GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

478 THE GROWING ROOM
between two oppositely charged metal screens.
Many of the flies endemic to mushroom culture
are minute and pass, unaffected, between the
electrified panels. I prefer circular bug lights
which use an interior fan.A cone shaped vortex
is formed well beyond the light. The bugs are
thrown into a plastic bag which allows for easy
counting by the growing room manager. By attaching
yellow sticky pads to the lights, the
number of flies that can be caught greatly increases.
(See Figure 384). Astute managers rely
on the increasing numbers of flies as an indication
of impending disaster. These lights should be positioned
on or beside every door within the
growing room, and especially in the rooms
prior to the growing rooms. Many of the fly
problems can be circumvented through some
of the good practices described below.
Managing the Growing
Rooms: Good Habits
for the Personnel
Integral to the success of a mushroom farm
is the daily management of the growing rooms.
The environment within the growing room is
constantly in a dynamic state of change. Events
can quickly cascade, drastically, and sometimes
inalterably, affecting the outcome of the
crop. The daily activities of the personnel especially
impact the quality of the crop. The head
cultivator can perfectly execute his or her duties
only to have employees unwittingly
sabotage the crop. In many cases, a simple redirection
of the sequence of activities can
correct the problem. By consistently following
well defined rules of conduct, the growing
rooms can function to their fullest potential. I
recommend establishing a daily & weekly
schedule that defines the activities of the personnel.
By following a calendar, the crew
becomes self-organizing according to the days
of the week.
1) Maintain personal hygiene. Shower every
day. Wear newly laundered clothes. Avoid
contact with molds, soils, pets, etc. Body odors
are a result of growing colonies of bacteria.
Those with poor personal hygiene threaten the
stability of a farm. If employees can not maintain
good personal hygiene, then they must be
fired.
2) Keep the property clean. Particular emphasis
should be on removing any organic
debris that accumulates directly after a production
run or harvest. All excess materials should
be placed in a specifically allocated, dry storage
location. Waste materials should be composted a
safe distance away from the production facility.
3) Minimize contact between growing
room managers and pickers or other workers.
Growing room managers present the same
problem doctors do in hospitals: they spread
disease. All personnel should wash their hands
several times a day and/or wear gloves. The
growing room manager should point out contamination
for workers to remove. The growing
room manager, unless alone, should not handle
contaminants. Furthermore, laboratory personnel
and growing room personnel should not
share the same lunch room, a common site for
the re-distribution of contaminants.
4) Use foot-baths Step in disinfectant footbaths
prior to going into each growing room.
Change baths daily.
5) Frequently wash down growing rooms
The activity most affecting the maintenance of a
growing room is its thorough washing down
once in the morning and once in the evening. After
spraying the ceilings, walls, and floors with
water (untreated), any debris is directed to the
central drain channel, collected, and removed.
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