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PermieFairy


Registered: 11/16/13
Posts: 4
Loc: Washington
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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To build or not to build...
#19330119 - 12/26/13 07:00 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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That is the question... We are a small start up fungi farm. We have the option of building a moderately sized grow room in our basement. We are planning on selling at our local farmers market, 1 or 2 local restaurants and maybe one local grocery store(the community is excited for this niche to be filled) We've got our strain of Pleurotus ostreatus and other needed supplies ready to go when we are. Our dilemma is the size of our grow room. Should we go bigger and build a walk in grow room that could house about 10-12 straw logs (3'long,10"d)... Or can we get a decent weekly yield with a smaller non-walk in unit? There is obviously cost differences in things like climate control equipment needed as the size changes. We'd like to make it to market this spring, but need to decide on this issue. I have an idea of potential yield for the larger GR, but don't know if anything smaller will produce anything worth taking to market. Anyways.. I've been through and through the posts trying to find info before reaching out, but here I am. Mahalo in advance for advice
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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: To build or not to build... [Re: PermieFairy]
#19330807 - 12/26/13 10:01 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Sounds like you are probably going to be selling 5 - 10 lbs. per week to start? Your Pleurotus ostreatus should be capable of a 4 week cycle, but let's say 5 just to be safe. IMO, 5 Marthas would cost less, give you good control and waste less space than a walk-in. Produce enough small logs or blocks to fill one Martha a week.
Begin producing BEFORE you go tooting your horn too much about production to commercial customers. Get familiar with what your Marthas can produce on a weekly basis, selling your crop at the farmer's market, eating the leftovers or bringing your other customers on line slowly. Tune-in your technique to maximize yield, then expand when demand increases.
Don't be erratic with weekly production and starve your commercial customers (restaurants and stores) as it will piss them off and create ill will.
Just My 2ยข
-------------------- -------------- "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 (12/26/13 10:02 PM)
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Ganzig
It's for the street cred


Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 8,206
Loc: Oregon
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Re: To build or not to build... [Re: OICU812]
#19330843 - 12/26/13 10:13 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Best 2 cents I ever read regarding this situation.
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I must keep reminding myself of this. I must keep reminding myself of this. I must keep reminding myself of this. I must keep reminding myself of this.
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Jeff
Addict



Registered: 10/06/12
Posts: 1,488
Last seen: 6 years, 2 months
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Re: To build or not to build... [Re: Ganzig]
#19330865 - 12/26/13 10:21 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Really is good advice. Nothing I could add to it.
-------------------- Myco-tek
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drake89
Mushroom Magnate



Registered: 06/26/11
Posts: 4,168
Loc: TN
Last seen: 4 years, 11 months
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Re: To build or not to build... [Re: Jeff]
#19330905 - 12/26/13 10:30 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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having grown on many small scales...i started in a 4x8x8 room on my porch that i built. it could hold 12 4ftx1ft logs. it cost less than $200 to build. so yeah, you're pretty much on the edge of closet grow and it's up to you to decide whether or not to invest in a small grow space. only you can really answer that question. i can say it's pretty lucrative to turn agricultural waste into gourmet produce, so if the market is there, and untapped, GO FOR IT!
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nanncee


Registered: 12/01/12
Posts: 434
Loc: Utah
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
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Re: To build or not to build... [Re: drake89]
#19332351 - 12/27/13 09:56 AM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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You sound pretty similar to where we were last year. We ended up going with smaller modular rooms ( there are videos of them on my youtube link in my sig)for 2 main reasons.
We didn't have a floor drain for water exit.
WIthout the floor drain making a walk in room became a lot more expensive.
The small rooms have worked well, it's been a lot of trial and error. But we live in a very dry climate so it has it's disadvantages.
One main advantage that I see to having a few smaller rooms than 1 large one is diversity and redundancy. You have more options of control to tune your rooms to different strains and if one room has an issue you are still producing in your other rooms.
But if I had the space for a large walk-in, floor drained room I probably wouldn't pass it up.
-------------------- I am a small scale farmer, come check out what we do. www.facebook.com/biocentricbros Check out our Youtube videos. www.youtube.com/biocentricbros
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mycoloco
less and less a stranger



Registered: 06/20/13
Posts: 183
Loc: The Rogue Valley, OR
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
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Re: To build or not to build... [Re: nanncee]
#19333333 - 12/27/13 03:10 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
nanncee said:
One main advantage that I see to having a few smaller rooms than 1 large one is diversity and redundancy. You have more options of control to tune your rooms to different strains and if one room has an issue you are still producing in your other rooms.
Good thinking. I am in the middle of moving to Southern Oregon, where I will have a barn into which I can lay a drained pad and create a 12"x16" fruiting Chamber. In intend to put several marthas in the FC for finer control of humidity and temperature.
-------------------- The universe is an illusion of the living.
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lighthouse09
Stranger thats mr. stranger



Registered: 03/16/13
Posts: 699
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Re: To build or not to build... [Re: mycoloco]
#19333363 - 12/27/13 03:20 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I personally find the building and ideas while building to be one of the best parts. so many diferent ideas here close to what i drew up we should start a shroomery based company with all these different people all over working together.
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<--This fuckin guy
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