The Alternative Press

Scotch Plains Public Library will offer a workshop on home mushroom cultivation on Monday, July 30 at 7:00 pm. All members of the public are invited to attend.

Rob Aptaker, an expert in growing and foraging for mushrooms, will speak about the process of inoculating spawn into logs to grow shiitake, oyster,  and other gourmet varieties at home. In an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News, Aptaker elaborated on the process, once the initial steps are performed :

"You'll have mushrooms in about three or four days," said Aptaker. About 45 days after you harvest, your log will be ready to produce again. A typical inoculated log will produce one year of fruit for every inch of diameter; 4-5 inches yields four to five years of mushrooms.

"It becomes a passion," said Aptaker. "The process of inoculating is absolutely therapeutic. I think the same way gardeners find weeding meditative. And the results are so delicious."

Aptaker will bring inoculated logs to show the mushrooms’ development. He will also  offer logs for sale to any interested participants, for under $20.00 per log. The Philadelphia Daily News article can be read in its entirety at  http://articles.philly.com/2012-02-9/entertainment/31042297_1_shiitake-mushroom-lovers-wild-mushrooms. Copies are available to read at the Scotch Plains Public Library’s reference desk.

All interested members of the public are invited to attend this free program Attendees are encouraged to register through the library’s website: http://www.scotlib.org or by phone: 908-322-5007, x.204 or e-mail library@scotlib.org. The Scotch Plains Library is located at 1927 Bartle Avenue, one block from Park Avenue in the center of town. More information about the library’s programming can be found at http://www.scotlib.org.