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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op?
#23348690 - 06/15/16 08:29 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I see RR and others post about their mushroom farms, and the prices they quote for starting these up seem soo high to me. 100 thousand dollars? For what?
Must be the buildings themselves I figure, since most of them are building from scratch for whatever reason.
I'm clearly missing something here, here's my list of big ticket items:
- Bulk pasteurizer/come-along (all I've seen is the 55 gallon drum design, feel free to inform me of others)
- CO2 Meter, environmental controls, that type of thing. (no clue on whats actually necessary in this category)
- More Pressure Cookers? Whatever commercial places use to sterilize.
- Flowhood
- A vehicle for transporting produce/materials
- Mechanical Assistance? For mixing up subs or whatever
- Humidifiers for fruiting rooms. Timers and electrical rigging.
- Culture Fridge
- Cooler for storing produce
- Agar and all such supplies
- Growbags, lots of em
- Grains/substrate, lots of it
Any input would be much appreciated.
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23349185 - 06/15/16 10:51 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Rent or mortgage until you make profit, taxes, especially income taxes since you pay tax twice as an employee of your own company. Fees and regulations yearly. Permits to start. When you have a contamination or fuck up your next successful grows profit has to first pay for the deficit before it becomes profit again.
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Gr0wer
always improving



Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: bodhisatta]
#23349356 - 06/16/16 12:06 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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smokin crack. It takes $1k to start a small op, like 5-10 lbs a week, enough to hit up the farmers market and maybe 1-2 small restaurants. $4-5K got me to 150-180lbs/$1.5-2k a month with a 80 sq ft grow chamber and a small shelving chamber. Monthly expenses are around $200 not including power/water.
Check out my threads and my youtube vids if you want to see more about growing for some loot on a small scale.
And Texas has no income tax so your only paying federal.. so i don't know what your talking about. Ill just claim everything as extra income on my return, i highly doubt there going to ding that as double income.
Wrong forum BTW
Edited by Gr0wer (06/16/16 12:08 AM)
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Gr0wer]
#23349398 - 06/16/16 12:24 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Normally you pay payroll tax and unimployment insurance as the employer And than as your own employee you pay income, Medicare, SS, etc... Plus sales tax then
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tump
ban the undead



Registered: 03/17/16
Posts: 2,383
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Gr0wer]
#23349429 - 06/16/16 12:39 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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It's a matter of time and money it does take a huge investment. Time is money and peoples time is money. Running a normal sets of six pressure cookers is a bicth but produces the same results time wise. As the meds autoclaves machines. Cultures are a big money and time spender cost. You can always fine cheap space to grow. But a 100 to 120 k sounds about right. There are some good models. It sounds great but even without paying people my max profit in a month was 18.9%. One government fine a you've lost all your profits for a year http://agridaksh.iasri.res.in/html_file/mushroom/05Mush_spawn_Prod.html
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Gr0wer]
#23349443 - 06/16/16 12:48 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Gr0wer said: smokin crack. It takes $1k to start a small op, like 5-10 lbs a week, enough to hit up the farmers market and maybe 1-2 small restaurants. $4-5K got me to 150-180lbs/$1.5-2k a month with a 80 sq ft grow chamber and a small shelving chamber. Monthly expenses are around $200 not including power/water.
Check out my threads and my youtube vids if you want to see more about growing for some loot on a small scale.
And Texas has no income tax so your only paying federal.. so i don't know what your talking about. Ill just claim everything as extra income on my return, i highly doubt there going to ding that as double income.
Wrong forum BTW
thanks for that, I'll definitely be checking your stuff out. Was really hoping they were smoking crack. I would be quite happy around the 5-10 lbs a week scale.
I've got income/sales tax here, hopefully that's not too complicated to deal with.
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MycoLoopology
Eye's wide open



Registered: 06/12/16
Posts: 518
Last seen: 2 years, 7 months
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23350025 - 06/16/16 07:24 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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it takes money to make money. im not sure about 100 grand per-se. i mean im sure RR has invested far more than that in his years.
but even just for my small bulk grows over the years ive invested at least 5grand or more. i just invested another 1grand in supplies for a new grow im starting.
while i havent gotten to actually marketing and selling my gourmet mushies, im sure it will be difficult to profit without a good business plan in place. you need to take risk vs reward and understand what you are, and arent capable of.
i would also HIGHLY recommend you do not RELY on this for income. make sure you have another job or steady income already coming in. this way you can use this as a hobby while you build it up slowly. before you know it, your operation might be bringing in the real money youre hoping for. (just remember to pay your taxes!! self-emplyment tax here is 32% lol. brutal....)
good luck buddy!
edit - i can totally see this costing 100k if i start looking at it as a SERIOUS business investment. commercial space, hired employees for help, taxes/regulations, state license to grow organically, FDA approval for selling to grocery stores. it all adds up. personally i would LOVE to get there one day and quit my day job. but im taking it one step at a time, as well all do i suppose
-------------------- Current Grow Log ^^My first grow log <3^^ Wish me luck.
Edited by MycoLoopology (06/16/16 07:27 AM)
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Perception7
Psilocin Technician



Registered: 01/10/16
Posts: 403
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: MycoLoopology]
#23350366 - 06/16/16 09:42 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Cool thread!
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: MycoLoopology]
#23350527 - 06/16/16 10:32 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I'm definitely not planning to rely on any income I might see from this. Just stepping up the hobby to that line where making a little extra cash might become possible.
5 grand for small bulk grows? on what?
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spacechildo
proletarians rise up


Registered: 01/24/13
Posts: 19,243
Loc: Babylon
Last seen: 6 years, 4 months
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23350702 - 06/16/16 11:23 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
rbalzer said: 5 grand for small bulk grows? on what?

you can build your own steam sterilizer and set up drapes in your cellar or garage for fruiting space rbalz, as long as you just build simple stuff yourself it doesnt have to cost much money at all.
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: spacechildo]
#23350773 - 06/16/16 11:41 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
spacechildo said:
Quote:
rbalzer said: 5 grand for small bulk grows? on what?

you can build your own steam sterilizer and set up drapes in your cellar or garage for fruiting space rbalz, as long as you just build simple stuff yourself it doesnt have to cost much money at all.

Bit of a learning curve with all these foggers, electronics, etc, none of it seems too complicated I'm just brand new to it all.
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spacechildo
proletarians rise up


Registered: 01/24/13
Posts: 19,243
Loc: Babylon
Last seen: 6 years, 4 months
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23350787 - 06/16/16 11:45 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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there's a bunch of guys who documented their grow room/farm builds in the GMM forum, I'm sure you can take the best/what suits you best from all those guys builds and do some great stuff!
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: spacechildo]
#23350831 - 06/16/16 11:57 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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yeah man, this is only my second real day of researching this kind of thing and I've been really impressed with the teks I've found. agars easy humidifier for instance.
My current dwelling doesn't have an easily converted fruiting room though, garage is very much occupied. Perhaps an outdoor greenhouse, got a nice big concrete slab just begging to be added to. Seems like there would be some problems associated with that though.
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23350842 - 06/16/16 12:01 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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This is the progression I had in mind. Is this pretty typical?
Slant > Petri > Grain > Slurry > Spawn Bags/Jars > Drum Pasteurize sub of choice > Spawn> Incubate > Fruit
Never done slurries before but I've got the proper blender/know-how.
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maddchef
Vaginal escape artist



Registered: 09/04/09
Posts: 5,602
Loc: Your mom's vag
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23350880 - 06/16/16 12:15 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I don't like slurries because of bacteria. If you have any dormant in the interior of your grain it gets spread easily this way. Also it can get sticky and starchy.
Why not just g2g and skip making the slurry? That or go LC>Bags. Obviously be very careful this way but it would be faster than colonizing a jar, making a slurry, then colonizing a bag.
-------------------- In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. All mushrooms are edible, but some only once..... Easier than cakes I do science and shit.
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Perception7
Psilocin Technician



Registered: 01/10/16
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: maddchef]
#23350965 - 06/16/16 12:40 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I met with a grower in my state that puts out 500 lbs a week of shiitake and oysters. He had a building constructed for around 100k. He gets all of his spawn from a company, doesn't work with agar or G2G.. nothing. He buys large pallets of premium wood pellets locally and puts like wheat bran/chicken shit or something else in there before he pasteurizes for extra nutrients (I will be getting his exact forumula soon and pasteurizing on my stove). The spawn he gets is really good, as his flushes speak for themselves. He had two fruiting rooms and two incubation rooms. Another side room was for the flowhood where he would inoculate all of the bags. There was a sub/contam pile out in the field and thats about it.
I bought a mini-GH 4 tier to grow shiitakes, he told me he would give me a few shiitake bags to try my GH out for free (I may or may not have shared some of my harvest with him ). I started researching mushroom grow operations and found this guy just about an hour south of me so I sent a message through Facebook and I am one of a hand full of people he has given a tour to.
I love this hobby as much as you guys and would love to make some money selling legal mushrooms on the side. He sells to a local distributor (the 500 lbs a week) and to about a dozen chefs in the big city down the road. They also sell in a few local farmer markets and sometimes catering companies.
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Perception7]
#23350992 - 06/16/16 12:48 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I oughta try to get a tour somewhere, I know of at least one mushroom farm near me.
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Perception7
Psilocin Technician



Registered: 01/10/16
Posts: 403
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23351004 - 06/16/16 12:53 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
rbalzer said: I oughta try to get a tour somewhere, I know of at least one mushroom farm near me.
Yeah man it was fun, its just that dude and his wife. They take turns harvesting and inoculating, just out in the middle of the country, rolling hills - beautiful drive. Picking mushrooms everyday and burning nuggets, no boss or traffic... self employed cultivators.
Edited by Perception7 (06/16/16 12:55 PM)
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MycoLoopology
Eye's wide open



Registered: 06/12/16
Posts: 518
Last seen: 2 years, 7 months
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: Perception7]
#23351337 - 06/16/16 02:41 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Perception7 said:
Quote:
rbalzer said: I oughta try to get a tour somewhere, I know of at least one mushroom farm near me.
Yeah man it was fun, its just that dude and his wife. They take turns harvesting and inoculating, just out in the middle of the country, rolling hills - beautiful drive. Picking mushrooms everyday and burning nuggets, no boss or traffic... self employed cultivators.
thats basically my dream...
and someone mentioned how or what i spent almost 5 grand on over the years. but 10 years is quite a long time and ive accumulated more than i know what do to with for the most part. maybe one day ill go through all my storage and all the things ive bought for this hobby and others and take a picture of everything combined...
-------------------- Current Grow Log ^^My first grow log <3^^ Wish me luck.
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Gr0wer
always improving



Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Re: Why is it so expensive to start a gourmet mushroom op? [Re: MycoLoopology]
#23352033 - 06/16/16 06:24 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I'm also setting up another grow, a trailer shiitake grow. Were looking at around $10-15k startup and should produce around 100 lbs a week, hopefully more.
If you have an outdoor location that's preferably shaded depending on your climate you can either build a shaded greenhouse or a insulated structure. Building a structure can be expensive, you might want to consider clearing out your garage and build a much simpler structure in there. When your outside you need to consider 80 mph winds, rain, bugs, rodents. Also you might run into permits for the structure. What goes on inside your garage is just for you to know.
Edited by Gr0wer (06/16/16 06:29 PM)
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