Welcome to Mycosource Inc./ Fun Guy Farm's

"Grow your own mushrooms home page"

 Use the following links for further pages.

Information     Books     FAQ     Product Catalog    

Farmers Markets             Medicinal Mushrooms

Log Cultivation Précis          CultivationWorkshops

Log Management         Spawn         Plug Spawn Use Instructions

We have put a lot of information on mushroom cultivation on this site. Please read the sections that interest you THOROUGHLY , and you will get most of the answers you need to have a general idea of how mushrooms are cultivated. Our  FAQ page (frequently asked questions )will answer most other cultivation questions.

TO PURCHASE FRESH MUSHROOMS COME TO THE FARMER'S MARKET!!

                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

            

Farmers Markets

If you need anything special (such as an inoculated log) call ahead and we can bring it to the market

 

ATTENTION PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN OUTDOOR LOG CULTIVATION!!!

  Following is a précis of the process. 

Cut fresh hardwood limb wood (oak species are best but you can also use alder, hickory, beech, ironwood, poplar, cottonwood, sweetgum, birch, willow and many other non-aromatic, broad-leaf hardwoods; more rapidly decomposing hardwoods have about ½ the lifespan; fruitwoods are notoriously poor) after leaf fall and before leaf bud.  The branches can be left in the bush and cut up in 3-4 ‘ (1.3 m.) long pieces prior to inoculation. The wood needs to be cut about two months prior to the planned inoculation date so that the cells have a chance to die out and not fight off the spawn.

 Order “spawn” (fungal mycelium grown out on hardwood sawdust medium) during winter months.  We prepare spawn only in January to March for delivery between February and May.

Inoculate in early spring. A log is inoculated one time and then managed for  fruiting  every 6 to 8 weeks during the growing season (May to November in a temperate climate).

Log management involves intermittent soaking, fruiting, harvesting, and resting. You must have access to water for soaking and/or sprinkling. 

Wait approximately 1 year (depending on environmental conditions) for the spawn run (fungal mycelium colonizes the sapwood) and begin harvesting mushrooms the following spring (or perhaps that fall).

During the spawn run carry out specific market research and networking in order to line up prospective customers to take delivery when you begin producing.  You should be prepared with packaging, such as brown paper bags or cardboard boxes, a scale, and delivery slips. 

Please refer to the Information section and FAQ s for more details.

To order click here!

 

Home/Hobby cultivation

Due to an increased workload we cannot continue to supply  home cultivation kits on a stand alone basis. The kits we will be able to supply are a parallel product to our commercial production. This means that the kits will only be available at the same time that we have blocks for our commercial mushroom growing. We are planning to grow shiitake year round and therefore will generally be able to supply Shiitake kits on a year round basis. In the spring we may also  produce a limited number of sawdust blocks for outdoor cultivation of Reishi, Maitake, and King Oyster (Pleurotus Eryngii )(Cardoncello). We are planning to bury the former blocks outdoor in beds and expect fruiting in the fall. These blocks will be produced in March and April and will be available in April to May.  Check the Kits section for updated information on a continuing basis and call or e-mail us for availability of kits.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO INOCULATE LOGS PLEASE READ THE INFO ON THE  TIME LINE FOR LOG CUTTING, INOCULATION, AND SPAWN  (CULTURE/SEED) ORDERING.

click here!!

Small scale commercial cultivation 

Outdoor

If you have access to a bush lot, and can get hardwood logs, you can add to your income with a seasonal crop of Shiitake. By using our spawn and  following proven cultivation methods you will be assured of a successful venture. The best species to use for commercial cultivation is Oak. Other hardwoods  i.e.: ironwood, hickory, alder, maple will also produce but have less desirable characteristics. Maple tends to debark faster than Oak, and the logs will not last as long. Alder is softer and will not last as long.

Indoor

Spawn, inoculated blocks, cultures and other supplies are available for the hobbyist turned entrepreneur.

Large scale commercial cultivation

Consultation, equipment, technology transfer, and supplies are available.

Mycosource Inc. is the owner/operator of Fun Guy Farm, located 55 kms. from downtown Toronto. Our two main focuses are the commercial production of fresh indoor/outdoor organic Shiitake for sale in the Toronto market, and spawn production for sale to other growers. Other mushrooms such as Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), Maitake (Grifola frondosa), and various Oyster species (Pleurotus spp.) are grown on a smaller scale during our research into their optimal growing conditions for our area and for our strong interest in the medicinal properties of mushrooms.

Fun Guy Farm is dedicated to sustainable organic agriculture and the production of the highest quality organic mushrooms.  We were Certified Organic by the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) from 1994 until 2005. Even though we are not currently certified by OCIA none of our production practices has changed and all of our raw material inputs are organic.  Furthermore, our mushrooms are not watered with municipal, chlorinated or flouridated water - they are watered with artesian spring water. We are planning to get re-certified. For more information on organic certification click on the logo on the left.

 

This homepage has been set up to provide you with lots of information. Most of your preliminary questions can probably be answered by browsing through the various sections in the information pages. If you have any more specific questions not answered already feel free to e-mail us. 

Contact Information

Mobile Telephone: 416-402-9755  Office Telephone : 416-963-5520

Office/Postal address: 21 Maple Avenue, Toronto ON Canada M4W 2T5  

Farm Address: R.R. 1, Goodwood ON, Canada L0C 1A0

Farm Telephone: 905 642 3014

Electronic mail

General Information: office@mycosource.com
Sales: office@mycosource.com
Customer Support: office@mycosource.com
Webmaster: office@mycosource.com

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