Artisanal Complements: Mushrooms & Herbs

Germantown, New York

Small, slow and successful. Raising organic shiitake mushrooms and culinary herbs, sole proprietor Susan Lyne illustrates through her efforts on Le Farm how small acreage farms can be viable by focusing on complimentary, artisanal, niche market specialty crops. While the low impact on the environment of shiitake growing remains appealing to Susan, the heavy lifting and labor required to move the logs led her to think strategically and diversify: “I knew I wouldn’t be able to move these logs forever, so I started growing specialty culinary herbs as well,” Susan explains.

Located on just three acres of an old apple orchard in the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley, two hours north of New York City, Susan started with shiitake mushrooms in 1999, after having lived in the area for ten years and running a plant nursery. “My sister grew shiitake in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, a moist and warm climate similar to the mushroom growing regions of Japan,” Susan comments. “Our northeastern climate isn’t so consistently warm and wet, so growing mushrooms can be trickier, but doable.” Le Farm is organically certified and Susan is active with the Northeast Organic Farmers Association.

Mushroom growing goes beyond traditional farming ideas of planting seeds and raising and harvesting crops. “Shiitake blend farming with science, philosophy and a bit of mystery and patience,” explains Susan. Using outdoor growing methods that date back to 199 A.D Japan, Susan drills holes into oak logs, inserts the “spawn” (a mixture of sawdust and shiitake spores) and seals with wax. “There are many different strains of shiitake mushrooms, similar to different varietals of paste tomatoes,” adds Susan. “Spawning” occurs when the mushroom permeates the logs. It’s a process that takes about a year before the mushroom fruits after the initial inoculation of the log.

While the mushroom growing process may sound simple, each step requires thorough planning and research. “Finding the right logs is an art form in itself,” admits Susan. The oak logs must be three to five feet long, three to eight inches in diameter, and harvested between November and March, when the tree is alive but in a dormant state and healthy with no rot or decay. “I try to find logs through people who are clearing land or performing tree work. Logs can weigh a lot, especially when wet they can weigh fifty pounds.”

Location of the logs also plays a pivotal roll in growing success. Stacked “log cabin style,” no higher than three feet to allow for air circulation, the inoculated side of the logs must face north and be shaded, preferably by pine trees. Susan also utilizes a tarp to shade the logs, made out of a special fabric that lets rain in and keeps the sun out.

Once the initial year inoculation passes, the shiitake mushroom typically fruits in the spring and the fall, in a week quickly growing from a tiny bud to a large mushroom. A cultivated log can last two to five years. Soaking the logs in batches throughout the year enable Susan to control when each log starts to fruit, creating a steady supply of mushrooms throughout the year. An average log yields about a half to one-and-a-half pounds of shiitake per harvest, wholesaling for about nine dollars per pound.

Susan can’t keep up with the demand for her shiitake, thanks to her initial gut instinct about the area market. With customers that include high-end gourmet restaurants in New York City, the renowned Culinary Institute of America in nearby Hyde Park, New York, and a farmstand that specializes in high end products, Susan identified a clientele that values the flavor and quality of Le Farm’s shiitake.

“Log grown shiitake mushrooms absorb the taste of the oak and develop a distinctive woodsy flavor, a firm meaty texture and have a shelf life of several weeks,” explains Susan. “In a way, its similar to a fine wine aging in a wood cask versus a metal tank. Their physical beauty is quite striking as well with some over five inches side with intricate designs on their thick cap.” Additionally, log grown shiitake possess reputed medicinal purposes as well to boost the immune system. The average supermarket shiitake comes from an “artificial log,” a sawdust block soaked in water often containing pesticides, fungicides, chemicals and nutritional additives.

With one acre dedicated to about one hundred shiitake logs, the remaining two acres are in seasonal herbs, about two thirds in perennials and one third annuals. Tapping her relationships with her existing chef clientele, Susan specializes in growing unusual culinary herbs; varietals chefs want but that typically are not commercially available. “I fill in the gaps with unusual items like lovage and varieties of basil such as Thai and lemon,” adds Susan. Herbs are delivered fresh in bunches and area farmers pool time and resources and network to share transportation costs for getting produce to New York markets. Susan also supplements her farm income as a real estate broker, specializing in renovation properties.

As the sole proprietor, keeping things small, manageable and balanced remains a goal for Susan. “The mushroom growing side provides the backdrop for a great quality of farm life. Very quiet, serene and no equipment noise and exhaust fumes,” Susan adds with a smile.