In Asia, Africa and other parts of the world, the love of mushrooms has continued to grow. The truth is that there are types of mushrooms that are not edible, and there are others that are highly edible and nutritious.
Getting into the mushroom business might not be a bad business at all, especially if you have a love of agriculture and have taken the trouble to write a mushroom farming business plan. In fact, it’s a business that makes money spin quietly.
The truth is that mushroom growing can yield many profits in a matter of weeks if taken seriously. One of its great advantages is that it has a low level of uptake and doesn’t require a mammoth task to start things up from scratch. This is because mushroom growing has been around for over 25 years and better ways of managing a mushroom farm have emerged.
The production system of a mushroom consists of 6 stages. Some of the levels you may need to climb in the mushroom farm business are: composting, spawning, lining, nailing and growing. These are all convenient obstacles to climb.
If you think you might be interested in starting a mushroom farm, then you might consider following some of these steps. Paying close attention to these tips is as important as anything else.
Starting a Mushroom Farm – Sample Business Plan Template
1. Gather a lot of information
The level of information you may need to start your own mushroom growing business can be quite a lot. That’s why it requires you to really get a lot of knowledge. There are a thousand and one books that may be available to you as you seek to do this.
You might consider visiting a local library as well as buying some important mushroom growing books. The Internet is also a good medium available to you through which you can get things going. Information such as the steps to follow, as well as what it would cost you would be readily available.
2. See things physically for yourself
Nothing pays like the first-hand information you can get, so you might consider going to a mushroom farmer and asking to be trained at the mushroom farm.
The farmer who is involved in this may charge you a fee, while in some cases you may be allowed to go see things for yourself in exchange for a fee. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to ask for lots of information about the different stages of production and many other things.
3. Determine how to get started
You have to determine on what scale you want to start your mushroom cultivation. Since this is one of the most prolific businesses you can venture into, you may want to consider starting on a large scale, or opt to go big. If you want to start small, then you can look to grow quickly as soon as you create a good customer base.
4. Determine a good place to use
You have to look good before you locate the mushroom farm in one place. This means that you would have to consider either an existing livestock farm or a poultry farm. This would also imply that the level of hygiene at this location is first class so that they can achieve the right technological parameters. You may also consider using a field that is devoid of other road networks. Also make sure that it is not a neglected field.
5. Buy Equipment
By making sure your mushroom farm runs smoothly from the start, then it becomes convenient for you to buy all the necessary equipment you need. This equipment includes: the slurry comb, the compost hopper, the parking truck and many others. All of this is necessary to achieve maximum impact.
6. Hire workers
Whether you want to start small or are looking to start big, you may not be able to accomplish everything on your own. For that reason you would need some helping hands. Be sure to look for experienced workers who already have some prior knowledge of how things are handled. You may also consider training some newcomers if you are trying to save some costs.
7. Sticking to the rules of farming
It is very important that you adhere to the rules of farming. For example, as mentioned above, it is important that the stages of mushroom production are followed properly so that they are not lost.
8. Advertise your mushroom business
You can start telling those who might be interested in your mushrooms long before they are harvested. Why is that, you ask? This is especially important because you don’t want your mushrooms to be harvested without having a market ready for them. You might consider telling individuals, hotels, as well as other organizations that might even want to export your mushroom.
9. Make sure you are standing and doing
After you have made your first harvest and have processed your business, therefore, it is not time to give up. Rather, it is a time to work harder since you don’t want your profit level to be a one-time thing. So as soon as the first transaction occurs, keep looking for ways to improve what you do and promote your business until it grows to a high profit stage.
A thousand and one people have made it really big in the mushroom growing business. You can also follow the example and be part of those who are telling success stories about your mushroom growing business.