WORKSHOPS
Join us for individual sessions of the mushroom series. We encourage you to be with us for the entire series, but we have reserved a few spaces if selecting individual sessions works best for you.
SYLLABUS
ALL SESSIONS ARE 2PM-4PM
Saturday May 20
Session 1: Growing mushrooms outdoors
In our first session we will go over common methods of mushroom cultivation with a special focus on home growing methods. We will focus on growing winecap mushrooms and their benefits to gardens, soil health and compost building.
Saturday June 24
Session 2: Ethnobotany and history of mushrooms
The human relationship with mushrooms spans our entire existence as a species.
We will dive deep on the rich history of mushrooms from the Otzi, the iceman, the ancient Greeks, the first peoples and contemporary uses.
Saturday July 22
Session 3: Growing mushrooms in small spaces
We will build on our cultivation methods discussions from session 1 and move into focusing on growing mushrooms in containers, which is a great method for growing in small spaces and can be done indoors or outdoors. Together we will inoculate containers that all students will bring home.
Saturday August 26
Session 4: Mushrooms in art and science
Mushrooms are being utilized for oil cleanups, packaging, foam replacements, medicine, sculpture medium, leather and so much more. We will spend this session with a guest speaker and hands-on demos, exploring the many ways mushrooms are being used in practical and innovative ways in the world of art and science.
Come explore mycology as an artistic and scientific medium, and join Kali Mushrooms to learn about holistic and sustainable approaches to art-making with mushroom- and mycelium-based materials. This interdisciplinary, interactive studio is an introduction to the field of mycological arts and fungal materials, connecting topics on fungal biology, wild mushrooms, ethnomycology, and recent scientific research. The program will begin with a Reishi mushroom tea tasting, renowned for its medicinal properties and potential for material applications. Followed by a guided foray through the farm and forest, identifying fungi used to create handmade papers, inks, dyes, and extracts. The final hour of the workshop, participants will create their own mushroom paper masterpieces, using recycled tea waste and their foraged finds.
Sneha Ganguly, also known as Kali Mushrooms, is an artist working through the intersection of art and mycology. Sneha identifies and studies wild mushrooms with a special interest in biomaterials and pigments. Her work explores fungal aesthetics, materiality, intelligence, and technology, through the entanglements of ecology, science, agriculture, art and culture. Sneha is co-founder of POC Fungi Community. She teaches the Community Mushroom Educators Program for Cornell Small Farms. She is founder and coordinator of Fungus Festival for the New York Mycological Society.
Saturday September 23
Session 5: Natural dyes with mushrooms
The world of natural dyes produced by mushrooms is vast, and incredibly colorful. This session is devoted to learning about the colors we can make from wild mushrooms growing in our region. A natural dye demo will be led by a visiting artist, make sure to bring some fabric to throw in the dye pot.
Saturday October 28
Session 6: Cooking with mushrooms
The culinary uses of mushrooms are endless, in this session we will go through all kinds of common and less common mushroom cooking recipes. We will cook together, along with a guest chef and to conclude our series we will all celebrate with a meal devoted to mushrooms.
Cost:
$75 per individual session.
$360 for the full series ($60 per session).
Classes are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend any of the classes, you may give your space to a friend or family member. Please notify us ahead of time in this case. If cost is prohibitive, please contact us.
Details:
This workshop is designed for adults. However, we encourage people of all ages to participate. Children who are interested are welcome to accompany an adult at no cost.
The classes will take place in New Paltz, NY. They will be held rain or shine, please dress accordingly. Water will be provided, but bring any additional food or drink that you may require. Address will be provided upon registration.