Published on 12, July, 2020
So I have heard the reports that meat is high on the carbon footprint scale, although I believe chicken isn't sooo bad.
But I also received an email from an online 'heritage butcher' that I've used before. The owner is starting a campaign called 'Save our Season', to try and lobby for a seasonality tax. The idea being, we pay x for British Asparagus, and y (which is nigh on the same) for imported asparagus, when British isn't in season. I say asparagus... I do use lidls as well as waitrose...
But this got me thinking... his aim was it would promote reduced food miles, seasonal eating and quality/welfare. He also suggested that the commonly published footprints for various meats aren't what they appear... as they take into account the average food miles as well as cow farts...?
I'm not anticipating getting any livestock, but I am wondering how much of our veg I can grow myself?
Has anyone got some suggestions for useful things to grow? (That are legal!) I'm going to have another go at Trinidad Perfume Chilli's, and I've got a good stock of Red Bull sweet pepper seeds from the last couple of years. But trying to think of some more things to grow, in particular (but not limited to) those that tend to be imported (?)
I'm also tempted to have another go at growing mushrooms, but probably from a proper kit rather than grain spawn like I did last year...
I grow my own mushrooms. Its almost like a science in itself. Its a great hobby. I grow veg in the spring, really enjoyed growing sweetcorn this past year and carrots, potatos. You can never go wrong with tomatos
You grow your own mushrooms!? OK now you and Chris are my current heroes. Please tell me more.
I buy oyster mushrooms from shops. Clone them.....and then grow them from bags. Basically, this is taking a sterile sample from the stem....i put this on agar "a sterile growing medium" and the mycelium grows out....you can add a wedge of this to grain to make mushroom "spawn" like chris said.
I get some chopped straw and put it in a mushroom bag and pressure cook it. Then add your spawn or you can just add an agar wedge.
Or you can just buy a kit to start with. A few people i know sell quality gourmet mushroom kits if you are interested? I can post some links?
Mum pointed out some mushrooms growing out of a retaining wall on our patio this afternoon. Pics below. Was a shock... a. I hadn't noticed them. B. We've never had before... quick ID and I've discovered they are Jelly Ear's. Edible, but pretty bland to western tastes. More popular in China.
When you only just realise why some mushrooms are referred to as gourmet...
Ahhh...thats for a mono tub. You would be better modifying a mini greenhouse otherwise known as a "martha" tent. Gourmets tend to not do so well in mono tubs....they grow better from bags
I found this video last night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oGG1W5ZM-0&feature=youtu.be
Explains the fruiting chamber in a language simple enough for me... He uses different colour pencils...
Although the more I research...
Leaving them in the dark was bad as: They do actually need some light to encourage fruiting.
It needs to be airtight to maintain humidity etc: My plastic boxes for the morels with loose shut lids were definitely not...
There seem to be ready to buy fruiting chambers! But 2000cc is £50!! I mean a 2000cc food box costs a lot less... Then from what I can tell, you keep the holes blocked properly till colonised and then swap for micropore tape to allow a modicum of air flow?
Some guy i spoke to used to pick them. He said they tend to grow around new house builds? Im not even sure about how they grow to be honest. I will look into it and how they grow as i like researching. I build my "kits" from scratch so its better than just buying them, so i totally get what you mean buy just getting them done. I also grow lions mane and tried shiitake, although not any success with them yet
Had about 50 comments against me, and about 3 people saying: "actually they've successfully managed it in china"... it was gutting as under the soil in picture above I had specifically burnt a load of hardwood smoking chips (for ash as it was a "firepit strain" taken from a huge morel in a camp fire pit) and also bought hedgerow ash on top.
Apparently the theory was they tend to activate once there had been a forest fire (heat and ash) followed by rain (to disperse the ash particles in the soil).
I felt a bit disparaged by the comments but keen to try again. I was wondering whether to buy an 'urban farm it' kit. I don't know though. I've done a proper, full on kit, before and it was successful, I just fancy something with a bit more skill to it than: cut bag, spray and wait.
Haha they sound like jerks. You can do it with any mushroom....growing them is another matter. For starters, i would reccomend starting with oysters. They are the easiest to grow. Im not sure about chanterelles. I would imagine they would need specific conditions. Some grow on wood and after cold snaps/weather changes. Oysters can be done in your home and can grow on lots of things such as straw, cardboard, coffee grounds
No worries at all! This has become a fairly cross-over post.
Yeh, I was chastised by a mycology identification group on Facebook for "falling for it". Out of interest, with you agar method is it possible to do any mushroom? Thinking maybe chanterelle?
*expects laughter*
Haha
Oh they are mushrooms! I thought they were normal plants. doh!
Morels are difficult/imposdible to grow artificially. Thats why they are so expensive. They look like inky caps? I will message you later
You can buy a little propagator with tiny pots in, you put the lid on and put it on the window sill. I would include a photo but I didn't take one, oops!
Yeh, I had kind of abandoned them in the dark. Went back to them many moons later and this is what I had. I will do more research into it this time. :-)
They look far too dry and you need to start them in tiny pots. Well that's what I've learned.
Request sent. Any advice you can give would be useful, as my attempt to grow Morels in some boxes last year failed miserably...
(Obviously not morels...)