Mushroom grower speaks at Country Gardeners' Hawley meeting

STAFF REPORTS
·2 min read

The Country Gardeners’ Garden Club learned about harvesting mushrooms safe to eat at their June meeting held at the Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center near Hawley.

If you are a mushroom lover, a simple five-gallon bucket can provide you with a great harvest, affirmed farmer, Hunter Vargo, founder of Mountain View Mushrooms. Vargo, who led the presentation, started his business at 17 years old and now sells his mushrooms at the Scranton Coop during the week and on Saturdays at the Vanderbeek Farm in Lackawaxen Township.

Hunter Vargo, founder of Mountain View Mushrooms, gave a presentation to The Country Gardeners at their June meeting at Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center. Anyone interested in gardening is welcome to attend their meetings as a guest. Their July 6 meeting at 1 p.m. addresses the topic of invasive plants.
Hunter Vargo, founder of Mountain View Mushrooms, gave a presentation to The Country Gardeners at their June meeting at Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center. Anyone interested in gardening is welcome to attend their meetings as a guest. Their July 6 meeting at 1 p.m. addresses the topic of invasive plants.

Mushrooms are the fruiting body of a fungus. When they die, they release hundreds of spores (seeds). The spores form the mycelium and colonize on nutrient rich substrate: trees, woodchips, cardboard and even between the pages of a book as long as they have nutrients, moisture, oxygen, the right temperature and not too much light.

The bucket method is the way to grow mushrooms for the ordinary gardener, but first the wood chips have to be pasteurized overnight adding hot water, or as Vargo does, using a bucket heater.

Cloisters of Blue Oyster mushrooms
Cloisters of Blue Oyster mushrooms

Once the mixture is cold, it will be transferred to the 5-gallon buckets with drainage holes on the bottom and sides. Starting with a layer of wood chips followed by another of mycelium, repeat the layers until the bucket is full. Cover with a lid and keep it like that for 10 to 14 days.

After that time, the mushrooms will start to grow clusters through the holes in the bucket and must be harvested before they start releasing spores. One can then enjoy any of the many dishes that is cooked with mushrooms.

Invasive plants will be next topic

The next meeting of The Country Gardeners is set for 1 p.m., Thursday, July 6 at the Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center, located at 126 Lamberton Lane off Route 6 east of Hawley.

The guest speaker for July, Cathy Long, will talk about invasive plants. Anyone interested in gardening is welcome to attend as a guest.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Mushroom grower speaks at Country Gardeners' Hawley meeting