Fungi Friday's - April 28th, 2022
Issue #28
Hey Fungi Friday fans — happy Friday! As we noted last week, we are officially underway with the first batch of oyster mushrooms and as of you reading this, they are approximately five days in to taking over their bags of substrate. Should be about one more week until we’re ready to move them from the damp, dark incubation room into our fruiting chamber, where they will spend the next month or so hopefully fruiting fresh oyster mushrooms!
Last weekend we finished up installing some fans, building out our three chambers within the trailer, and finally turned on the homemade humidifier. We then inoculated 10 bags of spawn in our straw substrate and they’ve been sitting ever since. Plan is to head down this weekend, check on our first batch, and finish up putting together the fruiting chamber, as it’s going to be needed shortly. We’ll most likely also get another 10-20 bags inoculated and ready to sit in the incubation room, as the goal is to stagger and experiment away.
Excited to get back down to the farm and see how we’re doing. Hopefully next week i’ll have some photos of the mycelium taking over a few bags. For now though, here’s a photo from our work last weekend of the first 10 bags.
And let’s get to the weekly stories!
Magic mushrooms: Scientist says fungi could revolutionize climate change fight
"Can we restore the forest’s fungal microbiome, and by doing so, build a healthier forest that can capture more carbon, that can better fight climate change?"
That is THE question that the researchers in the first feature article of this week have been working on figuring out for the past 15 years. And based on their research, they believe the answer to be YES! As most of us are taught from a young age, trees and plant life are responsible for removing carbon from the environment.
What many may not know, if fungi play a key role in that relationship as well. By placing the right native fungi in the correct native forests, it is actually possible to affect how fast trees grow, their ability to withstand drought and disease, how much carbon trees can capture and store in tree stems and in soils, all important factors when it comes to the fight against climate change. And while it may still be early innings in studying the relationship between plants and fungi, ultimately the goal is to create more resilient forests that can capture and store more carbon, making this beautiful Earth a more resilient place!
Demand for Specialty Mushrooms Surges, California Farm Bureau Reports
Specialty mushrooms are a top trending produce item for the last five years, and not only just at the fresh market, but within the dietary-supplement space as well, and for good reason. Regular readers here are no stranger to the wide ranging health benefits from consuming mushrooms, and it seems if there is one positive from the past two years, its that more and more within our population are becoming health conscious. People realize the need to get back to better health, and are turning to all sorts of dietary changes and supplements to help.
Through naturally grown, organic mushrooms such as reishi, cordyceps and lion's mane, just to name a few, consumers are able to add another health arrow to their health conscious quiver. And it’s certainly benefitting the growers as well! Demands for these specialty mushrooms have been literally booming, and there is no reason to believe things might slow down anytime soon.
Why Is Mushroom Exploding As An Ingredient In The Beauty World?
It’s no secret that lately mushrooms have been everywhere… it’s what we tell you about each week. But here’s a new one, mushrooms for skincare! According to this article, the polysaccharides in mushrooms hydrate your skin, making it soft and supple. They’re a good source of vitamin D, a powerful source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. Outside of that, mushrooms are also powerful adaptogenics and help to calm stress and reduce inflammation. They contain omega fatty acids and ceramides, which can help to build up the skin’s moisture barrier, acts as an exfoliant, prevents water loss, and keeps the skin hydrated. No wonder they’re being touted as the next big thing in skincare!
That all being said, i’m sure the question in your mind has to be, “but are these benefits derived from simply eating mushrooms?” — not exactly, while we’ve covered time and time again the many benefits that come from including mushrooms in your diet, the many positives mentioned above are actually from applying mushroom supplements topically. So next time you’re on the lookout for that new skincare product to try, keep mushrooms in mind. There’s not a whole lot they can’t do!
Want even more? Here are some other interesting, mushroom focused reads of the week:
As always, thank you for reading this weeks edition of Fungi Friday’s! If you enjoyed what you found, please feel free to forward to friends also interested in the Fungi Community!
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