Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2012 07:09:46 -0400
From: Debbie Roos
Subject: Farm Show & Tell October 15
Monday, October 15, 2012: Granite Springs Farm in Pittsboro, NC
Time: 5:30 pm-dark
Farmer: Meredith Leight
What You’ll See: Meredith is in her fourth year of farming. She uses sustainable techniques to grow a wide variety of vegetables and sells to a few restaurants plus at the Chatham Mills Farmers’ Market and the Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market. Meredith also manages a CSA (community supported agriculture) program.
The Farm Show & Tell will focus on mushroom production. Meredith received a grant from RAFI to study the feasibility of growing oyster mushrooms year-round in a hoop house. The idea is to utilize the vertical space in the hoop house to grow the mushrooms while continuing to grow high value crops in the ground beneath the mushrooms, with the goal of maximizing profit from available space. The process involves chopping and then pasturizing the substrate, inoculating the substrate with spawn specific to the expected temperatures in the hoop house, stuffing the inoculated substrate into bags and suspending the bags in the hoop house. When the bags begin to “pin” in 2 to 3 weeks, care must be given to mist the baby mushrooms several times daily and monitor for potential pests. The bags will continue to produce mushrooms for up to 11 weeks.
Come hear about the success and failures and new solutions Meredith has found as she continues to research the possibilities for scaling up production.. Meredith has been selling the mushrooms at two local farmers’ markets, to several restaurants and to her CSA. She thinks there is room in the market for others to produce and sell mushrooms. This farm show and tell is especially aimed at other farmers who might want to begin producing mushrooms, but will also be of interest to others who have an interest in producing mushrooms at home. Come sample some mushrooms and learn about the process!
This event is free and no registration is required. Just show up! Carpooling is encouraged to help with parking.
Visit Cooperative Extension’s Growing Small Farms website for directions and more information: http://bit.ly/djkGYR
Debbie
Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
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www.growingsmallfarms.org<http
www.facebook.com/debbie.roos.
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