Join beginner mushroom growers around the world who've established thriving mushroom-growing systems at home, and cultivated a new relationship with the fascinating world of fungi...
All using low-tech and low-waste methods. We will get you growing ALL the 'shrooms, on all the logs!
We want to help you create a home with: stacks of fruiting shiitake logs down the side, another batch of pioppino logs on the way ...plus jars of medicinals like Lions Mane and Turkey Tail mushrooms in your pantry - all home grown, and home dried.
All grown on logs, at home, by YOU!
In this short online course, you'll learn everything you need to know about wood-loving fungi - guided by friendly mushroom-growing experts (hi there). And how you can work WITH these fabulous fungi to produce a regular supply of delicious, nutritious log-grown mushrooms - to increase your household resilience, and make some seriously delicious meals.
We'll show you all the steps, tips and tricks for successful log cultivation - with detailed gear lists, species lists and DIY workarounds for every possibility. And we'll answer all your questions personally, as you learn. We WILL get you growing - promise.
You'll have access to your entire course immediately, so you can learn at a pace that suits you. Here's what's inside...
...that will guide you through log cultivation in detail, step by step - there's closed captions and detailed downloadable notes for you to access, too.
All the extra notes and resources lists you'll need - checklists for all the gear, step-by-step notes, and info on all the mushrooms species you'll want to grow.
...this might sounds too good to be true, but it's how we roll at Milkwood. We answer ALL our students questions personally, as you move through your learning journey.
"This course gave me the confidence to grow mushrooms easily and sustainably, it added to my sustainable lifestyle, allows me to take better care of my health and best of all it gives me so much joy. Seriously... just sign up - it's the best."
"Had I not done the course, I would have been limited to mushroom grow kits. Instead, I am scaling what I've learned to suit my needs. I was grateful for the support of the Milkwood team, who were right alongside me as I worked through the modules."
More than two decades of experience, with thousands of happy beginner growers...
Nick founded Milkwood with Kirsten in 2007, and started growing mushrooms at home soon after.
He has trained with various world-leading mycologists such as Paul Stamets, and taught 1,000+ students hands-on gourmet mushroom cultivation through Milkwood's courses.
When he's not growing mushrooms, Nick teaches permaculture, grows veggies, keeps bees and scoots off foraging at any opportunity.
Kirsten founded Milkwood with Nick in 2007. Since then, she has established farms and community gardens, and grown a LOT of vegetables.
She is author of the best-selling books Milkwood: Real Skills for Down-to-Earth Living - which includes a full chapter on low-waste mushroom cultivation.
Kirsten is also known for her advocacy and workshops in permaculture skills - from fermenting to natural beekeeping to foraging for wild food.
Yes, these techniques WILL work where you live - and if some tweaks are needed for your climate or country, we'll assist you personally, to make that happen. Here's our current student map...
"Amazing course!! Loved every minute of it! You guys are amazing teachers and managed to create an interactive & fun way for us to learn virtually & apply in real life! Thank you."
"This is THE definitive, all-rounder mushroom course, and you can do it from home! If you're curious about the world of fungi, this is your chance to become a fun-guy or gal."
"Probably the most comprehensive course I've ever done. Mind definitely blown. I honestly don't think I'll have to seek out a resource of mushroom cultivation ever again."
By understanding the underlying principles of log cultivation, you will be better able to plan your grow. This lesson will help you confidently select appropriate wood species, understand why certain techniques and processes are used and consider how to integrate log-grows into the rhythm of your year
The success of your mushrooms is very dependent on your ability to give them the right substrate. This comprehensive guide to log selection will enable you to confidently source the right logs for your mushrooms.
Happily, your logs don’t require pasteurizing before inoculation, but they do need preparation. This lesson walks you through the process of preparing your logs, and introduces you to dowel and sawdust spawn.
This lesson covers all the critical steps of starting your log grow - you’ll be able to confidently inoculate with dowel spawn, choose the best place for your logs to incubate, and learn how to stack and care for the logs over the coming months.
After time has passed, it’s time to get some mushrooms! This lesson provides all the information you need to confidently encourage your logs to fruit, and when and how to harvest the delicious mushrooms. You will also learn how to encourage additional flushes of mushrooms from your logs, and evaluate whether it’s the right thing for you and your setup.
In addition to your lessons, you'll receive downloadable myco-notes, an extensive species directory and a mushroom glossary
On each lesson page, there's space for you to ask questions, and get them answered by friendly mushroom experts on the Milkwood team (hello!).
We answer each question that you have personally, because we know that learning new skills can sometimes be a bit tricky, and everyone learns differently!
But we're here to ensure you succeed in gaining new skills, and growing LOTS of mushrooms. Together, we will grow.
"Doing this course SAVED me money - it showed me lots of different methods that would not cost anywhere near as much money as I had initially allocated."
"The love and fascination Nick has for fungi is truly transmitted through his teaching. You leave the course with a new respect for mushrooms and their role in the world."
"I loved the focus on using recyclable materials and moving away from single-use plastics in my mushroom cultivation."
Yay! - You have a discount code. Click the 'Book Now' button to see your savings at checkout.
โ 5 comprehensive video lessons
โ Your questions answered by us
โ Bonus species directory and mushroom glossary
โ Lifetime access to everything
๐ฆ๐บ Click here for Australian / New Zealand pricing ๐ฆ๐บ
Yes it is - you have instant access to you whole course, but you can take as long as you like. You have lifetime access to all your course materials, too.
YES! Our course is designed to help you get started, wherever you might be in the world, with the fundamentals of low-waste, low-tech, organic Mushroom Cultivation.
If you live in an extreme climate, we can help you choose the most suitable species to grow where you are - using the techniques your will learn in this course.
The good news is - species of fungi exist in the furthest reaches of this planet... from the icy poles to the bottom of the ocean, to outer space. So there will be edible mushroom species to suit your context, wherever you live.
Viewing all the classes and reading all the resources could take you anywhere up to 4-5 hours.
The amount of time you spend actually 'doing the things' and cultivating mushrooms is in addition to this.
If you’d like to ‘grow along’ with us during the course, that's totally possible - we've planned the course that way, and we tell you what to get ingredients and such in readiness for the next lesson.
Or you might choose to complete all the lessons and start your cultivation afterwards, in your own time. That's fine too.
Not necessarily - we have many students who don't have gardens, and they cultivate on logs just fine, all you need is some empty space - which can be in your laundry, or on your balcony - with great success.
We've also had a lot of students that take this course while they're in an apartment... to use the skills at their community garden, or in readiness for having a bigger place.
Because you really can't have too many skills for household resilience, and there's always a way and a space to use those skills, once you know what to do.
Our course is designed to cater for all budgets and scales of home mushroom cultivation.
You will need a few things, but most of these can be repurposed from around your house or local community.
You won't need to buy any expensive lab equipment.
We recommend that you do purchase some mushroom spawn to get you going. (Grain spawn is the living culture of the fungi that will produce mushrooms for you.) We will point you to a range of reputable online suppliers around the world who can send you high-quality grain spawn through the post, quick smart.
We will show you methods that will help you grow the most health-giving, organic, homegrown mushrooms you can - in the most cost-effective way.
Lifetime access means you will be able to access this course, and all its resources, for as long as we have it available online.
Milkwood has 15+ years experience of delivering stellar education - and we're not going anywhere, anytime soon.
This is a long-haul commitment for us, and for our family business. No tricks, no fine print. We want you to have access to this knowledge for as long as you need.
Yes, it does! All videos are fully captioned and the cations are searchable.
We'll do our best to make your course the best experience we can. However, it just might not be for you. That’s ok! If you decide that’s the case, let us know.
Notify our team within 30 days of your purchase and we’ll refund your payment. No questions asked. At this point you should be about a third through the course.
We've made this course for anyone who wants to get started with mushroom growing, regardless of how much or how little you might already know about fungi.
There are no prerequisites or required reading. No previous experience is necessary - we’ll walk you through the whole process, and we can answer any questions that arise.
Just bring your enthusiasm.
Nope! If you can view this page and the video on it, you can access the entire course just fine.
The course is delivered via our special course portal, web pages and email.
You can access your course hub and private community (which is not on facebook!) via any web browser on any laptop, PC, Mac, tablet or smart phone that is connected to a reasonable internet connection.
You don't need any other special applications or memberships to other platforms. You are not required to have a Facebook or Google account.
It's simple and easy.
Although we do have many past students who have gone on to create thriving small mushroom-growing businesses, this course is focused on low-waste growing in home-based situations, helping your household become more abundant & resilient.
The core concepts and techniques you will learn ARE applicable for use at a commercial scale, but there are also many other considerations, that we do not cover in this course, that you would need to take into account before investing your time and money into a successful mushroom cultivation business.
Yes, you will! We send you a Certificate of Completion once you finish the course.
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