Recipient Organization
STEWART, CHESTER
7034 WHITNEY RD
GRAHAM,NC 27253
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
US interest in gourmet mushrooms has been growing rapidly, with a 50% increase in sales seen between2014 and 2015 (National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2015), resulting in an increase in small farmoperations specializing in this nutrient dense crop. This project will research how a new agriculturalenterprise model consisting of mushrooms, medicinal herbs, and a non?food vermiculture product canbe supported by harnessing two natural and often un?utilized bi?products of mushroom farming: (1)carbon dioxide enriched air which is produced by the oyster mushrooms and currently flushed from themushroom farm into the general air in most mushroom operations through a continuous exhaustsystem and (2) spent mushroom substrate consisting of hard wood pellets, soy bean hull, and mycelium.This project will result in a replicable farming model ideal for small and mid?sized farms which canefficiently produce:(1) gourmet mushrooms including oyster, maitake, shiitake and lions mane;(2) medical and culinary herbs including holy basil, ginger, catnip, chamomile and others; and(3) vermicompost, which will be used as both an on?farm product to enrich the soil for medicinal herbsand as a product available to customers for additional farm revenue.The principal investigators will build an off grid mushroom growing facility using solar power to keepmushrooms at their desired temperature, humidity level, and oxygen level. Mushrooms produce CO2,which, without constant fresh air exchange can raise ambient CO2 levels to over 2,000 parts per million(more than five times that of outdoor air). Instead of flushing this CO2 enriched air outdoors, it will bechanneled to a high tunnel to provide CO2 enriched air to medicinal herbs, fueling the photosynthesisprocess and resulting in larger leafs and healthier plants. In addition, spent mushroom substrate will beconverted to vermicompost, which will both supplement the soil of the medicinal herbs and provide anadditional farm sales project.We believe this project will be of particular interest to both rural and urban farms because (1) it can bereplicated on a small footprint of land (2) it overcomes the significant barrier of land access by makingthe project possible to execute on land without any infrastructure such as grid electricity or runningwater (3) it creates three valuable products, including two nutrient dense food products, with arelatively small financial investment and waiting time before harvest.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
5%
Applied
75%
Developmental
20%
Goals / Objectives
Goal 1: Demonstrate a Replicable, Scalable Farming model that can be implemented off-grid, in urban lots, or on undeveloped, rural land.Objective 1: Build a farm model that creates a closed loop, resource sharing system resulting in fresh mushrooms, medicinal herbs, and mushroom vermicompost.Objective 2: Hold a field day, inviting local colleges and universities, extension, and the community to see project, seek input, and share resultsObjective 3: Apply to regional Sustainable Agriculture Conference by CFSA to present resultsObjective 4: Record and analyze data that demonstrates the efficacy of carbon dioxide supplementation, heat sharing, and vermicompost for the plants.Goal 2: Demonstrate the viability of each wing of this farming model (mushroom production, medicinal herb production, and vermicompost production). Each wing should have an independent path towards profitability.Objective 1:Grow medicinal and culinary herbs including basil, tulsi, catnip, skullcap in a CO2 enriched high tunnel. Promote soil fertility with the vermicompost.Objective 2: Production of fresh hardwood mushroomsObjective 3: Production of mushroom vermicompostGoal 3: Develop unique, value-added products that can be produced through this model and have potential for Phase II developmentObjective 1: Explore value added projects such as teas, meat rubs, smoothie supplements, etc that can uniquely pair the mushroom and medicinal herb products.Goal 4: Demonstrate a profitable model for utilizing Natural Resources and Renewable EnergyObjective 1: Keep project off grid through the use of solar panelsObjective 2: Cycle CO2 into greenhouse for enhancement of the plant systems
Project Methods
The technical objectives of this research will be to demonstrate the efficacy of the value added use of two mushroom farm 'waste' products: spent substrate and CO2. The analysis will thus be focused around observation and data collection for each component.Effort 1: Analysis of the Impact of CO2 Enrichment on Medicinal Herb health and Productivity How does co2 impact the growth of photosynthesizing plants in a high density growing environment? Daily CO2 readings will be taken at the site of the mushroom exhaust fan entry, and at various points throughout the high tunnel. Exhaust levels are expected to be at about 800 parts per million (compared to <300 parts per million in ambient air, and often 0 detectible parts per million in photosynthesis rich environments such as high tunnels.Evaluation Methods for this EffortData PointFrequency of CollectionCollection MethodAmbient CO2 Levels in Mushroom Grow RoomTwice DailyCO2 Meter (data automatically recorded through automatic collection sensor)Ambient CO2 Levels in High TunnelTwice Daily (and weekly - see Collection Method)CO2 Meter (data automatically recorded through automatic collection sensor).A handheld CO2 sensor will be used to take CO2 readings throughout the high tunnel once a week to see if airflow and proximity to the mushroom exhaust fan are factors)Medicinal Herbs WeightUpon harvestFarm ScaleQualitative description of medicinal herb rigor, healthOngoing, recorded monthly in research observations logResearch Observations LogEffort 2: Analysis of Vermicompost in a High Tunnel Environment: When vermicompost and composted mushroom substrate are applied as the primary soil amendment to a high tunnel floor, how quickly does the soil structure change? What are the implications for salt buildup or salt sequestration. Could the mycelium reduce the need for cover crops to sequester salt and add nitrogen to the soil, possibly increasing high tunnel productivity by allowing for sequential productions seasons when a tunnel might otherwise have been under a cover crop? How does Sodium, Potash, Magnesium, Phosphate, Nitrogen, Sulphur, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Boron, levels change throughout the growing process?Evaluation Method for This EffortData PointFrequency of CollectionCollection MethodBaseline soil sample at High Tunnel SiteOnce - start of projectNC Agronomy CenterMidpoint Soil AnalysisOctober 2018NC Agronomy CenterFinal Soil AnalysisFebruary 2018NC Agronomy CenterQualitative Description of Worm density, rigorOngoing, recorded monthly in research observations logResearch Observations LogEstimated worm weight/pound of substrateFarm Scale