Farming with Fungi
Over the next five years will demonstrate ways of integrating fungi into horticulture to enhance productivity while increasing agro-ecosystem resilience. We’re doing this in two ways.
Firstly, we are establishing a “myco” market garden that will adapt and synthesise current practices in regenerative agriculture with a primary focus on “provisioning the hyphosphere” (that’s the soil and root zone influenced by mycorrhizal fungi). By taking a closer look at the interaction of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) with plants, and the associated changes in the soil microbiome, we will explore potential benefits of this approach, testing the effects upon: carbon sequestration, nutrient density, and reduction of inputs.
The project seeks to understand the co-adaptation of plants and AMF, as such, we will be implementing a growing scheme that we theorise creates the best conditions for mycorrhizal fungi to flourish. In short, we shall utilise a minimal disturbance “no dig/till” approach, and trial production without crop rotation. This reduces the disruption of the interconnected web of hyphae in the soil and the structure it provides, and, possibly, prevents disruption of the adaptive relationship of AMF with particular species of plants. We will also be saving as much of our own seed as possible from crops grown in this way as well as culturing sucession specific AMF to use in our seed and potting compost.
We are fortunate to have a 2 acre site The National Botanic Garden of Wales, and are establishing our growing areas ready for spring 2024.
We are pleased to annouce we were sucessful in the our planning applications for polytunnels, other infrastructure and SuDS. We will be erecting polytunnels and attaching the exhaust fans of two small mushroom grow rooms utilising the waste CO2 in the tunnels ato stimulate grrwoth rates while reducing CO2 emissions in mushrtoom cultivation.
Secondly, alongside the market garden we will be supporting 10 horticultural enterprises here in Wales to expand into mushroom cultivation as a diversification strategy for their business. We will offer the training and provide the “spawn” to grow a variety of species that are easy to cultivate and complement horticultural enterprise. Participants will have the choice of at 4 to 6 potential schemes, one of which will involves using our mobile grow for a 2 months trial of a simple method of growing Oyster mushrooms. For participants who, after trialling the grow room, would like to pursue indoor cultivation we will be building 5 grow rooms in converted refrigerated truck boxes that could then be loaned on an annual basis.
If you would like to know more and keep updated, you can find us on the following social media links, and here on the Coed Talylan website.
If you want to get involved, support the project in some way, or just talk more in depth about it, please send us an email at: farmingwithfungi@gmail.com.