28. Mushroom Farming

I do not know much about mushrooms, other than I like to eat them.  But a few weeks ago I learned about mushroom farming from my neighbor.  The best part is, not only did I learn, I was able to help.

The first step was to put a bunch of sunflower seed hulls in the large tank below.  Then a fire was started underneath it, which I am guessing is to increase the decomposing process.  The next day the sunflower seed hulls were taken out to cool, which is what the man in the blue is doing.  Sunflower seed halls are used because there are a lot of sunflower seed oil grown in the country and a few large sunflower seed oil processing plans in Moldova.  In my experience, 90% of the oil used in Moldova is from sunflower seeds.

After the sunflower seed hulls are cooled to touch they are put into plastic bags.  In the red pot are the mushroom spores.  These spores were purchased from Ukraine because the quality is higher and the price was lower than purchasing them in Moldova.

We would put a few handfuls of sunflower seed hulls into the bag and then a handful of spores into the bags, trying to keep the spores close to the side of the bags.

My neighbor not only grows mushrooms, but sells completed bags.  The order we were working on was for 50 bags, the bags weighed a little over 25 pounds each.

When he grows mushrooms, he keeps them in a basement or the abandoned house which is on their property.  The area needs to be lit and cool.  As the mushrooms start to grow, the bags are scored so that the mushrooms can grow outside of the bag.

The mushrooms are very good.  My host mother made a cold mushroom salad with peppers, onions, garlic and a little vinegar and oil.