Intro to Growing Mushrooms at Home

Calling all mushroom lovers! Join Avi Kazen and Tom Knapp for a hands-on introduction to mycology and start growing mushrooms at home!

Introduction to mushroom cultivation for the hobby producer includes the following topics: mushroom anatomy, biology, aseptic technique, equipment used for cultivation, grain spawn, and liquid culture. Attendees will make injection port lids and create grain spawn jars with mycelianted grain. Participants will also learn how to make bulk substrates, transfer of grain spawn to bulk substrate, discussion of fruiting chambers and Q+A.

At Plant Chicago we don't wish to turn anyone away due to their inability to pay. The above ticket prices are based on material costs but can be adjusted to be sliding-scale if necessary. Please contact tom@plantchicago.org for more information.

About the Instructors:

Avi Kazen hails from Tucson, Arizona. He has a background in bioengineering and a passion for sustainable technology. His interest in mushrooms arose after an internship with Ecovative Design, and he has been experimenting with mycology ever since.

Tom Knapp is from Houston, TX. He has a background in earth sciences and sustainability. In 2021, he began working with the Urban Agriculture program at Loyola as the Aquaponics and Mushroom Cultivation Program Leader. He also worked as the lab technician at Mycocycle Inc, a fungal focused mycoremediation start up before joining Plant Chicago as the Education Manager. He has a raging passion for learning and sharing about all things mushroom-related!