Grow Your Own Mushrooms
Unearth the incredible and interconnected nature of mushrooms at Common Knowledge this year.
Weekend Workshop
Dive deep into the fascinating world of fungi during our transformative weekend workshop. Whether you're a gardening enthusiast, an environmental advocate, or simply curious about the natural world, this hands-on course offers something for everyone. Join us to explore the vital role of fungi in our ecosystems and learn practical skills for cultivating your very own mushrooms.
Want to gift this skill to someone? Vouchers available here
On the course, you’ll learn
Day 1: Foundations of Fungi
Introductions & Insights: Begin your journey with an introduction to the wonderful world of fungi. Discover where they thrive, their crucial role in ecosystems, and why they are indispensable to our planet.
Hands-on Experience: Roll up your sleeves to make your own cardboard spawn and dive into the intricacies of fungi cultivation, including life cycles, substrates, and the essentials of pasteurisation and sterilisation.
Practical building: Learn and practise the techniques for pasteurising straw and drilling buckets, followed by a log inoculation demo.
Day 2: Application and Exploration
Collaborative Learning: Engage in group work, utilising fungi literature to explore how you can integrate fungi into your personal or professional projects, from enhancing soil and river health to innovating in building materials.
Mushroom Cultivation: Get practical with filling and caring for your oyster mushroom tubs, and delve into considerations for setting up your own fungi farm. If time permits, discover the process for growing Lion's Mane mushrooms.
What will you take away?
Skills & Knowledge: Gain the confidence to embark on your own mushroom cultivation projects, from oyster mushrooms in tubs to experimenting with Lion's Mane.
Your Own Cultivated Mushrooms: Leave with your very own oyster mushroom tub and the knowledge to care for it, along with the ability to fill buckets with straw and spawn for future cultivation.
A Community of Mycophiles: Connect with a vibrant community of fungi enthusiasts through our exclusive app, The Commonage, where you can share your progress, seek advice, and continue learning.
A connection to other course participants, who you’ll be able to keep in touch with as you finish your piece and start to experiment through our community app, The Commonage.
What’s included?
The course fee of €300 covers tuition, the use of tools and materials, and two wholesome and nutritious daily meals each day curated by our on-site chef, as well as tea, coffee and cake when it is most needed.
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We will provide you with a loan of a hi-visibility vest for use when on-site. For your own safety, no loose-fitting clothing or shorts are permitted, and you should wear long sleeves when in the workshop.
The following safety gear is required and mandatory to participate in the course:
Two sets of working gloves (one waterproof & one all-purpose/carpentry gloves)*
Safety glasses*
An FFP2 mask*
*These items are available in our optional Working with Concrete Site & Safety Kit which is available to purchase as an add on to your course ticket.
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For answers to frequently asked questions about booking, planning and accommodation for courses at Common Knowledge, see our FAQs page.
Staying at The Common Knowledge Centre
We now have a range of accommodation options on site to suit all budgets and needs. You can view available accommodation on our booking page.
Instructing this course
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Joanne Fullerton
Joanne is a community food activist with particular interest in fungi/mushrooms. She has a MSc Food Security and Permaculture Design Certificate, and currently works as a facilitator. In addition to cultivating mushrooms Joanne is interested in the Radical Mycology movement and how people can partner with fungi for purposes such as cleaning up pollution. She is currently based in Donegal, and looking to connect with people across the island, to share (and learn) fungi/mushroom knowledge and skills. You can follow some of her work on instagram @mycocraic