Growingmushroomscan be a great way to broaden your merchandise at your local farmers market place and be an extra nutrient source for your family unit . But raising them does come with special considerations .
John Lawton and his wife , Susan , raise mushrooms at theirPossum Bottom Farmsin Whitwell , Tennessee . Lawton , a former electrical engine driver , feels that it ’s his analytical background that leave him to make a winner of his line of work . He was first introduced to mushroom culture by a business partner in Charleston , South Carolina , who had startedgrowing mushrooms for eating house . The idea of raise them on his 70 - Accho farm speedily necessitate root .
“ We triedselling hay . But if I ’ve catch hay , everybody has hay , ” Lawton says . “ It was the same direction with corn and tomatoes . But I looked around , and nobody was growing mushrooms . ”
A Complex Process
It did n’t take long for Lawton to realize that a certain point of difficulty is involved . “ It is complex , ” Lawton says . “ You have to endure many unlike chapeau . It is not just the cultivation . It is the lab work and the system . ” But it ’s the level of difficulty that Lawton finds attractive .
Lawton say that one aspect of many that mark his farm aside is his methods of culture . “ We grow in climate - controlled condition , ” he say . “ Most everyone else is growing at room temperature . ”
Lawton describes his climate - controlled conditions as a temperature of between 55 and 60degrees with 90 percent humidity . “ We also control the CO2 , ” he says . “ Some of the mushrooms are sore to CO2because they breathe oxygen and exhale CO2just like we do . You have to incessantly even the rooms when they are in the fruiting bike , and you have to constantly flush the suite to keep the CO2from building up . ”
The welfare of produce in climate - controlled conditions is that he can set the timetable for harvesting , adding that he and Susan go under their harvest time for Thursdays and Fridays to be prepared for their Saturday market . Although this process is a more expensive method acting , it ’s well deserving the investment in terms of merchandise consistency .
“ It ’s more expensive to grow this way and , consequently , we have to sell more mushrooms , ” he say . “ We run more on a book level where we sell a little spot cheaper , but we go for a magnanimous haul . ”
Lawton adds that consistence in product timber and amount is what his customers seek . This praxis allow him to direct the largest markets in Tennessee . “ The smaller markets do n’t exploit for us , ” he says .
Marketing Mushrooms
In increase to being enkindle in climate - controlled condition , the Lawtons raise their mushroom on closure . “ All of the mushrooms we take to market are farmed , ” he says . “ We do not do any raging polish or baseless harvest time . ”
The Lawtons mainly use social media , mostly Facebook and Instagram , to market their product . They also have a bearing on Google and their website , PossumBottomFarms.com .
Initially , the Lawtons wanted to trade their mushroom-shaped cloud to eating place because they feel this would offer a steady demand as pit to set up at local farmer ’s marketplace . But what they soon discovered was exactly the opposite .
“ It was much easier to sell large measure at a Fannie Farmer market , ” he says . But there is a caveat . “ The smaller markets do n’t work , ” he says . “ You have to be in a large market place . ”
He give examples of the markets he frequents in the Franklin , Murfreesboro and Knoxville , Tennessee , areas , he says , that supply to foodies . Lawton says that the trouble with merchandising to restaurants comes mainly from staff changes and the financial stability of the restaurants themselves , which translates to a fluctuating need .
Learning the Ropes
Raising mushroom-shaped cloud is a tricky business . “ It fill me about two and a one-half years to learn , ” Lawton says . “ That was run and error and study on my own , ” Lawton , who now also tender audience service , explains . The industriousness has a high dropout charge per unit of about 85 per centum , so Lawton sew his consultation armed service only to those already past the basic mushroom-shaped cloud cultivation degree . He quote the high failure rate in raising the mushroom themselves , which often drives masses aside .
As well , mushroom-shaped cloud , Lawton says , are a modified mart . He advises identifying your market before making your first purchases .
“ Make certain you have enough of a food market to justify the expense , ” he say . It also helps to have a solid concern plan . To that final stage , Lawton has developed a system of rules that he address full - circle farming .
“ When you give rise mushroom-shaped cloud at the volume that we do , weproduce a lot of compost , ” Lawton says . “ We get to employ that compost . It ’s free fertilizer . ” Lawton takes agricultural waste products such as sawdust , logs and straw that he then uses to educate mushrooms . “ We utilize worm to break-dance that back down into compost that we use to grow veggie , so it fill in the rophy , ” he says .
For those search to learn by experimentation , Lawton propose begin with shiitake logs . “ They are the cheapest and well-heeled because they are done outdoors , ” he says . “ All you need is a shady pip , some log , a drill and an inoculation tool .
Lawton explains that the purpose of starting at this level is to learn the mushroom bike . “ read how to fudge the logs , ” he says . “ There are thing that you’re able to do to force it to produce mushroom . ”
Another affair you’re able to do , Lawton says , is to purchase log from another producer . “ The hardest part is producing your cylinder block in the lab because of all of the grim molding , ” Lawton sound out . “ It ’s the curse of the mushroom Fannie Farmer ’s existence . ” Lawton adds that once the mold gets establish it ’s implausibly hard to get rid of .
“ You have to be uncontaminating , white , sporting . ”
In countries that grow more mushroom than the United States , the model is to have a lab that produces the cultures , another that produces the growing mass medium and another that grows the mushrooms . “ We ’re getting to that degree where you may purchase your blocks and not have to bring about them yourself , ” he says , “ which will save you a heap of clock time and defeat because your contamination charge per unit can be pretty high-pitched if you do not have the right apparatus . ” But a remarkable drawback of purchasing cube is their expense . “ You would have to deal a important measure of mushroom-shaped cloud , about 100 to 150 pounds per week , to break even , ” he says .
For those look for to purchase blocks yet learn about raising mushroom on them on a small scale leaf , Lawton recommends using a small hobbyhorse - framed greenhouse kit . By add a little humidity , he says , you’re able to learn the physical process and raise mushroom in your garage or basement .
A Scalable Product
Expenses notwithstanding , growing mushrooms on block are what Lawton feel reach his system very scalable . fain blocks are stored in a ice chest at a temperature of 40 degrees . In this manner , they are view as for up to two months before they are exposed to oxygen , which set out the fruiting cycle . Ten days to two weeks afterwards , they produce mushrooms .
The process allows the Lawtons to adjust their harvest agree to pauperism and to target sure prime market periods like Memorial Day weekend , the Fourth of July , Father ’s Day , etc . “ It ’s a small bit more sophisticated system , but it works pretty well , ” he says . But , he impart , for this scheme , it ’s decisive to keep backups of authoritative element such as fumes fans , obnubilate system pumps and tune conditioners . misplace even one of these , at this level , could make losses up of $ 15,000 at a time .
Another option is raising huitre mushrooms on straw . While your natural selection will be special , huitre mushrooms do offer the opportunity to raise your product on several unlike substrates , let in wheat berry chaff , cardboard , wood silicon chip and various eccentric of soybean Kingston-upon Hull pellet .
“ They are very sizeable for you , ” Lawton enjoin . “ And they are toothsome . ”
Additional Products
The Lawtons raise a variety of mushrooms include black bone king oyster , lion ’s mane , halcyon oyster and shiitake mushroom , along with mushroom powders . “ Anything we do n’t sell fresh gets dried and powered for our culinary products , ” John Lawton says . To preserve the sustenance of the tonic mushrooms , the Lawtons dry out their product at 104 degree F.
“ If you dry over 120 degree , the interpersonal chemistry starts to transfer and you fall behind flavor , ” he says . One of his favorite aspects of farm mushroom cloud is prepare the public about the nutritionary aspects , recipes and flavor union of culinary mushroom .
Before COVID-19 , the Lawtons also sell pre - immunize mushroom - producing logs . “ They are a pretty well-to-do way to grow mushrooms in your backyard , ” he say . However , the pandemic led to an increase need for firewood , make believe the hardwood logs that he sought to create these logs increasingly unavailable . He hopes to lead off offering the product again this twelvemonth .
Lawton pronounce that regardless of the reason for your interest in kick upstairs mushroom , they can be a play learning opportunity and a profitable go-ahead if you ’re willing to put in the fourth dimension and research .
Once you have identify your market and learned about the fruiting cycle and how it can be manipulated , Lawton advises that you ’re now ready to do some research and describe someone to study under who teach mushroom finish . advert seminar on the topic is a great option while at the same time send word against watch YouTube videos .
“ You only get about 80 percent of what you postulate to get laid from those , ” he allege . ego - instruct learning experience on a small scale partner off with more courtly educational activity , when you are quick for it , lead to lower unsuccessful person rates .
This article originally appear in the Nov./Dec . 2023 issue ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
