Approximately 25 SVIMS members gathered in morning and afternoon classes held at Steve Fischer’s home in the Blenkinsop Valley. Their goal was to learn how to create mushroom-bearing logs.
In the days leading up to the workshop, Steve got ready for the class by gathering and cleaning fresh-cut alder, preparing all the equipment, and ordering fresh oyster and shiitake spawn. Steve and his assistants–Andrew Anderson, Bob Jeffs, and Steve Strybosch–drilled the logs and helped participants inoculate them. Steve introduced the group to a new log-sealing technique using bentonite clay.
The weather was quite rainy in the morning, but Steve was prepared for it. He had set up tarps to keep class members relatively dry and comfortable. The rain subsided in the afternoon, but the wind picked up and temperatures dropped. In spite of the weather, everyone left the workshop happy and satisfied, carrying their own logs freshly inoculated with oyster or shiitake spawn.
