The process of inoculating mushroom logs is simple. Cut some fresh hardwood logs and drill holes to fill with plug spawn. I had seen this process in a number of references, both in books and in real farm applications, and I was excited at the chance to add it to my garden. 2025 was finally the year I was able to put all the pieces together. It is a fun combination of gathering materials with a truck, or better suited for a trailer, running the chainsaw, use of a drill and hammer and hot plate to melt cheese wax. Then we play the waiting game to see if the logs have received the correct treatments to bear the fruits. It could take up to a year to really colonize the logs to ideal conditions and start to produce the mushrooms, and at that point, I hope to create another “batch” of logs with fresh spores.

My first attempt at logs was plug spawn from Field and Forrest, a Wisconsin-based company. I had seen ads about this company prior to ordering, but what sealed the deal was one day they had a segment on Wisconsin Public Radio show about the mushroom cultivation, and I called in. I spoke with the owner of the company about my process and what to expect in terms of a yield and duration. He assured me that if the logs were handled correctly, they would yield for a number of years. I was sold, and I started my journey to collect all the necessary items needed to make this project happen. I had decided to go with hardwood maples, and shittake and chestnut mushroom species, and hopefully I will have some updates in the future when there are results to share.

Another aspect that I found to push me into producing logs is the amount of internet “chatter”. I think that there is interest, but not everyone has the possibility to assemble the needed materials for the process. As it turns out, not everyone is as excited at the possibility of running the chainsaw to create, and I keep one around just in-case. I had created more than I could need, and so after I created a surplus I then posted online, I had a surplus of innculated logs and set a price. The real beauty here is that I was able to recoop my cost of materials while I wait for the logs to start producing. This is a win-win-win for me. It is also a great chance to meet like-minded people who are local that have similar interests and can mature into connections of community that might be needed in many ways in the future.