Milky Mushroom (Calocybe Indica) Cultivation.

[tyswom]

Yesterday we delivered some milky mushrooms in town and decided to try the local market for potential points of sale. There was a lot of comments about the mushroom being dangerous to eat. It was all in Thai so I didn't get the details but since the Milky is new to this country and this area I can only assume it was being mistaken for something else. Anyone have any idea what this other mushroom might be? Or what the issue is? Something about nursing mothers who eat this mystery mushroom.

We are at that point where everyone has "helped" us get sales started so now it is a matter of developing steady sales to people we do not know. This factor may mean we cannot sell the Milkys around here. So a proceed or change decision is needed quickly. I admit to being a bit at a loss.

if people dun confident about this CI.may be u can try to send some sample to minitry of agriculture

and ask them to certify and get a certificat of this edible mushroom(in Malaysia we can pratice like this but of course u hav to pay to the deparment).after the certified people won scare of this mushroom coz there is no more poison n dangerous for them anymore.

[IsaanAussie]

Thanks Tyswom you are right in most cultures. Here farming people are poorly educated and very suspicious of anything new. The education system has been rote learning based and rumors are manifested into commonly accepted truths. This strain of mushroom is new to Thailand so no-one who has seen ours can have seen them before. The local offender mushroom is close in appearance but relatively rare and many people will not have actually seen them either. This is a matter if this time reinforced folk tale can be undone. Can we convince people to take the chance and try them?

[mo99]

Thanks Tyswom you are right in most cultures. Here farming people are poorly educated and very suspicious of anything new. The education system has been rote learning based and rumors are manifested into commonly accepted truths. This strain of mushroom is new to Thailand so no-one who has seen ours can have seen them before. The local offender mushroom is close in appearance but relatively rare and many people will not have actually seen them either. This is a matter if this time reinforced folk tale can be undone. Can we convince people to take the chance and try them?

Seems to me Thais are much more willing to try new Mushrooms than Americans are. Most Americans only know what a Button Mushroom is... I'm sure once they try it and the word gets out, they will catch on. I hear they are getting really popular in India now, I suspect Thailand is not far behind.

[Packdee]

I have changed to mass casing and the new beds are coming on nicely. Heres the wife again with a bunch harvested yesterday

Snapshot_20130722_1.JPG

I follow you to do mass casing, it looks better than before.

[that geeza]

mushroom assassination: perhaps try cooking at the market itself where everyone can see and eating some yourself (and wife of course) . give samples. do it a few dayz running so they can see your still alive:)

Edited August 19, 2013 by that geeza

[zeichen]

One cultivation website that discusses this type of mushroom suggest that a casing of 75%soil25%sand mixed with calcium carbonate to get ph to 7.8-7.9

They stated that most of the growing conditions would be similar for Straw mushrooms.

However, I always think adding some manure is always helpful to all casing, but no proof just hard to break tradition

[IsaanAussie]

One cultivation website that discusses this type of mushroom suggest that a casing of 75%soil25%sand mixed with calcium carbonate to get ph to 7.8-7.9

They stated that most of the growing conditions would be similar for Straw mushrooms.

However, I always think adding some manure is always helpful to all casing, but no proof just hard to break tradition

Some say there is no need to use fertiliser, some do. What to do? I use a 50/50 of manure based compost and carbonised rice hulls. I also run the casing a bit thicker. It seems to give fewer but larger shrooms.

[zeichen]

definitely never have casing more than a few cm thick. I need to check my books but if I remember right it is about 4cm.

your mix seems right for the substrate. Can also use sawdust, chopped straw or any cellulose fibers. Many do a 50/50 mix with manure, throwing some of your EM during pasteurization wouldn't hurt either. Especially if you are letting the substrate sit out for a few days, keep rotating it and watch the the temps don't raise too high.

Casing, you could use the same substrate but try using the soil/sand 75/25% would save you some money and might improve harvest. If you have room run a few beds with different mixtures but using the same spawn. That way you can assess better.

But if you are getting good harvest don't have to fix what isn't broken, but if you are still experimenting to find the best mix have fun.

I love the experiment side of farming.

[IsaanAussie]

And this weeks winner is.... A pair of Siamese Twins. Fused together and totalling 800 grams.

On the money, 1.5" thick, compost/CRH (made on farm) cheap as it gets. EM in the pausterisation water and the water applied to the bed and floors. Definitely not broken... Room for improvement in humidity control.

Edited August 22, 2013 by IsaanAussie

[Packdee]

I don't know this one can beat your record or not.
Have to wait a few more days.

[IsaanAussie]

This is the African strain? Looking good. Good luck hope it gets the gold.

Your new growing area is producing some beautiful, stress free mushrooms. Congratulations Col.

[Packdee]

Today photo.

[cdmtdm]

great pics and thread guys , to follow up on Ians comments re .. selling these beauties ...can i ask Colonel what is the market for these mushrooms? and at what price ?

[IsaanAussie]

Veil has opened a bit more. Will you harvest it before it spores Colonel?

We are slowly establishing a local market in the villages. Our production is low with only 8 beds fruiting but we are selling all we can grow. There was some suspicious looks to start but the first customers are coming back for more and some of the doubters are more willing since the others are still kicking. We are selling at 150 baht per kg.

Our DIY grow boxes are attracting interest and some sales. Future looks good there too. The 750 gram shroom I posted came from a box.

But despite our friendly competition, neither the Colonel or I have managed one like this!

[Packdee]

IsaanAussie, I will wait a few more days.
Yesterday a couple came to visit my farm, after seeing this giant Milky, they decided to buy 15 DIY grow bags, 250 Baths each.
I still have 10 fully colonized DIY grow bags.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Packdee

[cdmtdm]

what is your approach to convert the local consumers over to this variety? as opposed to what they buy now , they tend to buy what everyone else buys ...i see the only variety here is ( nang faa) ... i like the idea of new varieties but concerned they will be rejected ....

[tingtong]

in our area, along the nang faa, there is also khon kao, nang rong, and hed fang.

all these are known, and not new to the market/for the ppl. you probably stand a better chance having one of these, vs. the milky, if you like to do up against the nang faa sellers....since buyers are instantly familiar with these types.

the milkys look great, and i love these photos. but it can be tough to introduce a new mushroom kind to some area, you probably have to be ready and willing to eat lots of them unsold mushrooms.

i applaud to IA selling it 150thb/kg, that is a great price which non the type i mentioned fetch in our area ( maybe in tesco, but that isnt the local market).

[Packdee]

what is your approach to convert the local consumers over to this variety? as opposed to what they buy now , they tend to buy what everyone else buys ...i see the only variety here is ( nang faa) ... i like the idea of new varieties but concerned they will be rejected ....

I started to sale the Milky to a resort (http://www.banraijomthong.blogspot.com/), 12 km far from my farm.

The chef of this resort is expert about vegetarian dishes. Any mushrooms and vegetable recipes will become delicious and healthy dish.

I supply the resort the fresh Milky mushroom and the whole growing beds

.

The customers get excited when they are asked to select the mushroom for cooking their dish from the growing beds.

Some customers want to buy DIY grow bags back home.

[Packdee]

I zoomed out my camera and took this photo to make a 700 gram Milky mushroom larger than my friend who weights 160 Kg.

[cdmtdm]

awesome !!!

[Packdee]

Another exaggerated Milky mushroom picture. But they are really big. The whole bunch weight about 2 kg.

[Packdee]

New flush today.

[RedBullHorn]

Picture saved~ Thanks Col !

[Dancealot]

^{The giant size milky mushroom grown by my Philipino fiend in the Philipines.}

I like the colonels reoccuring cigarrette lighter as a point of reference.

[Packdee]

My new flush of Milky mushroom.

[zakmak]

Hello,

and thank you for all of you for the very useful information posted here!

I am sad to see that there are no new post, updates for almost a year on this thread, but I am hopeful that most of you still gets notified on new posts here and we can pick up the conversation that you have started.

I was wondering if any of you have some reliable information about milky mushroom wholesale prices, if there is an established market and buyers for it in Thailand, and on the commercial feasibility of it. (Maybe Khun Packdee has information on that?!)

Also I would be grateful for detailed firsthand yield and time line information based on different substrates and environmental variables. ( If Aussy Battler could share his results of his experiments it would be great)

I am doing research on the feasibility of commercial mushroom growing on a small/medium scale in chantaburi where my wife has a farm.

I would really like to save the investment (read: I don't have the money for it) in climate controlled buildings that eringii / king trumpet likely would require in this climate, and I just don't see how i could make enough money with paddy straw mushroom to raise a kid on.

Therefore my interest in the milky mushroom or any other that I could cultivate with a relatively low startup cost but profitably.

I'm excited to read that Khun Packdee is willing to educate, and I will contact him about visiting, (as soon as my wife's schedule will alow it), but until then....

Any info, ideas, or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all!

Kaz

[zakmak]

I am happy to discover that the discussion is still alive! , I have missed the 2nd and 3rd pages of this post where you answered some of my questions, but I still would like your advice.

Thank you

[Packdee]

Hi Kaz,

The milky stops growing during cold season. This is my first corp of the milky and a new specie from china, the big cup mushroom (clitocybe maxima).
I am from Klung, Chantaburi. You may come to learn growing the milky any time you want.

[soidog2]

Something for the interested; by the way, this mushroom in an Indian native.

"ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL AND CURRENT CULTIVATION ASPECTS OF AN EDIBLE MILKY MUSHROOM CALOCYBE INDICA"

See attached:

2917.pdf

[Packdee]

Something for the interested; by the way, this mushroom in an Indian native.

"ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL AND CURRENT CULTIVATION ASPECTS OF AN EDIBLE MILKY MUSHROOM CALOCYBE INDICA"

See attached:

We grow Schizophyllum commune to get antioxidant enzymes by fermenting this mushroom with selected microorganisms.