Atlanta Fall at Berk's Back Yard Garden

It is getting a bit colder in Atlanta. The garden was planted with garlic (first time and so pumped!), Lettuce, Winter squash (but I just killed them with frost), parsnips, kale, and a bunch of other greens. As normal my garden is moving slowly. I have a plan to move three trees and use those for mushrooms before summer. I believe I need more sun. I have a master plan to work on the soil this fall / winter. I am adding a bunch of Azomite, humus and other back yard chicken pooo mixed with compost, plus my bear feet spreading my vibe. The garden is siting with a bunch of leafs in the inside rows helping out as well. Pictures will come this weekend.

The laying yard is growing and getting more organized. I have great ideas to maximize my mushroom output. I have a bunch of shiitakes fruiting right now and some oysters getting ready to pop. This is why it is nice to have a cold weather mushroom. Also the new heavy duty sprinkler system is working really well. I almost have it dialed in 100% a bit more tweaking.

And finally my babies are really slow this fall. Once we hit the DST the girls stop or should say really slow down laying. Yesterday I got a big ole ZERO EGGS! Ugh! The debate in my head is to get more next spring or to wait? My big girls are almost 2 years old. OBTW… my chicken friend Dr. E is hatching some Turkeys…. Should I get two for next Turkey day? Really, really thinking about it. Thougts…..

Keep on growing.

Come see me @ Brookhaven Farmer's Market on Dresden Drive

We will be at Brookhaven Farmer's Market this Saturday! Swing over and say Hello and pick up your very own log! These are great for home Garden!~

I have been eating my Shiitakes in almost every meal, eggs, pizza, salads. You have to experience the fresh amazing meaty taste of your own home grown mushrooms

Have a great Weekend

Farmer D and 2FunGuys.com = Shiitake Love

Great news! We are now selling our Shiitake logs at Farmer D's. This is so very exciting for us! We want everyone to enjoy the amazing fruits from their own logs at home! I will post amazing pictures tomorrow from my Shiitake madness. My 510's are all fruiting and some Oysters as well..

Thanks to Farmer D and crew for working with us to pass our Shiitake's around Atlanta!

Visit Farmer D and get some fall goodies!

http://www.farmerd.com/

Love

I must say... you need to put your bare feet in the soil and love your soil for things to grow. The soil is the key once you find the answer.

Vital Awareness: The Epicurean and The Activist: Not leaving 'mushroom' for the competition: 2 fun ...

Vital Awareness: The Epicurean and The Activist: Not leaving 'mushroom' for the competition: 2 fun ...: "There is nothing more that THE EPICUREAN loves then someone who is doing what they are passionate about, and passionate about what they d..."

Dead Chickens - sad - Birds Gone

The last 2 days i have lost two birds. Riley and Twilight have gone. I first thought Riley got lost on Monday but the wen i went to check on my girls this am i see a bunch of Black feathers all over the ground. UGH@! I will be on the hunt tonight to see what has a taste for my girls! There were no signs of any big animals!

I am looking for folks to help with an order. If your looking to get babies let me know so i can have them shipped Aug 8th.

Come see me @ Brookhaven Farmer's Market premieres on Dresden Drive

Check us out! Look at picture 3 and 4. These pictures are from the Brookhaven Farmers Market!

http://brookhaven.patch.com/articles/brookhaven-farmers-market-premieres-on-dresden-drive#photo-7030469

We had a great time! People love our Shiitake logs! If you missed us last week, come visit this Saturday at the Farmers Market off of Dresden.

www.2fun-guys.com

2FunGuys at the NEW!! Brookhaven Farmers Market Saturday

Great news! Come see us at the new!! Brookhaven Farmers Market!

Join us in the parking lot of HAVEN and Valenza Saturday morning, July 16th at 9am for our very first Brookhaven Farmers Market.

We have brought together some of Atlanta's most sought after farmers for locally grown, natural and organic food products. HAVEN and Valenza have always supported and utilized local farming to create a healthy and sustainable dining experience, and now we hope you will come by and pick up some fresh local products for your own kitchen! Our new neighborhood farmers market will help encourage sustainability for the community, as well.

We will continue to provide the market experience every Saturday from now through October.

Pass the word! I heard 19 vendors will be there including the 2FunGuys! Come get your LOG!

Follow us @2funGuys on Twitter

Market is a success!

2Fun-Guys.com visited the Chamblee Farmers Market the last two weeks and we were a BIG hit! We sold a bunch of logs even tho the turn out was not super high! Ever visitor to the market stopped to talk to us and see what we were selling! If you want your log without coming to market email me and i can send it out or you can swing over to pick one up! These are great gifts as well.

If you have any questions please hola!

Also you can follow us @2funguys on Twitter

~What's Growing on!

2FunGuys Shiitake Logs going are going to The Chamblee Farmers Market this Saturday!

2FunGuys (that is part me) is going to be attending the Chamblee Farmers Market this Saturday. We will be selling Shiitake Logs! Come check Todd and I out! You will love these logs!

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Our Business, 2 Fun-guys, is an organic mushroom log supplier. We have been focusing on shiitake logs for the past year, and choosing varieties that will fruit in the south with proper care of the logs. We started this business because we love mushrooms. And there really isn't a better mushroom out there than one that has fruited in your own backyard!

We are planning on offering logs of a few different varieties, Miss Happiness, Chocolov, and Wide Range 46 and 44. These have shown great mycelium growth, and with proper care will fruit within 9 months to a year. Yes, a commitment of time, BUT ..... once the log fruits, it will fruit for YEARS With an initial investment from $30 to $80 (Depending on log diameter), you will be able to supply your family with the freshest possible shiitakes for years (about 5 years) to come. A bargain when you consider that shiitakes are selling for around $16/lb, and one could expect to get roughly 4 to 8lbs per log over the course of its life.

The logs will be offered

with instructions of care, and since we can't guarantee that nature will cooperate with everyone, we will have an exchange program to anyone that feels their logs are not going to work, as long as they have followed the simple instructions:

1. Place log in a shady, moist area of your yard. Out of direct sunlight.

2. Soak your log in water for 48 hours every nine weeks from spring to fall.

3. Pick and eat some delicious shiitakes!

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Exciting times!

I’ve been so dang busy. Garden, Garden, Mushrooms, Mushrooms and more!!!! The garden looks great except the lack of rain in Atlanta. The high heat (12 days in a row of 90 or higher) has slowed the production of the tomatoes. You know tomatoes won’t set if the high heat sticks around for a long period of time. I am using the Florida weave to stake the tomatoes this year. Pictures will come soon.

The exciting news is it looks like we will be selling Shiitake Logs at a farmers market coming soon. We have applied to a few framer markets in Atlanta area and waiting to hear back if we get accepted. I hope our hard work is going to pay off. These Shiitake taste so dang good and I want others to have the same experience I have had. There is nothing like growing your own mushrooms at home! Know your farmer!

Keep your fingers crossed that we can share these with others J

Golden oyster flush

My first Golden Oyster Flush... Large Daddy!!

Shiitake baby! 4 logs going crazy

My 4 logs that i bought last year are going crazy after my force fruit! I cant wait for my batch to go. I am going to harvest a few tomorrow for dinner. I am so happy!

I will be doing a class for anyone interested and have logs for sale next week. email me if you want to come. berkfamilyfarm@gmail.com

oh these are wide Range Shiitake

seeds in garden

last row working backwards --

Yellow Crookneck Summer squash

Zucchini Round

next row to the left

Green Mottled Grey Zucchini

Black Zucchini

first row --

over seeeded the Swiss chard and peas with

Silver Queen White Velvet Okra

Round LA Green Okra

Center back section --

Cherokee Yellow Bush Beans

Mushroom Straw Project Pictures

Mushroom Project - check out the straw pictures... What do you think?

Have a great Friday

Last indoor seeds are started.

Last indoor seeds are started.

Hillbilly Tomato

Azoychka Tomato

Red Cherry Tomato

Cannonball Tomato

Hungarian Wax Peppers HOT

Long Red Cayenne Peppers

Red Marconi Pepper

Purple Giant Sweet Bell Pepper

Als0 added a big mix of Tomato seeds in the last 30 cells. SO it will be a guessing game. I am really hoping for a great flush of heirloom goodies this year!

Mushroom Friday!!!!!!!!!

I took Friday off to brew a new batch of Wheat Straw Mushrooms. I started the barrel about 7am and it took a few hours to get to the correct temp. Pictures to come once i figure out how to add a bunch to this blog (tips please). I made 8 big bags of mushrooms. King Oyster (Pluerotus erygii) and Golden Oyster (Pluerotus Cornucoipiodes). I had a lot of fun getting this batch in place. I am hoping for a fruit in about 10 weeks?

I have these hanging like a cocoon ...

*Field Forest

Seed Season! Part 3

I am in the seed mood.

I am starting more tomato seeds and pepper seeds

i will have a bunch left over so let me know if you want some.

Black Brandywine

Red Zebra

Cherokee Green

Tiny Tim Miniature

Pepper seed types:

Santa Fe Grande

Sweet Banana

Sweet Hungarian

Jalapeno "Hot"

Time to add the second layer...

I hope i am doing this correctly. I am adding the second layer to the worm composter. It fit snug. The first layer bumps right up to the second layer. I added some shredded paper and some scarps to attract the worms. I wont add anything more to the first layer and let them eat away for a few more months until tomato time!

Please follow me and leave a comment or two.

Tomato seeds and more seeds

more seeds started...

Cherry Toma Tomato

Yellow Pear Tomato

Orange Roma Tomato

Black Russian Cherry Tomato

Beauty King Tomato

Old German Tomato

Purple Calabash Tomato

Negro Azteca Tomato

Cannonball Tomato

Mushroom weekend - Field Forest

What a great mushroom weekend. I used my new angle grinder tool with the new angle grinder adapter with high speed drill bit. This made the drill process so amazingly fast. I mean really freaking fast! It was so much fun! The thimble were a bit different to work with at first but then it came very easy and fast. Sophia even did her very first log with wax! We used a friends sweetgum (thank you GIG) and did 44 logs!

Lot # Spawn origin Date type of wood Spawn Type Strain

11 Field forest 2.24.11 sweet gum Shiitake - Miss Happiness

12 Field forest 2.25.11 sweet gum Shiitake Night Velvet

Pictures coming!

oh i also set up the new mushroom sprinkler system!

Garden Time and first plantings :)

What a wonderful weekend in Atlanta! Garden time! I started to make the seeding mounds today and i planted 3 new items. Rainbow Swiss chard, Oregon Sugar Pod Peas and Lincoln Bush peas. I am hoping for a ear;y crop and a full pea harvest unlike past years!!

I moved the tomato seeds to the grow room. they sprouted really fast. I am hoping once again for a great grow season.

* Next post about the mushroom weekend.

*notes... what i been doing... it is that time again

*notes*8

hooked up new mushroom sprinkler * Works really good.

Tilled new outside beds (new FLOWER) beds to attract bees to the garden. Both new beds are on outside.

Started 8 different types of tomato

mexico midget

orange cherry

Kentucky Beefsteak

Beefsteak

Micro Tom

Cherry Rainbow

Stupice

Cherokee Purple

Seed Season!

Real quick post. I started a few lettuce seeds and basil on Monday! I am way behind on getting my tomato seeds going... I hope i can make up my new starter mixture tonight!

*side note anyone know how i can add a bunch of pictures to this blog. I want to display my mushroom project.

Get ready for our E-Book coming soon

Worms - Eat My Garbage

I finished Worms Eat My Garbage! Great information about Worm Composting. My worms are fast in action and eating my Garbage. I am adding waste slowly until the population grows. Did you know that a worm can eat half it's weight a day. YOu say no big deal but if you have a pound of worms that equals .5 pound of waste a day!

BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out my Blues! They were so dang yummy, Blue Oyster Mushrooms in pasteurized Wheat Straw! I placed them back under neath the deack and they just took off! I think i will have more ready this coming weekend. You all want to taste them with some fresh eggs?

propagating mushroom spawn - Yellow Oyster

Good Evening,

I had some left over saw dust with some spores in the bag (Yellow Oyster). I gathered all that up and placed it cardboard that was boiled in water and cooled. I put the spawn mixture in layers of cardboard. i had 3 layers and the spawn sprinkled with in. I am not sure i had enough spawn to make this work. Tomorrow i will be doing another batch but adding some left over wooden spawn dowels. I put the little container in the dark. I hope to see white spawn growing in a few weeks! Here is my first picture.

Worm Composter Project

Howdy Friends and lurkers...

For my birthday i received a very nice worm composter. Can O Worms! I have the bedding that came with the Can O Worms and added a bit of food. I received one pound of worms and they are suppose to eat half their weight each day! This can go 3 more layers high! I am expecting Black Gold in a few months and the liquid that comes with it! I will post pictures as my journey happens.

Also these Red wigglers are suppose to have babies all the time.. making babies worm style!

another book down - omnivore's dilemma

It took me forever to read this book tho it is a fast read. It was my kid waiting book. i only read this book when i had to wait on the kids at their activities. This is a truly amazing book about our food and how we look at it. Go get yourself a copy or come borrow mine.

On a side note - I am expecting my birthday present to show up today. Wonder what it is?? Can you guess.. feel free to comment

Grey grey is back!!!!!! Candace saw her running around in the yard this morning! I have no idea where she went last few nights! I am so happy. Also 1 egg

GREY GREY is MISSING

I let them out today , then i got paged... 4 hours later i went out ot put the girls up and she is missing... She usually does not go far. I looked everywhere... it was so dark... i will have to look when i get home tomorrow.. come back Grey Grey.. she also JUST started laying!