Growing Edible Mushrooms From Home

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Do you like mushrooms? They are low fat and high in vitamins, minerals and protein. Each culture has its own mushroom receipes, Chinese, Greek, American, Koreans, French, etc. I like it with butter and shrimps. If you love mushrooms why not start earning a living from home by growing them yourself because the end result is rewarding in health and income.

You can buy a kit in a mushroom farm supply stores and choose the type you want to grow like Oyster, Shiitake or Oak mushrooms. You can grow them in a plastic bag with saw dust or on logs. You may also need to build a hot house. Mushrooms do not need sunlight in order to grow, they prefer warm and dark places. As you go along and have a better understanding of the life cycle of Fungis, you may want to cultivate the spores yourself. It can also be a family activity and education too. That’s the advantage of earning a living at home, you’ll have more time for your family.

Each mushroom species in a specific environment has a different pest complexity. Since specialty mushroom production is still very new, many pests have not received research attention. Most pests you are likely to encounter, however, have probably already been studied. In any case, you will probably have to design your own pest management system. Be vigilant for any indication of damage to the fruiting mushrooms and act quickly to identify its cause. Use whatever information you can find, along with your own initiatives to devise ways to protect your crop for maximum product output.

Use all the resources you can find-in libraries, at bookstores, or writing those who are earning a living at home growing mushrooms. Local specialists can help identify pests and possibly determine economic thresholds. They can also help you find biological controls, if cultural and mechanical methods fail.

Marketing is the most important consideration of all. Spend some time and even some money educating yourself about marketing your potential product.

Where to Sell

Market the fresh or dried product directly to your customers ( Friends, families, Gourmet Chefs, Restaurants, vegetarian grups, etc.)
Add value to the mushroom by creating processed products (mushroom sauces, mixes, teas,and extracts)
Wholesale as fresh produce

If you can sell your mushrooms or mushroom products directly to an end user, you will naturally receive a better price than if you sell to a wholesaler. Direct marketing of mushrooms at local farmers’ markets, restaurants, or supermarkets is possible in many locations. When competing in local markets, excellent service, top quality, and consistent supply, rather than the lowest price, might win the sale, particularly with gourmet chefs. Some chefs specialize in locally grown foods, and may be interested for that reason. Others are willing to pay top dollar for fresh, high quality produce. Try establishing a relationship with the buyer and reliably delivering a quality product are essential for this type of marketing.

Local grocery stores are another potential buyer of fresh mushrooms.Some woulld prefer one kind of mushroom and you can be a year-round supplier . Natural foods stores are a market that prefers seasonal supply. Any chef or grocer will require assurances of both quality and regular supply before switching from other sources.

Although the wholesaler with an established account creates stiff competition, the small, efficient producer might still have an advantage in some niche markets. For instance, shiitakes grown on logs are generally of higher quality and have a longer shelf life than shiitakes grown on sawdust substrates. Log-grown shiitakes earn prices from three to eight times higher than those grown on sawdust substrates. Find the buyer to whom quality matters, and you will find a market for your product.

Locally-grown oyster mushrooms have an advantage because oysters have a very limited shelf life and are too fragile to ship. The grower with direct, local sales can supply a fresher product that arrives in better condition. Small-scale commercial production of white button mushrooms and other Agaricus varieties such as portobellas and criminis is not recommended for the beginners, except on a small scale for direct marketing.

Selling fresh mushrooms to a wholesaler will mean a lower price than if you market directly. However, for growers who choose not to involve themselves in direct sales, there are established wholesale markets for mushrooms. Try advertising you products to family and friends, make flyers or on free Ads. Try this worthwhile and enjoyable work today.