ShroomHeads Organic Farm

The picture above is how the woods looked before being cleared for the mushroom facility. I had chosen three different locations for the facility, but ended up putting it in the woods.

Diary

May 26, 2009

Things are moving fast, but I am getting really anxious. I need to get a lot of equipment back to the mushroom area. With all the rain this spring I have a lot of wash out from adjoining properties that is taking out the perimeter of my land. I need to get 10 tons of crush delivered for the flooring, but not sure the truck can make it down the drive. We will figure out something. Tim can do anything he sets his mind to. And it's great to have his help. I am just thinking 'mushrooms' but he is keeping the design element in the forefront. He know's the facility isn't going to do me any good if I can't get access to it to move logs and equipment.

I have also scheduled a lecture detailing the project through UMKC's Communiversity. I will start the talk at 10:00am. After the talk I will have CD's, DVD's, and handouts available for those that are interested in the 'cold house/hot house' method I am using. A tour of the facility will follow afterwards.

Glad I started doing this diary. I had 'neighbors' from Harrisonville stop by the Grand Court Farmers Market on Saturday. They saw this area on my website and were interested in what I was doing. They will be coming out for a visit soon. It was nice meeting you Phyllis and Jake!

May 26, 2009

I had chosen three different locations for the facility, but ended up putting it in the woods. Heating the facility won't be a big issue in the winter. The trees don't have any leaves, so the area gets plenty of sun. In the summer, though, keeping the facility cool could become a challenge. So I decided to build it in the woods near my potbellied pigs. That way we can keep an eye on each other, share water, and share electricity. This also made me rethink the solar panels and the wind generator idea. First, Tim from Trim Design had to come in and fell some oak trees. I needed the oak for shiitake anyway. He also trimmed back the canopy and cleared the underbrush. The area looks like a park right now. I like to just go and hang out there.

I have a nice sunny spot for the the solar panel and water pump. Throw in a little Bernoulli principle, and I will have running water. Some of the water will come from condensation from my two cooling units. In the winter and during any dry spells, I will have to pump from my pond, which is about 300 feet away. Doable.

Instead of one large wind generator, I opted for two smaller generators. This will allow me to locate one north and one west of the facility at different heights. The smaller units will also be easier for me to move to different areas depending on the season.

In the meantime, I am beginning to move my plants out of my basement greenhouse. Some of my tomatoes have been producing fruit since January. Reproducing this cold-house/hot-house effect outdoors is going to be a challenge. Having a stable outdoor facility with good ventilation is really going to open up a lot of avenues for my specialty mushrooms. Shiitake and Lions Mane won't be a problem, but morels and maitake are very picky about their environment.

July 14, 2009

Been a while! Grant money came in. The money helped a lot with unexpected costs. Like a CO2 generator, renting a CAT to move crushed rock, and purchasing the never ending fencing and fence posts.

Jeff, the kids, and myself did get all the shiitake logs moved from the old outdoor area into the new area. It looks great! Pictures coming soon!

After starting this project, I stood back and looked at all the work that is going into just getting the facility built. Made me think why should we go through all this for a small 12 X 24 greenhouse. It won't be big enough. Things like this are never big enough. Anyway, I am trying for a loan to get the real thing, 50 X 100. We will have to modify the design to allow for the hot house/cold house construction. But it will be a great place to train farmers about the sustainability concept I am incorporating into this project and to conduct more research.

Wish me luck!