Back to Business

First of all, sadly, today the Guerrilla Gardening Bike Race was rained out. (It's not Seattle, after all.) So you'll have to wait until next week for the details!
Back to business... Brendan and I spent the week making mushroom logs for a Fall-harvest crop in the woods of Chris's property. We plugged over a hundred 4 foot white oak logs with Shitaake, Pearl Oyster, Phoenix Oyster, Blue Oyster, and Lion's Mane Oyster mushroom mycelium- infused wooden dowels. How's that for a mouth full?
Tomorrow we'll begin to set them up, Teepee- style, in mulch covered "fallows," or water-ways, in the woods. The logs will draw water up from the ground, keeping the mycelium moist as it colonizes the logs. About six months into their respective lifecycles, the logs will begin to "fruit" and we'll have delicious mushrooms! The idea is to make the operation as self-irrigated as possible, so we'll be building a water-catching system in the nearby field to direct an extra amount of water to the woods. We're thinking 10x10 lean-tos with gutters that drain into a series of 55-Gal drums. More later.
Most excitingly, of course, are my new digs... the Skamper!
A photo-montage of this vintage but very comfortable little camper:
I've been exploring the country roads on the bicycle, and really enjoy the quiet beauty of the area and the farm. No crickets or fireflies yet, but most importantly, we're still mosquito-free.
On the horizon: transplanting the tomato crop to the field and getting 'brooding houses' ready for the arrival of our baby chicks! I'm reading everything I can get my hands on about how to be a Chicken Mom... any suggestions?
Also next week: the last installment of Chicken of the Week for a while. Yes, I know we just got started, but it's not over forever, and I'll explain later.
For those of you who want a more visual experience, my Flickr site is now equipped with a Farmblog companion slideshow. Check it out!

And now, I leave you with the best photo so far... Enjoy!