If you’d like to grow mushrooms for profit, it’s important to focus on the steps that will help you produce a bumper crop for sale. So what are they? Here’s a blueprint for a successful mushroom farming business:
First, you should consider growing oyster mushrooms. Simply put, oyster mushrooms are one of the easiest exotic mushrooms to grow. Plus, you can grow it on a variety of “waste” products, such as straw and wood chips, even coffee grounds.
You’ll need to set up a dedicated growing area, where you can control the temperature, humidity and light, all important factors in producing mushrooms. When growing your oyster mushrooms, pay special attention to cleanliness. You want to avoid contamination. Pasteurizing the straw will remove possible sources of contamination. But be careful, because further contamination is possible if you don’t follow these important steps:
1. When it’s time to spread out the straw growing medium to cool down, make sure you’re doing so in a clean environment. Wash down and disinfect the surface you’ll be using to cool down.
2. Mist the air in the room using a 10% bleach solution.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly before handling the straw, spawn or other substances.
Your oyster mushrooms are going to be at their best when they are freshly picked. If you’re not able to sell them right away, consider drying them. Drying allows you to preserve them to be sold days or months in the future.
When you’re ready to sell your mushrooms, you have several options. Maybe you’d like to try the local farmers’ market. These events continue to draw big crowds that are interested in buying from the top local growers. Set up a stall or booth and get selling. Spots fill up fast, so if you’re unable to secure your own spot, consider asking another grower if you can share one with them. Or how about selling directly to restaurants? They have to get their mushrooms from somewhere, so why not you? Give a free sample to the chef at a local restaurant, and you may have a new repeat customer.
And don’t forget about grocery stores. Exotic mushrooms are becoming a popular item, and just like restaurants, they have to get their mushrooms from somewhere, so why not you? In particular, consider targeting upscale grocery stores that are more likely to have customers who would like to buy exotic mushrooms. Also, a local grocery store might be willing to let you put on demonstrations. This is a great way to get attention for your mushroom-growing business by giving out free samples to prospective customers.
A successful mushroom-growing business will have mushrooms grown in a clean environment. The mushrooms will be harvested at the proper time, and if not sold right away, preserved for later. And finally, a successful mushroom-growing business will have several outlets for sales, at such places as a farmers’ market, grocery store, or directly to restaurants. If you’d like to grow mushrooms for profit, follow these steps, and your business will be a success in no time.
In recent years, demand for gourmet mushrooms has skyrocketed, creating opportunity for new growers. The most profitable culinary mushrooms are shiitake and oyster mushrooms. Both oyster and shiitake are easy to grow and can be produced on “waste” products like sawdust or straw. They are quick to grow to maturity – about 6-8 weeks from start to harvest.
In this book, you’ll discover:
- 5 steps to growing gourmet mushrooms.
- 6 best “value-added mushroom products.
- 24 free and low-cost ways to sell your mushroom crop.
- Sources for mushroom growing supplies and videos.
Now available at Amazon in Ebook, paperback and audiobook. Click Here to get your copy.