Unity Farm Journal - Third Week of May 2014

Last Fall, Kathy and I inoculated 165 logs with 11 different subtypes of Shitake.   The typical �spawn run� of Shitake is 1 year, so we expected our first early flushes of mushrooms in October.  Imagine my surprise when I found that 5 subtypes fruited last weekend.    Here�s a picture of WR46, one subtype, with my boot in the background.   We carefully harvested all the mushrooms and we�ll prepare the fresh mushrooms to compare and contrast their flavors and textures.

I�m in China from May 18-24, but we�ve prepared our new outdoor mushroom beds for inoculation of additional almond mushrooms when I return memorial day weekend.   This warmth loving mushroom is already growing in our hoop house which is typically 80 degrees+ this time of year.     In New England, we�ve been careful to avoid outdoor planting before Memorial Day given the possibility of freeze.   Almond mushrooms cannot survive below 35F

We�ve built �fodder boxes� - hardware cloth covered 4� x 8� frames to protect newly planted grass from ducks, chickens and guinea fowl.    Now that we�ve finished the grading around the barnyard, we�ve planted a tough, drought resistant fescue.   The fodder boxes will enable us to �open the salad bar� when the grass is mature enough to survive a poultry feast.

Although I have a brief May trip to China and a few days in Japan in July, I have limited my international travel to ensure I have time for all my varied life responsibilities.   Rather than bring the family to Asia, we�ve worked to bring Asia to the family, turning a portion of Unity Farm into a moss covered Zen garden.   This year marks my 30th wedding anniversary.   For my 15th anniversary, I transported a 500 pound granite stone bench from a quarry in Western Massachusetts to our backyard in Wellesley.   Now that same bench and a Japanese lantern are the focal points of the Zen garden, surrounded by native cedars and rhododendrons.  

The trail signs arrived to complete the bridges I built for the vernal pond trail, cattail hollow trail, and forget-me-not glen.     I look forward to the day when visitors can explore the hidden wonders of the 15 acres

Finally, I�ve finished clearing the 10 fallen poplars that were knocked down during hurricane Sandy.    The wood will not leave the property - it will soon become wood chips that will be returned to the forest trails.