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Sweetwater Fungi: Mushrooms for People and Planet

Help create an organic mushroom farm that will also provide environmental restoration to the region.

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Sweetwater Fungi: Mushrooms for People and Planet

Sweetwater Fungi: Mushrooms for People and Planet

Sweetwater Fungi: Mushrooms for People and Planet

Sweetwater Fungi: Mushrooms for People and Planet

Sweetwater Fungi: Mushrooms for People and Planet

Help create an organic mushroom farm that will also provide environmental restoration to the region.

Help create an organic mushroom farm that will also provide environmental restoration to the region.

Help create an organic mushroom farm that will also provide environmental restoration to the region.

Help create an organic mushroom farm that will also provide environmental restoration to the region.

Eric Henry
Eric Henry
Eric Henry
Eric Henry
1 Campaign |
Fayetteville, United States
$390 USD 6 backers
3% of $9,789 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
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Our story:

    The vision for this project was born from the strong realization that our current paradigm is lacking a crucial regenerative property that exists in all aspects of nature.  Consumption rates are at an all time high; and with high consumption, comes much waste and pollution.  As this waste accumulates, we are confronted with a variety of toxins that eventually make their way into our soil and water.
    In nature, we find the key player in the cycle of processing and converting such toxins into usable materials to be the mushroom.  Fungi are the major decomposers of our planet; they break down matter which would otherwise not be recycled, and turn them into a fresh and fertile substrate that plants, insects and animals can thrive on.  It is our goal to form a partnership with fungi to achieve such results in relation to our soil and water.         
                               

                                 The crew so far..

       Brett Scott                                                                   Eric Henry

                                                      

"Through sustainably growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms with/for our community, we seek to initiate and maintain various (mycorestoration) projects amongst native waterways.  By doing so, we hope to discover how to live in a deeply abundant and symbiotic relationship with our only home, planet Earth."
                         -SWF Mission statement
                  
                    Why mushrooms?

   

For thousands of years, ancient cultures have revered mushrooms for their health benefits, culinary value, and the sacred experience that some can invoke.  Fungi contain some of the most potent, natural medicine on the planet, and are known to possess supernatural healing qualities in many eastern traditions.  

   Of the estimated 140,000 species of mushroom-forming fungi, science is familiar with only 10 percent, according to world-renown mycologist Paul Stamets, who has written several books on this fascinating topic.  Paul is also responsible for much of the research regarding the remedial properties of fungi, and how we can apply them to our current situation of environmental degradation. 

In his book, "Mycelium Running," Stamets highlights the many functions and behaviors of mushrooms.  Some species hyperaccumulate heavy metals such as radioactive isotopes Cesium-134 and 137, mercury, lead and arsenic among others. They digest and/or trap several pathogens, including malaria! They also digest pesticides, estrogen-based pharmaceuticals, dioxins, dyes and petroleum hydrocarbons. Some of which are found in run-off from CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and other industrial farming operations. The list can be further expanded and is only growing. This, to us, indicates HUGE, exciting potential.

“In God, every end is converted into a new means. Thus the use of commodity, regarded by itself, is mean and squalid.” 
― Ralph Waldo EmersonNature 

It could be debated that water is the main transportation device of biological systems on a global and cellular level.  All life on this planet needs water. We believe, through cleaning water, we are helping to clean every facet of life.

   We are all impacted by pollution, whether you know it or not.  Water from streams used to be drinkable, swimmable, and generally safe to enjoy.  We are now confronted with the fact that our levels of consumption have compromised the natural world, and our waterways are no longer the life-giving bodies that they once were. Soil no longer provides for the diversity of life when it is over-farmed and soaked with toxic chemicals.  These issues seem daunting, and many would choose to ignore them for the comfort of complacency, but we believe that nature has equipped us with the tools necessary to restore our planet to the abundant paradise that it once was.  We also believe that the potential for a healthy, symbiotic and balanced life are within the grasp of each individual, and every community.

     By investing in this project, you are helping us to create a model that could very well change the planet, transforming our relationship with the environment as a whole.We hope to spark a regenerative trend that will eventually be present in all business models, with Earth and biology as a priority.



     Laetiporus Sulphureus:  The Chicken of the Woods   


                                  How it works:

There's a fairly simple process that we use to propagate mushrooms indoors. Here's a little breakdown of what's involved: 

             

   We start with a liquid culture of a particular strain, in this case we are growing the Elm Oyster.  The liquid is carefully inoculated via syringe into a jar containing pasteurized rye grain; this begins the first step of the 'spawn run' stage of growth.         

   A week later, we transfer the colonized grain into a  bag of enriched, pasteurized sawdust for the second stage of the spawn run.  Using different mediums in the spawn run stage gives the fungi a metabolic advantage, as well as a wide range of nutrients to consume throughout it's growth.

               

     
Another week goes by, and we are ready to transfer the colonized sawdust into our fruiting bags, which contain a mixed medium of thrashed wheat straw, locally sourced coffee grounds and hardwood chips that have been pasteurized beforehand.  After carefully transferring the mycelium into the fruiting bags, they are moved into a dark room to finish spawning; and a few weeks later, can be moved into an environment that is conducive for fruiting. This is the stage that produces the wholesome mushrooms we all love.
    
       

From here we can use the "spent" mycelial cakes to create mushroom compost and more importantly, employ this "acclimated spawn" in our bioremediation projects. 

    

Where the funding goes:   

As simple as this process is, there is a significant margin for error, and a risk of contamination while working in the small space that we have.  We are reaching out to the community to support us in making this process more organized and efficient, so that we can have room to grow this vision, as well as provide space to initiate and maintain restoration projects.  


The donations contributed will help us expand and acquire certain tools and materials such as:  
a small structure for spawning/fruiting, ventilation and climate control equipment, spawning containers, fruiting containers, substrates, supplements and various lab equipment.  Any extra proceeds will go directly towards our mycorestoration projects.
   
By helping us attain these small goals, we can assure that the community is provided with an abundant and consistent harvest of healthy and organically grown mushrooms, educational resources to expand our knowledge of the fungi kingdom, and a sustainable business model for a brighter future!  In addition to providing food for this region, we will also be channeling our efforts into creating a variety of restoration projects aimed at removing toxins from industrial farm run-off by  installing "myco-filters"  to digest or trap any pollutants that may be contaminating the soil and water.

  

Can't Donate? No worries!

We understand that funds are tight for many of us these days, but there are some other ways you can help us manifest this vision!  

Word of mouth is still a crucial means of communicating!  As much time as we spend on computers and devices, it's still highly effective to reach out and talk to your peers.  Help spread the word about SweetWater Fungi by bringing us up in conversation and directing folks to our Facebook page: HERE

Do you use Facebook?  Give us a 'like', and share the status of our campaign with your friends and family.  We will be updating often, and providing information on wild, edible and medicinal fungi for anyone and everyone wishing to be closer to these wonderful allies.

  This has been a hobby for us for some time, and is rewarding in many ways; but recently we have become aware of a greater potential to this work.  Now, we seek to expand and sustain this vision into a more serious endeavor that will benefit the environment, and the community.  With industrial practices impending on our own waterways, we feel personally convicted to offer solutions in this time of need. 

Blessings and gratitude!   Sincerely, The Sweetwater Fungi team


Further reading on mycorestoration:


Want more?  Watch this.


And this...



Contact us by email: sweetwaterfungi@gmail.com


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