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jlleeuga
nope



Registered: 11/02/09
Posts: 73
Loc: SouthEast
Last seen: 2 years, 6 months
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Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. + proposal added
#16676998 - 08/10/12 02:53 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Hey guys, Its been a while since Ive been on here. My previous aspirations were quite different here.. hehe. Im working to incorporate a mushroom farm into an industry men in an addiction therapy program in North Georgia can be involved in. I feel that it could be very therapeutic and possibly a source of revenue. We have some greenhouses available that I was interested in converting to a shelved grow operation. Ive got two main concerns really: One is dealing with the Georgia heat and the second is being able to find people to buy them.
Heat. The highest daily highs average at 92 degrees for the month of July, so there would be a need for about 15 degrees of cooling. I'm looking at insulating the greenhouse (30' x12' dome shaped) with a reflective bubble insulation that is used to cover greenhouses for winter growing in order to reflect radiative heat. In addition to that, I am looking at using an evaporative cooler (swamp cooler) to cool air and add some marginal humidification. In addition to that, I would humidify with some ultrasonic foggers or misters and get some FAE with some filtered greenhouse fans and pressure sensitive exhaust vents.
Marketing.. I'm confident I can produce mushrooms, but I need to make sure I can sell them. I need to find out what safety certifications are required for sale to different markets: grocery stores, direct to consumer, restaurants, certified organic etc.
I know there is a wealth of knowledge on these forums and I appreciate any input!
Edited by jlleeuga (08/11/12 11:26 AM)
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OICU812
NC Tree Farm owner



Registered: 11/06/11
Posts: 1,064
Loc: Foothills of NC
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: jlleeuga]
#16677670 - 08/10/12 04:45 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
jlleeuga said: Heat. The highest daily highs average at 92 degrees for the month of July, so there would be a need for about 15 degrees of cooling. I'm looking at insulating the greenhouse (30' x12' dome shaped) with a reflective bubble insulation that is used to cover greenhouses for winter growing in order to reflect radiative heat. In addition to that, I am looking at using an evaporative cooler (swamp cooler) to cool air and add some marginal humidification. In addition to that, I would humidify with some ultrasonic foggers or misters and get some FAE with some filtered greenhouse fans and pressure sensitive exhaust vents.
Marketing.. I'm confident I can produce mushrooms, but I need to make sure I can sell them. I need to find out what safety certifications are required for sale to different markets: grocery stores, direct to consumer, restaurants, certified organic etc.
I know there is a wealth of knowledge on these forums and I appreciate any input!
HEAT
Looks like you've about got the heat part covered, short of going underground. RR says you can grow Shiitake at higher temps: As long as it cools down at night . . .
MARKETING
"Local" and "Organic" are big right now. Peruse your local farmer's markets. If the big ones, especially those close to the high-end neighborhoods, don't have any local mushroom vendors, you can do well there on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Search out food buying coops and buying groups. I know one local producer that get's paid in the spring for his whole year's production, delivered weekly in boxes to a local coop.
Visit any 4-5 star restaurants you may have in the area. They are usually happy to have local organic mushrooms. Grocery and specialty stores are going to be more demanding in regard to on time deliveries, meeting volume demands and having a boatload of insurance. Expect to jump through their multitude of hoops if you want the business.
Most of all, be consistent. You can not develop a loyal following if your production is hit-or-miss and you can't meet your customers' demands on a regular basis.
-------------------- -------------- "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" --Benjamin Franklin "Those who give up liberty for security won't have, or deserve, either.". . . Benjamin Franklin ----> Read: The Fight of our Lives - Defeating the Ideological War Against the West - by Victor Davis Hanson
Edited by OICU812 (08/10/12 08:15 PM)
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pseudotsuga


Registered: 06/29/11
Posts: 947
Loc: usa
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: OICU812]
#16678205 - 08/10/12 06:02 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Here is the USDA mushroom good ag practices. Some of the regulations are only applicable to big farms but is very helpful for any grower who wants to get their farm certified for food production. Most counties have much less stringent regulations for getting certified, though regulations vary. Hope your farm grows well!
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OICU812
NC Tree Farm owner



Registered: 11/06/11
Posts: 1,064
Loc: Foothills of NC
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: pseudotsuga]
#16678717 - 08/10/12 07:36 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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A good little document there, pseudotsuga. I saved a copy for future reference.
-------------------- -------------- "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" --Benjamin Franklin "Those who give up liberty for security won't have, or deserve, either.". . . Benjamin Franklin ----> Read: The Fight of our Lives - Defeating the Ideological War Against the West - by Victor Davis Hanson
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Darkman
Farmer



Registered: 04/16/11
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Loc: Africa
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: OICU812]
#16680784 - 08/11/12 07:25 AM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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I love this idea.
Can't answer any of your questions, but have you looked into medicinal mushrooms?
No I don't have documentation but I have a gut feeling that some mushrooms like
ganoderma lucidum can aid people in addiction rehab (especially alcohol).
Good luck.
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jlleeuga
nope



Registered: 11/02/09
Posts: 73
Loc: SouthEast
Last seen: 2 years, 6 months
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: Darkman]
#16681447 - 08/11/12 10:52 AM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Excellent info. Much thanks and I will keep you guys updated on progress. I talking to a guy in South Carolina for consulting and I sent him my design. Ill copy paste it in here and see what you guys think.
Waypoint Mushroom Cultivation Proposal JLL July 14, 2012
One of nature’s most intriguing organisms is the mushroom. Unique in that it can live off of what most people would consider waste, a saprotroph. This crucial role in all ecosystems recycles the waste and break down of organic matter and makes regeneration of life possible. Watching this process and becoming a part is exciting and I believe that exposure to this life process can be therapeutic for those involved. Agromisa is a Dutch organization that has been providing invaluable information concerning small scale cultivation projects for simple minimalistic production. Designed to supplement impoverished communities abroad, these models require no expensive equipment and use resources that are freely available locally and have minimal impact on the environment. Agrimisa’s “Agrodok40 &41: Small Scale Mushroom Cultivation” describes this production in detail will be referenced as the primary source for cultivation. As a growing facility, a 35 foot section of our smallest greenhouse would suffice for our production needs. I have narrowed the species of domesticated mushrooms down to three different strains based on their environmental condition requirements, marketability, life cycle length and susceptibility to disease. I believe the following mushrooms would be best suited to our needs here at Waypoint: Portobello (Agaricus bitorquis and bisporus), Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) and Shiitake (Lentinula edodes).
I) Enviromental Condition Requirements Below, is a chart of the average temperatures in Dahlonega, Ga for 2011 as recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 2011 Dahlonega, Ga Temperature Record Month Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Avg. Max °F 75 80 90 91 92 80 69 Avg. °F 64 69 79 81 81 71 59 Avg. Min °F 53 59 69 73 71 62 50 Min °F 37 39 62 66 64 55 35
The three species I have proposed require colonizing and fruiting temperatures from 70-850F and humidity between 85-95% (Agrodok40 pg 13). Both of these parameters can be met by the methods I have included.
i- Temperature Control
With average maximum ambient temperatures up to 92°F, cooling will be essential. Lining the roof of the greenhouse with a reflective insulation would provide significant cooling by blocking the majority of all radiant heat. This insulation will also allow us to produce for longer periods during colder seasons. An evaporative cooler, also known as a swamp cooler, uses evaporation to provide additional cooling much like an air conditioning unit that requires very little power. While these systems cool the air, they also raise the humidity of the air inside the greenhouses with the evaporated water. Insulation and evaporative cooling in combination with interior fresh air exchange provided by a fan system will provide the 15°F cooling necessary to have an ideal fruiting environment. If any further cooling is necessary, the floor of the greenhouse may be lined with sand and periodically wet. This evaporating water will provide humidity, cooling and a more contaminant resistant barrier with the presence of sand instead of soil. This set up will also allow for expansion to a heated year round system.
ii- Humidity Humidity would be maintained by running an ultrasonic fogger on a timer or hydrostat in sequence with the fan exhaust system. This simple device will excite water molecules into a superfine mist inside of a plastic barrel and would be pumped by a blower through tubes into the mushroom fruiting room. The plastic barrel will be filled with a hydrogen peroxide solution (.15% v/v) to prevent bacteria growth and provide a means of controlling contaminants in the fruiting room. Fresh air exchange (FAE) is very important in mushroom cultivation and will be provided by a fan system. These fans would be timed to run right after misting to reduce chance of any standing water harboring contaminants. This water evaporation is what drives the mushroom growth.
iii- Substrate Availability A key element of a mushroom’s environment is the substance which it draws its nutrients from, or its substrate. An advantage of mushrooms is their ability to live off of just about anything. Straw, grains and sawdust are among the most popular substrates for mushroom to be cultivated on. These three species are all well adept at producing on sawdust and wheat straw. The Georgia Forestry Commission reported that sawmills in the state of Georgia produce around 21 million cubic feet of hardwood sawdust. TS Hardwoods in Gainesville, Ga produces 20,000 tons of sawdust annually and 13,000 tons of that is oak sawdust. There are several saw mills in the area and this waste product could be attained for little or nothing. Wheat straw has the nutrients required to sustain mushroom growth and is available for around $80 per 1200 pound bail in the area. These two substrates, besides being very available and inexpensive, are also the least likely to promote competitive mold or bacteria growth. II) Species Marketability i- Species Demand Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has released a study of the production of oyster mushrooms and has statistics for mushroom production by species (Cultivation of Oyster Mushrooms pg 2). It shows that 78% of mushroom production is comprised of these three species. The Portobello, Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms have a considerably higher demand in this region than more specialized species such as morels or truffles and are much easier to produce in mass quantities. The delicate nature of an oyster mushroom’s fruit body makes it difficult for larger companies to ship mass quantities of the particular species and gives favor to smaller local farms. Prices can be between $3/lb for wet Oyster mushrooms and $35/lb for dry Portabella mushrooms. These prices in section IV reflect average internet sale prices in larger quantities and are very conservative when compared to prices of local markets.
ii- Local Farmers Markets Selling mushroom products in local markets requires no food safety certification and gives you access to a customer niche that has a higher priority for food quality and a desire to support local growers. Another advantage of selling to these markets is the ability to sell smaller quantities at a higher relative price than the bulk prices proposed here. There are three local markets that would be ideal for selling our product and are the biggest in the area: Athens Farmers Market, The Cumming Harvest and the Oconee County Farmers Market. The Athens Farmer’s Market has the biggest demand for mushroom products and offers free space for non-profit organization like ourselves. Becoming a Certified Natural Grower or Certified Organic would also increase our marketability in these markets as well. Fortunately, producing mushrooms organically is quite simple: substituting harsh cleaners for more environmentally friendly sanitizers like steam, Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) and Iodine.
iii- Local Restaurants Local restaurants that serve gourmet pizza, bistros, and Italian, Japanese or Chinese cuisine are all possible buyer of these mushroom species. Portobello and Shiitake are in demand by Italian style restaurants and Oyster mushrooms are used frequently in Eastern dishes. Developing even one relationship with a restaurant would ensure a consistent revenue stream and help cover a large portion of expenses. iv- Internet Sales Selling dried mushroom products online opens a door to a huge marketplace that could help insure our ability to sell any overstocked products we may have. Dried products make shipping easy and eliminate the need for any temperature control during transport. Also, shiitake mushrooms are sought after for their health benefits and are compounded into many different forms for consumption. v- Product Variation Though oyster mushrooms are the easiest to cultivate and offer the highest prices, offering a variety to customers is also important. Great success has been found in offering mixed variety packages at farmers markets. Although portabella and shiitake mushrooms may be the most highly demanded in grocery stores, oyster mushrooms are popular in farmer’s markets because of their unique appearance and they give character to a variety pack of mushrooms. III) Disease Resistance Oyster mushrooms are some of the most resistant to competitive contaminants because of their fast growth and production of natural antibiotics. Portabellas and Shiitakes are very closely resistant, but because of the longer time required to colonize a substrate and fruit, they are more susceptible to contamination. These factors have been taken into account when considering the cultivation of more specialized fungi species. Morels and truffles require more exact parameters on their growing conditions that cannot be met by these proposed techniques. The risk associated with contamination of those more specialized species outweighs the potential gains. By diversifying species, we can avoid losing a whole crop in the event of widespread contamination. With the simple and safe sanitation measures that are proposed here, contamination will be minimized and contained. Hydrogen peroxide, iodine, isopropyl alcohol and steam will be the primary defense against molds and bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide will oxidize all organic matter that comes into contact with it. In dilute solutions, it will prevent the spread of immature bacteria, but leave developed mushroom tissue undamaged. After oxidizing, hydrogen peroxide breaks down quickly into water and oxygen, making this one of the safest means of sanitation. Steam at 212º and above will pasteurize substrates and tools against infection with 3-6 hours of exposure, leaving only water as a byproduct. Iodine affects the cell walls of bacteria while leaving fungi unaffected, cleaving bacterial cells and leaving healthy fungi. Isopropyl alcohol works with water to violently hydrate and dehydrate cells at such a rate as to cause breaks in the cell membrane. After sterilizing a surface, the alcohol will quickly evaporate and leave no residue. These techniques for sanitation and sterilization are mainstays in today’s healthcare industry and are both safe and effective. An outline of the techniques proposed can be found in the Agrodok 40 between pages 37 and 51. Page 11 depicts a simple outline of the mushroom’s life cycle and can make understanding the process easier. These techniques will apply to all three species with little modification. Using a substrate of hardwood oak sawdust and wheat straw and pasteurizing with hot water will make a sterilized substrate that can be added to 4-5 gallon plastic bags. Those bags will be spawned, or seeded, with either purchased spawn or spawn produced from a master culture and spread to sterilized rye seed in glass Mason jars. From there, the mushroom tissue will be distributed evenly in the plastic bags at a rate of 5% by weight. Given three to four weeks, the substrate will colonize completely and will be ready to fruit. Exposing the colonized bags to fresh air exchange, a slight temperature drop and light will trigger a pinning process that will result in fruiting. IV) Conclusion
Monthly Specie Production
Colonize/prep Fruiting Time Bio. Eff. Lbs/Month $/Lb Wet Dry Wet Dry Oyster 3 Weeks 4 Weeks 40% 240 Lbs 24 Lbs $3.00 $14.00 Shiitake 8 Weeks 6 Weeks 50% 300 Lbs 30 Lbs $4.50 $14.00 Portobello 5 Weeks 4 Weeks 80% 320 Lbs 32 Lbs $6.00 $35.00 Monthly Potential Revenue 100% Yield 75% Yield 50% Yield Dry Wet Dry Wet Dry Wet Oyster $336 $720 $252 $540 $168 $360 Shiitake $420 $1,350 $315 $1,012 $210 $675 Portobello $1,120 $1,920 $840 $1,440 $560 $960
Total Potential Monthly Revenue Dry Wet 100% Expected Yield $1,876 $3,990 75% Expected Yield $1,407 $2,992 50% Expected Yield $938 $1,995 Above is a table showing the potential harvest from the three species. This outlook is based on using 600 pounds of substrate for each specie. The 600 pounds of substrate will be divided into 120 5 pound bags and evenly distributed between ten 32 inch shelving units. Each unit has four shelves with three five pound bags on each shelf. In the end, there will be 1800 pounds of total substrate.
Prep/Colonization Time - describes the time after spawning required for the mushroom to completely digest the substrate.
Fruiting Time – describes the time the mature mushroom mycorrhizae, or root sytem, spends producing edible mushrooms.
Biological Efficiency – This percentage represents a comparison of the weight of a mushroom’s fruit to that of its substrate. For example, 100 pounds of colonized wheat straw and sawdust will yield 50 pounds of wet portabella mushrooms after its life cycle is over. This number varies by specie and is very consistent, given optimal conditions. Factors that can reduce biological efficiency relate to the ability to sustain a constant environment for the mushroom and provide it with the quality substrate that it needs. Because of this variability, I have provided production rates at 100, 75 and 50 percent.
Wet and Dry Weight- About 90% of a mushrooms weight is water. Because of this, the final weight of a dried product will be one tenth that of a wet one. This shows possible revenues from selling all dried products or all wet products. In reality, we will be somewhere in between those two numbers.
References Oei, Peter. "Agrodok 40: Small-scale mushroom cultivation." Agromisa Foundation and CTA. 2005. 1-86.
-------------------- Currently Growing: pleurotus ostreatus Lions Mane Got inj. ports for trade Trade LIst
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solarity
mm... my favourite food



Registered: 03/31/09
Posts: 1,590
Loc: UK
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: jlleeuga]
#16682218 - 08/11/12 01:46 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Great to see a plan for a change, but I am not so sure about your sums there (I did skim it so apologies if I missed it.)
You can make life a lot easier by forgetting about BE (which I don't think you are using correctly anyway) and using Yield which is wet mush/wet sub x 100%.
Oysters will give you about 23% yield over a 6 week period. ie 100lbs of colonised sub will give you 23lbs of mushrooms total. BUT in order to get 23lbs of mushrooms (on average) every week you will need 600lbs of sub in your fruiting area. Plus 300lbs of sb in the incubation area assuming it takes 3 weeks to incubate
Your 3 proposed species all use 3 different production techniques. I would not bother at all with the Agaricus as they are too cheap to compete with. You can grow quite a few different varieties on pasteurised straw and personally I would start with that.
Don't forget you will need space and materials for packing and storage. Farmers markets have 2 main benefits - the most money for your mushrooms and flexibility. - Restaurants etc want reliability - that takes time.
HTH
-------------------- Commercial exotics farmer for 8 years - now sold up!
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jlleeuga
nope



Registered: 11/02/09
Posts: 73
Loc: SouthEast
Last seen: 2 years, 6 months
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: solarity]
#16682459 - 08/11/12 02:32 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Yeah, that was for the board of directors here. I understand that it is ridiculously optimistic, but they have agreed to go ahead with it and give us the funding. I really just want to start out with oysters. Possibly only oysters until I can get in the swing of things, then maybe shiitake.
I am thinking about using a 45' greenhouse and sectioning 15' off for incubating/storage.
If im using sawdust/wheat straw logs, at what rate should I spawn them?
Are hanging bags better or shelves? The shelves alone represent a healthy part of start-up costs.
When you say 600lbs substrate are required for for 23lbs of mushrooms, is that because only 100lbs will be fruiting? (what does the extra 500lbs represent?)
Im am extremely grateful for your info!!
-------------------- Currently Growing: pleurotus ostreatus Lions Mane Got inj. ports for trade Trade LIst
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solarity
mm... my favourite food



Registered: 03/31/09
Posts: 1,590
Loc: UK
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: jlleeuga]
#16682594 - 08/11/12 03:01 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Yes, if 100lbs produces 23lbs over 6 weeks then it is producing 1/6th of 23lbs every week on average (though it comes in flushes hence needing the flexibility of the markets!) so you would need 6 x 100lbs in the FC to produce your 23lbs/week.
Take a look at my GH conversion here it's a "bit" bigger than yours but same concept.
After testing I now spawn at approx 5% - but I make my own spawn.
Hang them, shelves are expensive.
-------------------- Commercial exotics farmer for 8 years - now sold up!
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jlleeuga
nope



Registered: 11/02/09
Posts: 73
Loc: SouthEast
Last seen: 2 years, 6 months
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: solarity]
#16682689 - 08/11/12 03:17 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thats awesome. I was just looking at your thread yesterday. That is what Im aspiring to one day!
Im thinking about using foil greenhouse insulation to cover it.
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/tempshield-insulation/greenhouse-insulation
do you think that will be enough?
I looked at your 75mm PUR board, but my structure is dome shapped, so I didnt think it would work. Or should I look at building an insulated room inside the greenhouse? ...That looks expensive..
-------------------- Currently Growing: pleurotus ostreatus Lions Mane Got inj. ports for trade Trade LIst
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solarity
mm... my favourite food



Registered: 03/31/09
Posts: 1,590
Loc: UK
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: jlleeuga]
#16687398 - 08/12/12 12:50 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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The foil will keep the sun out but won't keep the ambient heat out or the cool in!
The PUR board was bought used or as seconds . Some cooling ideas here If the humidity is normally low then swamp coolers are great - but the moment the ambient humidity rises (eg rain!) you have no cooling effect.
-------------------- Commercial exotics farmer for 8 years - now sold up!
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure



Registered: 03/26/03
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Re: Greenhouse Conversion for small commercial Oyster Pl. [Re: solarity]
#16687544 - 08/12/12 01:19 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Heat. The highest daily highs average at 92 degrees for the month of July, so there would be a need for about 15 degrees of cooling.
That's going to cost a fortune, since you require so much fresh air at the same time. It will take many times the amount of cooling it takes your house with closed windows and doors, etc.
I'd recommend using the ground as a source of cooling, which is 58F just about everywhere once you get down to three feet deep or so. If you haven't already, you might want to take a look at my organic mushroom farm. www.mountainmushroomfarm.com RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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