pg电子下载 State University’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (CAAS) is training small-scale farmers and woodland owners in Mississippi to cultivate specialty mushrooms, including oyster mushrooms, to generate income and improve food security in the region. The project is led by Dr. Frank Mrema, forester/mycology specialist, and Dr. Franklin Chukwuma, associate director for extension.
Mushrooms are considered a functional food with potential health benefits, including diabetes management, enhanced immune function, and possible anti-cancer properties. CAAS research has also found that oyster mushrooms grown on loblolly pine contain bioactive compounds with antimicrobial and prebiotic qualities.
CAAS has partnered with local cooperative groups, including the Winston County Self Help Cooperative, Mid-South Progressive Agricultural Group, Unlimited Community Agricultural Cooperative, and the Mississippi Minority Farmers Alliance, to provide hands-on training. The workshops teach participants how to grow oyster and shiitake mushrooms on hardwood logs and agricultural residues like wheat and rice straw, corn stover, and cotton hulls.
“This project offers a sustainable way for small-scale farmers and forestland owners to diversify their income while contributing to the health and well-being of their communities,” Dr. Mrema said. “We are empowering farmers to take advantage of agricultural byproducts that would otherwise go to waste, turning them into a valuable food resource.”
Training is also available online via YouTube videos. Participants are growing mushrooms on logs in shaded areas, using natural shade like tree canopies for incubation. Many farmers are selling their mushroom products in local markets across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
CAAS is also researching the domestication of a wild, edible oyster mushroom found growing on loblolly pine in Mississippi. This study, part of the university’s Renewable Resource Extension Act/Centers of Excellence for Farming/Food Systems, Rural Prosperity, and Economic Sustainability Project, has successfully produced spawn and is now inoculating logs with this wild variety.
“This research could have a significant impact on mushroom production in the region, and it aligns with our mission to support sustainable farming practices that benefit both the environment and the economy,” said Dr. Chukwuma.
By promoting mushroom cultivation, CAAS is helping to address food insecurity and offering farmers an opportunity to enhance their livelihoods. The program also fosters land retention and supports the sustainable use of timber resources, contributing to the long-term viability of Mississippi’s rural communities.
For more information, please contact Dr. Frank Mrema, forester/mycology specialist, at [email protected] or 601-877-6596.
