Event Details
Date
November 8 - December 13, 2016
Time
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location
Webinar: Every Tuesday beginning on November 8 - December 13
Cost
$250.00
Host
Cornell Small Farms Program
Erica Frenay
607-255-2142
email Erica Frenay
www.nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses/
Cornell Small Farms Program: BF 151: Woodland Mushroom Cultivation
November 8 - December 13, 2016
Note: In addition to weekly online readings, presentation, and discussion, participants will receive spawn in the mail and get to try mini mushroom experiments at home.
Target Audience
ALL LEVELS: The course is for new farmers, or experienced farmers seeking to diversify their operations. It's also relevant to woodlot owners and backyard gardeners interested in this topic. Growing mushrooms as a viable economic enterprise will be stressed, though techniques can also be applied at the hobby scale. Mushroom farming is an easy topic for beginners with some experience farming and managing crop systems. Those with knowledge of forestry and chainsaw use may be able to move along more quickly.
Course Objectives
At the completion of this course, you will:
- Understand of the basics of mushroom production, harvesting, and marketing
- Connect mushroom cultivation and management of healthy forests
- Complete a basic marking plan and budget for a mushroom enterprise
- Understand the logistics of management, sales, and legal issues related to mushroom farming
Webinars
The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments in MOODLE, our virtual classroom. To add to the experience, webinars will be woven into the online interface of the course to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from outside presenters and ask questions to address your farm issues in real time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing. Access details will be posted in MOODLE once you have registered and logged in.
Instructor
Steve Gabriel, Agroforestry Specialist for Cornell Small Farms Program, co-owner of Wellspring Forest Farm, and co-author of Farming the Woods.
