April 9, 2021
Donkos are popping up in our shiitake yard, just in case we needed another harbinger of Spring! The shiitakes are inspired to start fruiting by the warm days and then are subsequently stressed out by the cold nights. The dehydrating action of the temperature fluctuation forms a distinctive cracking pattern on the top of the mushroom cap. Donkos are considered the highest quality of all shiitakes, I suspect in part because the flavors are concentrated from losing so much of their water content.
After the winter's hiatus, it's been a pleasure to be back in the peace and quiet of the shiitake yard again- there is no drama there, or poorly behaved animals, except, of course, for the chipmunk that has become a veritable mushroom connoisseur. Our Border Collie also seems to appreciate the calm of the yard. She waits for me, demurely, on the path, dozing in the shade, recharging her batteries, or with one eye open, watching me move logs from one pile to another. She must wonder what I'm doing and when I'll finish so we can get back to real farming...
We hosted 193 grade school students this week, and I might never recover. Anne's and my plan was to indoctrinate the impressionable young minds with the wonders of farming, but in the end it was us that got the real education. We marveled at the herculean task of teachers who without the use of sheep dogs, electric fencing, or cattle prods seemed to effortlessly coral and navigate the ever straying flocks of children. It was nothing short of magic.
We also quickly learned – and perfected, the art of deflecting. When asked multiple times and to the obvious horror of the teachers “Is it true that the lamb climbs out of the mom's butt?”, we would enthusiastically answer without missing a beat “ No, but I'll tell you something incredibly neat! Sheep have eyes that can see behind them while they graze.” And then before the inquisitive child could point out what was a blatant non sequitur, we'd describe the differences in our round pupils and a sheep's rectangular pupil - and how that enables them to watch for predators as they have their head down grazing. Thank goodness for short attention spans...
Most people consider farming a physically challenging way of life – but it's not nearly as exhausting as a day in the company of 4th graders. I may spend the rest of the week in the shiitake yard with the dog, attempting to recharge my batteries, while Anne rocks quietly back and forth in the corner....