November Update
Finally its raining and Its shiitake time! (see pictures at end of letter or attached) Those of you who participated in our shiitake inocculation parties last year should be looking for some lovely mushroom caps on your logs – depending on the variety you chose they may have already fruited, or may wait until December. If you have seen no swelling of the waxed areas on the logs you can soak them by putting them in buckets and flipping them after a few hours.This is called forcing them and should bring out the caps. Dont soak more than 24 hours per end.
If you missed the parties last year and are interested in the process of inoculating shiitake logs you can attend a free workshop this Saturday from 11 to 12:30 at the county extension building. Go to www.alachua.ifas.ufl.edu/calendar.shtml for more info (they are offering container gardening on the 18th and best management practices for sustainable green industries (nurseries, landscaping etc.) on the 23rd.
Also on Saturday from 9 to 1 is the Sustainable Gardening open house at the ethnobotany gardens on UF campus near the bat house. Read forwarded message below for details.
And check out Abundant Edible Landscapers website www.ediblelandscapers.com for details of their upcoming 2 week permaculture design course where you can become a certified permaculture designer!
Exciting things are happing with the Friends of the Gainesville Organic Blueberry Farm! We have been chosen by a fabulous grad student to help us file papers for nonprofit status, we have turned on the electricity at the barn and hope to have a barnyard sale/ bake sale benefit soon where you can bring your gently used items to donate to the cause, and buy that perfect post consumer gift for the holidays, or eat pumkin pie while enjoying the farm with friends. Details coming soon.
For now I know many are ready to get out in the rows again since the weather has cooled down so lets get out there and show those berry bushes some love! I will be by the barnyard gardens this coming Friday and Saturday at 4 pm and Sunday at 10am with plenty of tools. Please show up within 1/2 hour of start times or you may miss us. As usual kids are welcome but please leave pet friends at home. Bring plenty of water and gloves and long sleeves (and snacks if you bring kids).
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