In this episode, Rubén Parrilla, NOFA/Mass’ Education Director and Technical Services Manager, discusses using spent mushroom substrate, the woody fungi-inoculated byproduct of mushroom farming, to improve soil health. Teeming with microbes, spent mushroom substrate is nutrient-rich and abundant with known benefits as a soil amendment. As a part of our Partnership Grant funded by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, NOFA/Mass evaluated a sustainable outlet for existing SMS surplus in the Northeast while also improving the soil health and microbial communities of vegetable farms. Joined by Liz Almeida, mushroom farmer and owner of Fat Moon Farm, and host Tony Kennette

The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is a new USDA initiative that provides education, technical assistance, and support to help producers transition to organic. The partnership is between farmers who are certified, and those looking to become certified! It's so helpful to learn from farmers who have experience in the process. Click the image link to learn more.

Join our host, Tony Kennette, our staff soil scientist Ruben Parilla, and guests William Padilla-Brown and Jake Tulius in a discussion about Soil Microbes & Citizen Science! From tardigrades, and algea, to mycorrhizal networks, this crew will get you salivating for successful soil!

Farm/Business Members are invited to participate in our Spring Seedling Sales list, which lets home growers know where they can find local, sustainably grown seedlings at the start of the season.