workshop:

The Secret Art of Growing Mushrooms

Custom workshop for AMFI fashion students

2 Oct 2012

In this workshop AMFI fashion students will learn how they can make their own straw-based substrate. They're going to infect this straw with oyster mushroom spawn in our cleanroom. After this workshop they have enough knowledge to repeat this procedure at home or at school. Of course they will take their freshly made oyster mushroom substrate bag home after the workshop. This custom workshop is only for AMFI. If you want do this workshop as well, then join us the next day.

Enlarge

Grey Oyster Mushrooms - Picture taken at the Paddestoelen Paradijs exhibition. Govert de Jong

What?

30 years ago the white button mushroom was the only mushroom you could find in the supermarket. A lot of things have changed in the meantime, but most people still only eat the white button mushrooms. Getting people to grow and consume all the varieties of mushrooms has been a slow process. This workshop is innovative and exciting because growing your own mushrooms is a new form of agricultural technology.

How?

The students are also interested in myco-material and how they could use this material in their fashion practice. The presentation will tell them more about the process. After that they start with sterilising the straw. By cooking the straw in a pressure cooker we instantly get rid off the existing mold and fungus spores that are often naturally present in the straw. We cook the straw for half an hour and then we let it cool down till it's approximately 25 degrees celsius. Then we start with the grafting process by mixing in the spores with our hand. After that we grab a filter bag, put the mixture in and seal the bag. When you come home, make sure to put the bag in a dark and warm place (28 degrees celsius) and wait a couple of weeks until the straw is fully colonised by the mycelium. Instructions on how to proceed once you get home will be given at the workshop.

Information and cost

The workshop takes place at Mediamatic BANK on Tuesday October 2nd from 10:00 to 13.00 for the first group and from 14.00 till 17.00 for the second group. For questions, please contact Deborah Meibergen.