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 by the USDA as any species other than Agaricus bisporus (Button/Crimini/Portobello) produced in the USA. Our project is a unique cooperative extension effort that offers technical…

Read More
specialty mushroom sector figure 21

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 cultivation in-house. Depending on the mission and goals of a cultivator, the involvement in each of these processes may change. There are three different sectors…

Read More
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 will cover an introduction to mushrooms farming, including details on grow rooms, methods of cultivation and economics of mushroom growing. Through this webinars, you will…

Read More
2019 07 07 mushroom workshop nyc 13

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 Cooperative Extension and the Cornell Small Farms Program is partnering with Just Food, Farm School NYC, and Grow NYC to offer a two-year Community Mushroom…

Read More
Cornell Mushrooms Logo 1

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 topic of financial planning for mushroom enterprises will be covered with our mushroom project specialist, Steve Gabriel, and Faith Gilbert of Letterbox Farm Collective. You…

Read More
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 of production systems, mushrooms are well positioned for production by a diverse range of small and mid-sized farmers in urban and rural settings. With funding…

Read More
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 and more. Join us the second week of October to learn from Cotter, a microbiologist, professional mycologist, and organic gardener from South Carolina.  Cotter and…

Read More
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. These free webinars will occur on the first Wednesday of each month, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST, and will be recorded and posted…

Read More
Copy of 20140927 095628 1

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 as any species of mushroom not belonging to the genus Agaricus, the most commonly grown and consumed mushroom in the United States. In fact, the…

Read More
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 use of forested land for multiple yields is highly beneficial to the farmer.  Whether you choose to graze sheep in a Christmas tree farm, move cows…

Read More