Mushroom Farming

[cobbler]

Well here she be, nothing fancy about it, we are building a secomnd which is a bit wider

Mushrooms stacked 1150 of them and we still have one empty shelve in the building

My wife doing her thing

The product note the dirt floor

There are several spore suppliers arounf Udon.

Hi Ray 23Love your stuff.1question.How do you keep the snakes out ?

Cheers Cobbler

[cobbler]

Interesting pics Ray. I'd be interested in the result of who's mushrooms actually nett more over a given period. Your whole set-up is very different to ours and your costs are one heck of a lot less. Having said that, our yield would appear to be far greater -- the most mushrooms produced and sold in one single day was 131kg but I can assure you this was a one-off. We are on day 16 of the current batch and so far we have sold 25,000 baht's worth which is about average. The misses reckons we've got maybe 2 or 3 days left before the growing medium ( I call it rocket fuel ) runs out of power then we have to start the whole process again. We'd love to find our own ' market ' because at the moment, we sell to the agent. They sell to the driver who delivers them to Bangkok EVERY night of the year. She sells them to the market, they sell them etc., etc so we are about 5th or 6th in the chain. yesterday the price dropped 5 baht to 55 baht per kilo, but I noticed in Big C Buriram today that our mushrooms would cost you 193 baht per kilo on the shelf. A big difference, but then I really don't want the hassle of driving to Bangkok every night. Sorry, I don't have any info about producing the spores but I know it involves steaming etc

My Wife says ."Dry out your mushrooms and go to Bangkok 1 time when ever you have a ute load or whatever transport you have.I don't know if this is of help to you or not..Love your setup.Cheers Cobbler

[cobbler]

Well I bought a 500 baht sprayer and wil give that a try. However looks like we will be seeing some rain, thus cooler weather. That will increase production, so it might be a while before I know if it works and worth a mist system.

The stuff I;m growing we grew in our storage shed last year. Bathroom will work, just remember yuo have to kep it dark as much a possible. Where you would find them in Bangkok, I have no idea,

Just an idea.Try a wholesale vegie market.

Cheers Cobbler

[ray23]

Snakes haven't seen any yet.

Actually on sales we can't keep up with demand thus far.

[ray23]

Petey,

we had a huge problem with a fungal growth -- this was at the end of December going into January. We were lucky in that we broke even that time, others made a loss. Everyone in our whole area was affected and nothing would stop it from spreading. It was everywhere, the shelves and even the ground. Even the very experienced agent said they had not seen this before. We stripped everything out of the houses and opened up the tents to let everything dry out. We've got a pressure washer, so this was the next stage, then dried it all out again. It didn't appear again during this last batch, so we're keeping everything crossed it was a one off.

That's scary didn't happen to take any photos did you?

Unfortunately not. The mushrooms would grow up through the ' carpet ' of fungus, but then just turn to mush.

Something to watch for thanks

[ray23]

Sometimes the simple answer is best. A piece of garden hose with 1/100 inch holes drilled in it. Works fine at low pressures

[finnomick1]

Snakes haven't seen any yet.

Actually on sales we can't keep up with demand thus far.

Lucky you -- 4 inside the mushroom houses in 21 months -- that we've seen. The last one was wrapped around one of the cross bamboos at the misses's head level. Only a frog snake but they still bite. Unfortunately the mushroom houses are very close to the ponds...

[ray23]

Whne I get that much time in I'm sure I will have seen a few as well.

[ray23]

You just got to love Thailand, now that I have sit up the mister system. Wife did some research in Thai that says not to put fans in a mushroom house. To bad she didn't research it before I did all the work.

Anybody got any exerience with mister systems?

We are not running a dry fan on the mushrooms, so what she found might be correct and it might not be. Time for some Google work.

[ray23]

Found an excellent site guys at leat I think so.

http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/16290013/vc/1#16290013

[ray23]

Ok after looking throught it, it's got a lot to do with getting high. I'm nuts enough I don't need that.

But there is a growing section, where I found this so far.

http://www.mushroomv....com/BRF-Pf-Tek

Four hours of free videos on growing mushrooms, so I will stick with it and see what I can learn. Does recommend mistiong three to four time a day. Maybe my wife will j hook our system back up. FAT CHANCE

Edited May 27, 2012 by ray23

[finnomick1]

Magic Ray, magic

[finnomick1]

Steaming done yesterday, we were very lucky with the weather after the forecast for the weekend was for rain and more rain -- didn't get more than a teaspoonful. Spores went in today and got watered now we sit back and wait 5 to 7 days for the blighters to wake up and start growing. Maybe a point of interest -- assuming we have a growing area of 96 square metres per house x 3 houses, we only use 90 bags of spores in total while it's hot. During the colder weather, we up this to 120 bags ( which cost us 12 baht each ).

[David48]

Just finished picking and cleaning 30 Kg of the buggers. The missus did 20 Kg late last night whilst I was busy ...(.on the cricket thread.)..

Should get about 10 Kg this afternoon and hopefully another 10 Kg tonight...

plopmeister ... speaking of Cricket, put those Mushies down and pop the pads back on

I have anointed kevjohn a new personal assistant. I would have posted the image here but it maybe a little to risqué for these fine farming folk ...

[ray23]

Magic Ray, magic

Now that is something a 65 year old guy really needs with PTSD, Hell I'm already helping the dogs chase cars better stay away from that.

I did find some other stuff by doing a google search mushroom mist system, some of it comes back to Thailand part of which is section on the Royal project. But nothing on misting in Thailand yet.

Mick one of the things I ran across yesterday talked about fungal gowth, said it was the result of to much water.

Edited May 28, 2012 by ray23

[ray23]

While I was poking around on Google I found this.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/541720-mushroom-growing-supplies/

There is a man in Chaing Mai, Mario is his name does about 100K plants and does them himself, He also sales the packets.

I spoke with him, very informative

His number is 085-720-8883

Some times the answers can be very close to home.

[finnomick1]

Magic Ray, magic

Now that is something a 65 year old guy really needs with PTSD, Hell I'm already helping the dogs chase cars better stay away from that.

I did find some other stuff by doing a google search mushroom mist system, some of it comes back to Thailand part of which is section on the Royal project. But nothing on misting in Thailand yet.

Mick one of the things I ran across yesterday talked about fungal gowth, said it was the result of to much water.

Ray,

we thought of this in fact we thought of everything we could. However there was a common denominator ( didn't Norton make those ? Off topic motorbike joke ). Everyone in our whole area suffered with the same fungus so we narrowed it down to the mansampalang/casava being a problem, the spores could have been a problem or even a combination of both. Or just one of those unsolved mysteries -- we just hope we don't get it again because a lot of work goes into growing the mushrooms and to break even isn't really good enough.

[ray23]

Ya I would think no matter what you do farming has risk in it.

The more I look into this the way to go is to make your own packets.

Buy, at the moment no clue where to buy the equipment or the supples yuo would need.

[tingtong]

Ya I would think no matter what you do farming has risk in it.

The more I look into this the way to go is to make your own packets.

Buy, at the moment no clue where to buy the equipment or the supples yuo would need.

at least fimmonick1 has the most important part covered: where to sell. he has a ready buyer for whatever amount of mushroom. that is the big key.

even though still vulnareble to price fluctuation, the cycle is short enough that he can adjust if he wishes.

the rest is still the easiest part of the equation.

[ray23]

We have enough of a market for 30 kilos day easily, so far we can't produce that.

[pigeonjake]

Hi all,

im working in scotland at the moment, though i do live in thailand, i still come to work when i get a good offer, i might have a go at growing a few just for us you understand as i love mushrooms and the wife is a great cook, im to busy with the pigs and chickens to start something bigger, but ill have a go just for us,

thanks for the info,, jake

[ray23]

I farm is giving a seminar in Nonpoburi, 16th and 17th, for 3K baht per person it will all be in Thai.

It was interesting we viewed another grower in our area, today. Our sit up is good, She has 5K plants and her production is about the same as ours. We have room for another 2K plants in our existing buildings. She comitted to buying the packets from us. If we make them. We have a guy at the farm mostly picking his nose all day LOL So we could use him and avoid the labor ourselves. I will post what we find out in this aspect of the adventure later.

She told us there are three months with no production and she makes about 80 K a year with the 5K plants. If she is like my wife that is a gross figure not a net, If that is the case she making about 40K a year.

Hey more money is more money, so no complaints.

This is the site I found on them

http://pinterest.com/khanawath/ifarm/

Edited May 30, 2012 by ray23

[ray23]

Well lots of rain today, tomorrow we should have a good crop. Do you guys experience the same thing?

We found a lady between Buri Ram and Khan Kean who will teach us how to do the packets, that's free. But. she does supply the equipment and supplies to produce the packets, That won't be free. with no idea of costs, lamb to the slaugher more then likley. Anyone got a guestimate on costs of this equipment?

I have found this site lots of infromation on it as to what types of structures you can consider. Also prevention of critters and decease.

As I look at this you want year round production, you will have to go to a more enviorment controlled structure. The qustion that reamins unanswered is it worth the cost?

http://www.alohamedicinals.com/book1/chapter-6.pdf

[sjefrie]

Full book about Oyster Mushroom Cultivation

http://www.fungifun....om-Cultivation/

Full book about Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation

http://www.fungifun.org/mushworld/Shiitake-Mushroom-Cultivation/

Edited June 2, 2012 by sjefrie

[ray23]

Thanks book markeed those puppies.

That fine spray we were getting with the back thing seemed to help. But, it killed my back. So I took the nozzle off it and hooked it right to the hose, still pumping pond water.

[ray23]

A definite how to do post.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/ab497e/ab497e07.htm#bm7.7

Scary stuff

[Penkoprod]

This mushroom farming seems to involve an awful lot of faffing about.

Are the returns THAT good? It seems very involved and time consuming (and, TBH, boring)

More of a hobby/business than anything from what i have seen on the subject

Penkoprod

[finnomick1]

This mushroom farming seems to involve an awful lot of faffing about.

Are the returns THAT good? It seems very involved and time consuming (and, TBH, boring)

More of a hobby/business than anything from what i have seen on the subject

Penkoprod

I suppose it depends on whether you want or need to make money. Yes it's very involved and can be exhausting and dirty work, but the returns ARE good especially when you consider the area that you need to put your mushroom houses. The money isn't as good as having rubber trees, but to make a decent living from rubber trees, you need 50 rai upwards. If you plant new trees you have to wait at least 7 years beofre the first baht comes in. With mushrooms, you only need 120 sq. metres for a decent set-up, and ( we ) get paid cash every day for what we've harvested.. The more work and mushroom houses we have, the more we earn..... Personally, I need to do something to occupy my time rather than become one of the many farangs I know whose whole existance in Thailand revolves around going to the same dingy bar every night and moan endlessly about Thailand and it's people, and the rest of the time sat in front of the pc.

[ray23]

This mushroom farming seems to involve an awful lot of faffing about.

Are the returns THAT good? It seems very involved and time consuming (and, TBH, boring)

More of a hobby/business than anything from what i have seen on the subject

Penkoprod

I suppose it depends on whether you want or need to make money. Yes it's very involved and can be exhausting and dirty work, but the returns ARE good especially when you consider the area that you need to put your mushroom houses. The money isn't as good as having rubber trees, but to make a decent living from rubber trees, you need 50 rai upwards. If you plant new trees you have to wait at least 7 years beofre the first baht comes in. With mushrooms, you only need 120 sq. metres for a decent set-up, and ( we ) get paid cash every day for what we've harvested.. The more work and mushroom houses we have, the more we earn..... Personally, I need to do something to occupy my time rather than become one of the many farangs I know whose whole existance in Thailand revolves around going to the same dingy bar every night and moan endlessly about Thailand and it's people, and the rest of the time sat in front of the pc.

That is priceless, your going to be doing something. Do you do the spores yourself? That seems to be considerable work. But, more profitable

[finnomick1]

This mushroom farming seems to involve an awful lot of faffing about.

Are the returns THAT good? It seems very involved and time consuming (and, TBH, boring)

More of a hobby/business than anything from what i have seen on the subject

Penkoprod

I suppose it depends on whether you want or need to make money. Yes it's very involved and can be exhausting and dirty work, but the returns ARE good especially when you consider the area that you need to put your mushroom houses. The money isn't as good as having rubber trees, but to make a decent living from rubber trees, you need 50 rai upwards. If you plant new trees you have to wait at least 7 years beofre the first baht comes in. With mushrooms, you only need 120 sq. metres for a decent set-up, and ( we ) get paid cash every day for what we've harvested.. The more work and mushroom houses we have, the more we earn..... Personally, I need to do something to occupy my time rather than become one of the many farangs I know whose whole existance in Thailand revolves around going to the same dingy bar every night and moan endlessly about Thailand and it's people, and the rest of the time sat in front of the pc.

That is priceless, your going to be doing something. Do you do the spores yourself? That seems to be considerable work. But, more profitable

No point doing the spores ourselves Ray, we only use between 90 and 120 bags per batch of mushrooms. They only cost us 12 baht per bag all said and done. Now, if we were growing the same variety of mushrooms as you are, that would be another story. And Ray, I've got to be doing something so I can catch you up and be one baht behind you.....