11/25/2023 0 Comments First build mushroom incubatorPhase two needs to be carried out under carefully controlled conditions in specifically designed tunnels with aerated floors. This phase allows micro-organisms to grow and reproduce within the compost, causing the temperature of the compost to rise, and nitrogen to be turned to ammonia. The stacks have to be mechanically turned with compost turners (usually every other day) and watered. It then gets formed into long, narrow stacks. Phase one includes wetting and mixing the compost mixture. Compost developmentĪfter the compost has fermented it has to be moved to a closed room to undergo three developmental stages, as stated by the Lichen Group. This mixture of raw ingredients need to ferment for three weeks, being opened and aired daily. All mushroom farmers in South Africa have their own compost yards and growing facilities, unlike other countries where specialised companies prepare mushroom compost.Īccording to Lichen Group the basic components of mushroom compost are water, wheat, broiler chicken litter, and gypsum. ![]() You can’t ignore it: the compost is the first thing you have to get correct when farming with mushrooms. If the composition isn’t correct, it can affect your crop and your yield,” says Lotz. “Preparation of your compost and to get a perfect end result with good quality raw materials are a challenge,” says Kruger. Wilmaré Lotz at work on her mushroom farm in the Western Cape. It is therefore important to ensure that this has the right ingredients and is treated optimally from the beginning. The growing cycle of mushrooms starts with compost. You have to decide what your target market is, and who you will sell to before you get started. If you want to remain small scale, Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms are a better bet. According to Greig Wishart, a trainee farmer at Cape Mushrooms, exotic mushrooms seem easier and less complicated to grow, but don’t think they are any easier to farm than button mushrooms!ĭepending on the mushroom cultivar you choose to farm with, you need to get the correct compost as a growing medium. Less than 5% of South Africa’s mushroom market is taken up by these exotic mushrooms. But there are also a variety of exotic mushroom cultivars to consider, such as Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms which will have more niche markets to enter. Mainly white button and brown mushrooms are grown in South Africa, according to BizBolt. But with passion and dedication you can become a successful mushroom farmer. ![]() These two mushroom farmers want to stress that mushroom farming is not for the faint of heart, and if you are not farming with exotic mushrooms then it is not a viable activity on a small scale. “But I think this was the thing that grabbed me, because I love a challenge and growing mushrooms is definitely a challenge!” “The making of compost and growing of mushrooms was not easy at all,” says Lotz. “I wanted to work for a month or two at Boland Mushrooms, but that was almost 20 years ago!” says Lotz, who ended up loving the job and staying.ĪLSO READ: Going underground with a mushroom farmer After six years at university getting an MSc in agriculture behind her name, she started working at Boland Mushrooms. Wilmaré Lotz, owner and manager of Boland Mushrooms in Worcester, Western Cape, on the other hand never thought of being a mushroom farmer. “And knowing that it only comes with hard work and a passion for mushroom cultivation.” “My favourite part of mushroom farming is seeing a quality product at the end,” Kruger says. Marietjie Kruger, owner and director of Chanmar mushrooms in Heidelberg, Gauteng.
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