Uploaded December 2016 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
A frequent criticism I've heard and received when I explain what the Cordwood Challenge is, is that bucking with an axe wastes too much wood compared to using a saw. This video explains a couple of things you can do with the chips. For one, if you are bucking properly easily 50% of every notch will pop out as very large flat chips that make wonderful kindling when dry. These large chips are extremely easy to collect very quickly, especially if you are bucking in a dedicated yard area for the job.
Another idea is to use the chips as mulch or as a growing medium for edible mushrooms. I've chosen to turn my chip yard into a growing bed for Winecap Mushroom (Stropharia rugosoannulata) but another edible species that would easily work is the Wood Blewit (Clitocybe nuda), but the spawn for that species is harder to come by commercially and its a little trickier to cultivate (so I understand).
I am already cultivating Wine Cap mushrooms in a bed of chips remaining from a previous hand hewing project. The bed is an excellent producer of mushrooms, but we have managed to harvest very few of them due to how far the bed is from our house, making regular visits unrealistic given our busy farm life. So another benefit of the cordwood challenge is a fresh source of clean hardwood woodchips, the perfect growing medium for Wine Cap, and I can build the new bed right near the house where we can see it every day and harvest them before the slugs, bugs, deer, squirrels, and turkeys do!
For folks unfamiliar with the Cordwood Challenge, here is a link to Steven Edholm's Skillcult Channel video describing it. youtube.com/watch?v=qbQcNuID-ss
We purchased our original Wine Cap spawn from Fungi Perfecti here. fungi.com/product-detail/product/the-garden-giant-mushroom-patch.html
You can also get them from Field and Forest Products, ( I have never purchased anything from them, but they come highly recommended to me by personal friends who have lots of experience with them, so I am comfortable giving them a recommend.)http://www.fieldforest.net/Wine-Cap-Stropharia-rugosa-annulata-Sawdust-Spawn/productinfo/SSR/
The spawn may seem a little expensive, but it you supply your beds with chips, they are essentially perennial and you needn't ever buy them again.
I've added a video about DIY Winecap spawn propagation, here. youtu.be/IISbNHTTE3s
A frequent criticism I've heard and received when I explain what the Cordwood Challenge is, is that bucking with an axe wastes too much wood compared to using a saw. This video explains a couple of things you can do with the chips. For one, if you are bucking properly easily 50% of every notch will pop out as very large flat chips that make wonderful kindling when dry. These large chips are extremely easy to collect very quickly, especially if you are bucking in a dedicated yard area for the job.
Another idea is to use the chips as mulch or as a growing medium for edible mushrooms. I've chosen to turn my chip yard into a growing bed for Winecap Mushroom (Stropharia rugosoannulata) but another edible species that would easily work is the Wood Blewit (Clitocybe nuda), but the spawn for that species is harder to come by commercially and its a little trickier to cultivate (so I understand).
I am already cultivating Wine Cap mushrooms in a bed of chips remaining from a previous hand hewing project. The bed is an excellent producer of mushrooms, but we have managed to harvest very few of them due to how far the bed is from our house, making regular visits unrealistic given our busy farm life. So another benefit of the cordwood challenge is a fresh source of clean hardwood woodchips, the perfect growing medium for Wine Cap, and I can build the new bed right near the house where we can see it every day and harvest them before the slugs, bugs, deer, squirrels, and turkeys do!
For folks unfamiliar with the Cordwood Challenge, here is a link to Steven Edholm's Skillcult Channel video describing it. youtube.com/watch?v=qbQcNuID-ss
We purchased our original Wine Cap spawn from Fungi Perfecti here. fungi.com/product-detail/product/the-garden-giant-mushroom-patch.html
You can also get them from Field and Forest Products, ( I have never purchased anything from them, but they come highly recommended to me by personal friends who have lots of experience with them, so I am comfortable giving them a recommend.)http://www.fieldforest.net/Wine-Cap-Stropharia-rugosa-annulata-Sawdust-Spawn/productinfo/SSR/
The spawn may seem a little expensive, but it you supply your beds with chips, they are essentially perennial and you needn't ever buy them again.
I've added a video about DIY Winecap spawn propagation, here. youtu.be/IISbNHTTE3s
