For decades, farmers growing without the use of chemicals in a bio-diverse, sustainable manner have referred to their farms and products as "Organic." On October 21, 2002 that ended.
The United States Congress declared that after October 21, 2002, any farmer selling over $5,000 worth of produce may NOT refer to their produce or growing methods as "Organic" unless they have been certified by a USDA accredited certification agency. Furthermore, failure to comply with this order is punishable with fines up to $10,000 per violation per day. [NOP Final Rule: 205.100]
While the certification process may aid gargantuan organic agribusiness farms (scantly practicing bio-diversity) its implementation is grossly counter-productive to thousands of small, diversified family farms using natural methods in growing and for disease and insect control.
Diverse crop production means burgeoning record management and excessive paperwork. Coupled with astonomical certification fees, time and budget makes it improbable if not impossible for many small farms to become "certified organic." Ironically, many of the best organic farmers are no longer allowed by law to call themselves "organic!"
USDA Organic program is designed to serve the large corporate farming operations. In fact, the majority of "Organic" food now filling supermarkets is produced on huge factory farms - required by their charters to place profits over all other interests, including producing safe, sustainably grown food. In recent years corporate consolidation has taken the most successful, forward-thinking farms under the larger corporate umbrellas of Dole, Kraft, General Mills, Unilever and Coca Cola.
Outside the United States, USDA "Organic" label does not carry the weight of law as it does here. In fact, its very legitimacy as a form of certification is challenged by foreign trade partners the EU and Japan - and US farmers must have their food certified by internationally accreditted certification agencies to sell in those markets.
All this is not to say that USDA "Certified Organic" is a bad thing, but rather that it is not the ONLY thing. A new, alternative label and certification system is emerging called
"Certified Naturally Grown." Certified Naturally Grown provides small, local growers with a certification system that consumers can quickly come to trust and understand.
Certified Naturally Grown encourages people to purchase from the small diversified farmers that make up their local landscape. In short, even while there are still many wonderful "Certified Organic" farmers out there, one shouldn't base one's buying decisions on certification status. The best rule of thumb, instead, is to get to know your local farmers and how they produce the food you're eating. Ask questions. Visit their websites. Make an appointment to visit their farm. Most importantly, know your food!
To be candid, I was initially leary about growing and eating mushrooms. Let's face it, in today's fear-based society we have so many precautions and supersticions we're scarcely able to make a decision at times. And complicating our daily habits with "risky" ventures like eating mushrooms from the backyard is just not a high on most folks to-do lists. I mean what could be more scarey and dangerous than being completely responsible for one's own food...?
And therein the teetering scales in my mind weighed in. Time to try something new - and growing shittake from mycelium spours was just the ticket.
I have to thank my friend Tim over at the USDA in Wareham for turning me on to this "underground" delicacy. The entire process is actually quite precise and I can whole-heartedly recommend it to any avid gardener who feels they've exhausted the lot of the seasonal challenges, or who yawns at the thought of growing some new variety of zucchini.
Shittake culture, and any myceliuum for that, requires a bit more attention, skill, patience and determination than most Massachusetts crops. You will need fresh oak logs - white or red - that are 4" to 10" in diameter, and have been cut live 6 weeks to 4 months prior. You will need to drill 3/8" holes 1" to 1-1/2" deep in a crisscross patern, plug them with mycelium-impregnated plugs and cover each plug with melted parafin, as well as the log ends. This will keep parasites out of the logs. The logs will then need to be stacked garrison-like in a shady, dark, relatively windless, damp area of your yard (think wooded wetland - not TOO wet). If you can place them on clean oak pallets on top of an old tarp or sheet of plastic - even better.
Shittakes in particular can be purchased from many online sources. The one I used is www.fungiperfecti.com up in Nirvanarama Puget Sound. They've been at it for a while, offer a free catalog if you're interested and have a great info resource on their website, as well as kid-friendly projects.
The Puget Sound Mycological Society up in Seattle is also a good source of info: http://www.psms.org/index.php
There is also a central-Mass area website at http://mushroomhunter.net/ if you're more daring and care to venture out into the woods to hunt the wild varieties. Caveat: I'm not there yet and don't endorse it.
To get back to the locally-sourced (150 feet from where I type this) shittakes, they are deliciously earthy and richly flavored. They are magnificent reduced in butter at a low temperature with a pinch of kosher salt. Any French chef would be proud to serve them as an appetizer. Enough of them would make a meal, if paired with a petite syrah or bolder red.
If you have the space, time, and appreciate a gardening challenge, I would highly recommend attempting to grow mushrooms. April, with its rains, is a perfect time to begin. The autumn is good also.
If you are a greenhouse, farm or other agricultural professional, Tim will be speaking in Dartmouth on May 11 through the USDA. Drop me a line and I will forward the details.
