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Mycelial Mayhem is a comprehensive and personal tome on the production, business, promotion, and problem solving for the independent mushroom grower. Although my interests lean toward "mushroom art" more than mushroom production, I am looking forward to having my own copy for its valuable resources. ---Taylor Lockwood This lively, companionable book demystifies mushrooms for those of us seeking clear explanations and checklists combined with infectious enthusiasm and some stunning photos, to nudge us towards starting out cultivating, wild collecting and marketing this diverse class of crops, which can complement our other gardening and farming ventures. ---Pam Dawling, author, Sustainable Market Farming Usually I'm out in the woods looking for wild mushrooms, not cultivating them, but after reading Mycelial Mayhem's approachable primer to this age-old art I'm ready to invite the mysterious and captivating kingdom of fungi right into my own home. -- Langdon Cook, author, The Mushroom Hunters This is the book that I will recommend for all beginning mushroom growers. Whether you want to grow mushrooms just for your own use or are considering them as a business, you will find this is a practical, down to earth, and enjoyable book to read. It covers everything the beginner needs to know including the basics of mushroom biology, how to grow, wild collecting, incorporating mushrooms into your landscape, cooking, and how start a mushroom business. The niche business and supplement income section is excellent and appropriate for someone considering any kind of small-scale agricultural business. ---Jeanine Davis, PhD., Associate Professor and Extension Specialist North Carolina State University, and lead author, Growing and Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal and Other Woodland Medicinals Mycelial Mayhem draws us into the wild, weird, and wonderful world of the fungal kingdom with irresistible wit and wisdom. Emphasizing culinary glory, responsible foraging, nutritional and health benefits, the role of fungi in healthy ecosystems, and the barely explored possibilities of profitable business, this charming and very well-informed book is both welcome and indispensable for the beginning cultivator or curious cook. ---Peter Bane, author, The Permaculture Handbook
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction
Dave's Mycelial Mayhem Journey
Kristin's Mycelial Mayhem Journey
Section I: Mycelia
1. Why Mushrooms?
Why Not Mushrooms?
Mushrooms Are Part of Our Fabric
Mushrooms for the Future
On the Mushroom Path
2. Mushroom Basics
Fungi: A Kingdom of Its Own
Mushroom Structure and Life Cycle
Relevance of the Life Cycle to Cultivation and Harvest
Facilitating Growth and Reproduction
Fungi in Our Ecosystems
Mushroom Life Cycle and Ecology as Teacher
Section II: The Stem
3. Growing Mushrooms
The Assessment
Outdoor Cultivation
Wine Caps (Stropharia rugoso annulata)
Oysters
Pink Oyster (Pleurotus djamor)
Italian Oyster (Pleurotus pulmonarius)
Golden Oyster (Pleurotus cornucopiae)
King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii)
Nameko (Pholiota nameko)
Pioppino or Black Poplar (Agrocybe aegerita)
Lion's Mane or Hericium (Hericium erinaceus)
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
Maitake
Black, Yellow, and Grey Morels (Morchella angusticeps, M. esculenta and M. deliciosa)
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)
Indoor Cultivation: The Mayhem Within
4. Wild Collecting and Purveying
Tenets to Follow When Collecting Wild Mushrooms
Tenets to Follow When Purveying Wild-collected Mushrooms
5. Companion Planting and Other Sustainable Methods
Systems Thinking: It's Not Just About the Mushrooms
What's the Difference? Economics vs. Ecology
What's the Difference? Sustainability vs. Resilience
Biomimicry
Permaculture Principles
Putting It All Together: Resilient Design
Applications for Mushroom Growing
Composting
Recycling Spent Growing Medium
Materials and Energy Reduction
Business Resilience
Sharing Your Bounty
Section III: The Fruit of Your Labor
6. Umami of Edible Mushrooms
What Is Umami?
From Harvest to Feast: Handling Mushrooms for the Best Umami
Complementary Food Pairings for Umami and Health
The Taste, Texture and Presentation of Specific Mushrooms
Culinary Supplements
Recipes
7. Nutritional Benefits of Mushrooms
Nutrition and Medicine
Nutritional Content of Mushrooms
The Known Benefits
The Super Seven Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushrooms' Major Health Improvement Functions
How to Maximize Nutritional Content
Cautions
8. Niche Business or Supplemental Income
Mushrooms As a Business?
Knowing How to Grow
Formulating Your Idea
Evaluating Your Market: Conducting a Market Analysis
Getting Started
9. Marketing Mushrooms
Challenges and Opportunities
Developing Your Story
Traditional Advertising
Target Marketing and Understanding Your Unique Market
Crafting Your Online Presence
Collaboration
Face Time
Developing Your Unique Marketing Strategy
Evaluating Your Efforts
Looking Forward and Anticipating Change
Section IV: Spreading the Spores
10. Conclusion: Spread Your Spores
Appendix: Marketing and Communications Materials
North American Resources by Subject
References
Index
About the Authors
