HARVESTING
- Look for mature mushrooms.
Mushrooms are ready to be picked 2 – 3 days after they first appear.
Pick mushrooms gently by grasping stalk and pulling out slowly.
Note: Mushrooms must be harvested at the most appropriate time. If too small, they cannot fetch a good price. If too big, their conservation period is reduced; they are not so sweet and tasty. Harvesting should be done two or three times a day.
- Put mushrooms in order in a basket, about 5-8 kg per basket. Trim and peel by cutting at the base of the stalk to make the mushroom clean. Place mushrooms in basket.
- Weigh all mushrooms and take notes.
Note: A bag of mushrooms should yield between 250 – 350 grams of mushrooms in 4 to 5 flushes.
Bags lose much of their weight once they have exhausted their pro
Step 13. PACKAGING
Packaging
Before packaging, make sure all mushrooms are well-trimmed.
For selling fresh mushrooms on the market, little or no packaging is required. Mushrooms are weighed and placed in paper or plastic bags.
Mushrooms cannot keep for long and therefore all mushrooms must be sold quickly the following harvesting. They can keep in a refrigerator for 12 – 24 hours. To avoid humidity from accumulating in the bag, place mushrooms in bags and blow air in them. Tie the bag with a rubber band.
If no refrigerator is available, place mushrooms on banana leaves in a cool area, or put them on top of a water under the shade in a well-ventilated place.
Inoculating your grow bags
INOCULATING BAGS WITH SORGHUM SEEDS Note: The inoculation room must be kept very clean and free of diseases to avoid contamination. Avoid sunshine from entering the area. Prepare materials: Alcohol lamp Sorghum coated with spawn Fire Square paper (5’’ x 5’’) Rubber...
Sterilizing your mushroom grow bags
Sterilizing Your Bags There are many ways to sterilize your bags. For small operations (new farms) using a pressure cooker can help you sterilize several small bags at one time. At this time we are considering offering grow bags, and even possibly pre-sterilized grow...
Preparing Mushroom Grow Bags
PRODUCING SUBSTRATE BAGS Prepare materials: Grow bags (polypropylene 7” x 12.5”) alt sizes may be used. The Bags should be grow bags that withstand heat, and have filters attached Oak Pellets Soy Hull Pellets Optional ingredients based on variety and desired yield....
Multiplying your mushroom spawn
MULTIPLYING SPAWN ON SORGHUM SEEDS Prepare materials: Sorghum seeds Bottles (flask type) Cotton (gauze) Paper squares 7 cm x 7 cm Rubber bands Alcohol lamp Alcohol bottle Note: Various types of grains can be used: Sorghum, millet, wheat Grains must: Have been recently...
Mushroom Tissue Cultures
Tissue Cultures Prepare materials: Potatoes: 200 gr. Dextrose: 20 gr. Agar powder: 20 gr. Water: 1 liter. Cotton (gauze) Note: Visually check potatoes for spots or rot. Buy dextrose and Agar of commercial grade. Wash and cut potatoes into one-centimeter cubes; leave...
10 Ways to Profit from mushroom sales
Here is a simple list of some areas of profit for you to consider. There are many more but this is worth review as you consider setting up your business. The direct to consumer sale of your mushrooms – Common methods include the sale of mushrooms to the local market...
Starting a Mushroom Farm
This video is a great look at setting up your mushroom farm and grow your business. This video is from our friends at What The Fungus
Elefungus now available
The Elefungus color t-shirts are now available on TeeSpring. Order today with rush shipping and get yours before the next Farmers Market. These fun shirts are great for starting mushroom conversations and making customers smile. Order yours today!
Learning about Mushrooms
Nature of mushrooms Mushrooms or fungi do not contain chlorophyll; they must feed onplants or animal matter. Some mushrooms feed only on the dead matterwhile others feed on living plants or animals, which they sometimesharm or benefit. Mushrooms need a...