Join BRWIA and Lively Up Farm for a workshop all about sustainable mushroom production!

Growing mushrooms can be a low-input, high-revenue enterprise for farmers and homesteaders. This workshop will cover species of wood and mushrooms that are most compatible, when to cut trees, and how to inoculate and stack logs for maximum harvest over many years. Participants will also see and get to practice the whole process of drilling holes, plugging holes and waxing the logs. Feel free to ask questions throughout the process, and come prepared to get a little dirty!

This is a donation-based workshop. If you'd like to purchase inoculated logs to take home with you, please add them to your ticket during the checkout process! Logs are limited, so if you want to make sure you can take one home, please order ahead of time. 

What to expect:

This is an outdoor, hands on workshop! Bring a water bottle and any snacks you might want. Please come dressed for the weather (hat, gloves, warm jacket) and wear warm shoes or boots that you can stand/walk in for extended periods of time. If you'd like to sit, please bring a folding chair. The workshop will begin at noon with an introduction to growing mushrooms and a tour of Matt's current mushroom production set up, and will move into the inoculation demonstration and hands-on portion of the workshop around 1pm. 

About the instructor: Matt Cooper

Matt runs Lively Up Farms, where he grows potatoes, greens, mushrooms, and other products. He sells at the Watauga County Farmer’s Market, the High Country Food Hub, and other market channels. Matt has been farming in Boone since 2008, and also manages manages the FIG (Farm Incubator and Grower) Farm, which connects new farmers and established farmers to share land resources.

Address and Parking information:

The address is 951 Upper Crab Orchard Rd, Banner Elk, NC. The workshop will be held at the small hoop house at the bottom of the hill on the left when you turn into the driveway. Please park in the grass along the side of the driveway.

About Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture:

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture helps build an equitable, sustainable High Country local food system by supporting producers and cultivating community connections that educate, inspire, and increase the demand for local food. This workshop is part of BRWIA's 2024 CRAFT Winter Workshop Series. Blue Ridge Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) cultivates meaningful mentor relationships between aspiring and experienced farmers. ​We believe that the educational and professional development of tomorrow’s growers and producers informs the health of our diverse local-food system and rural economy. Check out our other workshops and events for producers at brwia.org/craft.