Many times when I see growing operations I got questions on how to get improvements and many times it always comes back to the way the room is filled. When at filling there is not enough knowledge or attention to details it will affect the rest of the growing cycle. Lets highlight some of those details.

The amount of caccing is very important to get an even growth of the mycelium into all the room but is not so easy as it sounds. Only when the compost layer comes perfectly even out of the head filling machine before the casing falls on top it is possible to get the job done with the first spinner on the machine, the spinner that is used to get caccing in the casing and spread the casing evenly. In many occasions I don’t see the even compost layer and therefore we have to go back to the other side of the machine to see what is causing the problem. It can be an uneven supply of the compost, the swivel belt timing or not enough and uneven compression. Makes sure to solve that before setting the caccing depth. Also, make sure to get an even amount of supply into the casing hopper, if not too much casing will get pushed through on moments cause more casing on those spots, so an uneven caccing there. Depending on the structure of the casing and the desired structure you can adjust the speed of the spinner to get the right result.

After the first spinner there is the next spinner with the purpose of leveling the casing. Depending on the structure of the casing adjust the speed again and make sure to set the spinner not too deep. When that spinner goes to deep and there will built up more casing behind the spinner what will happen is that it will throw casing over the spinner causing an uneven casing layer. The casing layer should have the right and even level required after the spinner before it goes under the press at the end.

Use the press for the final touch, press the casing slightly at the end of the machine, just enough to push down the last loose casing on the top but not so much that it causes anaerobic spots on top. If the level is not good enough with the 2nd spinner, the press will press too much casing and just causing anaerobic spots of casing on top of the beds where no mycelium will grow in. Minimize that as much as possible.

Setting the machine in the morning is very important. I would always start the machine on the 2nd shelf, set it up as required and try not to change too much during the rest of the room. The most critical in that is to set the right compost height in the morning to avoid too many changes. Of course we always need to adjust if necessary but make sure then to minimize the changes and if you have to adjust, adjust all the settings. A change of compost height might change the compost press, height of the spinners and casing press roll. In practice that gets forgotten and causing a different fill after the compost height is changed.

A good filling is a head start of every growing room. I just highlighted a few details that need attention but there are many more of course. It’s not so easy to get the room filled exactly as required but good training and of course good equipment will get the job done and make the rest of the cycle easier to get the maximum result.

Erik de Groot
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Monks and agriculture. It is a sweet combination and a lesson on sustainability.

In Gasa rabdey, the monks, their robed folded high up, are preparing mushroom cultivation. Fifteen monks even underwent a two-day training on fungiculture.

The training, Umzey Tshering Dhendup said, came after the agriculture officials came to enquire if the monks would be interested in growing their own food.

“After Covid-19, we had to think about the importance of agriculture,” he said. “Monks also need such skills.”

Gasa dratshang spends about Nu 70,000 to buy vegetables every month. The expenditure is covered from the stipends the monks receive. From Nu 1,400 that each monk receives, Nu 1,000 is set aside to procure vegetables.

In a corner of the dratshang’s storehouse are 60 bags of oyster mushroom seeds. In five weeks, the dratshang can harvest at least 60kg mushroom.

A kg of oyster mushroom sells for Nu 200 in market.

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On June 29, in mushroom base managed by Yanjun Farm Co., LTD, Black fungi are in harvest period, growers are orderly engaged with picking, sorting and drying work.

“Over the years, relying on favorable resource endowment and ecological conditions, we utilize sawdusts of broad-leaved trees to grow Black fungus. And, by now, we have realized ecological management from spawn cultivation, bag hanging to cultivation management, picking and drying,” introduces manager of Yanjun Farm Co., LTD warmly, adding that Black fungi produced in the base are intact in appearance, crisp in flavor, abundant in nutrition and they are well-received by consumers in America, Canada, Korea and Japan.

Mushrooms may accompany other fruits and veggies in the produce aisle, but they’re grown very differently than other plants we eat. There are no fields or forests. No tilling of soil or sowing of seeds. Sunshine isn’t even necessary to grow the nutritious fungi.

Instead, rows and stacks of mushroom-growing beds are lined up in large climate-controlled buildings. They’re kept indoors so they can be grown year-round in optimal environmental conditions. To learn more about the intricacies of growing high-quality mushrooms, we chatted with someone who grows them herself.

Sonya Beltran grows white mushrooms with her family at First Generation Farms in southeastern Pennsylvania. Her dad got started in the industry almost 40 years ago, so she grew up around mushroom farming. Later in life, she joined him at the family business and is now the director of operations. Sonya, along with her dad, mom and best friend, oversee the farm’s operations, while about 70 team members help them care for and harvest mushrooms.

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At the last board meeting of the Bund deutscher Champignon und Kulturpilzanbauer e.V. (BDC) two new members of the association were confirmed. Monaghan Pilze GmbH and Mushroom Park GmbH joined this year. In the telephone meeting on May 5, 2020, the board and advisory board members made it clear that one can only meet the future with solidarity in German mushroom cultivation. The mushroom farms have many challenges to overcome. Last but not least, the corona pandemic has shown how important an association can be in order to effectively reflect interests and concerns in politics.

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On June 23, in Ganoderma Base located in Naxu Village, Heng County, Guangxi Province of China, the first batch of Ganoderma are entering into harvest phase, growers are busy with picking and sorting.

“After the drying, the estimated weight of this batch of Ganoderma could reach 60 kg, to calculate by the present market price of 600 CNY per kg, this batch of dried Ganoderma is expected to generate over 36,000 CNY of economy for our village, and it is quite considerable,” introduces clerk of Naxu Village warmly, adding that next step, he plans to expand the cultivation scale to over 20 mu, lift the market competitiveness by enhancing the management of the base and lifting the cultivation technology of Ganoderma.

On June 16, walking into mushroom base located in Pingzhuang Town, Cengong County, Guizhou Province of China, Agrocybe cylindracea are entering into picking time, growers are busy with picking, sorting and packing.

“Agrocybe cylindracea grow fast in rainy weather, and they occur again at night after they are picked in the morning, daily output on fresh Agrocybe cylindracea reaches 2000 kg,” said Mr. Ding Defen, vice-general manager of Guizhou Qiangu Mushroom Co., LTD passionately, adding that by the end of 2020, the company’s expected annual mushroom output value could come to over 10 million CNY.

On June 9, openiong ceremony of The Fourth Phase Cordyceps Militaris Project was successfully held in Sichuan Qiying Mushroom Company.
Since Qiying Company enters in modern agricultural demonstration zone of Pengxi County, Sichuan Province of China, it has successively built Phase One, two and three of project, daily output on King oyster mushroom reaches 120 tons, annual output comes to 42,000 tons, mushrooms are sold well to over 23 provinces and cities in China, annual output value hits 260 million CNY.

“We are one of the largest mushroom enterprises engaging in industrialized Cordyceps militaris production in China,” said manager of Qiying Company confidently, going on that in September, 2019, the company formally launched the construction on phase-one project of industrialized Cordyceps militaris production. By now, the project has been put into production, daily output on fresh Cordyceps militaris totals 40 tons while annual output value attains 280 million CNY.