PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNGUS
| 2014 Q2 | story by SALLY ZOGRY    | photos by STEVEN HERTZOG |

 

 untitled

Most people would be hard-pressed to conjure up a mental image of a shitake mushroom farm, but according to Alan Terry, a peaceful patch of woods, and lots and lots of logs is about all there is to it.

Alan Terry has been cultivating shitakes on his 40-acre Oak Ridge Farm in Baldwin City for more than 25 years using a traditional Japanese method that his late wife first read about in a magazine.

“She saw an ad in a magazine about growing shitakes in oak logs,” says Alan. “I had never heard of shitake mushrooms. I don’t think a lot of people had back in the 80’s, but we had just finished building a house and had lot of oak log around the property.”

Alan Terry

Alan Terry

The process of cultivating shitakes in oak logs starts with drilling one-inch holes into logs, and then plugging the holes with a shitake mycelium. The “inoculation sites” are then sealed with wax, and the logs are stacked in a shady spot – in Alan’s case, it’s a grove of cedars on his farm. About year and a half later, the mushrooms push aside the wax and emerge from the holes. Alan says the log method of cultivation is the hard way to grow shitakes, and that most commercial shitake farmers grow them on a synthetic substrate.

“People ask what I do, and sometimes I joke that I’m a log wrestler,” says Alan. “But I enjoy it, it gets me out in the woods. I like to get out there in the morning when it’s quiet the birds are singing. It’s very meditative.”

Alan, who also works in property management, has 3000-4000 logs on his farm that produce 1000-1500 pounds of shitakes a year. He sells the mushrooms to a number of local restaurants and occasionally sells at the Lawrence Farmer’s Market when he has a surplus. He says he finds the social aspect of the business satisfying.

Oak Ridge Farm

Oak Ridge Farm

“You get to know the restaurants and the chefs,” says Alan. “It’s always nice when you deliver the first box of the season and the mushrooms look beautiful and everyone is happy to see you. Of course, it’s really the mushroom they’re happy to see, but you get a little of the rubbed-off glory.”

It is possible to speed up the cultivation time of the shitakes by soaking the logs in water overnight and covering them with a light plastic. This process will yield mushrooms in just a few weeks. For people who want to try their hand at growing shitakes using this method, Alan sells inoculated logs at The Holiday Farmer’s Market and at The Merc Co-op.

It’s fun for people to buy the log, watch the mushrooms grow and then eat them,” says Alan. “They make good gifts – I put a bow on them and sell quite a few at the holiday market.”

Share.

251 Comments

  1. Paxlovid buy online [url=https://paxlovid1st.shop/#]best price on pills[/url] paxlovid covid

  2. clopidogrel bisulfate 75 mg [url=http://clopidogrel.pro/#]clopidogrel pro[/url] clopidogrel bisulfate 75 mg

  3. ivermectin 5 [url=https://stromectol1st.shop/#]best price shop[/url] minocycline 50 mg otc

  4. paxlovid india [url=http://paxlovid1st.shop/#]paxlovid 1st[/url] paxlovid cost without insurance

  5. ivermectin 50mg/ml [url=http://stromectol1st.shop/#]order minocycline 100 mg[/url] where can i buy stromectol

  6. өлім туралы әндер, ажал туралы өлеңдер белгілі бір шарттарда сутек тығыздығы, экологиялық кодекс қашан қабылданды материальная культура казахов эссе, материальная
    культура казахов в 16-17 веках жер-су реформасы және жэс, 1921 жылғы жер-су реформасының қандай маңызы болды знания

  7. en iyi casino siteleri [url=https://1wintr.fun/#]canl? casino siteleri[/url] canl? casino

  8. чем защититься от ведьмы и колдуньи священники о
    правильной молитве как повысить уровень вампира в
    майнкрафт, зачарование вампир убийца майнкрафт
    сила притяжения земли формула, сила
    тяжести формула биоритмы человека расчет, как рассчитать биоритмы человека формула

  9. Профессиональный сервисный центр по ремонту игровых консолей Sony Playstation, Xbox, PSP Vita с выездом на дом по Москве.
    Мы предлагаем: сервис по ремонту игровых консолей
    Наши мастера оперативно устранят неисправности вашего устройства в сервисе или с выездом на дом!

  10. Купить диплом в томске
    Хочешь купить диплом в Томске? Это возможно! Тебе не нужно тратить много времени и сил на изучение материалов, сдачу экзаменов и защиту дипломной работы. Просто обратись к специалистам, которые помогут тебе приобрести нужный документ. Благодаря этому ты сможешь получить квалификацию и стать специалистом в нужной области. Это отличный способ быстро достичь своих целей и начать новую карьеру. Просто обратись к профессионалам и получи диплом, который откроет перед тобой новые возможности.
    https://www.racingfans.com.au/forums/users/maryannv93/

  11. en iyi casino siteleri [url=https://1wintr.fun/#]en iyi casino siteleri[/url] slot casino siteleri

  12. Профессиональный сервисный центр по ремонту игровых консолей Sony Playstation, Xbox, PSP Vita с выездом на дом по Москве.
    Мы предлагаем: ремонт игровой консоли
    Наши мастера оперативно устранят неисправности вашего устройства в сервисе или с выездом на дом!

  13. Show the camsex girls your hard cock. They are keen to see it when they fuck themselves with the dildo. With Cam To Cam it gets really hot in front of the sex cam. Simply choose your blonde cam girls and switch on your live cam. Jerk off together and climax together. This is how sexcam sex becomes satisfying.

  14. майлықожа сұлтанқожаұлы ана, майлықожа сұлтанқожаұлы нақыл сөздері
    ақан сері қалдырған мұралары,
    ақан сері айтыстары айгерим клиника актобе мрт
    цены, где дешевле сделать мрт
    актобе сагындым алматымды скачать на
    звонок, музарт скачать
    рингтон

  15. cheap medications online [url=https://drugs1st.store/#]medication drugs[/url] supplements for ed

  16. indian pharmacy [url=https://indianpharm1st.com/#]cheapest online pharmacy india[/url] Online medicine home delivery

  17. indian pharmacy paypal [url=http://indianpharm1st.com/#]india online pharmacy[/url] indian pharmacy

  18. Basically I am a very open person, so I am not afraid to be filmed free adult webcams. Therefore, I look forward to showing you one or the other video of me in the future. I want to try myself out and have new experiences. Maybe something will happen between us!

  19. пин ап вход [url=https://pinupzerkalo.fun/#]пин ап зеркало[/url] Официальный Сайт

  20. sweet bonanza tr [url=https://sweetbonanzatr.pro/#]sweet bonanza[/url] sweet bonanza oyna

  21. sweet bonanza oyna [url=http://sweetbonanzatr.pro/#]sweet bonanza[/url] sweetbonanzatrpro

  22. к чему снится заигрывать с парнем к чему снится девушка моей мечты сон работать
    в полиции, во сне работать в магазине
    исламский сонник что будет если снится беременность
    сколько по времени делается расклад таро, ближайшее время в таро это
    сколько

  23. sweetbonanzatrpro [url=https://sweetbonanzatr.pro/#]sweetbonanzatrpro[/url] sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r

  24. пин ап [url=http://pinupzerkalo.fun/#]бонусы пин ап[/url] пин ап зеркало

  25. viagra without a doctor prescription [url=http://pharm24.pro/#]cheap meds[/url] erectyle disfunction

Leave A Reply

Contact to Listing Owner

Captcha Code