Mushroom Growing with Orly

Join us at the New Britain Public Library for an interactive and hands-on workshop diving into the fascinating world of mycology and sustainable agriculture! Whether you are a seasoned urban gardener or a complete beginner, this program will teach you the traditional, highly rewarding method of cultivating edible Shiitake mushrooms on natural hardwood logs.

During this workshop, we will walk through the entire "logging" process step-by-step:

1. Drilling: Learning how to properly prepare hardwood logs by drilling perfectly spaced and sized holes.

2. Inoculating with Spawn: Discovering how to pack those holes with high-quality Shiitake mushroom spawn—the living mycelium that will eventually fruit into edible mushrooms.

3. Sealing with Beeswax: Mastering the crucial final step of sealing the inoculation sites with melted beeswax. This protects the delicate spawn from competing fungi, insects, and moisture loss, setting your log up for a bountiful harvest.

Come learn how to grow your own food, connect with nature, and take home the skills needed to start a thriving mushroom garden in your own backyard!
 

About Your Instructor:

Our guide for this event is a dedicated mycologist, farmer, and community leader with deep roots in Connecticut’s agricultural landscape - Fairfield County’s Own Farmer Orly from Bridgeport, Connecticut. 

His hands-on farming journey began through volunteer work with the Green Village Initiative in Spring 2019, the HEMP Program at Jones Family Farm October 2018 - April 2020 (WEPA Hemp Farms), and then Spring of 2021 - volunteering at his previous volunteer-turned-friend Freedom’s (Co-owner) SEAMarron Farmstead. After that being referred by SEAMarron for a brief employment stint at Naugatuck Valley Hemp in the spring of 2022, they have since brought their skills full circle. Today, he is an integral employee at SEAMarron Farmstead, working through their Industrial Hemp Program, Bantu Green Solutions.

A passionate advocate for sustainable land care and agricultural education, they hold several key credentials. They are a CT-NOFA Accredited Organic Landcare Professional and a proud graduate of both the Venture Farming Institute and the Leaders of Color in Conservation programs. These initiatives are spearheaded by 1Freedom For All—a nonprofit founded by Freedom Gerardo—and the SEAMarron Farmstead (the homestead of Freedom and his wife, Elizabeth Guerra). Additionally, he previously served as a Steering Committee member for the New CT Farmer’s Alliance.

Currently, he is wrapping up his third and final year managing six garden beds at the Green Village Initiative @ Reservoir Farm in Bridgeport, CT. Looking ahead, he is continuing his commitment to urban agriculture by stepping into a new role as a Volunteer Garden Captain at the Denver Ave Garden through Groundwork in Bridgeport, CT.