Mississippi Natural Products Association

Profiting From Weeds

Joe Buzhardt

Program Director / Research Scientist

Specialty Mushroom Program

Mississippi Small Farm Development Center

At

Alcorn State University

Converting Waste or Underutilized Biomassinto

Profits for Farmers

A Farmers Cooperative

Cover Crops Profit CenterA dv iso ry B oa rd

Root Crops Profit CenterA dv iso ry B oa rd

Specialty M ushroom Profit CenterA dv iso ry B oa rd

M ississipp i N atura l P roducts AssociationF a rm e rs Coope ra tive B oa rd of D irec to rs

New Generation Value Added Cooperative Venture

Build a Natural Products Industry to Benefit Small Farm Development

Commercialize Technology from University Research

Medicinal Plant Garden - UM

Mississippi Small Farm Development Center - ASU

Specialty Mushrooms

Using a Southeastern “Weed”as a

Profitable Biomass

Did You Know That…

Europeans eat 9 pounds Americans eat less than half that much

Potatoes, Tomatoes, Lettuce and…

Mushrooms

The Leading Vegetables in Terms of Farm Cash Receipts are

Annual Per Capita Mushroom Consumption is

Shiitake, The World’sMost Popular Specialty Mushroom Growing demand for

specialty mushrooms in the United States

Total sales were $37.7 million in 2003

Shiitake mushroom is the most demanded

Oyster mushroom is next Others - Maitake, Enoki,

Lion’s Mane, Wood Ear and Reishi

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Total

Shiitake

Oyster

Two Production Methods

Growing Shiitake Outside – Seasonal Or

Forced Fruiting

Inoculation

Production Yard

Mycelium Growing Inside Log

The Crop

Sawdust Substrate Production – Growing Room Only

Convert

•Barn

•Shed

•Greenhouse

Build

Growing Room

Growing Room Layout

Using Sawdust Substrate To Produce Mushrooms

Modular Growing Room

Making Sawdust Substrate Blocks

Produced by the MNPA

Converting SawdustInto Mushrooms

Mixing The Substrate

Ribbon Mixer

Substrate Sterilization

Steam

Substrate Inoculation

Clean Room

Substrate Incubation

Curing

Induction

Growing Room-MNPA and

Farmers

Spent Blocks Converted to Mulch

Maximizing Waste Biomass…To Produce Profits for Farmers

Joe Buzhardt

Program Director / Research Scientist

Specialty Mushroom Program

Mississippi Small Farm Development Center

At

Alcorn State University

Contact Information

Joe Buzhardt

Specialty Mushroom Program Director

Mississippi Small Farm Development Center

Research and Extension Complex, Suite 110A

Alcorn State University

Alcorn State, MS 39096-9402

Campus Phone: 601.877.6449

Farm Phone: 601.852.4217

Email: joebuz@netdoor.com