Mushroom production is a complicated business and requires very specific growing conditions. One such farm is J-M Farms in Miami, Oklahoma. There are six distinct and critical stages to mushroom farming:
- Composting
- Pasteurization
- Spawning
- Casing
- Pinning
- Cropping
The facilities must control each stage for optimum production and product quality. The processes are labor-intensive since the entire production takes only about 80 days from start to finish for each crop. Working conditions are hot, humid and dirty.
Mushroom Compost and Pasteurization
The compost is produced from a mixture of wheat straw, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, chicken litter and gypsum. These are by-products from other industries and otherwise not used. Mushrooms are the ultimate in recycling.
Blending these ingredients together, along with water, starts the process. Continual turning and aerating the mix every 48 hours lasts for 19 to 23 days. Following this process, the material is packed into large wooden trays and stacked in an environmentally controlled room. Steam is injected to reach a temperature of 150 degrees and gradually reduced over a period of eight days by periodically introducing fresh air to the room. This process kills any harmful insects, bacteria, or microorganisms that may damage the mushroom crop.
Spawning a Mushroom
Mushroom spawn is now planted in the compost, the spawn being the culture of the mushroom. The trays are then stacked in another environmentally controlled room where temperature and humidity levels remain constant. This initial growth process takes 15 days.
Casing and Pinning
A layer of peat moss mixed with limestone is applied to the top of the trays and they are then transferred to another climatically controlled room. This stage is considered the real test of a mushroom grower’s art and science. Mushroom pins will only develop in very precise environmental conditions. Any small deviation in temperature, humidity, moisture or carbon dioxide levels will adversely affect the entire crop.
Cropping or Harvesting the Mushrooms
At J-M Farms, all picking and packing is done by hand. Harvesting takes place over a 30-day period but can continue if the mushrooms continue to appear. After the harvest, the compost material is pasteurized again and sent to a company that makes potting soil. In mushroom farming everything is recycled – there is no waste.
Healthy Dietary Ingredients
Margo Kraus, a registered dietitian and consultant for The Mushroom Council, gives some statistics on edible mushrooms and the Council’s site offers a 13-minute video tour of a mushroom farm.
- 20 calories: Just a handful of mushrooms may be nature’s hidden treasure for healthier meals. Mushrooms have the essential nutrients that are good for heart health and help boost immunity.
- Flavor: Mushrooms have umami – the fifth taste. They add savory flavor when paired with other foods.
- Vitamin D: Mushrooms contain four percent of the daily value of vitamin D. (Further research is ongoing.) No other fresh vegetable or fruit has the vitamin D.
- Good for you: Mushrooms’ antioxidant capacity is comparable to that of brightly colored vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, red peppers and broccoli.
For additional information and recipes, visit the website of The Mushroom Council.
Mushroom kits can be purchased by individuals wishing to grow mushrooms. These kits come with established medium and spawn and will produce about a pound of mushrooms per kit. It is possible to purchase spawn and make outdoor mushroom gardens which produce over a longer period of time. Patience is required for these outside gardens as it may take a year before seeing any results from the "plantings".
Hunting, picking and eating wild mushrooms should be done with great care. Many wild mushrooms are poisonous and some, such as shrooms, create psychedelic experiences similar to LSD. Choosing wild mushrooms from the field is best done with an experienced quide.
For safe edible mushrooms, visit the local produce isle at the neighborhood grocery. Mushrooms farms offer quality products that are grown with extreme care and high quality.
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