The public is invited to a workshop on growing, producing and harvesting shiitake mushrooms.

The Kickapoo Woods Cooperative is sponsoring the event, which will be held on the Roger Krause farm two miles west of Viroqua or 16 miles east of Genoa.  Participants will visit a shiitake mushroom production area in a hardwood forest.

Outdoor production yields mushrooms from spring till fall.  Each participant will inoculate a log with shiitake spawn to take home.  A hammer and a drill with a 5/16” bit are all we will use from the toolbox to inoculate the logs. 

Krause enjoys producing mushrooms for his own use and has spearheaded a project within the Kickapoo Woods Cooperative to inoculate mushroom logs with volunteers from the co-op, and sell them to raise funds to support KWC's educational programs.

The workshop begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 3 and costs $20, and this includes the cost of materials for the shiitake log you can take home for your own production.  In addition, participants will have the opportunity to purchase logs inoculated at least one year ago that will produce mushrooms this summer at a special price of $10 each.

To find the Krause place from Viroqua, go west on highway 56 two miles past the high school to Krause Lane, turn left (South) and go one-quarter mile to the first farm on the right. 

KWC will provide coffee.   The event will be held rain or shine.   

For more information, contact Lila Marmel, sunmoon@mwt.net or 608-624-5269.  On-site, call Roger Krause, 608-637-2787.

The Kickapoo Woods Cooperative’s mission is to provide forestry education, management and marketing services to residents of the Kickapoo valley and neighboring watersheds that will improve the forestry resource for the region.  KWC is accepting new members and can help them to develop Forest Management Plans.