Oak mushroom logs

[Copes]

I was wondering if anyone has experience selling oak logs to mushroom companies?  I am always looking for ways to make a little more from the woodlot other than firewood.  I contacted a company and they said they are always looking for logs and wanted a price quote.  I'm trying to figure out a price for them.  They need to be fresh winter cut and between 4 and 10 inches in diameter, 4 ft lengths.  At least I don't have to split them.

Adam

[Skiddah]

I would say that the current four foot pulp price in your area should apply to this situation.

[Jeff]

Don't they also require them to be whiteoak?

[beenthere]

My buddies use red oak around here for the Shitake mushrooms.

[Tom]

I just read a post (elsewhere) of a treehugger that is so proud of growing shitake mushrooms.  They talked a tree surgeon out of some pruned limbs (they call them logs) and inoculated them with commercial dowels that had been impregnated with the fungus.  Now, I guess people need something to worry about, this tree hugger is concerned about releasing the "sequestered Carbon" in the logs. 

Sheesh!!  Get a life!!  Don't you guys go all anal on us now.  :D

[SwampDonkey]

The oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus and more rare Pleurotus columbinus can be grown on red maple, red oak, beech,birch and aspen. They said they have not figured out how to grow chanterelles mushrooms yet. Hen of the woods Grifola frondosa grow on the ground next to oak and maple. Some varieties in the Ganoderma genus are grown for medicine or remedies.

There is an article in Atlantic Forestry about David Wichland of Keane, NH putting on a workshop on growing edible mushrooms.

[Dieselbreath]

About 10 years ago I sold some white oak to a shitake mushroom grower. Seems like he paid about $175 a cord and he did all the cutting and hauling. More if I cut them. There's a lot of waste as he wants just part of the tree.
The next year I said to myself "I can do that business" so I did. Made money but a whole lot of work. Logs produced for about 5 years & I quit.
In addition to selling the mushrooms off the logs, there is a market for the innoculated logs themselves.
If you are supplying the logs you should get a premium price. Can you ask any other mushroom growers what they're paying?

[isawlogs]

 Where does one find the " innoculate " or is it spores .. the what ever to get the shrooms to grow . ???

  Guess a google search could be done .. but so much easier here    :P

[SwampDonkey]

Patty might point you in the direction, she grew some this spring. They come as kits with the spores.

[JimTwoSticks]

Check out http://www.fungi.com/
They seem to carry spawn for every edible mushroom that can be grown.

Good luck!

[Copes]

Wow, thanks for all the feedback.  The company I was talking to makes the plugs that are inserted into the logs.  They hold work shops where folks come out to their farm and innoculate logs and bring them home.  They sell the logs at the toronto farmers market as well as mushrooms.  I tried growing mushrooms a couple years ago but did not stay on top of it.  You really have to keep the logs wet, and shady.  So having the logs close to a pond in a must.  The mushrooms were great, but the slugs were a major problem.  Cut and split firewood here is selling for $80 a face cord, so they would have to pay at least that plus shipping.  I'm going to ask her what they are used to paying.  I'm also going to try the mushrooms growing the mushrooms again.

Adam

[Tom]

Have you tried diatomaceous earth?

It is a non-chemical pesticide that consists of the shells of micro organisms from ancient times.  You just sprinkle it around the ground, next to what you are trying to protect, and it slices the bellies of slugs as they crawl over it.  They dehydrate and die.

It has also been used as an insecticide for roachs, bedbugs, fleas, etc.

Diatomaceous earth sound like the ideal pesticide for your application.

[Dieselbreath]

Check out http://www.fungi.com/
They seem to carry spawn for every edible mushroom that can be grown.

Yes, that's fungi perfecti's website. If you're thinking about trying it I would recommend buying their book. Lots of good info, ie. keeping moisture up, harvesting, etc. I used the sawdust spawn as that was more cost effective for me. Winter is the best time to harvest the logs.

[akbird]

That is a lot of work. Think of the small diameter of those lots. You are going to bust your butt to load up a cord. $300.00 a cord. Think of your expenses and think about what you have to make for it to be worth it.