Monday, January 23, 2006
Cariño: Mushroom miracle mushrooms
By R.T. Cariño
ABOUT 50 years ago, Baguio abounded in tiny needlelike mushrooms, which used to sprout overnight after every thunderstorm.
They grew in backyards like in Aurora Hill, in Pacdal, Brookside, Camp John Hay and in almost all places where there were woods and trees, which, 50 years ago, included all of Baguio. They grow everywhere, you know, like mushrooms. Pun intended.
Baguio old-timers will remember that it took no effort at all to go out to the backyard grasses and pick a basketful, yes, a basketful, then bring them home and drop them into a pot of boiling chicken soup for a wonderful meal.
Now these mushrooms can hardly be found, and its taste or the thought and the memory of its taste bring, back an overpowering sense of nostalgia for days past.
But then, enough of nostalgia and back to the present. At the ongoing exposition at the Baguio Convention Center, one of the more interesting seminars was on mushroom culture. They made the listener understands that mushrooms are healthy, low-caloried, versatile and wonderful tasting. So what can be better than mushrooms in one's diet? Why, organically grown mushrooms, of course.
Mr. Jonathan Ibis, resource speaker for the seminar, gave a very enlightening talk on the subject. It seems that these days, the demand for mushrooms cannot be met. Almost all of the mushrooms in the country are grown in the Baguio-Benguet area because of the mist and fog of this blessed city/province of ours. Hence, the need for people to grow mushrooms. The difference between Mr. Ibis's advocacy and the ordinary mushroom grower is that Mr. Ibis encourages that mushrooms be grown organically.
He said his mushrooms grow in an organic medium mainly sawdust, ricehusks, banana leaves and other such medium. Then, they just need water to grow.
At this seminar, one learns that there are literally hundreds of varieties of mushrooms: There is shitake, oyster, button, banana, Portobello, so much more and all so wonderfully tasting. Be advised that oyster mushrooms be grown first, because they have a growing period of only 60 days while shitakes mature in three months and the buttons in six months.
So that one can realize a harvest within 60 days, the farmer should start with oyster and progress to the other longer growing varieties.
At harvest time, Mr. Ibis then will guarantee their purchase from the grower at a fixed price. It seems that their cooperative cannot meet the demand, hence appealing to interested persons to come join the bandwagon and to grow mushrooms. Funding for the project could be sourced out and Mr. Ibis will baby-sit the farmer till he starts harvesting. He said a small yard of even 300 square meters would be sufficient for a medium-sized endeavor, which can indeed earn some money for the farmer.
(January 23, 2006 issue)
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