The Maryborough Horticultural Society welcomed Julie Baumlisberger to its meeting on March 26. Baumlisberger and her husband grow specialty mushrooms on their farm in the Grand Valley area. Their mushrooms are grown for restaurants, sold at a farmer’s market and delivered to a wholesaler as well.
Their specialties are blue and brown oyster mushrooms and shiitakes. The oyster mushrooms take three to four weeks to grow while the shiitakes take several months. She noted that shiitakes are “a work of art.”
Baumlisberger’s video took the group from the first step of growing their mushrooms – pasteurizing and sterilizing clean, dry straw – into their growing room, and then to the final picking of the mushrooms. Their mushrooms are hand-picked daily to guarantee freshness.
Baumlisberger dispelled the idea that mushrooms grow in the dark – theirs have 14 hours of light. The oyster and shiitake mushrooms also don’t spoil quickly. They can be kept in the fridge for many days.
She brought some blue oyster mushrooms to the meeting for members to see and to purchase.
After a question period, chair Renske Helmuth thanked Baumlisberger for her presentation of this interesting topic.
Lunch was served by Katharine Bourgon and Trudy Stroetinga.
During the business meeting members were reminded of the annual Spring District Meeting to be held on April 27 in Fergus. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Clara Bauman before April 20. The Maryborough Society’s annual Plant and Bake Sale will be held on May 11 in downtown Moorefield.
The next meeting will be on April 23 at the Optimist Hall in Moorefield at 7:30pm.
