Miracle Mushrooms - How Mycelium can Help us Save the World

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of organisms known as fungi. The vegetative portions of the fungus, or the "plant" if you will, are the mycelium which grow in soil and on other substrates such as wood or decaying plant matter. They remain unseen or unnoticed by most of us during the course of our daily lives, and yet, these amazing organisms are some of the largest on the planet. They perform multiple functions within both natural and man-made systems and; they may be one of the key components in solving a variety of environmental issues which are plaguing our planet and putting the future of humanity in question.

As mycelium grow they produce enzymes which help to break down organic compounds. By so doing they help to recycle nutrients back into the food web so that they can be taken up by other plants and organisms. Plants and fungi form symbiotic relationships exchanging nutrients and water. Some studies have shown that plants benefit from and are more productive when growing in proximity with certain fungi. Additionally certain fungi help to protect the plants from pathogens that might otherwise attack the plants. 

Mycelium can be used as both sponges and filters in various environmental protection and clean up efforts. Researches such as Paul Stamets, author of Mycelium Running, have investigated some amazing and potentially life changing uses for mushrooms, from the digestion of disposable diapers to soil clean up following oil or chemical spills. Mr Stamets has also demonstrated the use of mycelium in the organic control of certain insects pests. 

Mycelium are also being used to replace synthetic compounds in packaging. Companies such as Ecovactive Design are creating a variety of packaging materials and insulation that are environmental, economical, durable and yet compostable. One of the great things about these mushroom based packaging materials is that they can replace styrofoam which is one of the worst culprits in the world of packaging in terms of its negative impacts on human life and the environment. 

And lest you think that mushrooms are just the latest space-age panacea, remember that people have been using mushrooms for thousands of years as both food and medicine. Mushrooms contain protein and other valuable nutrients and some mushrooms, such as the turkey tail mushroom, have been used to fight cancer. But even in the food arena, mushrooms have their space-age applications. Knowing the horrific impact the industrial meat processing industry has on our environment and knowing the abysmal conditions of the animals which are processed through this system has driven many people to seek alternatives which will allow them to maintain a level of texture and variety in their diet that they might not otherwise be able to achieve with traditional vegetarian fare. There is an answer. A variety of healthy, economical and really quite tasty meat substitutes are being made from mushrooms and mycelium. 

The humble mushroom has become a source of wonder and fascination for me. With all the amazing uses we have found for these simple organisms, one wonders how many more we will discover and what other positive impacts they might have for protecting life on this planet. 

North Berwick Farmer's Market - Visit the Market - Check out the Raffle

Hubby and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit the North Berwick Farmer's Market on Friday. We don't often get the chance these days, due to our work schedules, and any chance we get, we consider it a blessing. Thanks to the long holiday weekend, we were both released from work early and, of course, we ran straight to the market. We enjoyed visiting with all the vendors, who are so friendly and willing to share their farming expertise, picking up some wonderful organic garlic, and taste testing the sumptuous feast of heirloom tomatoes from Sweet Thyme Farm. 

We also stopped by the SNAP booth and donated several copies of Cool Cuisine for the raffle. So, if you are going to be in North Berwick on a Friday afternoon in the next few weeks, please stop by the market, support your local farmers and take a chance at the raffle. The market runs 3-6 pm every Friday through October. It't always worth the trip.

Market Basket Madness

Delicious and made from local veg and dairy

This whole fiasco with Market Basket grocery stores being virtually shut down for more than a month has taught me to be very thankful for my garden, my pantry, and the farmer's market. When the whole thing first started I was concerned because my first thought was, "It is going to cost us so much more for basic food stuffs and things are already tight." But as the feud between the Demoulas cousins continued and we had to be more creative about where, what and how much we bought (because shopping at Shaw's or Hannaford was not an option I would take), I became very thankful for the wide variety of things my husband planted in the garden. I'm even thankful for the kolrabi and okra. They provide variety. We even started looking at the things that often get tossed on the compost pile, such as cauliflower leaves, as greens that can be steamed or put into soups. Our diet actually got more varied, interesting and probably more healthy. Particularly because we know that our garden is pesticide and chemical fertilizer free.

For the other things we need such as flour, rice, butter, milk and fruit we go to, the farmer's market, Nature's Way or  Fiddlehead Farms Market, or to the natural food store. To be completely honest I'm finding not fighting the crowds in the grocery store very refreshing. I also find that I meet more people and have actual pleasant social interactions in the smaller shops. Shopping this way feeds my mind and soul as well as my body. Because of this, and because it is one of our personal goals to support local businesses, we had already greatly reduced our reliance on Market Basket and my initial worry was really unfounded. We probably spent a little more on butter, milk and flour. But other than that I would say there were no great added expenses. 

Now that the crisis is over and the shelves are filling up again, we are taking stock of things and deciding if it makes sense to shop at the chain grocery store or if it makes more sense to continue to spread our patronage among smaller local businesses.  We are also thinking about steps that we can take to become even more self reliant. This was a minor blip. It's summer and we have our garden, our pantry was well stocked and after all, there are many other stores. If we really had to get something, we could. But what if....? What if this crisis was caused by war or disease-quarantine, or some other natural disaster that prevented supplies from getting delivered to our area at all, or kept us from getting out? What if it was winter and a blizzard? There would be no garden then. At that point I would be glad for summer's bounty that we had put away in canning jars and the freezer.  I'm not a paranoid person who thinks that you need to keep your basement stocked with 3 years worth of canned goods. But I do think it makes some sense to consider how we can make our lives a little less dependent upon the vagaries of the markets and the whims of the elite. I believe that having the ability to take care of your own basic needs, particularly food and water, is a wise investment in your time and money. 

People in our area are very fortunate. We don't always stop and think about these things. We have rarely seen shortages of food and other essentials of life that are more common in cities and in poorer nations. Shortages that can lead to deprivation, unrest and even violence. 

So I'm glad this little skirmish has ended, and I'm glad that it has made me think more deeply and in different ways about the issues of food supply, shortage, poverty and many other things that are tied up in taking care, not only of ourselves, but of others. For our part, we are planning to take a trip to our local Market Basket this weekend to purchase some food for the local food pantry. After that we'll see. I think likely we will still go there occasionally to stock up on butter, flour and sugar, but for the most part, it will not be our primary source of groceries. I think we will also double our canning and freezing efforts, taking advantage of all the resources that nature supplies during the summer, from the wild, from our own garden and from the gardens of local farmers who serve our community so well. 

Found Object Art - Bringing Recycling to a Whole New Level

Local artist Bob Farrell takes recycling to a whole new level with his one of a kind found art objects and creations. Bob has been known to make art from discarded wire, old cereal boxes and pieces of old tire, just to name a few things. He rarely let's anything go to waste. The drip paper or drop cloth used to protect his floor or table while making one piece will itself become an integral part of a later piece. Bob's art is imaginative and eclectic and ranges from the absurd to the sublime. I always find something I love when I visit one of Bob's shows and sometimes, when I've got a bit of cash to spare, I like to bring something home. I enjoy supporting Bob's work for two reasons; because he is a local artist and because, for his raw materials, he has elected to use that which other people often overlook or even throw away. Bob is an example of someone who is living his passion and making a difference for the better in our community. We could all learn a lesson from him.

We can localize more than just our food. If you've got to decorate your home why not make your decorating local too? A great way to start is by supporting local artists. Look up your local art association, check out the small independent galleries in your area and.....If you would like to see more of Bob's work, learn about his shows, and how to support local art, please visit Bob's FaceBook Page or check out what Bob and the other BAA artist are doing at the BAA Page. 

Sustainability and Local Agriculture in the News

A beautiful garden in Arundel, Maine

It is refreshing to see the growing interest and focus on sustainability in both print and broadcast media. In a society where so much of our news can be sensationalistic tripe, it's nice to get some good news on occasion. Local public radio stations and college stations across the country and around the world now have regular sustainability features. Sustainability podcasts are growing in both popularity and availability, and print media are regularly featuring articles on local and sustainable aquaculture, agro-forestry and agriculture.

A recent article in The Weekly Sentinel showcases the work of the students and teachers at the School Around Us in Arundel, Maine as they engaged in a three day hands on workshop on sustainability that created a temporary eco-village in a wooded area near the school. I recently graduated my permaculture design course with a mom of one of the school's students, and during the course had the opportunity to tour the school and surrounding community with some of the permaculture pioneers in our area. I was deeply impressed and motivated by the work that is being done there at the school and at nearby Frinklepod Farm, which is run by one of the school's early students and son of the founders of School Around US. 

Interdependence. Abundance. Resilience. Sustainability. These are all phrases that we think about when we engage in practicing the permaculture ethics of earth care, people, care, and fare shares. In backyards all around us, gardens are becoming popular again and chicken coops are popping up. It should perhaps be little surprising then when we see more an more articles dedicated to the glories of sustainable local agriculture. Of note, in this line, an article by Craig Idlebrook in the July/August 2014 issue of Northern New England Journey titled "The Egg and I"  extols the virtues of backyard egg operations in Maine and how a serendipitous stop at one such operation lead him to discover the wonders of farm fresh eggs and made him a life long fan. It is a charming article and ends with a reminder about the rewards of supporting local agriculture. Hats off to you Craig for this nostalgic and heartwarming piece. In recognition of your support of local agriculture, I would be happy to present you with a dozen eggs free of charge should you stop by my farm stand some day. 

Until next time - "Deep peace of the sleeping stones to you"

What I Did for Mother's Day - Hugel Happiness

My son could not believe his ears. He had to ask me again just to be sure. "You really don't want me to buy you anything for Mother's Day? You're sure?" I assured him that agreeing to help me build a hugelkultur bed was going to be more than enough for a Mother's Day gift. I'm not sure he really believed me until he spent 4 hours in the 70 Degree sun this passed Sunday building my beautiful hugelkultur bed. 

First the base of the bed. In the fall we had laid down cardboard and topped that with our corn and sunflower stalks. Then we added our yard clippings and dried leaves. Over the winter we added our kitchen scraps. On top of all this we laid a lot of wood from standing dead trees that we had to take down for safety. Then we began to cover it with a load of loam that we had brought in. 

We haven't been  working our land long enough yet to have developed a large pile of well composted material for making top soil. My guys were handy carting all that soil. And this is when my son realized just what he'd got himself into. We were about 3 hours into the project at this point. I was in there wielding the shovel and hauling logs too, but I did have to pause occasionally to take the photos.

My Guys! They worked so hard!

In this last photo we are about half done with burying the woody debris. It's not quite finished yet, but we made a lot of progress. It still needs some top dressing with additional soil, compost and a good layer of straw mulch. We are going to plant medium bush blueberries on top of this mound. On the south facing side we will have sun loving strawberries, and on the north facing side we will grow shade loving greens. I can't wait to see what kind of yields we get. This and the fledgling orchard that you may notice to the right of the hugelkultur bed in some of these photos are some of our first steps toward our permaculture perennial food forest and garden. 

I will continue to post photos as the food forest progresses. Until next time - Live Light!

Today I'm Thankful For...

I am very thankful that I have a partner who is as excited and interested in permaculture as I am. Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone as supportive as him in their lives. He is always supportive of my efforts to save the planet, stray animals or a dollar. He recently spent a great many hours building bird houses and a bee house to attract the birds and the bees to our garden so that we could grown our own food without having it devoured by insects. He also bought me several geraniums and other herbs and plant seeds 

which I can inter-plant in our garden and under our fruit trees to discourage harmful insects and invite beneficial insects to the garden. 

I am also thankful for the members of my permaculture class who are organizing a plant swap for our final PDC weekend. I now that I will be able to get some lovely perennial plants which will be of great use in the garden.

I am particularly greatful for all the valuable knowledge I am gaining from my permaculture class, which is helping me to turn my once run down, bedraggled lawn into something worth bragging about. I now have a budding orchard of semi-dwarf fruit trees, a ten foot diameter herb garden right outside the door that produces nearly all the herbs we can eat, eight industrious little hens that provide us with more organic eggs than we can consume and a pair of charming ducks that we hope will help to control the slug population in our yard while providing hours of amusement to the other two and four legged inhabitants of the homestead. All in all I think I'm a pretty fortunate human being today. I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for all the blessings that I have. I am also grateful for each of you who take the time to read my ramblings. I hope that I am able to provide you with something that is of value to you. Today, I am hopeful that you are able to take a few moments to reflect on what you are grateful for. As spring turns to summer and we begin to spend more time out in nature, I hope you will take some time to reflect on how fortunate ware are to have so many beautiful places that we can enjoy and experience the beauty of. Let's all work to keep them beautiful by remembering to live lightly.