How to make your own business from growing mushrooms. Is it profitable to grow mushrooms? (Ready business plan with detailed calculations)

Surely everyone who has ever heard of home mushroom growing has thought more than once about the prospects for this type of activity.

However, such business ideas always raise a lot of questions in people.

You can find answers to some of them by reading our article.

The main advantages of growing oyster mushrooms primarily are:

• There is no significant investment required for renting land, purchasing goods and equipment, since this crop does not require large plots of land and greenhouses, and at the same time there is always a great demand for them.
• Compared to any other mushrooms, oyster mushrooms have significant advantages in yield, growth rate and ease of care.

But, despite the apparent ease, not everyone who tried to implement such a business project was able to develop a successful mushroom farm. It is also important to consider possible pitfalls here. One of the main disadvantages of this business is most often the farmer’s inability to correctly formulate an offer for his product.

Features of these mushrooms, their benefits and types

This species is an environmentally friendly and healthy food product. Oyster mushroom contains many useful elements of the following types:

• carbohydrates;
• proteins;
• extractives.

In addition, these mushrooms contribute to the removal of radioactive elements from the human body, which is especially important for the modern lifestyle of many people. They also have a beneficial effect on the health of people who suffer from blood pressure.

Due to its taste, oyster mushroom can rightfully be considered a universal mushroom. It can be cooked and eaten fresh. Housewives have a huge arsenal of recipes that necessarily include such a useful ingredient.

Today the following varieties of mushroom are distinguished:

• pulmonary;
• oyster or ordinary;
• citric;
• Florida;
• steppe;
• horn-shaped.

Each of the above crops grows in the wild, but for selective breeding special strains are used that are less demanding on growing conditions, more productive and tasty, which is very important for an effective business.

Preparing the growing site and seeding material

You can grow such mushrooms at home in a variety of containers, from banal flowerpots to boxes. But at the same time, the most effective and popular option in this regard is a bag. This method allows you to minimize costs and increase the yield of these crops.

The soil here is a special substrate, which also provides for different manufacturing methods. However, it is considered less expensive and easiest to manufacture chopped straw or sunflower husks. They are steamed and wrapped, leaving for 4-5 hours. This is necessary not only to soften the future soil, but also to remove mold, which can negatively affect the subsequent harvest.

The resulting already softened substrate is placed under a press. It is very important that it is moist and not wet. The mycelium is inoculated into the already prepared soil.

It is important that the substrate temperature did not exceed 22 degrees, otherwise the mycelium will be lost. The resulting mass is tightly placed in prepared plastic bags to fill 2/3 of the volume. Then special holes are made in the bags every 10 cm and placed in a room where it is possible to maintain a constant temperature for about 2-2.5 weeks.

Growing process, mushroom care, possible problems

After the prepared bags are overgrown with mycelium, they are moved to the so-called plant room, which must be equipped with special fluorescent lamps and must be well ventilated. If cultivation occurs at the production level, such areas are equipped with special equipment.

If you have a small business and the room is small, then an ordinary fan will be sufficient. Don't forget about maintaining humidity level at 90%. This is a very important factor, which in the future can play a key role in the fruiting of the mycelium.

After the mushroom appears on the surface, you need to wait approximately 6-7 days and start collecting. Pulling out mushrooms should be done with extreme caution so as not to leave particles of fruit on the bag.

After harvesting, it is necessary to examine the condition of the substrate; if it is not damaged and exceeds the weight of 2.5 kg, then it can be used for replanting.

Beginner mushroom growers may encounter some problems. Sometimes it happens that a person seems to be doing everything according to science, taking care of it, moisturizing it, but for some reason the result is different, the mycelium does not appear or does not develop. The reason for this may be temperature changes or low quality mycelium. Therefore, when purchasing materials, it is important to thoroughly study the market for suppliers of similar goods and give preference only to high-quality products.

Sales markets

When you have received a generous harvest from your mushroom farm and your product is ready for sale, you have several ways to sell it:

• Organize wholesale deliveries to supermarkets or grocery stores. Here you must understand that you will have to give in on price. But, despite the discount and some losses in the profitability of your business, in return you receive regular sales volumes.
• Receive regular orders for the sale of your products in cafes and restaurants. This sales option is quite relevant today, since this fresh product is widely used in cooking. To do this, in the first stages of your business, you need to travel to all suitable places and distribute samples of the oyster mushrooms you have grown.
• Sell ​​your product through vegetable market. In order to withstand competition, in this case it is necessary to attract maximum attention to yourself by price or quality.

In addition to all of the above, remember that, like any other business, growing mushrooms requires maximum advertising. This means that you need to submit advertisements to all possible newspapers and Internet resources that are in demand in your region. This will attract the maximum number of buyers and get the required sales volume.

Enterprise registration

It is important to note here the fact that if you are not a large-scale entrepreneur, but grow products at home solely for your household needs, then registration is not at all necessary for you.

It is better to start your business with paperwork. For this, the entrepreneur is obliged to the tax authority. There you will be given the appropriate documentation about the legality of your business. In addition, each businessman must coordinate his type of activity with the following government agencies:

• fire inspection.

All this will allow you to subsequently introduce your product to a large market or organize its supply abroad. And given the fact that in many regions of our country there is a loyal subsidy program for the development of small agricultural businesses, which provides an amount that is a multiple of 60,000 rubles, every enterprising person can easily become a successful mushroom grower.

Total costs and approximate profit of the project

As mentioned earlier, the cost of setting up farm mushroom production does not require large amounts of money, but they are still needed to purchase myceliums and substrate. Let's do some simple calculations using 2000 mushroom blocks as a basis:

• mycelium 666 kg at $10 per 1 kg will cost you $6,660;
• 8 tons of substrate will cost about $800;
• costs for electricity, watering and heating for two months - another $3,600.

It turns out total amount of $11,060. Do not forget that these are approximate figures, which, depending on the region, may vary in either direction.

On sale, fresh mushrooms will cost approximately $6 per 1 kg. This is the case if you sell your goods in bulk. So, as a result of three phases of the first month of collecting goods, each of which will bring you 3000 kg of finished products, the output will be an amount of $18,000 and the same for the second month. The total comes out to $36,000. Subtract from this figure the $11,060 that we spent on business development, and we get $24,940 net income.

From this it becomes clear that such a business is a good source of income, and if it is developed correctly, you can earn quite a lot of money. However, to do this, it is necessary to minimize all possible risks and actively work to find a profitable client base.

Video material about this field of activity

For all the requirements for the premises and the process technology, watch the following video:

Growing mushrooms as an idea for your own business is not new now, but it is still relevant. This is a means to make a profit at relatively low cost. The growing process depends entirely on knowledge and its correct application, so anyone can start this business.

Residents of rural areas, summer residents or owners of spacious utility rooms hold all the cards in their hands for implementing this business idea.

What is attractive about the “mushroom business”?

• Mushrooms grow all year round. Weather conditions are not a hindrance for them.
• The products do not spoil: in case of surplus production, mushrooms are easy to dry, freeze, and preserve.
• The business is easily scalable. You can start your business with a small production and expand it as your financial capabilities grow.
• Mushrooms do not require painstaking daily care; the production process can be paused and quickly resumed.

Mushroom growing technology

The growing method depends on the types of mushrooms that are planned for production. A lot of special literature has been written on this subject, which, of course, needs to be acquired and applied. But to assess your capabilities to implement an idea, you can use general knowledge.

Porcini

A tasty product that is in demand on the market. Likes to grow under birch, pine, and oak trees. Its cultivation is more labor-intensive and expensive, so it is better for experienced mushroom pickers to switch to porcini mushrooms. The easiest way to grow a porcini mushroom is to take the cap of a mature, handsome mushroom, break it into small pieces and soak for a day in cold water. Under the selected tree in the garden, remove the top layer of soil (turf), pour in water with fungal spores and cover with turf. You should mark this place for yourself and do not forget to water. Mushrooms can be expected in the second year.

Champignon

Mushrooms grow on special compost. This includes straw, organic fertilizer (manure, droppings), chalk or gypsum, ammonium sulfate. The composition is prepared using the technology for three weeks, inoculated with mycelium and waiting for the result.

Oyster mushrooms

Grows on vertically suspended plastic bags. They are filled with plant material (straw, sawdust, cake). The composition of the bags is inoculated with fungal spores according to technology. The mushroom grows well on logs, trees, and stumps.

Honey mushrooms

It is grown on a plot of land in a dug-out pile. First, straw and manure are placed in the pile in several layers. Water this mixture daily and shake a little. Cover the top with fertile soil and plant the prepared mycelium.

Production conditions

Room

Mushrooms thrive in basements, warehouses, greenhouses, garden plots, logs and stumps. To ensure business runs smoothly, it is better to use the premises.

Air

The supply of fresh air must be sufficient. Mushrooms produce a lot of carbon dioxide and consume oxygen.

Warm

It is necessary to maintain the temperature during cold periods. Mushrooms require stable temperatures from +8 to +10 degrees. A small solid fuel stove can handle this kind of work. In hot weather, the room is ventilated.

Humidity

Humidity is always maintained at a high level - 90%. The mushroom is tender and dries out quickly. Install containers with water. In hot weather, spray surfaces.

Light

When mushrooms are just developing, they do not need light. With the beginning of fruiting, natural daylight is sufficient. Direct sunlight should be avoided. In winter, additional lighting of the crop is required, but not for a long time.

Sales of products

Many mushroom products are supplied by foreign companies. For the most part, these are canned and dried mushrooms. The fresh produce market needs domestic producers. You need to find your niche in this business.

There are only three main areas of product sales:

1. Place of sale – the market where you trade yourself. Beneficial only at very low speeds. The price of mushrooms can be high, but it takes a lot of time.
2. Products can be taken to the store. The advantage is a negotiated price acceptable to both parties and large volumes. The downside is paperwork, costs for the opportunity to get to the store’s suppliers, the need to package the goods at the request of the store.
3. Delivery to wholesale intermediaries. Disadvantage: low cost of production. Plus - no problems with sales.

Permits and documents

The law requires you to legalize your income. Without this, sales of products will be very difficult. First, register a private enterprise. Secondly, choose the form of taxation. Most likely, a small income will fall under the Unified Agricultural Tax in the amount of 6% of income.

You will need to undergo control by the SES and State Fire Supervision, but this applies to large premises and volumes. For small volumes, you will undergo sanitary control in the market laboratory.

In order to sell your products in markets and stores, you will need to present the following documents:

1. Conclusion of the SES.
2. Radiology protocol.
3. Approved instructions for the storage and transportation of mushroom products.
4. Product certification.

Before collecting documents, check their list. It may vary depending on the sales area.

Having become familiar with the theory of growing mushrooms, you should weigh your circumstances. What factors already exist in favor of starting a “mushroom business”, how much more money do you need to invest? What equipment and materials will need to be purchased? How much does mycelium of different types of mushrooms cost?

Although there are no particular difficulties in growing, mistakes at the beginning cannot be avoided, so it is better to try yourself on a small scale and, having gained your own experience, increase production.

In search of an idea for their own business, many people turn to growing oyster mushrooms at home. In this piece, we'll take a closer look at the costs, profitability, and feedback of this activity. Is it worth the effort or is serious investment and a large enterprise required?

Advantages and disadvantages

This business is in many ways an ideal option for beginners getting acquainted with entrepreneurship. It requires minimal start-up capital and allows you to start working with small volumes, increasing them over time. Moreover, at the very beginning it is possible to grow mushrooms exclusively for personal use, and as soon as the technology is debugged, enter the market.

The following advantages should also be noted:

1. You can grow mushrooms both in rural and urban areas.
2. High demand for the crop.
3. Ample opportunities for business development and expansion.
4. No need for hired workers, at least in the first stages.
5. No need for a wide list of business contacts.
6. Relatively stable income.

Among the disadvantages are problems with selling really large batches of mushrooms (although the problem will not begin soon, it all depends on the growth rate). You will also need at least minimal knowledge of the subject (this can be accumulated in the process).

It should be noted that such an important factor as seasonality. In summer and autumn, sales often decline, but starting from mid-winter, when the population runs out of its own supplies, demand increases.

Reasons for choosing oyster mushroom

Leaving aside nutritional value, taste and healthiness, it is worth noting that compared to the more popular chanterelles, honey mushrooms, champignons and others, oyster mushrooms are quite easy to grow, and the growth rate is high. If under natural conditions a mushroom harvest can be obtained in 2-2.5 months, then under artificial conditions this period is halved.

Crops bear fruit in several waves, the weight of one bunch can reach 200 grams, and record holders grow up to several kilograms, or even more.

A separate advantage is that the mushroom can grow on almost any substrate: stumps, straw, sawdust, even sunflower husks. In some countries, oyster mushrooms are even grown on paper waste. Modern technologies make it possible to further expand this list.

Selecting a sales market

Among the most obvious options:

• Independent sale in markets. In this case, you will have to worry about finding a free retail space, making and correctly placing advertising, and attracting the attention of potential buyers. In this case, sales proceed at a retail pace. The advantage is the ability to set your own prices, keeping an eye on your competitors, if any.
• Sales through grocery stores and supermarkets. In every fairly large city there is a retail chain or a separate point that is interested in the wholesale purchase of mushrooms. Unfortunately, most often they offer very low prices. Over time, it will be possible to switch to more favorable terms of cooperation, and the accumulated base of regular customers will remain with you, even if you break off cooperation with the outlet.
• Sales to restaurants. Mushrooms are traditionally in great demand in restaurants. The reason is simple - such establishments cook only from the freshest products. Cooperation will make it possible to quickly and profitably sell large quantities of mushrooms. The rest can be sold using the first or second method.

Needless to say, no matter what option is ultimately decided upon, the mushrooms grown must be of the highest quality.

Enterprise registration

Before starting work, you should register your business. To do this, you need to select the OKVED code 01.12.31.

This type of business implies three options for a legal form: individual entrepreneur, LLC or peasant farm, that is, a peasant farm. All three have their pros and cons. A form such as personal subsidiary farming will not be suitable in this case.

IP

Makes it possible to grow mushrooms and sell the harvest.

To register, you will need to pay a state fee of 800 rubles, submit an application to switch to the simplified tax system or unified tax system, and also prepare an application in form No. P21001, which will need to be certified by a notary.

You should worry about photocopies of all significant pages of your passport in advance.

OOO

Gives the right to attract investment through loans for agriculture and through government programs.

To register, you need to pay a state fee of 4,000 rubles, submit application No. P11001, prepare the charter of the LLC and a decision on its opening, have copies of the passports of all founders certified by a notary, and write an application for the transition to the chosen form of taxation.

The authorized capital of the enterprise must be at least 10,000 rubles.

Documentation

Documenting your own farm plays an important role in this matter. The mushroom business in Russia does not provide for obtaining a special certificate.

However, in order to become a successful seller of your products, you will need the result of a laboratory test. You can get it from a food laboratory. Its employees often additionally ask to prepare a safety protocol. It will require an analysis for the presence of radioactive substances and heavy metals.

Documenting the cultivation of oyster mushrooms on an industrial scale (even in your own basement) is an expensive and slow task. Moreover, the resulting protocol will need to be updated every 3 months.

Selecting a room

The choice of premises for creating a mushroom plantation should be made as responsibly as possible. It is preferable to choose places that are fairly humid, but not too hot. If we are talking about the very beginning of a business, then a basement or cellar at home may be suitable. As the business develops, old cowsheds, vegetable stores and similar buildings can be purchased and refurbished. As a last resort, you can buy a special greenhouse.

Premises requirements:

1. Residual moisture.
2. High-quality ventilation, but without drafts (if no other option is suitable, you can make several holes in the lower part of the wall and extend the hood).
3. The ability to adjust the temperature (especially important in winter).
4. Mandatory disinfection before starting planting work.

A few words about the size of the room. The truck holds about 20 tons of compost for growing. In order to completely distribute it and put it into full use, an area of ​​200-odd square meters will be required. The internal space is divided into sections in which multi-level (depending on the height of the ceiling) shelving is installed.

Each farm must have at least two passages. The first will be used to transport the harvested crop, it can be made narrower, the second should be much wider - soil will be loaded along it.

Additional premises include a boiler room, a couple of refrigerators for storing collected mushrooms, an area for packaging and various technical premises: change houses, a toilet and others. As a result, the total area of ​​the farm grows to almost 1-1.5 thousand square meters. Of course, at first you can get by with more modest premises.

If you plan to grow oyster mushrooms all year round and entirely on your own, you will have to provide several additional premises:

• An inoculation room, where mushroom blocks will be formed from the finished substrate in bags, into which the mycelium is then seeded.
• Incubation room for mycelium germination.
• Cultivation room for forcing the fruiting body (the largest room, blocks are strung on rods, laid out on multi-tiered racks or suspended).

The first thing you will need is a high-quality ventilation and air conditioning system, which will be used to maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions.

Water heating boilers are used for additional heating in winter. Ideally, it is recommended to purchase several full-fledged climate control units that will help regulate atmospheric parameters for mushrooms at different stages of ripening.

Refrigeration chambers are used to store finished products. It is very important that they preserve mushrooms only for a period of three days. In addition, for proper air circulation, they must be filled no more than halfway.

The premises will require a large number of shelving. Also, depending on the specific variety, bags or boxes will be required for production.

Staff

The overwhelming majority of responsibilities rest with the owner. It is he, at least at the start, who deals with delivery and sales issues. Very often, at the beginning of work, when several relatives are involved in the business, one is responsible for some of the supplies, while the rest deal with direct issues of cultivation, fertilization, planting, etc.

As the farm grows and mushroom production expands, managing everything will become increasingly difficult. At some point, inviting new employees to your small business will become an urgent need. However, there are no special requirements for employees in this matter - they will only be required to be conscientious, have no bad habits and have a medical record.

Considering that not a single educational institution in the country has a department of mushroom science, it will simply be impossible to find a qualified specialist. Of course, there is always a chance that an experienced person will come across. In this case, it is highly recommended to set his salary depending on output.

It is difficult to say what total number of employees will be required for breeding. One assistant will be enough to grow oyster mushrooms at home. If we are talking about a hundredweight harvest every day, then you will need to attract at least a couple of employees.

At the same time, they will deal only with the mushrooms themselves, while additional forces will be required for marketing products, preparing raw materials for production and for the position of accountant. Of course, one person can combine several roles if desired.

Approximate calculation

An approximate analysis of the expenses and income of a large enterprise can be seen in the table.

Two important points should be noted here:

1. These calculations assume working with a large farm, which has about 100 tons of compost for cultivation; if the scale is reduced, the costs will be lower.
2. The data is based on one processing cycle, but there can be up to four in a year.

Summarizing all of the above, it can be noted that the net profit for one two-month cultivation cycle will be up to 780 thousand rubles. As a result, according to experts, the full payback period for an oyster mushroom farm will be about two years.

Those interested can download another one.

Competition and risks

Separately, it is worth noting the issue of competition. Currently, its level on the market can be assessed as quite low, which, coupled with low requirements for starting a business, makes it especially profitable for beginners. Imported products have recently left the domestic market, but the price level has remained unchanged, and the demand for mushrooms is consistently high.

Competition should be feared mostly from larger producers engaged in industrial breeding. However, there are not many of them on the market today, so there is no need to fear serious opposition to expansion. The risks in this area are also not too great, given the undemanding nature of investments.

conclusions

The main advantage is high profitability. The advantage is that there is no need for significant investments at the initial stage. The income is quite good - it reaches 650 rubles from each processed square meter in 1.5 months.

Another undeniable advantage is ease of use. Oyster mushrooms require much less care than other mushrooms, including.

Experienced businessmen, however, do not deny the presence of a number of difficulties, but all of them relate to the initial stages of establishing the process and sales. Once these issues are settled, everything becomes much simpler and all that remains is to collect and sell the crops.

Video: technology for growing oyster mushrooms.

Mushrooms are a tasty and healthy food, similar in properties and composition to meat. The beneficial properties of mushrooms make them a popular product included in the everyday diet. The high demand for oyster mushrooms is the basis for the profitability of the business.

The main advantage of this activity is year-round demand. The sales volume of the product will be high regardless of the season. The business is attractive with minimal investment. Basement owners can completely exclude investment costs from the expense item. Cultivation does not require the purchase of expensive equipment, the construction of greenhouses, etc.

Enterprise registration

Growing mushrooms is a profitable solution for beginning entrepreneurs, requiring small financial investments at the development stage. To register a business, the initiator must register with the tax office as an individual entrepreneur.

Due to the fact that at the initial stage the sales volumes will be small, the profit will be insignificant. This fact makes it possible to pay taxes under a simplified taxation system. As the business develops and production volumes increase, the form of ownership can be changed to LLC, etc.

Features of these mushrooms, their benefits and types

In nature, there are 5 varieties of edible oyster mushrooms:

• Ordinary grows in scabs (clusters) on the trunks of deciduous trees and stumps. The hat is smooth. Color – brownish, grayish-yellow. The pulp is white with a pleasant smell. The shape of the cap is oval, semicircular, size up to 10 cm. The leg is porous, hairy, up to 4 cm long.
• Horn-shaped grows in large groups on trunks and stumps. The texture of the pulp is dense, thick, white in color with a pronounced floury smell. The size of the cap varies from 3 to 12 cm. As it grows, the mushroom takes on a funnel-shaped shape. The leg is quite short - 1-1.5 cm.
• Lemon grows on trees. The shape is similar to the carob variety. The color of the cap is lemon and is distinguished by a large number of fruiting bodies.
• Pulmonary. Only young shoots are used in cooking; as the mushroom ages, it becomes very tough. The pulp of young oyster mushroom is thin, white with a grayish tint. The hat is lateral, the shape is convex-spread.
• Stepnaya grows on dead plant stems. The pulp has a fleshy consistency and is white with a yellowish tint. The cap dimensions are 5-8 cm, the shape is flat-convex, scaly to the touch.

The composition of oyster mushroom bioelements increases the body's immunity to the effects of radionuclides and also actively removes them. It can be concluded that this type of fungus has an antitumor effect. Based on the results of a number of studies, scientists have found that eating oyster mushrooms several times a week is an excellent prevention of hepatitis, cholecystitis, peptic ulcers, and atherosclerosis. Substances contained in mushrooms lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. They will normalize the blood pressure of hypertensive and hypotensive patients.

Oyster mushroom is rich in biotin, its content is several times higher than the mass fraction in eggs, spinach, and milk. The lipid complex in the product is close to vegetable oils. In terms of protein content, mushrooms are superior to meat, and are also rich in microelements and mineral salts. Nutritionists have recognized them as a low-calorie plant, so they can be included in the diet.

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Growing options

Growing on stumps

A profitable way to obtain a good harvest at minimal cost for owners of summer cottages or personal plots. Oyster mushroom mycelium (purchased from breeding farms) is planted on tree stumps or logs 30-50 cm long. An environment favorable for the growth of mushrooms must be placed in a shaded area, two-thirds of its volume dug into the ground.

To ensure high-quality growth of mushrooms, holes (3-5 cm) are drilled in the stumps at a distance of 25-30 cm. An alternative option is to scatter the mycelium on the ground and place the stump on top. Old and dry logs should be pre-wetted in water for 5-7 days. The mycelium should be placed in the recesses and sealed with tape or moss. Throughout the entire period of growth of the fungus, the stumps need to be watered, maintaining a high level of moisture.

The temperature regime for mycelium growth is 15-20°C - strict adherence to this rule guarantees complete overgrowth of the stump or log after 2-2.5 months.

Sprouted stumps should be planted in the ground. As a rule, the crop ripens at a temperature of 8-14°C; in nature, this temperature is typical for October-November. In order to ensure year-round cultivation of oyster mushrooms, it is necessary to organize a greenhouse.

Provided there are 20 holes in the log, its yield is up to 10 kg of mushrooms.

Growing in bags

A more profitable year-round option for obtaining quality mushrooms. The bag is filled with substrate. Straw is suitable for making it. When dry, it is placed in a bath, poured with boiling water and steamed for 4 hours. As a result, it will soften and sterilize. The heat-treated substrate should be squeezed out and placed under a press.

The mycelium must be mixed with the resulting substrate in a ratio of 500 grams per 10 kg to ensure normal growth of oyster mushrooms; the temperature of the straw should not exceed 30°C. The resulting consistency should be tightly packed into plastic bags, and the top of the bag should be tied.

Holes 1 cm in diameter are made in the bag at a distance of 10 cm from each other. The temperature of the room in which the bags will be stored should be 23-24°C, air humidity - 80-90%. After 2-2.5 weeks, the bags will be covered with a white coating, after which the mycelium will begin to grow rapidly. The bags are hung at a distance from each other to provide air access and space for growth.

This growing method is more profitable from a financial and technological point of view.

Preparing the growing site and seeding material

• A barn, basement, wooden building and abandoned industrial building are suitable as a room for growing mushrooms.
• To create favorable conditions, high humidity (up to 85%) should be provided and ventilation should be equipped.
• The area of ​​the room should be selected based on its expected workload: to accommodate 7 bags, 1 m² will be required.
• To monitor the temperature inside the building, a regular room thermometer is suitable.
• Optimal humidity will be ensured by having several containers of water or periodically watering the floor.

Mushroom mycelium, which is purchased from special laboratories, is used as seed material.

Growing process, mushroom care

This process is divided into three stages − preparation of the substrate, cultivation of mycelium and mushrooms themselves:

• Oyster mushrooms are wood-destroying mushrooms; in the natural environment they grow on sawdust of deciduous trees, so sunflower husks, corn cobs or straw would be a suitable medium for their growth in artificial conditions.
• The crushed raw materials are steamed, after cooling, filtered, and mixed with mycelium. The resulting composition is filled into polyethylene bags measuring 80x40cm. The finished weight of one such bag can reach 12 kg. For the germination of mycelium, holes are made in the bags.
• After 15-20 days, small clusters will sprout through the slits. The room for further growth of mushrooms is equipped with lighting, which should function for 12 hours daily. Using a fan and water containers, suitable humidity and temperature up to 16 degrees are ensured. Within 7-10 days, the mushrooms grow to the required marketable weight, the crop is harvested, and the spore bags are sent to a seven-day “rest.” After 7 days they are ready to bear fruit again. Up to 3 harvests can be harvested from one bag, after which the substrate must be replaced.

Sales markets

Mushroom farming is not a common type of business in our country. This fact guarantees minimal market competition.

However, shops, supermarkets, catering establishments and general wholesale markets are enthusiastically stocking nutritious products.

The prospects for this market segment are very good, and it is ready to accept new participants.

Total costs and approximate profit of the project

First year expenses include:

• Rent of a basement area of ​​10 square meters – 20 thousand rubles.
• The production capacity of the enterprise is 70 bags. The cost of consumables (bags, fans, raw materials for the substrate, mycelium) is 30 thousand rubles.
• Salary for 2 employees – 50 thousand rubles.
• Transport, utilities and other expenses - 10 thousand rubles.
• Total: 110 thousand rubles.

Each bag can collect up to 3 kg of mushrooms. If you have 70 bags bearing fruit twice a month, you can get 420 kg of mushrooms. The cost of 1 kg of oyster mushrooms on the market is 200 rubles.

Income - 84 thousand rubles per month. The average profitability of the industry is 50-60%.

Video material about growing these mushrooms

In the video you can clearly see the whole process:

If the intention is ripe to start your own business with a small budget and without significant costs for renting premises, then it makes sense to consider growing oyster mushrooms as a business. Reviews from those who have tried this scheme confirm the reality of this type of income. In addition, to get a decent result, you don’t have to immerse yourself in complex processes - working with such mushrooms after a short study of the cultivation features will be relatively simple. This means that such an idea for making money is suitable for almost everyone.

Reasons for relevance

First of all, oyster mushrooms are worth dealing with because they are in demand. People like these mushrooms and are ready to buy them. If we compare them with porcini mushrooms, we can safely say that they are not inferior to this product in taste. In addition, oyster mushrooms are very healthy because they contain many vitamins, amino acids and proteins.

The process of growing oyster mushrooms does not require the use of chemicals, and after the harvest is harvested, they can be stored for quite a long time. If you draw up a business plan correctly, growing oyster mushrooms will turn into a stable source of good income.

And one more advantage that needs to be paid attention to is the opportunity to start such a business at home without significant financial risks and the hassle of selecting premises for rent. And if we compare the costs of growing oyster mushrooms and, say, champignons, the former will be much less with relatively the same demand.

Where to begin

Initially, you need to understand that such a business may not require rent, but certain premises will still be required. This means that growing mushrooms (oyster mushrooms) at home is a business that requires its own plot. This could be a place in the yard of your own home or in your country house. Implementing such a process in an apartment will be problematic, but if desired and if there is free space, such a prospect remains possible.

So, in order to take the first steps in organizing a mushroom growing business, you will have to find a dark room with high humidity, good air supply and an exhaust hood through which carbon dioxide will escape.

As for growing methods, this can be done on wood pieces and sawdust, bags of straw, boxes and stumps. Natural conditions are also perfect; we are talking about an extensive method.

Helper Processes

There are a number of actions during the process of growing mushrooms that you simply need to know to get a good harvest:

Preparatory work for planting the substrate, that is, the base in which the mushrooms will grow;

Preparation of seed material, it is also called mycelium;

Compliance with all necessary conditions until the primordium (the rudiment of the fungus) appears.

It is important not to make a mistake in choosing the type of mycelium, on which the final result largely depends. Proper planting of seeds is also of considerable importance. This factor must be taken into account if we consider growing oyster mushrooms as a business.

More specifically, in the process of preparing the substrate you need to use straw or sawdust. They must first be steamed and then placed in a bag. In this case, only the raw materials that have had time to cool down are laid. Afterwards, the bags are placed on a shelf in a dark place (room temperature 18-20 °C). When sowing is completed, it is worth making holes in the blocks (bags). A nail is suitable as a tool.

You can count on the first noticeable results within two weeks after sowing.

What does the harvest depend on?

Growing oyster mushrooms as a business inevitably depends on the fact how many mushrooms the aspiring entrepreneur will eventually collect. The more product, the higher the income. And in order for the results of the work to please you, you need to comply with several key conditions.

As stated above, the room in which the blocks with mushrooms will be placed must have a high level of humidity, it must also be ventilated and ensure that the optimum temperature is maintained in it.

As the experience of many entrepreneurs who dealt with oyster mushrooms has shown, the best harvest is observed when grown in blocks placed on racks in a vertical position. The distance between them should be 90-110 cm. This will allow you to move freely among the blocks both while caring for mushrooms and when harvesting.

If you have to deal with bags, then it is better to arrange the rows with a distance of 30 cm from each other. As for the width of the racks, in this case it is better to stick to the mark of 40 cm. This helps maintain the desired temperature.

When assessing the cultivation of oyster mushrooms as a business, reviews should be taken into account without fail. And the experience of many people who have been involved in growing these mushrooms confirms the fact that high-quality fruiting can only be expected if the required temperature is consistently maintained. It is important to understand that, depending on the type, a level of either 13-15 °C or 25 °C may be relevant. Special heating equipment will help stabilize the temperature. This function can be perfectly performed when connected to sensors.

What to do with lighting and ventilation

So, oyster mushrooms will feel great provided that in the room where they are located there is free access of oxygen and there is a good release of carbon dioxide. If the concentration of the latter exceeds 0.8%, then caps with rolled edges and long growths will appear on the mushrooms. With such a presentation it is hardly worth counting on increased interest from buyers.

For those who have decided to grow oyster mushrooms as a business, it is important to know that the acceptable level of humidity in the room is checked. This is actually not difficult to do: ventilation is in perfect order if the length of the stem of growing oyster mushrooms is approximately a third of the total size of the mushroom.

It also doesn’t hurt when installing a ventilation system to make sure it has a filter.

Regarding the topic of lighting, it should be noted that in the case of oyster mushrooms, light is needed, but in limited quantities (from 100 to 200 lux for 12 hours). If this norm is neglected and the concentration increases, then you will have to face such an unpleasant consequence as a significant decrease in the number of primordia.

Irrigation and humidity standards

Growing oyster mushrooms as a home business will always involve work related to managing humidity levels. You need to understand that a product such as mushrooms consists of 90% moisture, and if the room is allowed to become excessively dry, then full fruiting will be in question.

This is why bags are ideal for this process - they retain moisture very well. To reliably protect mushrooms from deformation, you need to achieve a stable humidity level of 85%. But you shouldn’t get carried away with moisturizing either. In this situation, “too much” is not a good thing, since the mushrooms may end up not handling storage well, which is an important aspect of the business-building process.

To make it easier to accurately determine the level of humidity, it makes sense to purchase a device such as a psychrometer. Its structure is not complicated - it contains two sensors that evaluate dryness and humidity. It is the difference in their readings that makes it possible to identify violations of the required regime or determine its compliance.

If we consider growing oyster mushrooms in bags as a business, and moreover thoroughly, then we cannot ignore the fact that at different stages of growth these mushrooms require different levels of humidity. This means that batches of different ages must be stored in separate rooms or in one, but divided into several parts with different humidity levels.

Now a little about the irrigation process. You need to remember about it at the moment when the size of the fruiting bodies reaches 30 mm or 1 cm. In order for the mushrooms to receive high-quality irrigation, it is worth using a mesh with holes up to 0.5 mm. But as for fog-forming installations, it’s better to forget about them right away. At the same time, it is important to understand that you cannot stop watering even during collection, otherwise you may encounter such a nuisance as deformation of oyster mushrooms.

Key Growing Principles

There are several important rules, in addition to those mentioned above, that everyone who has decided to start growing oyster mushrooms should know. In this case, a home business must be extremely competent. If you carefully study the requirements and understand their essence, it will not be difficult to ensure stable yields.

So, here are the rules we are talking about:

For the fastest possible growth of mycelium, the number of layers of substrate in the bag should start from 12.

The mycelium itself must be dispersed in such a way that it covers the entire area of ​​the site. But at the same time, it is worth distributing 80% closer to the walls, and only 20% in the center.

After compacting is completed, it is important to leave room for tying.

It is important to pay attention to the fact that the bags have holes at the bottom as well, this will allow all excess moisture to drain out easily. In general, perforation implies the presence of 10-20 holes per bag of mycelium.

At first, blocks with nascent mushrooms should be stored in a dark, damp place, but after 14-16 days of ripening, when the entire mycelium is filled with substrate, they must be moved to a place where there is light, but there is no direct sunlight. This could be an area in the shade of trees or a house, a basement, or a barn.

More details about the equipment

Obviously, growing oyster mushrooms, as a business for beginners, can have different scales. Everyone’s home conditions are different: some have a small plot of land for such experiments, while others can afford to allocate a significant area for such a business, say, in their country house. And if it so happens that there are no problems with square meters, then it makes sense to think about serious volumes of the product being grown, and for this it is advisable to pay attention to the appropriate equipment.

You should start with an autoclave, with which you can produce mycelium. With this approach, the process of preparing the base for mushroom growth will become much faster.

Equipment for preparing the substrate is also relevant. If you don’t have the funds, you can make such a machine yourself. For these purposes, you need to find a thick-walled barrel (100-200 liters), pour water into it and bring it to a boil using a light fire. It is necessary to ensure that there are outlets to allow the steam to escape. Thin-walled barrels with the same volumes are connected to such outlets and the substrate is placed in them. Under such conditions, it undergoes high-quality heat treatment.

But this is not all the equipment that growing oyster mushrooms as a business requires. Reviews confirm the advisability of using equipment for pasturing fruiting bodies. In fact, we are talking about a properly prepared room or several areas where the required humidity, temperature and the required level of lighting are maintained.

How to calculate profit

A business plan for growing oyster mushrooms inevitably includes calculating expenses and possible income.

To get the required numbers, let's perform simple calculations. If we take the simplest option, then money will be needed to purchase bags and filler - substrate. On average, ready-made blocks with various relevant content can be purchased for $2.5 per piece. Since in this case we are considering a business plan for growing oyster mushrooms at home, the costs of renting premises and employees are not taken into account. Mushrooms for sowing can be purchased at a price of $1.5 per kg.

If you organize the area correctly, you can place up to 7 blocks per 1 m2. One such block can produce a harvest of 3 kg of mushrooms. Accordingly, the entrepreneur has 21 kg of oyster mushrooms per square meter of usable area. As for sales, you can try to independently organize the sale and delivery of mushrooms to the end consumer (shops, markets, markets, etc.) or use the services of resellers.

On average, you can earn up to $3 per kilogram of oyster mushrooms, which leads to a simple conclusion: such a business allows you to enjoy a 100% markup on the product and receive a tangible profit compared to your investment. This means that those who intend to try their hand at entrepreneurship should seriously consider growing oyster mushrooms as a business. A photo of the process and its detailed description on the forums will make it easy to understand the features of the process and obtain constant yields.

Results

Obviously, this business idea deserves attention, since it does not require significant funds to start a business and promises good earnings if the process is properly organized. Therefore, if you need money and dreams of owning your own business are rushing out, it makes sense to evaluate the cultivation of oyster mushrooms as a business. Feedback from many enthusiasts who took the risk of taking advantage of this opportunity only confirms the fact that this type of earnings can safely be called promising and extremely safe with regard to financial risks.