Mushroom Cultivation -Ghana Permaculture Network (GPN) . Paul Yeboah is head of the GPN. Recently I went to visit him to see what projects he's been up to. I was blown away by the mushroom cultivation project they've been working on at their permaculture center/site, where they are currently working on building a structure equipped with rooms to board volunteers and interns, kitchen and bathrooms.
The mushroom cultivation begins[edit | edit source]
There are different structures built for the mushroom cultivation, all use local building materials. The floor is palm kernel shells, which naturally absorb some of the humidity.
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Palm kernel shells
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Close up of the kernels
Compost[edit | edit source]
They start with 1 ton saw dust, lyme, and 84 kilos of rice or wheat bran. This is composted and turned every 5 days for 51 days. When this process is done, it is put into plastic bags
Steralize[edit | edit source]
The bags are steralized with steam in barrels that have wooden racks. The steralization process takes about 3 and half hours.
Spawning[edit | edit source]
In the spawning room, sorgum seeds that have been inoculated with mushroom spores are put in the bags. About one glass coke-bottle-size of seeds is used for 20 bags.
Incubation[edit | edit source]
After the bags have been inoculated they are put inthe incubation room where they sit for about a month.
Cropping[edit | edit source]
When the bags are ready, they are taken from the incubation room to the cropping room. Here they are stacked forming a wall. The bags are opened and watered regularly. Here the mushrooms begin to grow out and can be harvested. Each round is about 3 months.
Use[edit | edit source]
People in the local community come to buy mushrooms from the operation, and inoculated bags are sold to those who want to grow the mushrooms at their residences. There is high demand for the mushrooms, and they have brought great nutritional value to the community.
Beyond mushroom cultivation[edit | edit source]
Other things the GPN is involved with or has going on: nursury training, agroforestry, moringa projects, grafting, gives trees and trainings at schools as well as community trainings.
There is more info and contact at this website
