Mushroom Production the Topic of Next West Virginia State University Ag Talk Tuesday Session August 11

8/6/2020

---

Contact: Jack Bailey
(304) 766-4109
jbaile19@wvstateu.edu
     
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Service’s monthly Ag Talk Tuesday series continues Tuesday, August 11, at 6 p.m. EST with a discussion about mushroom production for at-home growers. Julie Schaer of The Potager farm in Hurricane, West Virginia, will share information and answer questions with participants live via Zoom.

Mushrooms are a sought-after vegetable in West Virginia, with mushroom foraging being a popular activity for many in the region. With this session, organizers hope to provide insight and examples of how mushroom production can be done on a small scale for at-home growers, even with very limited space, who may not have access to forested property to forage.

“Mushrooms have fascinated people for years,” said Dr. Annette Ericksen, assistant program director for agriculture and natural resources with WVSU Extension Service. “They pop up after rains almost magically, are beautiful and provide that little extra special addition to our culinary dishes.  We want to showcase how raising them yourself can be just as rewarding and equally tasty as is foraging for them in the wild.”

Space is not a requirement for success in mushroom production, Ericksen said, adding that mushrooms can be grown anywhere: a basement, on a porch, in the kitchen, patio or backyard, or even on a bookshelf. Successful production does require some “tricks to the trade,” however, which Schaer will share during the Ag Talk Tuesday session, including how to grow in buckets and tower systems.

The free series began in July and takes place the second Tuesday of each month. Participants register to join the live event and can submit questions ahead of time through the WVSU Extension Service Facebook and Twitter platforms or via email.

The full schedule for the fall Ag Talk Tuesday series is as follows.

• August 11 – Mushroom Production with Julie Schaer, The Potager, Hurricane, West Virginia
• September 8 – The Home Dairy with Dr. Annette Ericksen, WVSU Extension Service and Twin Maples Farm, Milton, West Virginia
• October 13 – Low Tunnel Season Extension with Dr. Annette Ericksen and Kristie Martin, WVSU Extension Service
• November 10 – Grazing Management with Inetta Fluharty, WVSU Extension Service
• December 8 – Climate Study Update with Liz Moss, WVSU Extension Service

To participate in the Zoom sessions, participants are to register at wvstateu.edu/ANR. Registering once provides access to the full schedule of sessions.

While live questions will be answered during each session, participants are also encouraged to submit questions, as well as ideas for future topics, ahead of time to extension@wvstateu.edu.

Follow West Virginia State University on Facebook and Twitter @WVStateU.
 
West Virginia State University is a public, land grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi‐generational institution, located in Institute, W.Va. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.