Stacked Functionality Greenhouse Use for Mushroom Production: Utilizing space under transplant tables to diversify crops and income

View the project final report

Commodities

• Miscellaneous: mushrooms

Practices

• Crop Production: greenhouses, multiple cropping

This project is to evaluate the feasibility of mushroom production as a stacked use function with transplant production in a heated greenhouse, where mushroom production occurs under transplant production tables in space not normally utilized/occupied.  Potential for stacked use or synergistic production systems that more fully utilize fixed assets/resources in small farming operations has the ability to increase the economic and environmental sustainability of such operations by generating more food production and economic activity from existing heated transplant production spaces thereby increasing carbon and capital use efficiency.  The project will evaluate several different mushroom species/strains (Oyster, Wine Cap, and Shiitake) as well as production techniques to evaluate their suitability for use in under transplant tables in heated transplant production greenhouses. This analysis will include evaluation of yield, as well as economics of labor, material costs and potential revenues. Results will be shared with area and regional farmers through a field day hosted onsite (or virtually if needed) as well as more widely through an electronic how-to handbook detailing methods, findings, and recommendations.

• Evaluate feasibility of growing mushrooms under transplant production tables in heated greenhouses 
• Identify which mushroom types and production systems work best in this environment (wine caps mushrooms on straw or wood chips; oyster mushrooms in totems or in logs; shiitake mushrooms in logs) 
• Evaluate potential economic benefits from this stacked/dual use system that utilizes previously un-utilized space to offset greenhouse heating costs, diversify production and increase economic and environmental sustainability.
• Disseminate findings and recommendation to farmers in our area though field day and further with a digital workbook detailing techniques, findings and recommendations.