One of my favorite Haikus by Kobayashi Issa goes like this "O, Snail/ Climb Mt. Fuji/ But slowly, Slowly."

The problems we face are towering, and though the times are urgent, I believe in the power of many small positive transformations.  This project is one small step, or one small (but also mighty!) mushroom in that direction.  More people growing mushrooms in the city means more protein, more medicine, more joy, more happy taste buds and less waste. 

My goals are to increase mushroom cultivation in the city by:

• conducting workshops that demystify the process and make it more accessible
• exploring the possibility of cleansing heavy metals in the soil with relatively simple mycoremediation methods
• showcasing different ways of integrating mushroom cultivation in your backyard (or front or side or anywhere that's suitable!).  
• starting a spawn bank (fungal equivalent of seed bank).

This project is a collaboration between the Mushroom Factory, Singing Tree Detroit, Amanita Tree Service, Taproot Sanctuary, Field and Forest Products, and urban farms across the city.  Together we can start support the movement for a healthy, ecologically sound, and food sovereign Detroit!

If I were to rewrite Kobayashi Issa's haiku, it would go like this

O mushroom/ clean the soil, nourish the community, vitalize the ecosystem/ but slowly, slowly.