C.R.A.F.T. was super excited to host David Andrews (Class of 2012) and his partner Erin Donahue along with Phil Rice from Cobb Hill to lead our students in a mushroom cultivation workshop.
David first learned how to grow mushrooms as a student at WUHS at Cobb Hill, and has since gone on to own and run his own very successful vegetable and mushroom farm in Maine, Tiny Acres Farm. This was a true partnership venture, as Field and Forest Products donated the mushroom spawn and Pat Bartlett donated the sugar maple logs.
David, Erin, and Phil lead the students in a 'drill, fill, and seal' process to inoculate 60 logs with shiitake and chestnut mushroom spores. We also learned about mushroom varieties, economics, and ecological benefits. We are planning on a big harvest in the spring of 2024, so patience is also emphasized!
A big shout out to Kevin Nunan for helping us move and store the logs too!