that you would want the shiitake to be organic. There is only a few places in the country to purchase them. Garden City Fungi, outside of Missoula, grows and sells organic mushrooms. The owners are serious about organics and I trust them for a safe local product. Stamets, of Fungi Perfecti, is a champion of the organic mushroom movement, and I trust them for mailorder.
Lincs to both websites are on the Home Page. They are both certified organic. Support responsible growers and get to know your farmers.