Mushroom Mountain workshop at CFSA. This handout/these slides were presented at the 30th Annual Carolina Farm Stewardship Association by the Author. Please do not reproduce without the express consent of the authors.

1. Mushroom Mountain
Specialty Mushrooms and Product Development
Tradd Cotter
MushroomMountain, LLC
Liberty, SC

2. LARGE SCALE CULTIVATION OF
PSILOCYBIN CUBENSIS AT HOME
FOR FUN AND PROFIT

3. I

4. I
am

5. I
am
a

6. I
am
a
mushroom

12. Jack o’lantern
Omphalotus illudens

18. LAB 1
LAB 2
COMPOSTING
FRUITING
PACKING

34. Alcohol inky
Coprinus atramentarius

38. Types of Spawn
• Plug (Outdoor log and stump cultivation)
• Sawdust
• Grain (rye, wheat, millet, milo)
• Compost
• Other (soaked corn cobs, nutrified perlite)

39. SPAWN
Dowels or “Plugs”
Sawdust

41. Grooved Dowels

42. Log and Stump Cultivation

43. Log and Stump
Cultivation
• Spawn Run
• Storage and Stacking
• Water requirements / Soaking
• Fruiting Parameters and cycles
• Yields and expectations

45. “Diamond” Drilling Pattern

52. Positions Spawn Run

53. Log and Stump Cultivation
SOAKING
• Replenishes lost water
• Swells dehydrated mycelium
• Signals biomass there is enough internal
moisture to produce viable fruit
• Evaporation creates a slight drop in log
temperature

54. Green Heron Growers, NY
SOAKING TO INITIATE FRUITING CYCLE
12-24 HOURS

55. Shiitake Yields
• Average 2 pounds per log per year
• Investment of $3-4 in plugs per log
• Lifetime of log return 10 pounds (6-8 inch log)
• Price per pound varies with quality ($8-15/lb)

56. ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES AND SPECIES

57. ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES AND SPECIES

59. Maitake
Grifola frondosa

62. Chicken of the Woods
Laetiporus sulphureus

63. Mushrooms on Wood Chips
and Composts

64. Wood Chip Cultivation

80. King Stropharia
Stropharia rugoso-annulata

83. King Stropharia Yields
• Average 3-5 pounds per year (4x4x1)
• Investment of $30 per cubic yard of chips
• Lifetime of return 6-10 pounds (2 years)
• Price per pound varies with quality ($8-15/lb)

84. Blewit
Clitocybe nuda

85. PARASOL
Lepiota procera

86. Cultivating on Ag waste and Weeds
• Spent Coffee
• Cereal Straw (oat, wheat, rye)
• Cotton Waste
• Corn Waste
• Kudzu
• Water Hyacinth

87. Vegetable Foliage Recycled and
Used for Mushroom Cultivation Media

89. SUBSTRATE DENSITY

91. HOT WATER PASTERURIZATION
1-2 HOURS AT 160 F (71 C)

93. Electric Winch

94. DRAIN, COOL, AND SPAWN

96. SPAWN RUN

98. MONITOR INTERNAL TEMPERATURES

110. VOLUME :
EXPOSED SURFACE

111. OVERPINNING AND CROP FAILURES

117. STERILIZED
SUBSTRATES
INDOORS

118. Sterilized Substrates
• Autoclave or Pressure cooker required
• Clean room required (HEPA) for transfers
• High Energy Inputs / Rapid and high yielding

119. RETORT AUTOCLAVE – DOUBLE ENDED

120. Bagged Substrate
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) Shiitake (Lentinula
edodes)

127. Yield Calculators

128. Spawning Schedule
Columns/day 100 106.0factor
Sum of
green
= 12.5 12.5 13.0 13.0
times per week 4
Cost Per Total Columns per Week 400
Column Costs Trailers Needed: 41.25(40 Footers) OR
Plastic $2.00Estimated Pounds Per Week 6400Square Footage Needed: 17600
#of
col/wk
/3 -
why? Media $2.00Wholesale Value Per Pound $3.00
bags 133.3 Spawn $3.00Total Value Per Week $19,200.00
Propane $2.00Column Costs Per Week $3,600.00
Labor Expenses Per Week $1,2002 PERSONS
Total each $9.00 Week cost $4,800.00
Week Net $14,400.00
Year Net $748,800.00

129. Spawning Schedule
Columns/day 100 106.0factor
Sum of
green
= 12.5 12.5 13.0 13.0
times per week 4
Cost Per Total Columns per Week 400
Column Costs Trailers Needed: 41.25(40 Footers) OR
Plastic $2.00Estimated Pounds Per Week 6400Square Footage Needed: 17600
#of
col/wk
/3 -
why? Media $2.00Wholesale Value Per Pound $3.00
bags 133.3 Spawn $3.00Total Value Per Week $19,200.00
Propane $2.00Column Costs Per Week $3,600.00
Labor Expenses Per Week $1,2002 PERSONS
Total each $9.00 Week cost $4,800.00
Week Net $14,400.00
Year Net $748,800.00

130. ENCLOSEDFRUITING ROOMCONCEPTS
• FLUID INTERNAL STRUCTURAL
DESIGN / MOVING WALLS
• INTEGRATED PLANT BIOMASS -
OFFSET CO2 PRODUCTION FROM
FUNGI
• PORTABLE ALGAL SCRUBBING UNITS
AND BIOFUEL POTENTIAL
• AIR LAYERING CONCEPTS

131. PARTITION STRUCTURES TO
ACCOMMODATE FRUITING CYCLES
CONVERTING EXISTING - DETERMINE
PERCENTAGE IN WEEKS FOR EACH STAGE
OF DEVELOPMENT
EX. SHIITAKE
6 WEEKS COLONIZATION
2 WEEKS BROWNING
1 WEEK FLUSH 1
3 WEEKS REST
1 WEEK FLUSH 2
3 WEEKS REST
1 WEEK FLUSH 3
17 WEEK USE OF SPACE

132. PARTITION STRUCTURES TO
ACCOMMODATE FRUITING CYCLES
CONVERTING EXISTING - DETERMINE
PERCENTAGE IN WEEKS FOR EACH STAGE
OF DEVELOPMENT
EX. SHIITAKE
6 WEEKS COLONIZATION/17 = 35%
2 WEEKS BROWNING/17 = 12%
3 WEEKS FLUSHES 1-3 /17= 18%
6 WEEKS REST/17 = 35%
17 TOTAL WEEKS

133. PARTITION STRUCTURES TO
ACCOMMODATE FRUITING CYCLES
CONVERTING EXISTING - DETERMINE
PERCENTAGE IN WEEKS FOR EACH STAGE
OF DEVELOPMENT
EX. OYSTER
2 WEEKS COLONIZATION / 9 = 22.3%
3 WEEKS FLUSHES / 9 = 33.3%
4 WEEKS REST / 9 = 44.3%
9 TOTAL WEEKS

134. Fruiting Structures
• Controlled, clean environment
• Gases, insects, and humidity control

135. Fruiting Structures
• Bigger not better – Think small/modular.
Modular systems have less contamination
vectors, easier to maintain and isolate
diseases. Large rooms are difficult to prevent
cross contamination.
You can simply add more modules to increase
production.

137. Humidity Tunnels

139. Unused Bunkers and Tunnels
ediblegeography.com

140. Optimizing Cap Cuticle Pigmentation by Temperature
Reduction and Blue LEDLighting During Primordia
Formation

141. LED Lighting
•Electrical Savings
•Higher intensity with Lower Heat
(sharper peak values)
•Flexibility – thin and lightweight for
modifying individual shelves
•Single Wavelength Selectivity and
Timing

142. Cap Cuticle Pigmentation and Optimizing Wavelength
Parameters
Red, light emission 580-660 nm, maximum at 631 nm; yellow, light emission
550-630 nm, maximum at 597 nm; Blue, light emission 420-550 nm, maximum
at 463 nm; Green, light emission 470-600 nm, maximum at 517 nm

143. Figure 1. Effect of UV irradiation sources on the efficacy of vitamin D2 synthesis in oyster mushrooms.
Wu W-J, Ahn B-Y (2014) Statistical Optimization of Ultraviolet Irradiate Conditions for Vitamin D2 Synthesis in Oyster
Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) Using Response Surface Methodology. PLoS ONE 9(4): e95359.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0095359
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0095359

144. Harvesting and Storage
• Eliminate watering 4-6 hours before
harvesting
• Pick when caps are tacky to dry
• Store under 38-45F Refigeration
• Store in lightly ventilated boxes, paper bags,
never sealed plastic or plastic bags
• Species specific longevity

145. MARKETING
BIODEGRADABLE CONTAINER WITH
RECIPE SUGGESTIONS

146. MARKETING
•Know your products
•Know the nutritional values
of each species, incorporate
into signs and handouts
•Never falsify medicinal claims,
only cite scientific journals,
not websites, blogs, and
neighbors
•Be your local expert

147. Alternative Products
• Powders
• Medicinal Extracts
• Soaps, Lotions, Cosmetics
• Mycobrewery
• Dream up your own products!

148. DRIED MUSHROOMS
• Solar Drying – Gills up increases vitamin D
• Not all species suitable! May reconstitute
chewy or leathery
Good: Oyster, Shiitake, Maitake, Lion’s Mane
Bad: Chanterelles
BUT, they can all be made into powder……..

151. Mushrooms and Vermicomposting

152. Octanol – “Mushroom Alcohol”

154. www.celebratebig.com

157. INTERACTION
S
KINGDOM

162. Almond Portabella
Agaricus blazei / Agaricus brasiliensis

165. Mushroom Pests and Diseases
• Insects – Fungus gnats, sciarid flies, beetles,
mites
• Fungi – Molds, wilts
• Bacteria – Brown Blotch, Orange Staining
• Viruses
• Rodents

166. Mushroom Pests and Diseases
• Insects – Fungus gnats, sciarid flies, beetles,
mites
• Fungi – Molds, wilts
• Bacteria – Brown Blotch, Orange Staining
• Viruses
• Rodents (Monsanto)

167. FUNGUS GNATS AND FRUIT FLIES

169. Bacillus thuringiensis sp israelensis

170. “Pleasing Beetle”
Pseudischyrus spp.

172. Bug Zappers

173. INSECT AND DISEASE CONTROL
Mycoparasite - Trichoderma green mold

174. Trichoderma spp Mold Contaminating Mushroom Casing Soil

176. WWW.MUSHROOMMOUNTAIN.COM

177. WWW.MUSHROOMMOUNTAIN.COM/HANDOUT

178. MORELS
Morchella

180. TheMorel LifeCycle
(Volk and Leonard 1990, Volk and Leonard, 1989a)

182. Morel Micro-Sclerotia

184. NON-NUTRITIVE CASING
NUTRITIVE BOTTOM LAYER
SPAWN

185. NON-NUTRITIVE CASING
NUTRITIVE BOTTOM LAYER
SPAWN
MOREL SCLEROTIA

186. MOREL SCLEROTIA

187. http://www.mushroomexpert.com/images/kuo_05_11.jpg

191. Watkinsville, Georgia
Fruiting Temperature Window at 6” Deep (a.m. shaded reading)
48.0 F ( 8.9C) – 57.0F (13.9C)
INITIATION
2012
FRUITING
8.9 ⁰ C-13.9 ⁰ C

192. Watkinsville, Georgia
Fruiting Temperature Window at 6” Deep (a.m. shaded reading)
48.0 ⁰F ( 8.9 ⁰ C) – 57.0 ⁰ F (13.9 ⁰ C)
FRUITING
8.9 ⁰ C-13.9 ⁰ C
2012

193. Chill Hours History
Eatonton, GA
Nov-1 Apr-3 Number of Hours
2012 2013 N/A
2011 2012 260
2010 2011 601
2009 2010 518
Temp <= 32 °F
Nov-1 Mar-3 Number of Hours
2012 2013 207
2011 2012 253
2010 2011 591
2009 2010 483
Temp <= 32 °F

195. WWW.MUSHROOMMOUNTAIN.COM/CFSA

196. WWW.MUSHROOMMOUNTAIN.COM/CFSA