Workshop:

Workshop: grow your own oyster mushrooms

Turn your waste into mushrooms

31 Jan 2015

This workshop is sold out! The next one is 28 February

Why buy mushrooms when it is so easy to grow them? This workshop explains the ins and outs of mushroom cultivation at home. You will learn how to turn your coffee waste and old cardboard into something edible.

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Oyster mushrooms peeping out of their bags with LED grow light. - In the Aquaponics hut we keet the temeperatures high by not ventilating too much in the cold season. But our plants need CO2. So we grow mushrooms in the same room. Mycelium produces CO2. So our plant feel good and we get to eat more mushrooms. Willem Velthoven

Besides the fact they are delicious and nutritious, there is much more to discover about mushrooms and fungi. Here at Mediamatic we explore the use of fungi as a source of new natural bio-materials. So if you are an artist or designer looking to grow your own material, don't hesitate and join our workshop!

What will you learn?

You will learn how to prepare your coffee and cardboard waste in order to let the mushrooms grow. You will learn how you can extract spawn from a fully grown mushroom so you can repeat the process at home. You will learn why and how we are working in our self constructed cleanroom. And you will learn about the ideal conditions for the mycelium and mushrooms to develop.

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Ni and Joyce inspect their growing bag. - Mycelium can be a source of inspiration for artists and designers. Amy Claire Elizabeth Galbraith

What will you do?

The workshop is lead by Antoni Gandia and takes place at Mediamatic Biotoop. First we will pasteurize the substrate in order to prevent moulds and contaminant bacteria growing between our mushrooms. Then, in the cleanroom, we will inoculate the substrate with mushroom spawn. Meanwhile Antoni will tell you everything about mushroom cultivation and its endless possibilities. Finally you take home your own growing bag. The mycelial network needs some time to colonize the substrate, after which it will start growing its fruits, your very own cultivated mushrooms.

Practical info

Tickets for the workshop are €25,-. You can buy your ticket here.
Note that this workshop is given in english.

If you have questions, or you want to book a private session for a group you can send a mail to workshops@mediamatic.nl

You can find Mediamatic Biotoop at Dijksgracht 6, within walking distance from Amsterdam central station. For directions click here