Posts by Steve Gabriel

Steve is an Extension Specialist focused on specialty mushroom production and agroforestry. Throughout his career, Steve has taught thousands of people about the ways farming and forestry can be combined to both benefit the ecology and economies of small farms.  He is also a farmer, author, hiker, and musician.
Shiitake mushrooms grow on a log

Speciality Mushrooms Project Launches Survey for Growers

By Steve Gabriel / January 19, 2021

Did you grow and sell at least $100 worth of mushrooms in the 2020 growing season? Then our Specialty Mushrooms project wants to hear from you. Specialty Mushrooms are defined…

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The Three Sectors of the Specialty Mushroom

By Steve Gabriel / April 6, 2020

Starting an enterprise in specialty mushrooms doesn’t require you to do everything!  When thinking about growing mushrooms it is important to know that most businesses do not do the entire process of…

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indoor mushroom harvest

Free Webinar Series Will Teach Commercial Specialty Mushroom Production

By Steve Gabriel / January 22, 2020

Learn to develop and implement a business plan for growing mushrooms commercially with an upcoming webinar series from our Specialty Mushrooms project and our project partner Fungi Ally. The webinars…

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New Community Mushroom Educator Program Offered in 2020

By Steve Gabriel / January 10, 2020

Join our new network of educators to learn how to grow and sell mushrooms, and teach these skills in the community you serve. With support from USDA-SARE and USDA-AFRI, Cornell…

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Don’t Miss Our Last Monthly Mushroom Webinar of the Year

By Steve Gabriel / November 12, 2019

As the year comes to an end, there is still time to join one more installment of our Specialty Mushroom project’s free monthly webinar series. On Tuesday, November 19, the…

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oyster mushrooms

Specialty Mushroom Project Expands to Serve Diverse Urban and Rural Growers

By Steve Gabriel / October 7, 2019

Interest in specialty mushrooms (defined as any non-button variety) from both farmers and consumers is growing rapidly, with demand increasing by 4% annually in the U.S. Given the flexible scale…

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tradd cotter mushroom mountain insta

Mushroom Expert Offers Series of Educational Events

By Steve Gabriel / September 23, 2019

The Cornell Small Farms Program is welcoming mushroom expert Tradd Cotter to Ithaca, NY, for a number of events that will share how mushrooms can integrate into agriculture, medicine, sustainability…

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containers of specialty mushrooms displayed at farmers market

Free Monthly Webinar Series on Specialty Mushrooms from Our Mushroom Project

By Steve Gabriel / April 22, 2019

The Cornell Small Farms Program’s project focused on specialty mushroom farming enterprises is launching a monthly webinar series highlighting the latest research and stories from experienced growers around the region.…

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Producing Specialty Mushrooms: Outdoor vs Indoor Systems

By Steve Gabriel / April 1, 2019

A perfect crop for many farm enterprises. The time is ripe for growers to consider adding mushrooms as a crop to their farm enterprise. Specialty mushrooms are defined by USDA…

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sheep grazing

Six Key Principles for a Successful Silvopasture

By Steve Gabriel / July 2, 2018

Within the practice of agroforestry, or mixing trees with agricultural production, the concept of silvopasture has some of the broadest appeal. Many farms already work with livestock, and making good…

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