Steve Gabriel, Agroforestry Extension Specialist for Cornell Small Farms, introduces the practice of totem inoculation for forest farming mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms and lion's mane can be grown on various hardwood species beneath the shade of the forest's canopy as they are typically found in nature. Lion's mane prefers to grow on sugar maple and American Beech while oyster mushrooms will colonize a variety of hardwoods including cottonwood, box elder, and tulip poplar, to name a few. Stropharia prefers growing in a bed of wood chips and saw dust where they can make contact with the duff layer and draw moisture from the soil.
