Sustainable Mushroom Cultivation in the North for Disabled Growers

Sustainable Mushroom Cultivation in the North for Disabled Growers

Summary

"As a person with a physical disability, I was having increasing difficulty handling swine and at the same time my profits were decreasing. In addition, this area of northern Wisconsin has seen a tremendous decline in production agriculture. Producing livestock is difficult due to lack of local feed sources and distance to markets. Developing alternative forms of agriculture is an opportunity to utilize empty facilities and would benefit disabled producers if special production techniques could be developed."

Objectives: To demonstrate the transition from swine production to profitable shiitake mushroom production utilizing existing facilities. To develop facility innovations sufficient for mushroom production by a physically disabled producer. To provide workshops and demonstrations of facility conversion, innovations, production practices and marketing of shiitake mushrooms in northern Wisconsin.

Results: The project coordinator remodeled an old hog barn into an efficient facility for the production of shiitake mushrooms with adaptations to accomodate the physically handicapped. Mushrooms are marketed through farmers markets and to established customers. The project has also allowed the grower to expand his social activities and gain confidence in speaking and interacting with people.