By Jamie Martin
Adding mushrooms to your farm can be a game-changer, and UMES Extension is offering an excellent opportunity to learn the craft. In collaboration with The Bay Mushrooms, the workshop will take place on Saturday, March 8, at the Federalsburg farm in Dorchester County, Maryland, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Led by farm operator and plant pathologist Jose Prieto, this hands-on event is tailored for small-scale farmers looking to include mushrooms in their operations.
Participants will gain valuable insights into cultivating popular varieties such as shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane, king oysters, maitake, and chestnut mushrooms.
Attendees will leave the workshop equipped with three ready-to-grow kits, complete with mushroom grain spawn bags, and a book on gourmet mushroom cultivation.
Prieto, with 28 years of agricultural experience, operates a climate-controlled facility on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and supplies mushrooms to wholesalers and local farmers' markets.
“We are excited that Jose has answered the call to partner with us in offering this professional learning experience based on the overwhelming interest mushroom cultivation generated during our conference,” said Berran Rogers, coordinator for UMES Extension’s Small Farm Program.
The workshop is a follow-up to a November Small Farm Conference visit to The Bay Mushrooms, emphasizing its practical application for income generation.
Pre-registration, which costs $500 per person and includes lunch, is required. Register online or explore the Spanish version of the workshop on March 22 at UMES Extension.
For additional details, contact Gail Stephens at gcstephens@umes.edu or 410-621-3850.
Photo Credit: istock-guruxoox
Categories: National