Mushroom Cultivation For Everyone Tradd Cotter Mushroom Mountain, LLC

Log and Stump Cultivation Spawn Run Storage and Stacking Water requirements / Soaking Fruiting Parameters and cycles Yields and expectations

“Diamond” Drilling Pattern

Log and Stump Cultivation SOAKING Replenishes lost water Swells dehydrated mycelium Signals biomass there is enough internal moisture to produce viable fruit Evaporation creates a slight drop in log temperature

Shiitake Primordia Pushing Through the Bark In 2-7 DAYS

Shiitake Yields Average 2 pounds per log per year Investment of $3-4 in plugs per log Lifetime of log return 10 pounds (6-8 inch log) Price per pound varies with quality ($8-15/lb)

ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES AND SPECIES

Mushrooms on Wood Chips and Composts

King Stropharia Yields Average 3-5 pounds per year (4x4x1) Investment of $30 per cubic yard of chips Lifetime of return 6-10 pounds (2 years) Price per pound varies with quality ($8-15/lb)

Recycling with Mushrooms Growing Media Spent Coffee Grounds and Filters Cardboard Cereal Boxes, pasta boxes, butter boxes, tissue boxes, paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, paper towels Shredded Office Paper, Newspaper Old Cotton Clothes

Cultivating on Ag waste and Weeds Spent Coffee Cereal Straw (oat, wheat, rye) Cotton Waste Corn Waste Kudzu Water Hyacinth

HOT WATER PASTERURIZATION 1-2 HOURS AT 160 F (71 C)

VOLUME : EXPOSED SURFACE AREA CHOOSING A CONTAINER

VOLUME : EXPOSED SURFACE #1 KEY TO SUCCESSFUL COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION DETERMINE BEST RATIO MINIMIZE EXPOSE SURFACE AREA TO MAXIMIZE YIELDS MUSHROOMS ARE PHOTOTROPHIC AND STIMULATED BY LIGHT BLACK OR OPAQUE CONTAINERS BEST

Mushroom Psychology “BECOMING A MUSHROOM” FUNGAL EMPATHY AND INTUITIVE GROWING PREDICT THE BEHAVIOR AND CYCLES BASED ON SKILLED OBSERVATIONS AND NOTE TAKING (RECORD KEEPING)

SPAWN RUN

Secondary Decomposers Agaricus ( Portabellas and White Button ) Utilize composting process to achieve a substrate suitable for mushroom colonization. Presence of thermophilic bacteria and other beneficial fungi stimulate mushroom mycelium and production

Fruiting Structures Controlled, clean environment Gases, insects, and humidity control

Fruiting Structures Bigger not better – Think small/modular. Modular systems have less contamination vectors, easier to maintain and isolate diseases. Large rooms are difficult to prevent cross contamination. You can simply add more modules to increase production.

Harvesting and Storage Eliminate watering 4-6 hours before harvesting Pick when caps are tacky to dry Store under 38-45F Refigeration Store in lightly ventilated boxes, paper bags, never sealed plastic or plastic bags Species specific longevity

MARKETING BIODEGRADABLE CONTAINER WITH RECIPE SUGGESTIONS

MARKETING Know your products Know the nutritional values of each species, incorporate into signs and handouts Never falsify medicinal claims, only cite scientific journals, not websites, blogs, and neighbors Be your local expert

Alternative Products Powders Medicinal Extracts Soaps, Lotions, Cosmetics Mycobrewery??? Dream up your own products!

Mushroom Pests and Diseases Insects – Fungus gnats, sciarid flies, beetles Fungi – Molds, wilts Bacteria – Brown Blotch, Orange Staining Viruses

FUNGUS GNATS AND FRUIT FLIES

Bacillus thuringiensis sp israelensis