Patrick Hanners has been involved with shiitake cultivation in the US from the beginning.  He runs an operation that recently moved from Maryland to Virginia called Mushroom Gardens. .  He and his team have cultivated more than a 150 thousand logs  over the years with a variety of strains. They plan on cultivating 500 thousand logs in the next f4 years.

He is a large purchaser of Field and Forest’s spawn.  He’s growing outdoors with fresh cut logs inoculated with a simple, innovative cost-effective, low-labor method he’s happy to share with others.

He and Joe Krawczy kand Mary Ellen  of F & F are developing strains of Auricularia suitable for log cultivation.  Currently, the US doesn’t have anyone growing large amounts commercially.  The potential for this mushroom is huge as it’s currently one of the top three consumed edible mushrooms in the world. By next year he hopes to be a major commercial Wood Ear producer with approximately 10 thousand logs in production.

See his academic credentials below.

Education –

University of  MD College Park – BS Botany / Accounting

University of MD College Park – Graduate Studies – Plant Pathology

University of California Berkley – Graduate studies – Biochemistry

Employment –

University of MD College Park – Botany Dept. Dr. Bean

USDA Beltsville MD -ARS  Mushroom Group Dr James P. SanAntonia

USDA Albany California – ARS Fungal Steroid

Ground Water Technology – Environmental Chemisty

Blue Diamond – Lab Manager

Biospherics- Lab supervisor ,QC , Project manager

Metcom – Lab Manager