You will learn how to start growing mushrooms at home and how to turn this activity into a full-fledged business. What equipment is needed for the production of champignons in the basement or in the country?

Every novice entrepreneur dreams of starting his own business with minimal costs and quick payback. The cultivation of mushrooms offers tempting commercial prospects for businessmen in the agricultural sector.

For those who like to work on the land, there is an excellent opportunity in the shortest possible time and with a small start-up capital to "grow" a profitable enterprise that gives a constant income.

Growing champignons is a good business idea or a waste of money

Champignons are loved in all countries of the world. It is tasty, easy to prepare and affordable. It is easy to find it on supermarket shelves in any locality.

Historians say that peasants from France were the first to domesticate the cultivation of champignons, but industrial cultivation of champignons began in England. It was there that the first mushroom farms were organized at the beginning of the 18th century. Subsequently, this practice has taken root throughout the rest of the world.

But in Russia, they started talking seriously about the champignon business only in the 90s, when the economic crisis began in the country. It was then that people began to massively engage in the cultivation of mushrooms in order to diversify the meager menu in conditions of total shortage.

In the 21st century, cultivation technology has improved, and now it is a whole area of ​​agriculture, which in 2017 alone grew by 25%. If we consider the statistics, then on average every Russian citizen eats more than 1.5 kg of mushrooms per year. And experts predict further growth of these indicators.

It turns out that the cultivation of mushroom crops is a profitable, promising and quickly recouped start-up. In the following sections, we will give you the key to successfully launching it.

Why growing mushrooms is profitable - an overview of the main advantages

To grow your first mushrooms, you don't need expensive equipment or huge areas. They can be cultivated in the apartment, in the country, in the garden.

It is not necessary to have any deep knowledge, study books or undergo special training. The cultivation technology is extremely simple and has a number of advantages.

It takes relatively little money to start a business

Growing champignons will not require serious costs, and with proper organization of production and adherence to all technologies, they will pay off pretty quickly. The most significant item of expenditure will be equipment.

Mushrooms can be grown in any conditions

This business does not need a factory. Use a cellar or basement as a room. The main thing is that they are moderately warm and moist. In autumn, a garage or greenhouse is suitable, in winter - any other minimally heated room.

In the spring and before the beginning of summer (before the arrival of extreme heat), mushrooms can be grown outdoors. This is suitable for those who have a summer cottage.

There are many unoccupied niches in the market

Business is just beginning to develop actively. Therefore, you will not be left without clients for sure. It is always realistic to sell a few pounds through friends and acquaintances. Plus, your price will compare favorably with the store price.

This business has a high profitability

The yield of mycelium (mycelium) is phenomenal. Correctly organized production and sales will pleasantly surprise you with the volume of products sold. It is not for nothing that agricultural experts call this business one of the most profitable.

Champignons can be grown all year round

If you are the happy owner of any technical room, then you can grow mushrooms all year round, no matter how many degrees outside the window.

Important! In a room for year-round cultivation, the temperature should be constant and be from + 12 ° C to + 18 ° C, and the humidity level should be in the range of 65-85%.

How to grow champignons - 5 main ways

There are several ways to breed a plantation. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Let's take a look at the most popular techniques from scratch.

Method 1. On the ground

Growing outdoors is the easiest way. All you need is to form special mushroom beds. This is not a familiar elevation for everyone, but, on the contrary, a deepening in the soil of about 30 cm, and the seeds are replaced by mycelium.

1. Lay drainage from a layer of small stones at the bottom of the bed.
2. Place and tamp compost on top.
3. Cover everything with foil (protects the mycelium from drying out and excess light).

Method 2. On the shelves (Dutch system)

The shelf system resembles a bed system, but it uses the entire volume of the room more efficiently and rationally. The method is called Dutch because it was developed and patented in the "land of tulips". They also came up with a special set of equipment that almost completely automates the production process.

Method 3. In bags

A friend of mine bought bags filled with mycelium and placed them in his greenhouses. He could only periodically water them and constantly cut the crop. Others use premises that are "at hand": vegetable stores, poultry houses or pigsties.

Growing in bags is not only a minimum investment. Among the advantages is an effective fight against diseases and pests. You simply throw away the affected bag, the rest of the myceliums remain intact.

Method 4. In containers

For this method, special wooden containers are used. Usually they have already been treated with a special solution that prevents the occurrence of mold and other diseases. Such cultivation is also subject to mechanization, although the cost of the equipment is higher than usual.

Method 5. In briquettes

The briquette method is easy to set up in any utility room, and the blocks are easy to make yourself. All you need to do is compress the prepared compost and shape it into blocks that are convenient for you.

Need to know! The compost layer must be at least 3 cm thick.

This method requires peat. So for one square. m of compost, you will need 30 kg of it. It is laid down with a layer of 5 cm, after which it is loosened and compacted.

Where to start - growing technology

The technology consists in observing some important conditions: darkness, warmth, absence of temperature drops, maintaining air humidity, and a well-established ventilation system.

The production of champignons at home and in small quantities (for personal needs) involves growing them in the beds - this is not an expensive technology.

All operations are manual: this technology is not suitable for business (sale in large batches). Let's consider step by step how to set up your production.

Step 1. Choose a place for growing and disinfect it

The construction of a special "champignon" is a rather costly process.

If at first you are limited in funds, or do not need a large scale, then opt for any crude building that meets the following requirements:

• sufficient humidity;
• correct air supply (ventilation);
• adjustable heat supply;
• absence of harmful microorganisms.

How to write literate business plan for growing mushrooms, read the dedicated publication.

Step 2. Create an optimal microclimate

The yield directly depends on the quality of the air conditioning and ventilation system. It allows you to regulate both temperature and humidity.

Cooling is performed by special refrigerators or air conditioners. And as a heating system, water heating boilers are most often used.

In large industries, automated industrial climate control systems are used.

Step 3. Preparing the substrate

Since mushrooms do not grow in ordinary soil, we purchase a special nutritious substrate for productive growth. Everything you need is easy to buy in agricultural firms (an example of such an enterprise is Vyborzhets (St. Petersburg). It is also easy to cook it at home.

There are many recipes, but most of them use the same ingredients:

• wheat or rye straw, sunflower husk;
• manure of any kind;
• gypsum or alabaster.

Step 4. Laying the soil

Rectangular boxes are filled with the finished substrate and slightly compacted. This allows you to place the resulting beds on racks, which saves space.

• width - 50 cm;
• height (depth) - 20 cm;
• length - arbitrary.

Step 5. We plant myceliums

Ready-made myceliums are planted in the ground. At the time of landing, its temperature should be from +25 to +27 degrees Celsius.

About 250 g of mycelium are usually planted per square meter of the bed. It is divided into fragments of 15-20 g and placed in the ground in a checkerboard pattern (the distance between them should be approximately 25 cm). The mycelium is laid inside the soil, and a 2-centimeter layer of manure mass is applied on top.

Healthy! Staggered order when planting myceliums simplifies care and harvesting .

Step 6. Forcing the fruit bodies

The crop is harvested when the lower part of the caps is still covered with a white film, and no brown plates are visible. Each plant should be carefully twisted out of its place, not cut. Then it will be possible to avoid the ingress of pathological bacteria through the cut of the leg into the mycelium. After collecting, the place where the mushroom grew is lightly sprinkled with soil.

Remember! Mushrooms must not be allowed to overripe.

Champignons grow actively within 1-2 weeks. Under ideal conditions and good quality of the substrate, 5-8 crops are harvested during this period. The main crop will be harvested in the first three waves. Then the ability of the mycelium to bear fruit is sharply reduced.

Experience in growing mushrooms at home in video format:

What equipment is needed

If you want to open a large-scale business, then at the initial stage, mushroom growing will require certain investments from you. But with the correct organization and compliance with all technological standards, the costs pay off quickly enough.

Manufacturers call the biggest expense item the purchase of special equipment, without which the productivity of your labor will be too low. Indeed, in most production processes, special equipment is involved, thanks to which the necessary conditions for obtaining high-quality products are provided.

Air conditioning and ventilation systems

Maintaining the correct microclimate is an important aspect affecting the quality and quantity of the final crop.

Consider the main components of HVAC equipment:

Example: Climate control to maintain optimal air parameters
With the help of the climate system, you can increase the yield both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Refrigerating chambers

Several types of refrigeration chambers are used in the mushroom farm. Some are for quick cooling, the other are for storing products.

The first mushroom growers are called "shocker". Since mushrooms are rapidly losing their presentation, and their transportation and sale takes time, manufacturers increase the shelf life of freshly picked mushrooms by placing them in a shocker for 1 hour. The temperature in it is from +5 to 0 degrees.

You need to know! The longer you are going to store the product, the lower its temperature should be. At the same time, the air humidity should be constant and remain within 80-85%.

The chilled products are subsequently immediately transferred to the refrigerated storage chamber.

Wherein:

• fill it only halfway so that there is free space between the containers for the unhindered movement of air;
• store products as much as possible in such conditions for 3 days, since after its commercial quality will begin to decline;
• the number of refrigerators is determined by their size and the volume obtained per day, multiplied by 3.

Steam generators

Steam generators perform several critical functions:

• pasteurization of the substrate;
• humidifying the air in the chamber;
• disinfection of the premises after working off the substrate.

The steam generating system consists of two steam lines - larger and smaller diameters. The first is needed for the main steam supply, and with the help of the second, the air in the room is humidified.

Lighting systems

Although mushrooms grow beautifully in complete darkness, the light in the pavilion is essential for the staff. The most economical option is fluorescent lamps. They are installed on the ceiling along the aisle and on the walls near the refrigerating chambers.

Safety first! When laying the electrical wiring, keep in mind the fact that the room will always be damp. In order to eliminate the danger of a short circuit, the cable is fixed in strict accordance with the PPB: a protective corrugation is used, the devices are equipped with silicone or rubber gaskets.

How to determine the profitability of such a business

Every business is about profit. At first glance, it is easy to determine the profitability. It is necessary to deduct the entire set of costs from the estimated profit.

Let's calculate the net profit. Today champignons are sold at a price of 150 rubles. for 1kg. In turn, 100 sq. m of sown area yield about 4 tons per year. It turns out about 600,000 rubles. or 50,000 rubles. per month. And if this is not enough for you, then increase the sown area and find new sales markets, both in your region and beyond.

But what about the cost, you ask? Allocate a set of one-time and fixed (planned) costs. Let's name the main ones:

Disposable:

Permanent (per 100 square meters):

Remember! Like any other business, mushroom cultivation requires thoughtful logistics and constant analysis of the situation on the agricultural market.

It turns out that once having invested 65 thousand rubles. and 37 monthly, our net profit from every 100 square meters of production will reach approximately: 50,000 - 37,000 = 13,000 rubles. It turns out that after 5 months you start making a profit.

Potential risks

Growing mushrooms has its risks, disadvantages and pitfalls, which are often hidden in nuances. They can significantly reduce the profitability of your business.

What can negatively affect the final profit:

1. Special culinary preferences of people in your area... In different parts of our country, the amount of purchased mushrooms consumed in food differs, sometimes significantly. This is explained by the fact that some potential consumers prefer wild mushrooms, while others, for a number of reasons, rarely or do not eat them at all.
2. High competition. Before you start growing mushrooms for sale, research this market in detail. Suddenly it turns out that the competition is so fierce that it will not work to make a profit.