Trials and Tribulations of Mushroom Farming
Farming, of any kind, is idyllic. We often have a vision of and independent farmer toiling their field and earning their living by the bounty of nature and the sweat of their brow. We think of early mornings and late evenings getting everything that needs to be done completed, before hitting the hay and doing it again the next day. What most don’t consider is that farming is usually about solving problems and adapting to unforeseen changes. The weather can change; a sudden frost or heavy rain can hinder plans or decimate hard work. A piece of broken equipment can stop production abruptly.
Whether or not the challenges that emerge are due to mistakes or simply something out of our control, farmers are constantly tasked with overcoming these challenges. Mushroom farming is no different. While growing things inside does shelter you from the changing weather, stuff still breaks sometimes. Yesterday, as I was preparing to sterilize 600 pounds of mushroom substrate, I realized I had a problem. The heating element of my sterilizer setup had burnt out. Luckily there was no fire, or any damage to my electrical system. Nonetheless, my sterilizer is a critical piece of equipment. Without it, I am unable to ensure my substrate is sterilized and ready to be inoculated with mushroom mycelium. And no new substrate blocks inoculated means no new mushrooms!
There are different kinds of problems on a farm. A changing climate can make growing certain crops unrealistic. Higher expenses can make some strategies unprofitable. Poor processes can reduce efficiency and lead to burnout. Bottlenecks in production can lead to delays when they fail. In my case, a critical piece of equipment failed, and I am forced to wait until it is fixed or replaced. Luckily for me, my heating element is only $60 and can be delivered in a few days. Since, I am a new farmer and don’t have an established customer base, my growing schedule is flexible. But a weekend task has now been pushed to a mid-week task. Mycelium slated for inoculation will have to be patient, as will I.
Patience may be a virtue, but it is a requirement when working with mushrooms. They have their own pace, and it sometimes doesn’t match the schedule of the farmer. It is important that we engineer the conditions to help them thrive, but sometimes, we can’t always anticipate their needs. So, we need to listen and observe, take good notes, and try to come to a more complete understanding of what environmental conditions result in thriving mycelium.
What are we to learn from this experience? Firstly, understand your bottlenecks and build redundancy. My schedule would not have been impacted if I had a spare heating element on hand. Second, add room for failure, setbacks, or delays in your schedule. Some schedules need to be tight; others need to have room for flexibility. Lastly, be patient and observant. When we are working with living organisms that have their own schedules, it may be more helpful to match their schedules and not try to enforce our own. The mycelium will let us know when we are doing a good job if we are willing to observe.