AND MORE CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF THE MOTOR CITY MATCH RECIPIENTS. INDEED BIG CONGRATS
BEST AGAINST THE PANDEMIC HIT,
MANY DECIDED TO PICK UP NEW
HOBBIES. WELL THIS NEXT COUPLE
DECIDED TO PICK UP AN OLD ONE.
PICK IT BACK UP AGAIN AND GET
INTO IT, AND THAT HOBBY WAS
GROWING GOURMET MUSHROOMS. NOW
THEY’RE PANDEMIC PROJECT HAS
BECOME A BUSINESS AND THEY ARE
SUPPLYING SEVERAL LOCAL
RESTAURANTS WITH VARIOUS KINDS
OF MUSHROOMS. NICE MICHELLE
OLIVER INTRODUCES US TO THE
HOMEGROWN GAS MUSHROOMS. WHETHER
PRETTY IN PINK OR FLUFFY, LIKE A
LION’S MANE, MUSHROOMS COME IN
ALL SHAPES, SIZES AND COLORS,
AND NO ONE KNOWS THAT BETTER
THAN SIENNA WILL GUEST I LOVE
THE WAY THEY TASTE. I LIKE THAT
YOU CAN COOK WITH THEM AND THEY
TAKE ON THE FLAVOR. YOU COOK
WITH THEM. I LOVE THE WAY THEY
LOOK. I MEAN, I NEVER WOULD HAVE
IMAGINED BEFORE GROWING THIS
THAT I WAS GOING TO GROW
SOMETHING THAT WAS SO PRETTY. I
JUST I DON’T KNOW I LOVE HIM.
SHE AND HER HUSBAND, BEN,
STARTED GROWING MUSHROOMS BACK
IN 2020 WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT.
SO ACTUALLY, MY HUSBAND. IT WAS
KIND OF HIS IDEA. HE WAS GIVEN A
GROW KIT WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER,
FAST FORWARD TO COVID, AND HE
WAS NOT ESSENTIAL STARTED
LOOKING UP ON YOUTUBE. FROM THAT
HE STARTED PLANNING THE BASEMENT
HAD TAPE ON THE GROUND, AND HE’S
LIKE, OH, WE’RE GONNA GROW
MUSHROOMS, AND I WAS LIKE, WELL,
I’M GONNA GO TO MY REAL JOB NOW.
BUT SOON, MUSHROOMS WOULD BECOME
CIENA’S REAL JOB. HE STARTED
PLANNING IN LIKE SPRING OF 2020.
AND I SOLD OUR FIRST CLUMP OF
MUSHROOMS IN AUGUST OF 2020.
BASICALLY I WAS JUST SITTING IN
FRONT OF THE COMPUTER AND LIKE
EMAILING AND MAKING PHONE CALLS,
AND IT TOOK A LOT OF NOTES TO
GET A COUPLE OF YESES FOR SURE.
HER NEW CLIENTS THE CHEFS AT
LOCAL RESTAURANTS, SO OUR VERY
FIRST RESTAURANT WAS THREE CATS
IN CLASS IN AND THEN SHORTLY
AFTER, THAT IS WHEN I REACHED
OUT TO CHRIS OUT AT SULLIVAN
PEOPLE NOW WE’LL GET MUSHROOMS,
SUPPLIES SIX RESTAURANTS, LOVE,
LOVE, LOVE, MEETING CHEFS AND
TALKING ABOUT OUR MUSHROOMS AND
LIKE GOING TO THE RESTAURANTS
AND TRYING THE DISHES THAT THEY
MAKE WITH OUR MUSHROOMS. SO HOW
DOES IT ALL WORK? WELL, SHE
INVITED ME TO TAKE A LOOK AT HER
PROCESS, AND IT STARTS WITH
FILLING THESE BAGS WITH
INGREDIENTS FOR THE MUSHROOMS TO
GROW. IT’S SO OY PALLETS IN
HARDWOOD FUEL PELLETS. OKAY,
HARDLY BECAUSE, LIKE YOU SEE
THEM MUSHROOMS GROWING IN WOOD.
CORRECT COOL. I BAGGED FROM
THERE THEY CAREFULLY FOLD UP THE
BAGS AND STERILIZE THEM IN THIS
VET BEFORE THEY INTRODUCED THE
MUSHROOM SPORES. AND SEAL THE
BAG. AND WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE
THERE’S STILL SOME AIR IN THERE
SO WE CAN MIX IT UP. THE MOTION
SPORES ARE GIVEN A COUPLE OF
WEEKS TO TAKE ROOT BEFORE THE
BAGS ARE SLICED OPEN, PUSH ALL
THE AIR OUT BECAUSE THEY NEED
THE AIR TO GROW TO COLONIZE. BUT
THEN WE WANT TO CLOSE UP ALL THE
AIR SO ALL THE FOCUS IS ON THE
SIDE THAT WE OPEN UP AND MOVED
INTO THIS ROOM FOR THE MUSHROOMS
TO GROW. SO THIS IS THE FRUITING
ROOM, SO IDEAL TEMPERATURE. IS
BETWEEN 60 AND 62. IDEAL
HUMIDITY IS BETWEEN 85 90%
HUMIDITY. THIS IS A BLUE OYSTER
LION’S MANE. WE ALSO GROW A PINK
OYSTER SNOW. KING BLUE. P O
PENNY. BUT WE KIND OF LIKE TO
MIX IT UP A LITTLE BIT. HAVE A
VARIETY AFTER TWO WEEKS OR MORE,
THE MUSHROOMS HAVE SPROUTED AND
ARE READY TO BE HARVESTED AND
THEN JUST KIND OF PULL UP. AND
WIGGLE IT IF YOU NEED A LITTLE
BIT, SO IT COMES LOOSE. THERE WE
GO. OKAY, I DID IT ALL AND IT’S
ALL IT’S ALL THERE FROM
BEGINNING TO END. IT’S ABOUT A
MONTH OR SIX WEEK PROCESS. WE
GREW ABOUT £200 PER WEEK. NOW
ALL THAT’S LEFT IS TO ENJOY
THEM. THAT’S REALLY GOOD. GOOD
THAT’S VERY GOOD. MICHELLE SAVED