The FUNgus Among Us!

Mycellium grows beautifully on hemp, but can't live on hempcrete.

Mycellium uses hemp hurd as a substrate to grow on to become a MycoComposite. Placed in a form, it can assume any shape, and once fully innoculated, the mycellium is heated to create a lightweight and rigid material that can be easily cut.

As builders, we wanted to know how this material might be used for construction purposes. In this initial exploration, we tested hempcrete inoculated with mycelium. It was a non-starter. The lime that coats each hemp hurd particle impedes the survival of the mycellium. Fascinating!
This winter, Catalyst (pictured on left) attended a mycellium workshop by Tom Sippel (pictured on right) at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA. Tom is an inspired instructor with a passion for sharing knowledge, exploring ideas, and igniting curiosity. Shout out to Ben Bowman (center) who also attended and loves to engage on all things natural!

The class was a tremendous sucess! We now have proof that fungus doesn't grow on hempcrete and a much better understanding of how MycoComposites function.

Photo Credit to Ellery Berenger