If you’ve been following our social media, you’ve seen periodic updates of Eva’s SCOBY textile project. Below is her summary, the final product, and thoughts on where to go next with flexible materials made from these single-celled organisms. As discussed in my initial blog post, I focused on two experimental paths: the brewing of kombucha specifically for harvesting SCOBY, and the post-harvest processing on existing leftover SCOBY. I will continue to refer to the SCOBY (Symb

Below is a report from Plant Chicago intern Tyler on our ongoing project to convert our old gas-powered chipper/shredder to electric, and repurposing its function from shredding straw for mushroom growing to shredding cardboard. Cardboard is a material that is in great abundance at The Plant, and being able to do something with it other than just recycling (such as chicken bedding, vermicompost, etc) would mean saved energy and a more direct path back into the biosphere. The