Welcome to Mycosource Inc./ Fun Guy Farm’s
“Grow your own mushrooms home page”
For log cultivation workshops in the spring check the workshop page
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 maple, alder, beech, ironwood, cottonwood, sweetgum, birch, 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 at least one month 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 March for delivery between April and May. Please order EARLY by e-mail with address and contact details.
Q: How many plugs will I need and how many sheets do I need to order
A: Each sheets has 600 plugs. This will inoculate 10 – 7-8″ logs (60 plugs per log) or 15 – 4″ logs (40 plugs per log). Use an average of 50 plugs per log if you have mixed sized logs. If you have larger logs then use a higher inoculation rate to determine how many sheets you need.
Inoculate in early spring when daily temperatures are reaching 10 Celsius. A log is inoculated one time and then can be 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).
If you are planning to sell mushrooms, 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 oyster mushrooms year round and therefore will generally be able to supply Oyster kits on a year round basis. In the spring we may also produce a limited number of sawdust blocks for indoor or outdoor cultivation of Reishi and Maitake. Check the Kits section for updated information on a continuing basis and call or e-mail us for availability of kits. Shiitake logs that were inoculated the previous year and will produce this year are also available for pick up at the farm or at one of the Farmer’s market we do.
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 60 kms. from downtown Toronto. Our two main focuses are the commercial production of fresh indoor/outdoor organic Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms 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. We are now in the process of being certified by ECO-CERT. Our mushrooms are not watered with municipal, chlorinated or flouridated water – they are watered with artesian spring water.
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