Mushroom Cultivation in Unused Farm Structures

Mushroom Cultivation in Unused Farm Structures

Summary

The project summary

With the farm expanding, and space for production being a factor, there is a need to use existing spaces and materials in different ways. A currently unused wooden framed greenhouse will provide the perfect location for mushroom cultivation of Italian Oyster Mushrooms (Pluerotus pulmonarius). Only small climate control equipment modifications will be needed to use the wooden framed greenhouse.
Reusable substrate totes will be used to contain the substrate, reducing waste. The spent hay is biodegradable reducing farm waste material. To pasteurize the straw substrate it will be boiled and then placed into the totes. The totes will be placed in the unused wooden framed greenhouse to regulate the climate. The wooden framed greenhouse and tote tests deal with existing structures and keeping environmental impact and expenditures to a minimum.

The control will also have to reflect keeping environmental impact and expenditures to a minimum. The control will be the traditional cardboard boxes placed in an unsterile, non-controlled climate that will permit mushroom growth without the protection of the wooden framed greenhouse. All substrate will be replicated with the same amount of sterilized straw substrate and grain spawn as each of the shelves in the wooden framed greenhouse. Each substrate holding structure will hold the same amount of substrate that each of the wooden framed greenhouse shelves will hold.

The temperature, humidity, rate of growth, size of growth, and competing organisms (molds, other fungus species, parasites, loss of mushroom crops, and yield) will all be measured. Two logs will be kept for each growth location. The logs will measure temperature, humidity, mushroom pinning, cluster size, accumulating molds, diseases, macro organisms, abnormalities, insect pests, and the loss of mushroom crop. A grid system will be used for recording the information. After the mushrooms have depleted the nutrients in the substrate structures the spent substrate straw will be used as compost aiding in vegetable/fruit growth.

The project I propose will help expand local small farm diversification using existing equipment, allowing the farmer to grow produce in an unused/off season structure promoting better farm viability.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The project I propose will use a straw substrate material commonly used to grow Italian Oyster mushrooms (Pluerotus pulmonarius) and will be in a controlled environment in the way of an unused farm greenhouse. The substrate structures will be in the form of a packed tote hay bale. These packed tote straw substrate bales are needed to grow Italian Oyster mushrooms. In other words, the project I propose will consist of the Italian Oyster mushrooms growing from the totes packed with pasteurized straw. The size of the bales makes them easy to pasteurize, inoculate with spawn, and handle. The only byproduct of the hay bales will be compost tea from the pasteurization process; the mushroom crop and compost after the mushrooms have depleted the nutrients of the straw. The climate controlled structure will be the unused wooden framed greenhouse, which was once used as a controlled environment used for vegetable growth. Small climate equipment modifications can be used to achieve the controlled environment needed to grow mushrooms.

Accomplishments/Milestones

It was intended that the project revolve around unused farm structures, in my case a wooden framed green house, but due to the weather the farm structure had been destroyed. The project was then moved to an area of the farm garage that had just gathered clutter.

The method of creating the substrate was done at a large level. A 55 gallon metal drum was use to pasteurize the oat straw in order for inoculation. The 55 gallon metal drum was suspended by 6 cinder blocks formed to what looks like an out door BBQ grill. The drum was filled 2/3rds of the way with water and fire was made under it to heat the water to 140-180 degrees. Around half a bale was shaken up and placed in the drum at a time and was left to heat from 45 minutes to an hour depending on how hot the water was at that time. The hotter the water the less time was needed.

After the allotted time had passed and water temp was monitored by a thermometer. The oat straw was removed and placed in a storage tote to cool and drain extra water. While the water was still hot more water was added to bring the water level back up because of hay absorption and boiling off. After the straw had cooled it was separated into clear plastic totes. The straw and mushroom spawn/inoculant witch was of Italian Oyster Mushrooms (Pluerotus pulmonarius) was spread into layers until the totes were full. It was 1 bale (100 lbs prepared) per 4 totes to 4lbs of inoculant. This was over inoculating the hay because of my fears in the propagation process. The 4lbs. of inoculant should have gone for 200 lbs of prepared straw.

Two areas had been selected for the mushroom propagation. The first was the control. This was outside in the woods of my property. The control was the tried and true cardboard box method. Cardboard boxes were used because after they were done they would be left outside to decompose. The second was the clear tote method that I had used in a prior grant experiment that were to be grown in the unused farm structure. Both the cardboard and the totes mirrored each other 100 lbs of prepared strew to 4lbs of innoculant, 4 cardboard boxes and 4 totes.

The cardboard boxes were placed outside in the woods and after a week they were destroyed. Heavy rainfall and vermin had torn the cardboard open and one box looked like it was used as a nest. No mushrooms grew.

The unused farm structure was the farm garage that was just gathering clutter. The floor was concrete and the walls were well insulated. There was no need for climate control equipment which is a money saver. The totes were placed in the farm garage to grow. 14 days had passed and the totes showed a good amount of white mycelium in the substrate. The top of the tote had some competing fungus called green mold, and what looked to be lipstick mold. Both of these had run there course with in another 2 weeks and were over taken by the oysters mycelium. It had taken 57 days from boiling to see mushrooms beginning to pin or push through the holes in the totes.

These Italian Oyster Mushrooms were very prolific and produce 3 times. The first run was 12 lbs. This was because not all the totes were at full production. The average mushroom cap size was 5 inches across. The mushroom caps all grew from a central location on the tote that were a series of hole drilled throughout. I had noticed that when the mushrooms were cut away from the tote that they had separated from each other so it was one stem one cap. These separations made the sales of the mushroom easier because I could custom create the size to order. I found it to be easier to sell then its cousin the Grey Oyster Dove Mushroom that grows from a single location and a cluster that has to be sold as a whole.

The sales totaled 77 dollars. 11 lbs of mushrooms were sold for 7 dollars a pound and were bought up quickly. The one remaining pound was used for demonstrations where I went into restaurants and cooked up simple mushroom dishes using the Italian Oyster Mushrooms as a substitute for the generic button mushroom.

The second run of mushroom totaled 18 lbs. I had noticed that the previously fruited totes had a variety of mushroom sizes 1 inch to 8 inches across. The harvest method was the same as before just more of it. 10 lbs of the mushrooms had been sold to The American in Sharon Springs NY. Because of the competing button mushroom I had to sell the Italian Oyster Mushrooms at 5 dollars a pound totaled 50 dollars. I had also sold 3 lbs more in Sharon Spring for 7 dollars a pound right up the road totaling 21 dollars. The remaining 3 pounds were used for demonstration at the Schoharie County Sunshine Fair.

At the fair I cooked the mushrooms and handed out samples while promoting mushroom growing methods and the grant research and handing out paper work on how they could grow there own mushrooms.

The third run of mushrooms I had noticed that there were holes being made in the mushroom caps some to the point that they were unsalable there were 8 lbs for the last run 3 pounds of that was unsalable. While watching this run grow I had found the culprit that was eating the mushrooms. It was a beetle of sorts so I brought it down to David Cox who works at the Cornell Cooperative Extension. He had had identified the beetle as a mushroom beetle. There was no more activity from this beetle after the third run because the straw had been spent and was used for mulch. The third run was sold to a gentleman that had been at the fair. The remaining 5lbs. were sold for 35 dollars.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

A second set of experiments were made with the same methods as before. This was for a fall run. Over 600 lbs of prepared hay, 300 lbs for totes 300 lbs for cardboard boxes, and 24 lbs of spawn/inoculant were used. The experiment was a total failure not a single tote or card board box became inoculated. Further investigation is needed to correctly identify what had happened with the spawn and straw.

The boiling method was to a point effective because of the first run of spawn. The mushrooms have been proven to grow in the unused farm structure with no climate controlling equipment in late spring, summer, and early fall.

The boiling process is lengthy because of the water heating and needing to be kept up to temperature. Better boiling methods or a new way of pasteurization is needed to more effectively and efficiently boil the straw.

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