# Welcome to Southwest Mushrooms
Hey , I'm Michael Crowe, and I'm glad you're here.
I've been growing mushrooms for years, and I started this community because I kept getting the same question after every YouTube video: "Where can I actually talk to other growers about this stuff?"
So here we are.
## What This Community Is
This is a place for mushroom growers at every level, from "I just bought my first bag of grain" to "I'm scaling to commercial production."
You'll find:
- Courses— structured lessons on cultivation fundamentals, built from my book The Mushroom Grower
- Weekly posts — technique tips, troubleshooting threads, and member grow showcases
- Direct access to me — I'm in here every day answering questions
- Other growers who get it — share your wins, your failures, and your weird contamination photos
## How to Get Started
1. Introduce yourself — Drop a post in the "Introduce Yourself" section. Tell us what you're growing (or want to grow) and where you're at in your journey.
2. Start Course 1 — Head to the Classroom and begin "Mushroom Cultivation Foundations." Modules 1 and 2 are free previews.
3. Jump into the feed — Ask questions, share photos, help other growers. The more you put in, the more you get out.
## Community Guidelines
Be helpful. We were all beginners once. If someone asks a question you know the answer to, share it.
Share photos. A picture of your tub is worth a thousand words when troubleshooting.
No spam or self-promotion. This isn't the place to sell your products. It's a place to learn and grow together.
Ask anything. There are no stupid questions here. If you're unsure, ask. That's what we're here for.
## Quick Links
See you in the feed.
— Michael