Campus Life

'Get your hands dirty' with upcoming Student Farm Workshops

Shiitake mushrooms being cultivated in a traditional, organic way.  Credit: Adobe StockAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Spring is coming — For everyone eager to work with living, growing things, the Student Farm has two upcoming workshops that offer attendees an opportunity to get their hands in the dirt, with build-your-own worm compost systems and shiitake mushroom logs.

Worm compost system

Learn how to raise worms and reduce your personal food waste at the same time with the Vermicompost Workshop from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 7, on the Student Farm, near the intersection of Fox Hollow and Big Hollow roads. This hands-on workshop will teach participants how to build a simple worm bin and feed worms. The hungry worms living inside this system can eat their body weight each day in food scraps and other compostable waste. The system is designed to be used indoors at home or your apartment. A bonus: the compost produced by the worms is excellent fertilizer for houseplants. It’s also great for people who want to grow their own fishing bait.

Shiitake mushroom log

Are you interested in learning about shiitake mushrooms and mushroom growing? The Blooms and Shrooms Club will host a Shiitake Log Workshop from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, at the Mushroom Research Center on Penn State’s campus. This workshop will cover the basics of shiitake mushroom log inoculation and the process of achieving successful mushroom fruiting. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Blooms and Shrooms Club.

Registration for both workshops is limited, so register today. There are two options for registration: Participate for free and help build worm compost systems or shiitake logs for the Student Farm, or for $15 build your own worm compost system or shiitake mushroom log to take home. Payment instructions will be sent by email upon registration.

For more information about these workshops, contact Student Farm intern Olivia Hort at oxh5018@psu.edu.

Last Updated September 20, 2019