During the summer of 2007, Sondra and Doug Williams, owners of Lost Creek Mushroom Farm in Perkins, Oklahoma, USA, visited Ghana as volunteers. They went to visit and assist local farmers as part of the OIC International Farmer-to-Farmer program. Skilled in matters concerning mushroom growing, they noticed that the oyster mushroom growers in Ghana were struggling.
There was only one provider of oyster mushroom spawn in the country (The Food Research Institute), and a spawn contamination problem had devastated the local growers' ability to continue production. Even without the spawn production problem, the Institute is only able to produce one hundred units a week for all of Ghana. There was clearly not enough in-country capacity to expand mushroom growing. What could be done?
Helping African Mushroom Growers Help Themselves
Since experiencing the plight of the Ghanaian growers firsthand, the Williams's have been hard at work in an effort to provide relief. While in Ghana they met Bernard Bempah, who heads BemCom Youth Enterprises, an organization in Ghana providing practical training in non-traditional agriculture skills. The trainees are mostly women, and how to grow oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) is one of the skills taught.
To bolster the ability of the Ghanaian people to produce a locally sustainable protein food, the Williams's seek to raise awareness of the need, and to find monetary support from private individuals and organizations. A part of the profits from Lost Creek Mushroom Farm is being set aside to contribute. Sandra and Doug also plan to offer their own skill and experience to add shiitake mushrooms to the oyster program.
Taking the Project to New York
In June of 2009, Sandra and Doug traveled to the United Nations in New York City, hoping to address the U. N. Commission on Sustainable Development. Their goal was to raise awareness and perhaps even some money to support the project. Bureaucracy being what it is, they were unable to get on the commission's schedule.
However, with the help of friends and supporters, they appeared as guests on a local radio program. The purpose of the radio presentation wasn't to raise money, but to tell leaders and representatives from other developing countries how mushroom cultivation is a successful tool for alleviating poverty.
The radio exposure has led to progress, and the Mushrooms in Ghana project has indeed started receiving donations of both money and equipment for establishing a mushroom spawn laboratory at the BemCom training center. Initially, spawn will be provided to the training center, with the goal of transferring expertise so that Bempah and others can control their own spawn supply.
The project still needs more money and equipment. Items needed include an incubator, autoclave, heated stirrer, laptop computer and projector for teaching, along with standard spawn lab supplies such as flasks, petri dishes, filters, etc. To learn more or to make a donation, visit the Mushrooms in Ghana Blog.
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