Mushrooms often don’t get the credit they deserve. They are curiosities that appear as if by magic after a rainstorm or show up on a downed log in the forest. The mushrooms you find at the grocery store, like buttons, shitakes, and portobellos, are only the tiniest fraction of the culinary delights of the fungi kingdom.
On Saturday, April 16, the Cibolo is proud to host Louis San Miguel of Mycobuddy for a hands-on workshop on cultivating mushrooms in your own home during the Farmers Market at Herff Farm. Attendees will make a mushroom kit to take home with them.
These forgiving mushrooms are excellent for beginners and require very little care. Within just a couple of weeks, you will be enjoying homegrown oyster mushrooms.
Apart from being tasty morsels, mushrooms also are performing an essential service for the earth and the ecosystem. Together with bacteria and invertebrates, fungi serve as the “FBI” – the decomposers of dead organic matter.
Decomposition might not be at the forefront of your mind, but it’s crucial. Without this process, we wouldn’t have soil as a growing medium, and old trees and fallen leaves would pile up on each other ad infinitum. Decomposers break down organic matter into building blocks that humans, plants and animals can then use to grow and thrive.
The mushrooms you buy at the grocery store are only the tiniest fraction of the organism.
The part you see above ground is called the fruiting body, and wherever you see a fruiting body, there is a vast network of mycelium underground. These white threads, or hyphae, act as a network that spreads underground to find nutrients like nitrogen, carbon, potassium and other elements needed for the mushroom to grow.
Mycelium networks don’t only provide this service for themselves, however. They also can act as a sort of internet for the forest, setting up lines of communication between the trees. Trees can then send sugars and other nutrients through the mycelium to other trees on their network that might be struggling.
While the fossil record is quite spotty, it is believed that fungi have been around for around for a billion years. About 400 million years ago, when plants were relatively new to the scene, gigantic mushroom spires dotted the earth’s surface, reaching up to 24 feet. They predate both humans and land plants.
Join us in the Teaching Barn at Herff Farm at 10 am on Saturday, April 16. This class is $40 for non-members and $35 for Friends of the Cibolo members.
The Mushroom Cultivation Workshop is one of the many workshops we are hosting this year, so be sure to check our calendar on Cibolo.org for more information. Special thanks to Valero Energy for generously sponsoring this class and other garden workshops this season.
Cibolo Happenings
April 16
• Farmers Market at Herff Farm, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Join us at the Farmer’s Market at Herff Farm. Enjoy locally produced products and goods from small businesses and farms from the Texas Hill Country. Herff Farm offers trails and programming for children and adults. More information is available on www.cibolo.org.
• Home Mushroom Cultivation – Teaching Barn at Herff Farm, 10-11:30 a.m. Join Louis San Miguel of Mycobuddy as we learn the basics of home mushroom cultivation. We will learn about the biology of mushrooms, the role they play in our ecosystem, and how to grow these low-maintenance and tasty fungi right from the comfort of your own home. Admission includes all supplies to start your oyster mushrooms. This class is limited to 20 people and will sell out. Register at www.cibolo.org.
April 23
• Sculpt the Mat – Adult Wellness Class at Herff Farm, 9-9:45 a.m. This class will blend the upbeat rhythm of a barre class with Pilates movements to enhance your strength and endurance. This inclusive workout is designed for all levels to focus on body alignment, breath, and control with upbeat music to keep your body moving and your mind working. Bring your mats and water bottles and head to the farm during the Farmers Market at Herff Farm. Classes are $15 per session. Register on www.cibolo.org.
• Native Plant Sale. The Farmers Market at Herff Farm, in partnership with the Boerne Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, is sponsoring the sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pick up native plants for your garden and mingle with the staff from NPSOT who can answer your gardening questions. Enjoy the farmers market afterward. Learn more on www.cibolo.org
• Storytime at the Farm, Miss Constance of the Patrick Heath Library, 10-11 a.m. Miss Constance will host a flower-themed story adventure from the amphitheater at Herff Farm. A backup location will be announced on the day of if it rains. This is a free event.
• Moondance Outdoor Concert Series, enjoy the Almost Patsy Cline Band at the Nature Center, 7-10 p.m., Join us for the opening night of the concert season. Attendees can bring their chairs, coolers and friends to enjoy dancing under the full moon. Ticket pricing is available for members, nonmembers, students, and children. Learn more at www. cibolo.org.
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