Learn to grow any mushroom species in our Mushroom course El Zopilote Hostel
Welcome to our intensive two-day Mushroom course El Zopilote, designed to teach you how to grow any kind of mushroom in any environment or climate. Combining essential theory with extensive practical laboratory and cultivation sessions, you will learn the complete process of mushroom cultivation — from spores to harvest.
During this Mushroom course El Zopilote, you will gain real-world laboratory techniques including working with a flowhood and a Still Air Box (SAB), agar preparation, agar inoculation, grain-to-grain transfers, and long-term mycelium and spore storage. We also cover substrates and cultivation systems in detail, showing you how to prepare different substrates, apply pasteurization and sterilization techniques, understand greenhouse and evaporative cooler principles, and manage fruiting conditions and environmental controls. Finally, you will explore processing and uses, learning mushroom cooking, drying, bag handling, and long-term storage. By the end of the workshop, you will have the skills to start producing mushrooms at home or to design your own small-scale commercial project.
The course is held at Finca El Zopilote, located on beautiful Ometepe Island in Nicaragua. Your teacher is Cristiano Bianchi, founder of El Zopilote and Te Quiero Hongo Mushroom Farm, who brings over 22 years of permaculture experience in the tropics alongside more than 6 years dedicated to professional mushroom cultivation. The course language is English. Materials to bring include a pen, colored pencils, a notebook, and a clipboard.
The course fee is USD 180, which includes two organic farm lunches. Accommodation is not included and should be reserved separately at our hostel. To reserve your spot (limited to 10 participants), please send an USD 80 deposit via PayPal to zopilotereservation@gmail.com or book directly in person at our reception. For questions, reach out via WhatsApp at +505 8369 0644 or connect with us on Instagram @fincaelzopilote.
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If you want to taste what we cultivate on the farm, visit our El Zopilote Farm-to-Table Mushroom Restaurant to enjoy gourmet mushroom dishes. You can also explore our Practical Craft Workshop or unwind with a session at our Massages section. During your stay, don’t miss our daily Yoga Classes or easily Book your accommodation at El Zopilote Hostel to experience farm life firsthand!