Plate IV.

Permaculture

Mushrooms are only half the story. Here's how fungi, rainwater and our veggie patch work together on the farm, and how we forage without taking more than our share.

Wicking bed with mulch and summer veg
Fig. 1 — Spent substrateMycelium at work

Closing the loop

From spent block to mushroom mulch.

Once a block has finished fruiting, it's still full of mycelium and partly broken-down hardwood. We don't bin it. It goes back to the soil as compost and garden top-dressing, which adds organic matter and helps hold moisture through South Australian summers.

We often have more than our garden can use. If you'd like some for your own beds, let us know.

Organic veggie patch in wicking beds
Fig. 2 — The veggie patchWicking beds by the season

The patch

Rainwater, seasons and fruit pots.

Everything here runs on rainwater: the grow room, the substrate and the garden. Our organic veggie patch follows the seasons, and fruit pots of golden gooseberries and strawberries fill the gaps between.

Mycelium-rich mulch feeds the beds, the beds feed us, and the scraps go back into the compost.

Our foraging code

How we forage

Wild mushrooms are a gift from the bush. These are the rules we pick by, and we'd love you to follow them too.
  1. 100% sure, or it stays in the ground

    If there's any doubt about an identification, we leave it. No exceptions.

  2. Cut at the stem

    A clean cut leaves the mycelium below undisturbed, so it can fruit again.

  3. Only take what we'll use

    We leave plenty for the forest, for wildlife and for the next forager.

  4. Mature, and spores spread

    We pick mushrooms that have had time to drop their spores, so the patch carries on.

Mushroom mulch

Collecting mulch

What is mushroom mulch?

Spent hardwood-sawdust and soy hull blocks from our grow room, after the mushrooms have finished fruiting. It's rich in organic matter and living mycelium.

How do I use it?

Spread it as a top-dressing around established plants, or mix it into compost. Keep it a few centimetres clear of stems and trunks.

How do I arrange a collection?

Send us a mulch enquiry with your suburb and roughly how much you'd like, and we'll tell you what's available and when.