Oh where to start! So today, Matt and I got to take a break from engineering and try our hand at planting/farming! Since our turbine is meant to help power part of the Mushroom Cellar here at the farm, Chris (our mentor) thought it would be a good idea to see just how mushrooms are prepped and cared for here.
We started the day by meeting Matt, the keeper of the mushrooms. He explained to us the types of mushrooms they grow here (oyster mushrooms... although they've tried shittake in the past), and then we got down to helping him prep the logs for the cellar.
We started the day by meeting Matt, the keeper of the mushrooms. He explained to us the types of mushrooms they grow here (oyster mushrooms... although they've tried shittake in the past), and then we got down to helping him prep the logs for the cellar.
To begin, we needed to pasteurize the straw that the mushroom mycelium would later grow on. Most growers do this by heating the straw in a pot over a fire. However, at the Farm, we are not allowed to have open flames. Thus, Matt and his team use a hot water heater to generate heat in excess of 185 degF. Once hot, the water is poured into a large, insulated metal basin until about 1/4 of the tank is full. Once complete, gypsium powder is added for some reason that I forgot to ask about.... =/ After all of the gypsium is dissolved,the straw was added and patted down to ensure all pieces got a good through sodden through before the last little bit of water was added and the lid replaced. With all complete, we sat down to wait.
In the hour that passed, Matt explained the pasteurization process (not to be confused with sterilization!). Pasteurization occurs when heat is used to kill off harmful bacteria and microbials in the straw. However, for mushrooms, this occurs in the 150-160 degF range, allowing good bacteria and microbials to survive, allowing the mushrooms to later have a food source as they begin to cultivate. (Sterilization is when there are no survivors!). Additionally, we prepared the mycelium (known as "spawn" and housed on tiny little piece of grain), food sources (known as "spawn mate") and the table (we used hydrogen peroxide to ensure no bad bacteria would contaminate the mushrooms. As we found out... mold is your worst nightmare. ALWAYS!
Once the straw was ready, we removed some of the water from the tank, and started moving the straw to allow it to cool. We spread it out over the tables, and just allowed normal circulation to remove the heat. Once ready, we sprinkled on the spawn and spawn mate on top of the straw beds, and then settled in to pack the logs.
If there was ever a time I felt like Muhammad Ali, it was today... literally punching little tiny mushroom spawn into long tube of plastic. The idea is to keep air pockets out of the bags ("logs" as their termed) to reduce mold likelihood. Matt is also convinced that the tighter the logs, the bigger the mushroom bouquets as begin to grown. He plans on testing this a tad bit later in the summer. Two logs later with aching upper arms, the logs were tied, weighed, and ready for the inoculation room. In the cellar, we tied hangers onto the bag and hung them up to grow.
Last steps was to sterilize the bags one last time with the hydrogen peroxide and then punch little tiny spouting holes into the bag for the mushrooms to grown through. We then went back, cleaned up and deemed the "Mushroom Cook" officially over.
But we weren't quite done with mushrooms yet for the day. Some of the mushrooms in the cellar were ready for harvest, so we helped Matt pick, weigh, and prep those mushrooms for delivery. Afterwards, we took some old mushroom log remnants and used it to mulch the gardens. So all in all it was a fun day! We got to see the lifecycle of a mushroom here at the farm, and we got to spend some time out in the sunshine! A great end to our first week a the farm!
See you Monday!
But we weren't quite done with mushrooms yet for the day. Some of the mushrooms in the cellar were ready for harvest, so we helped Matt pick, weigh, and prep those mushrooms for delivery. Afterwards, we took some old mushroom log remnants and used it to mulch the gardens. So all in all it was a fun day! We got to see the lifecycle of a mushroom here at the farm, and we got to spend some time out in the sunshine! A great end to our first week a the farm!
See you Monday!