Growing Oyster Mushrooms for Profit - from sporeprint to market

shroom57 · 07-02-09, 17:43

Having been fascinated with mushrooms and fungi in general for several years I found myself with most of what I needed to grow domestic mushrooms and no real use for it all. One afternoon I was having a beer with a chef friend of mine and he wasn't really busy so we talked quite a bit. The discussion turned to mushrooms and he commented he would take all the Oysters he could get his hands on.

After about a month of study, I decided that a small scale domestic mushroom operation would be an economically viable enterprise. Several potential profit points were evaluated and with the addition of grow bag kits and sterile spawn marketed over the internet, a small scale operation appeared viable.

This log is beginning at a time when I'm only getting started and totally broke, but that's the way I'm going to have to do it. I may fail, but it won't be because of not trying. I intend to document all the major stages in real time until it either succeeds, fails, or I'm unable to continue for some reason.

I've got the basic supplies - Pressure Cooker, Glovebox, 2 dozen 1/2 pint jars and some assorted others, Syringes, 6-8 sterilite containers, etc. I also have a small 6x12 area set up and devoted to this. Oh, and I have server space to set up a website.

I was just wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing something like this documented from start to finish?

TastyBeverage · 07-02-09, 18:12

I would! I'm especially interested in the business side of it, but i always love looking at a good grow. Oysters can be done super cheap too. In fact, the only money i've spent on my oyster grows was buying the original culture and the WBS that i nocc'd with it.

weeeeeee · 07-02-09, 18:28

hell yes i would very much like to see this i have long dreamed of selling mushies to all these local asian markets.

the_chosen_one · 07-02-09, 19:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by shroom57

Having been fascinated with mushrooms and fungi in general for several years I found myself with most of what I needed to grow domestic mushrooms and no real use for it all. One afternoon I was having a beer with a chef friend of mine and he wasn't really busy so we talked quite a bit. The discussion turned to mushrooms and he commented he would take all the Oysters he could get his hands on.

I was just wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing something like this documented from start to finish?

i'm sure many will be interested.

i have found a much higher demand than i can currently meet. fortunatley, my clients are very understanding and very eager. they always take what they can get.

Raoul Duke · 07-02-09, 19:30

You have me listening! I've always pondered the idea of growing edibles and making do it yourself bags to sell at the local farmers market. Blog on my fellow mycotopian

PsyBearknot · 07-02-09, 19:32

Pullin up a chair.

Have a chef friend too. Have thought about shitakes and oysters on a small scale. Will be nice to watch your progress. <LIFTING GLASS OF BURBON> Heres good vibes to your success.

PBK

the_chosen_one · 07-02-09, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raoul Duke

You have me listening! I've always pondered the idea of growing edibles and making do it yourself bags to sell at the local farmers market. Blog on my fellow mycotopian

avoid the farmers markets. booth fees eat into profit. better to try restraunts and/or fruit stands.. although, those fruit guys are brutal too.

trichgenome · 07-02-09, 20:31

I'm very interested, I'm starting up a similar venture. Perhaps we can even collaborate, but I won't be getting started until September or so.

greenmeanie · 07-02-09, 23:33

sounds like a great plan. the only problem i foresee is where you're going to keep all those spawn bags while they incubate... good luck though

GadgetGuy · 07-02-09, 23:35

Very interesting. I hope you have success and make some profit. Im subscribing to this thread.

Phx · 07-03-09, 01:05

Man i can't wait to see you get started. It will make for a great read. I just hope one day I can follow in your foot steps! Good luck

shroom57 · 07-03-09, 16:12

One thing you guys could help me out with is local prices. Since there are no local growers I can't get a good estimate on prices.

The internet isn't much help with this either, again probably due to the local nature of the markets. I've seen price estimates anywhere from $2/lb bulk to $1/oz when sold in smaller (4 oz) packaging.

If any of you have access to oysters in your local market, I would appreciate if you could let me know what they are selling for.

I'm in the process of doing some LC to grain and G2g transfers so I should have some pictures soon. I'm also working on the website so maybe that will be live early next week.

Froderick · 07-03-09, 19:58

You could contact chinese restaurants in your area and they may tell you how much they pay. They might be potential customers for you. Also, high-end places, like Sushi restaurants.

420j4u · 07-03-09, 20:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by shroom57

One thing you guys could help me out with is local prices. Since there are no local growers I can't get a good estimate on prices.

The internet isn't much help with this either, again probably due to the local nature of the markets. I've seen price estimates anywhere from $2/lb bulk to $1/oz when sold in smaller (4 oz) packaging.

If any of you have access to oysters in your local market, I would appreciate if you could let me know what they are selling for.

I'm in the process of doing some LC to grain and G2g transfers so I should have some pictures soon. I'm also working on the website so maybe that will be live early next week.

Man, just bought Shitaki about 20 minutes ago. Looked twice at the oysters but didn't remember the price.

I'd also love to know the business side of it. The more info you give the better. Pics too!!!

Umbo · 07-03-09, 21:02

I sold oysters at a local, well established
farm stand last year, for about 13$/lb I
thought that was pretty kick ass.
They sold as fast as they grew. Sold
them in 4-5oz packs Also sold foraged black
trumpets and chanterelles there too for 25$/lb.
People throw down the cash for fresh mushrooms,
esp. locally grown/foraged. Good luck,
cant wait to see the site!

weeeeeee · 07-03-09, 21:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_chosen_one

avoid the farmers markets. booth fees eat into profit. better to try restraunts and/or fruit stands.. although, those fruit guys are brutal too.

thanks for the wonderful advice man and everyone all kinds of good stuff here

shroom57 · 07-03-09, 21:43

Umbo, what kind of packaging did you use?

I assume you were getting $3/ package?

Thanks for the info.

Froderick, like I was saying before there are no sources locally so asking someone what they pay for a product that isn't available is not a lot of help.

Also, at this early stage I hesitate to ask my potential customers what they are willing to pay without some comparison data.

the_chosen_one · 07-03-09, 21:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umbo

I sold oysters at a local, well established
farm stand last year, for about 13$/lb I
thought that was pretty kick ass.
They sold as fast as they grew. Sold
them in 4-5oz packs Also sold foraged black
trumpets and chanterelles there too for 25$/lb.
People throw down the cash for fresh mushrooms,
esp. locally grown/foraged. Good luck,
cant wait to see the site!

that's pretty good. only get around $10-$14/lb around here for chantys. about the same for the oysters though. depends on the competition at the time. one thing that gives me an edge is the variety i offer. most competition is unaware of the wild lacaria and tooth fungi that grow here as well. they can fetch a high price

Umbo · 07-03-09, 21:55

I was getting 4$ for 5oz of oysters.
I put them in pint berry containers,
ya know the green cardboard ones.
They kept them from getting crushed,
displayed well, weren't plastic, and were
cheap, and reusable, some customers
would bring them back

Umbo · 07-03-09, 22:04

Good point about diversity TCO.
I tried painted suillus for the first time
last fall, and really liked them, sold a few
but it was too late in the season to really
get a feel for people's reaction.
What kind of lacaria and how much did
they bring? Also the toothed fungi, were
they Hericium?

Brakiska · 07-04-09, 01:35

Great idea to log this

Doing the same on my side.

Aquiring some of the tools required at the moment

Saving some money in order to move to a bigger place to set-up a good workplace

I wish you the best
Im sure you will be up to the challenge such a journey will give you

the_chosen_one · 07-05-09, 01:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umbo

Good point about diversity TCO.
I tried painted suillus for the first time
last fall, and really liked them, sold a few
but it was too late in the season to really
get a feel for people's reaction.
What kind of lacaria and how much did
they bring? Also the toothed fungi, were
they Hericium?

laccaria amethystina (pic). excellent with red wine and other recipes. $15-$18/lb easy to restraunts. it's quite meaty and weighs a lot. it's s long lived winter time fuiter and keeps well when refrigerated. an all around good mushroom.

Hydnum umbilicatum. looks a bit like a toothed chanterelle. sorry. can't seem to find my pics at the moment.. at any rate these are true gourmet. $25/lb. pretty much anywhere. one of my all time favorites as well.

oddly enough lions mane or it's cousins are difficult to market here. i think they kinda freak people out lol. which is fine.. more for me

arcamedes333 · 07-06-09, 12:21

10-15$ a pound for oysters
where i live.
I appreciate you taking the
time to log your efforts. The
best of luck to you.

shroom57 · 07-21-09, 12:21

"Pearl Oyster"
Pleurotus ostreatus (sn. salignus, spodoleucus)(var. columbinus ("Blue Oyster"), floridanus ("Florida"))

Temperatures: Spawn 24° C Primordia 10-16° C Fruiting 10-21° C
Humidity: ---------- 85-95% -----------95-100% --------- 85-90%
CO2: ------------ 5-20,000ppm ------ < 1,000ppm ------ < 1,000ppm
Light: ----------------- n/a ---------- 1,000-1,500lux ---- 1,000-1,500lux
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Golden Oyster"
Pleurotus citrinopileatus (sn. cornucopiae)

Temperatures: Spawn 24-29° C Primordia 21-27° C Fruiting 21-29° C
Humidity: ------------ 90-100% ------------98-100% --------- 90-95%
CO2: --------------- 5-20,000ppm ------ < 1,000ppm ------ < 1,000ppm
Light: ------------------- n/a ------------- 500-1,000lux ---- 500-1,000lux
Notes: Bitter until thoroughly cooked then cashew-like flavor. Color and flavor determined by light levels. Fragile, lower yields, loses color
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Pink Oyster"
Pleurotus djamour (sn. flabellatus, ostreato-roseus, salmoneo-stramineus)

Temperatures: Spawn 24-30° C Primordia 18-25° C Fruiting 20-30° C
Humidity: ------------ 95-100% -----------95-100% --------- 85-90%
CO2: ---------------- >5,000ppm ------ 500-1,000ppm --- 500-1,500ppm
Light: ------------------- n/a ------------ 750-1,500lux ---- 750-1,500lux
Notes: Good biological efficiency, very agressive, contaminant resitant.
Loses color on cooking, short shelf life unless dried.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"King Oyster"
Pleurotus eryngii (sn. fuscus, ferulae, nebrodensis, hadamardii, fossulatus)

Temperatures: Spawn 24° C Primordia 10-15° C Fruiting 15-21° C
Humidity: ------------ 90-95% ---------95-100% --------- 85-90%
CO2: -------------- 5-20,000ppm ---- 500-1,000ppm --- < 2,000ppm
Light: ------------------- n/a ---------- 500-1,000lux ---- 500-1,000lux
Notes: Grows well on logs, straw mounds, prefers outside. Best tasting, keeps and ships well. Favors high CO2 spawn run.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Abalone Oyster"
Pleurotus cystidiosus (sn. abalonus)

Temperatures: Spawn 24-30 C Primordia 18-24° C Fruiting 21-27° C
Humidity: ------------- 90-95% -----------95-100% --------- 85-90%
CO2: --------------- 5-20,000ppm ----- 500-1,000ppm ---- < 2,000ppm
Light: ------------------- n/a ----------- 1,000-2,000lux ---- 500-1,000lux
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Phoenix Oyster"
Pleurotus pulmonarius (sn. sapidus, sajor-caju (incorrectly))

Temperatures: Spawn 24-29° C Primordia 10-24° C Fruiting 18-24° C
Humidity: ------------- 95-100% -----------85-90% --------- 85-90%
CO2: ---------------- >5,000ppm -------- 400-800ppm ----- 400-800ppm
Light: ------------------- n/a ----------- 1,000-1,500lux --- 1,000-1,500lux
Notes: Prefers Aspen, Black Poplar
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the_chosen_one · 07-21-09, 13:55

you'll need to get a good wood fiber supplier as well. here's my wholesale source.. http://www.northmasonfiber.com/index.html

straw bales work fine for starting. even saw mills and county sources are good, but eventually you may want to go big. one can also find local distributors through the wholesalers links

lysergic · 07-21-09, 14:07

I'm interested!

I've been thinking about doing something like this for a while now.
I haven't been able to find a job, so this might provide some income.

I've got a few questions:

Are the prices listed for wet or dry weights?

How do oyster yields compare with cube yields?

How large of a grow would be needed to be worthwhile/profitable?

the_chosen_one · 07-21-09, 15:12

i usually do pretty well if i can pull in 20-40 lbs. wet. i have a tough competitor for dry here. at least for now

lysergic · 07-21-09, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_chosen_one

i usually do pretty well if i can pull in 20-40 lbs. wet. i have a tough competitor for dry here. at least for now

Is that 20-40lbs from a single tub/grow?

How large of a substrate is necessary for that kind of yield?

Also, is their wet to dry ratio similar to cubes, or do they have more "meat" to them?

Thanks for the help

the_chosen_one · 07-21-09, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by lysergic

Is that 20-40lbs from a single tub/grow?

How large of a substrate is necessary for that kind of yield?

Also, is their wet to dry ratio similar to cubes, or do they have more "meat" to them?

Thanks for the help

crap!

i just lost a mile long post.

short version - no tubs. too much space. 8" diameter tyvek logs 12" long. fruiting chambers are stor-pods like my clean room http://forums.mycotopia.net/grow-cha...lean-room.html (Stor-pod clean room) each pod can hold up to 60 logs fruiting from one end. 2 flushes per log and off to the burial ground which produces seasonal fruits for quite some time. it's all about speed and work to product ratios my friend.

i'll post some pics when i get fired back up. temporarily shut down while i have some family staying with me.

kcmoxtractor · 07-21-09, 17:21

Oh now that's slick. This thread is filled with good info already

ethnobotanica · 07-21-09, 17:43

Funny how some threads appear syncronisticly to your thoughts at the time.
I'm planning on having a crack at turning my myco-passion into a little business as well.
Was thinking it would be great to work my way up to medicinal mush production.
Oysters would be a great starting point.
Seems to be a viable ethical business idea in the face of a seemingly doomed economy.
Also, awareness of the health benefits of gourmet fungi is definately on the rise.

Would one need a small (or large) environmentally controlled shed of some sort in order to have year long production??

I'm thinking an air-conditioner, heater, and humidifier would be needed.

the_chosen_one · 07-21-09, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethnobotanica

Funny how some threads appear syncronisticly to your thoughts at the time.
I'm planning on having a crack at turning my myco-passion into a little business as well.
Was thinking it would be great to work my way up to medicinal mush production.
Oysters would be a great starting point.
Seems to be a viable ethical business idea in the face of a seemingly doomed economy.
Also, awareness of the health benefits of gourmet fungi is definately on the rise.

Would one need a small (or large) environmentally controlled shed of some sort in order to have year long production??

I'm thinking an air-conditioner, heater, and humidifier would be needed.

the stor-pods are great. very compact 4' x 4' x 6' tall. each one holds up to 60 small tyvek logs against three walls. i have yet to max mine out, but it could handle it.

so far i have not needed heat or a/c. a/c could be an issue as it dehumidifies. everything is.. was in the basement. a humidifier is a must. i've found a timed fog maker works well and is quite small. i use a dryer booster fan for fae (handles moist air well). i also treat the airflow with a 36 watt UV light designed for whole house systems (friggin light saber is what it is).

PINKBUFFLVR · 07-21-09, 18:43

GREAT THREAD!IM DOWN!

valleyofmushies · 07-21-09, 20:26

i have too thought of this and want to try growing some oysters soon to get practice with them ...u know the eye for that myc...lol gotta love the smell of myc. in the morning

droool · 07-23-09, 21:42

i havent really grown anything so far so this might be a lil offtopic but is a oyster mushroom genrally a good beginners strain ( you know what i mean, a forgiving strain that lets ou experiment with the teks) ?
or would shitake be better?

ty

alex

shroom57 · 07-24-09, 00:18

Oysters, particularly the warm weather strains, are reportedly quite easy to grow. They are aggressive colonizers, contaminant resistant, and thrive on a variety of substrates.

They do need a lot of FAE and enjoy elevated RH.

That, and the fact they're a wood-loving species would make them an ideal "first" grow.

wildburr · 07-24-09, 00:56

I'm starting to build a small addition onto my garage for that very reason. would love to get a small business going out of this wonderful hobby.

droool · 07-24-09, 07:03

thanks for the answer. that sunds pretty good, and as i can see they are easyily lighted with a MH 250 watt that emits 20500 lumen. which leads me to my next question: since the lamp i have has 20500 lumen but the oyster only needs 1000-1500, is that gonna damage the colony? or are oyster tolerate when it comes to light?

ty

alex

ggod · 07-24-09, 08:07

The heat from the bulb may be an issue. The amount of light needed is not much at all. Some use l.e.d.'s in their grow chamber and have good success. Not to mention the amount of electricity you would consume for the MH would be in excess of what is needed. Personally I think indirect natural lighting is the best. It is free and just as nature intended.
ggod

droool · 07-24-09, 10:23

yea the reason why id like to use the MH is because i use it anyway for MJ growing and so i could (theoretically ) put my shroom grow box in my weed grow box, and have a semi shady place for them. i wouldnt be using nay more electricity than i already do.
i agree that natural light is best (free) but i heard there are some people out there (they always seem to dress in blue, idk might be a gang) that dont like me growing that kinda stuff.

shroom57 · 07-24-09, 21:53

It might work under a SCROG screen or shaded by a canopy of fan leaves...TCO would know better than I, but that sounds like waaay too much light and keeping the humidity up might be a problem with fans going in there.

BTW, thanks everyone for your contributions so far, especially TCO.

RestartLater · 07-24-09, 22:04

WTG shroom57 pulling up a chair for this thread.!!

I always wanted to grow more edibles myself.

Does one need a license / business license to sell to your local grocery outlets? I am sure if a person was to go big time commercial cultivation they would need licensure as well as state permits and be subject to having your cultivation area viewed / checked out by the various state agencies too.

Once again more government crud but then I could be wrong....LOL

I always drove past a huge vacant green houses that one could modify to cultivate on a grand scale I would think :+}~

Good Luck Shroom!

RestartLater

PS Have you fallen off any houses recently since we last palid ogame together? LOL

lysergic · 07-24-09, 22:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by RestartLater

Does one need a license / business license to sell to your local grocery outlets? I am sure if a person was to go big time commercial cultivation they would need licensure as well as state permits and be subject to having your cultivation area viewed / checked out by the various state agencies too.

I wonder if anybody's ever gotten charged for illegally distributing legal mushrooms?

wildburr · 07-24-09, 22:34

Usually you have to be a licensed, inspected USDA facility to legally sell any produce to any store or restaurant.

lysergic · 07-24-09, 22:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildburr

Usually you have to be a licensed, inspected USDA facility to legally sell any produce to any store or restaurant.

You probably wouldn't be able to get away with doing this (legally) at your house
due to zoning laws or other such bullshit.

I wonder if most places would pay under the table for something like this?

droool · 07-25-09, 09:40

"It might work under a SCROG screen or shaded by a canopy of fan leaves...TCO would know better than I, but that sounds like waaay too much light and keeping the humidity up might be a problem with fans going in there."

is "scrog" the same as "sog"-- SeaOfGreen or what is it?

well idk what the legal conditions are in the US but here you have to have a permit to sell any food at all - the main motivation is to make money off of it and keep larger buisnesses up, not to protect the consumer from bad/poisonous/contaminated food.

the_chosen_one · 07-25-09, 14:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildburr

Usually you have to be a licensed, inspected USDA- facility to legally sell any produce to any store or restaurant.

i've found about one out of ten sales calls required fda approval and that was one of our local large resorts. however, i sell to the smaller resort across the street from them

guess it's all in who you know. plus there are gray zones in those laws. around here local produce can be sold at farmers markets with no requirements.

SilvrHairDevil · 07-25-09, 15:07

People who pick wild pine mushrooms don't seem to have legal difficulty when selling to restaurants.

the_chosen_one · 07-25-09, 15:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by shroom57

It might work under a SCROG screen or shaded by a canopy of fan leaves...TCO would know better than I, but that sounds like waaay too much light and keeping the humidity up might be a problem with fans going in there.
BTW, thanks everyone for your contributions so far, especially TCO.

i would agree.. but i do get those flower pot mushrooms all the time. who knows. it may work.

ha! thank YOU for listening to my ramblings.

one thing i can say for sure is it is harder than one would think. at least when one works a full time job on top of it all. i can only dream of what would be possible with out that anchor. it wouldn't take much more to create a larger grow room.. and the logs one could plug!

little white rabbit · 07-26-09, 08:35

i've just seen this thread and maybe i can help you a bit.
didn't read all the posts so maybe someone already told you

during summer i hunt edible mushrooms to sell them since two years and the best way to sell them if you don't have really big amounts is going to restaurants and telling a lot of people that you sell mushrooms. after some time more and more private persons know about it and you don't need to ask people if the need mushrooms anymore, the people order the amounts they need and you call them when you have some to sell

all you earn is net income and you don't have to spent money on stall fees. you have a good income also if your price is lower than the regular market price.

good luck with your project

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07-02-09, 17:43	#1 (permalink)
shroom57 Papa Smurf Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 293	Growing Oyster Mushrooms for Profit - from sporeprint to market Having been fascinated with mushrooms and fungi in general for several years I found myself with most of what I needed to grow domestic mushrooms and no real use for it all. One afternoon I was having a beer with a chef friend of mine and he wasn't really busy so we talked quite a bit. The discussion turned to mushrooms and he commented he would take all the Oysters he could get his hands on. After about a month of study, I decided that a small scale domestic mushroom operation would be an economically viable enterprise. Several potential profit points were evaluated and with the addition of grow bag kits and sterile spawn marketed over the internet, a small scale operation appeared viable. This log is beginning at a time when I'm only getting started and totally broke, but that's the way I'm going to have to do it. I may fail, but it won't be because of not trying. I intend to document all the major stages in real time until it either succeeds, fails, or I'm unable to continue for some reason. I've got the basic supplies - Pressure Cooker, Glovebox, 2 dozen 1/2 pint jars and some assorted others, Syringes, 6-8 sterilite containers, etc. I also have a small 6x12 area set up and devoted to this. Oh, and I have server space to set up a website. I was just wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing something like this documented from start to finish? __________________ If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite - William Blake

07-02-09, 18:12	#2 (permalink)
TastyBeverage thirsty for more Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,482	I would! I'm especially interested in the business side of it, but i always love looking at a good grow. Oysters can be done super cheap too. In fact, the only money i've spent on my oyster grows was buying the original culture and the WBS that i nocc'd with it. __________________ Why do little blue men hit me with fish?

07-02-09, 18:28	#3 (permalink)
weeeeeee humanoid Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,851	hell yes i would very much like to see this i have long dreamed of selling mushies to all these local asian markets. __________________ -p.l.u.r

07-02-09, 19:30	#5 (permalink)
Raoul Duke Mycophiliac Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 106	Let hear more You have me listening! I've always pondered the idea of growing edibles and making do it yourself bags to sell at the local farmers market. Blog on my fellow mycotopian

07-02-09, 19:32	#6 (permalink)
PsyBearknot earthbound misfit, I Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 363	Pullin up a chair. Have a chef friend too. Have thought about shitakes and oysters on a small scale. Will be nice to watch your progress. <LIFTING GLASS OF BURBON> Heres good vibes to your success. PBK __________________ Standing alone my senses reeled A fatal attraction holding me fast, how Can I escape this irresistible grasp?

07-02-09, 23:33	#9 (permalink)
greenmeanie Mycophiliac Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 211	sounds like a great plan. the only problem i foresee is where you're going to keep all those spawn bags while they incubate... good luck though

07-02-09, 23:35	#10 (permalink)
GadgetGuy Stupid Snowboarder... Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,315	Very interesting. I hope you have success and make some profit. Im subscribing to this thread.

07-03-09, 01:05	#11 (permalink)
Phx Mycotopiate Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 405	Man i can't wait to see you get started. It will make for a great read. I just hope one day I can follow in your foot steps! Good luck __________________ Phx

07-03-09, 16:12	#12 (permalink)
shroom57 Papa Smurf Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 293	Local Oyster Mushroom Prices One thing you guys could help me out with is local prices. Since there are no local growers I can't get a good estimate on prices. The internet isn't much help with this either, again probably due to the local nature of the markets. I've seen price estimates anywhere from $2/lb bulk to $1/oz when sold in smaller (4 oz) packaging. If any of you have access to oysters in your local market, I would appreciate if you could let me know what they are selling for. I'm in the process of doing some LC to grain and G2g transfers so I should have some pictures soon. I'm also working on the website so maybe that will be live early next week. __________________ If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite - William Blake

07-03-09, 19:58	#13 (permalink)
Froderick Mycophiliac Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 69	You could contact chinese restaurants in your area and they may tell you how much they pay. They might be potential customers for you. Also, high-end places, like Sushi restaurants. __________________ Though all the Maps of Blood and Flesh are Posted on the Door There's No one who has told us yet What Boogie Street is for

07-03-09, 21:02	#15 (permalink)
Umbo Mycology is Yourcology Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 200	I sold oysters at a local, well established farm stand last year, for about 13$/lb I thought that was pretty kick ass. They sold as fast as they grew. Sold them in 4-5oz packs Also sold foraged black trumpets and chanterelles there too for 25$/lb. People throw down the cash for fresh mushrooms, esp. locally grown/foraged. Good luck, cant wait to see the site! __________________ Screw it. Brew it.

07-03-09, 21:43	#17 (permalink)
shroom57 Papa Smurf Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 293	Umbo, what kind of packaging did you use? I assume you were getting $3/ package? Thanks for the info. Froderick, like I was saying before there are no sources locally so asking someone what they pay for a product that isn't available is not a lot of help. Also, at this early stage I hesitate to ask my potential customers what they are willing to pay without some comparison data. __________________ If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite - William Blake

07-03-09, 21:55	#19 (permalink)
Umbo Mycology is Yourcology Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 200	I was getting 4$ for 5oz of oysters. I put them in pint berry containers, ya know the green cardboard ones. They kept them from getting crushed, displayed well, weren't plastic, and were cheap, and reusable, some customers would bring them back __________________ Screw it. Brew it.

07-03-09, 22:04	#20 (permalink)
Umbo Mycology is Yourcology Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 200	Good point about diversity TCO. I tried painted suillus for the first time last fall, and really liked them, sold a few but it was too late in the season to really get a feel for people's reaction. What kind of lacaria and how much did they bring? Also the toothed fungi, were they Hericium? __________________ Screw it. Brew it.

07-04-09, 01:35	#21 (permalink)
Brakiska Mycotopiate Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 244	Great idea to log this Doing the same on my side. Aquiring some of the tools required at the moment Saving some money in order to move to a bigger place to set-up a good workplace I wish you the best Im sure you will be up to the challenge such a journey will give you __________________ oOO ¿? OOo

07-06-09, 12:21	#23 (permalink)
arcamedes333 shroomarama Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 102	10-15$ a pound for oysters where i live. I appreciate you taking the time to log your efforts. The best of luck to you.

07-21-09, 12:21	#24 (permalink)
shroom57 Papa Smurf Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 293	Growth Parameters of Economically Feasible Pleurotus Species "Pearl Oyster" Pleurotus ostreatus (sn. salignus, spodoleucus)(var. columbinus ("Blue Oyster"), floridanus ("Florida")) Temperatures: Spawn 24° C Primordia 10-16° C Fruiting 10-21° C Humidity: ---------- 85-95% -----------95-100% --------- 85-90% CO2: ------------ 5-20,000ppm ------ < 1,000ppm ------ < 1,000ppm Light: ----------------- n/a ---------- 1,000-1,500lux ---- 1,000-1,500lux ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Golden Oyster" Pleurotus citrinopileatus (sn. cornucopiae) Temperatures: Spawn 24-29° C Primordia 21-27° C Fruiting 21-29° C Humidity: ------------ 90-100% ------------98-100% --------- 90-95% CO2: --------------- 5-20,000ppm ------ < 1,000ppm ------ < 1,000ppm Light: ------------------- n/a ------------- 500-1,000lux ---- 500-1,000lux Notes: Bitter until thoroughly cooked then cashew-like flavor. Color and flavor determined by light levels. Fragile, lower yields, loses color ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Pink Oyster" Pleurotus djamour (sn. flabellatus, ostreato-roseus, salmoneo-stramineus) Temperatures: Spawn 24-30° C Primordia 18-25° C Fruiting 20-30° C Humidity: ------------ 95-100% -----------95-100% --------- 85-90% CO2: ---------------- >5,000ppm ------ 500-1,000ppm --- 500-1,500ppm Light: ------------------- n/a ------------ 750-1,500lux ---- 750-1,500lux Notes: Good biological efficiency, very agressive, contaminant resitant. Loses color on cooking, short shelf life unless dried. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "King Oyster" Pleurotus eryngii (sn. fuscus, ferulae, nebrodensis, hadamardii, fossulatus) Temperatures: Spawn 24° C Primordia 10-15° C Fruiting 15-21° C Humidity: ------------ 90-95% ---------95-100% --------- 85-90% CO2: -------------- 5-20,000ppm ---- 500-1,000ppm --- < 2,000ppm Light: ------------------- n/a ---------- 500-1,000lux ---- 500-1,000lux Notes: Grows well on logs, straw mounds, prefers outside. Best tasting, keeps and ships well. Favors high CO2 spawn run. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Abalone Oyster" Pleurotus cystidiosus (sn. abalonus) Temperatures: Spawn 24-30 C Primordia 18-24° C Fruiting 21-27° C Humidity: ------------- 90-95% -----------95-100% --------- 85-90% CO2: --------------- 5-20,000ppm ----- 500-1,000ppm ---- < 2,000ppm Light: ------------------- n/a ----------- 1,000-2,000lux ---- 500-1,000lux ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Phoenix Oyster" Pleurotus pulmonarius (sn. sapidus, sajor-caju (incorrectly)) Temperatures: Spawn 24-29° C Primordia 10-24° C Fruiting 18-24° C Humidity: ------------- 95-100% -----------85-90% --------- 85-90% CO2: ---------------- >5,000ppm -------- 400-800ppm ----- 400-800ppm Light: ------------------- n/a ----------- 1,000-1,500lux --- 1,000-1,500lux Notes: Prefers Aspen, Black Poplar ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __________________ If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite - William Blake

07-21-09, 13:55	#25 (permalink)
the_chosen_one Darth Moderator Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 5,120	you'll need to get a good wood fiber supplier as well. here's my wholesale source.. http://www.northmasonfiber.com/index.html straw bales work fine for starting. even saw mills and county sources are good, but eventually you may want to go big. one can also find local distributors through the wholesalers links __________________ "Luck favors the observant." - Workman

07-21-09, 14:07	#26 (permalink)
lysergic Down on the Pharm Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,961	I'm interested! I've been thinking about doing something like this for a while now. I haven't been able to find a job, so this might provide some income. I've got a few questions: Are the prices listed for wet or dry weights? How do oyster yields compare with cube yields? How large of a grow would be needed to be worthwhile/profitable? __________________ Lefty: They should ban idiots not drugs

07-21-09, 15:12	#27 (permalink)
the_chosen_one Darth Moderator Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 5,120	i usually do pretty well if i can pull in 20-40 lbs. wet. i have a tough competitor for dry here. at least for now __________________ "Luck favors the observant." - Workman

07-21-09, 17:21	#30 (permalink)
kcmoxtractor Satan's Helper Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,349	Oh now that's slick. This thread is filled with good info already __________________ "It was the straying that found the path direct" - Austin Osman Spare

07-21-09, 17:43	#31 (permalink)
ethnobotanica Mycotopiate Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 680	Funny how some threads appear syncronisticly to your thoughts at the time. I'm planning on having a crack at turning my myco-passion into a little business as well. Was thinking it would be great to work my way up to medicinal mush production. Oysters would be a great starting point. Seems to be a viable ethical business idea in the face of a seemingly doomed economy. Also, awareness of the health benefits of gourmet fungi is definately on the rise. Would one need a small (or large) environmentally controlled shed of some sort in order to have year long production?? I'm thinking an air-conditioner, heater, and humidifier would be needed.

07-21-09, 18:43	#33 (permalink)
PINKBUFFLVR Mycophage Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 155	GREAT THREAD!IM DOWN! __________________ -------------------------------------------- WHO'S CHAIR IS THIS?

07-21-09, 20:26	#34 (permalink)
valleyofmushies LOST in the world Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 357	i have too thought of this and want to try growing some oysters soon to get practice with them ...u know the eye for that myc...lol gotta love the smell of myc. in the morning

07-23-09, 21:42	#35 (permalink)
droool Mycophiliac Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 26	i havent really grown anything so far so this might be a lil offtopic but is a oyster mushroom genrally a good beginners strain ( you know what i mean, a forgiving strain that lets ou experiment with the teks) ? or would shitake be better? ty alex

07-24-09, 00:18	#36 (permalink)
shroom57 Papa Smurf Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 293	Oysters, particularly the warm weather strains, are reportedly quite easy to grow. They are aggressive colonizers, contaminant resistant, and thrive on a variety of substrates. They do need a lot of FAE and enjoy elevated RH. That, and the fact they're a wood-loving species would make them an ideal "first" grow. __________________ If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite - William Blake

07-24-09, 00:56	#37 (permalink)
wildburr Midnight Toker Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3,731	I'm starting to build a small addition onto my garage for that very reason. would love to get a small business going out of this wonderful hobby. __________________ Silence is Golden, but Duct tape is Silver.

07-24-09, 07:03	#38 (permalink)
droool Mycophiliac Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 26	thanks for the answer. that sunds pretty good, and as i can see they are easyily lighted with a MH 250 watt that emits 20500 lumen. which leads me to my next question: since the lamp i have has 20500 lumen but the oyster only needs 1000-1500, is that gonna damage the colony? or are oyster tolerate when it comes to light? ty alex

07-24-09, 08:07	#39 (permalink)
ggod MycoAddict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 318	The heat from the bulb may be an issue. The amount of light needed is not much at all. Some use l.e.d.'s in their grow chamber and have good success. Not to mention the amount of electricity you would consume for the MH would be in excess of what is needed. Personally I think indirect natural lighting is the best. It is free and just as nature intended. ggod

07-24-09, 10:23	#40 (permalink)
droool Mycophiliac Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 26	yea the reason why id like to use the MH is because i use it anyway for MJ growing and so i could (theoretically ) put my shroom grow box in my weed grow box, and have a semi shady place for them. i wouldnt be using nay more electricity than i already do. i agree that natural light is best (free) but i heard there are some people out there (they always seem to dress in blue, idk might be a gang) that dont like me growing that kinda stuff.

07-24-09, 21:53	#41 (permalink)
shroom57 Papa Smurf Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 293	It might work under a SCROG screen or shaded by a canopy of fan leaves...TCO would know better than I, but that sounds like waaay too much light and keeping the humidity up might be a problem with fans going in there. BTW, thanks everyone for your contributions so far, especially TCO. __________________ If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite - William Blake

07-24-09, 22:04	#42 (permalink)
RestartLater Mycotopiate Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 274	WTG shroom57 pulling up a chair for this thread.!! I always wanted to grow more edibles myself. Does one need a license / business license to sell to your local grocery outlets? I am sure if a person was to go big time commercial cultivation they would need licensure as well as state permits and be subject to having your cultivation area viewed / checked out by the various state agencies too. Once again more government crud but then I could be wrong....LOL I always drove past a huge vacant green houses that one could modify to cultivate on a grand scale I would think :+}~ Good Luck Shroom! RestartLater PS Have you fallen off any houses recently since we last palid ogame together? LOL

07-24-09, 22:34	#44 (permalink)
wildburr Midnight Toker Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3,731	Usually you have to be a licensed, inspected USDA facility to legally sell any produce to any store or restaurant. __________________ Silence is Golden, but Duct tape is Silver.

07-25-09, 09:40	#46 (permalink)
droool Mycophiliac Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 26	"It might work under a SCROG screen or shaded by a canopy of fan leaves...TCO would know better than I, but that sounds like waaay too much light and keeping the humidity up might be a problem with fans going in there." is "scrog" the same as "sog"-- SeaOfGreen or what is it? well idk what the legal conditions are in the US but here you have to have a permit to sell any food at all - the main motivation is to make money off of it and keep larger buisnesses up, not to protect the consumer from bad/poisonous/contaminated food.