A few weeks ago, hubby and I participated in a Forestry Field Day. It was terrific fun! For our second session of the day, we chose to attend: “Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation.”
Here you can see us arriving at Tent 6 for our session.
If you are like hubby and me, we had no idea about what it takes to cultivate edible mushrooms.
Here are the basics of growing Shiitake mushrooms:
#1 – You need a freshly-felled log (about 4-5” diameter). The best wood for growing Shiitake mushrooms are – birch, alder, and white oak.
#2 – Cut your freshly-felled log into “bolts” about 4’ long.
#3 – Drill holes all along the length of your “bolt”, all the way around the “bolt.”
#4 – Using a special tool, insert the Shiitake strain of fungus (which comes mixed together with sawdust) into each drilled hole.
#5 – Seal over each drilled hole with a brushing of food-grade wax.
#6 – Stack your “bolts” (which have now been stuffed with the Shiitake mushroom strain) onto layered “crib stacks.” Let sit for 1 year.
#7 – Halfway through the year, the “bolts” will need to be soaked. The Shiitake strain of fungus will die out if there is not enough moisture. So, you need to fill a stock tank with water and soak your “bolts.” Then re-stack.
#8 – After about a year, when it is time for the fruiting bodies (aka: the mushrooms) to appear, take the “bolts” out of the “crib stacks” and stand them up, leaning them up against a supportive A-frame, so that there is plenty of air-flow and room for the mushrooms to fruit.
#9 – Cover with a protective blanket of polyester fabric to keep out pests, insects, and animals who also want to eat your delicious Shiitake mushrooms.
#10 – Voila! Shiitake mushrooms!
The Shiitake mushrooms are simply the fruiting bodies of the fungus which is at work breaking-down and decomposing the wood.
According to the notes from our class: “Shiitake is a saprotrophic, white-rot type of wood-rotting fungus that feeds on the wood of dead broadleaf trees.”
It’s important to insert the Shiitake fungus into freshly-felled logs, because there are many other kinds of naturally occurring fungi in the forest (poisonous types). If the felled trees were left for an extended amount of time, the naturally occurring fungi (poisonous types) would take over and begin to break down and feed on the wood of the dead log.
For example:
Here is the spiritual application God gave me from what I learned in this mushroom-growing class:
In the same way that there are naturally occurring poisonous fungi in the forest, which naturally take over fallen trees … so also, there is a naturally occurring “fungus” in our world which has taken over all of the world! This naturally occurring “fungus” is called sin. It is present everywhere!
And just as the naturally occurring fungi in the forest produce “fruiting bodies” which are poisonous mushrooms … so also, the “fungus” of sin produces “fruiting bodies” which are every bit as poisonous!
“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” – Romans 3:13-18
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” – Matthew 15:19
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
“Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all have sinned.” – Romans 5:12
The “fungus” of sin is everywhere! It infects and affects everything!
If we want life-giving, healthy Shiitake mushrooms, we must insert the good Shiitake strain of fungus into the wood! Then this good Shiitake strain will grow and spread! It will permeate the entirety of the log so that there is no chance for the poisonous naturally occurring fungus to have a chance to grow … because the good strain of fungus has filled the whole log with its presence!
This right here is what God does in our lives!
When we repent of our sin and give our sin to Jesus, God inserts into our life His very presence! Just like the good Shiitake strain of fungus being inserted into the log. God inserts into our life the presence and person of the Holy Spirit!
With the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life, the “fungus” of sin can no longer naturally grow.
The Holy Spirit fills and permeates our life with God’s righteousness and holiness. Just like the good Shiitake strain of fungus fills and permeates the entire log.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died [that sinful you that you used to be … that has died] and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. … You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.” – Colossians 3:1-10
Here you can see Shiitake mushrooms growing!
When the Holy Spirit fills our life with the presence of God, there will be “fruiting bodies” (aka: healthy, life-giving mushrooms). What do these “fruiting bodies” look like?
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts … and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” – Colossians 3:12-16
In order to have a good bountiful crop of Shiitake mushrooms, you must drill lots of holes all down the length of the log (“bolt”) and all the way around the “bolt.” So also, the word of God must be inserted into our lives all down the length of our lives and all the way around our lives.
It is vital that we regularly, consistently read the Bible … so that we are continually filing our life and our minds with God’s words!
This is how we cultivate a bountiful harvest of righteousness in our life!
