Mushroom Equipment For the Highest Quality Results

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Mushrooms require great attention and care, as they are quite delicate, fragile and of high value. Growing and cultivation of wild exotic or edible gourmet mushrooms need proper growing tools and equipment in order to attain a healthy and abundant harvest. The growing technique is every bit as important as the equipment used.

One of the most important processes for growing mushrooms is the hydration process. This requires a comprehensive system and makes use of several pieces of equipment. An infeed belt transports the mushrooms from a buffer reservoir to the hydration section. Once the hydration process is complete, they are transferred to the next processing station. This is a completely automatic process, and parameters such as vacuum level, aeration times and hydration times can be independently set. This guarantees constant and equal treatment of the mushrooms. It also minimizes product damage. Equipment used in the hydration process include a vacuum pump, mixing tank and a vacuum lowering system.

There are other pieces of equipment and processing machines that are used for a variety of uses. Washing devices ensure that dirt and peat are gently washed from the mushrooms without damaging them; mushroom slicers for preparation and packaging to the consumer; suction dry systems, and various types of equipment to clean crates and packaging.

There are different processes and equipment for use on mushrooms, depending on whether they are going to be packaged fresh or frozen. Regardless, each method requires an ingenious arrangement of the machines on the processing line to create an optimal outcome; with full or partial automation, a high level of efficiency is achieved in regards of both quantity and quality.

The suction dryer is an important piece of equipment because it helps to remove moisture, thus increasing the shelf life. This process is used for all vegetables, fruits and salads. The suction dryer is a compact and cheaper alternative to the centrifuge, while producing the exact same results. The dryer is a PVC mesh wire belt. Suction openings are mounted under the belt, which extracts moisture from the mushrooms (or other vegetables.) The dryer can be used on its own, or in conjunction with the washing systems.

Once the mushrooms have been sorted, cleaned and dried, they must be packaged for delivery to the consumer. There are different drums and vacuum sealers that will achieve the desired results and, again, can be used for other vegetables as well. The machines will count and fill each box, bag or container exactly to the specifications that are identified, and can be customized for any size.

Mushrooms are a delicate vegetable and must be handled with care. Using equipment that is automated, yet gentle is the key to providing a high-end quality product to the consumer.

Please feel free to visit our site for more information on mushroom equipment.

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Aronia Planting Guide Part III - Planting Methods, When to Plant, Plant Spacing and Row Spacing

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Planting ideas

With poor soils it is recommended to prepare planting holes for each plant by adding composted manure, composed leaves, peat moss, pine bark fines or other compost into the planting hole.

When planting gently remove the plant from its container, keeping the root ball intact. Then carefully loosen the roots in the potting soil and around bottom and edges of root ball so the roots are free to grow out into the surrounding soil.

Planting Methods

Shovel
Bulb planter
Auger (a power auger making a 12 to 14 inch hole that can be filled with compost or other material can help where the soil is poor.)
Tree planter (on the right:tree planter in action) Of these methods the tree planter has been shown to be the fastest and easiest in soil with good drainage. Good drainage is essential so the drainage of the soil needs to be checked before planting. Poor drainage is one of the primary problems when growing plants. In soil with poor drainage raised beds should be used.
Raised bed machine. Where you have clay soil with poor drainage it is necessary to use raised beds to obtain needed drainage so the plant roots do not stand in the water. If the roots of the plant are in standing water they will drown and the plant will die. At some farms and nurseries raised beds are used because the soil is clay with poor drainage.

When to Plant

If you have irrigation and mulch you can really plant potted plants any time of year the ground isn't frozen.

However Ideal times to plant are: Early Spring and Early Fall

Irrigation is almost essential in establishing plants. (An exception may sometimes be in the late fall or early spring planting). Late fall is often a good time to plant because it gives the plants time to establish strong roots during the fall, winter and spring before the plants must endure the hot weather in the summer.

Plant Spacing and Row Spacing

Commercial Production Planting

Historically, commercial plantings of aronia were done in a line of closely spaced shrubs, leaving enough room to drive a tractor and equipment in between the rows of mature plants.

Row Spacing 12 to 15 ftPlant Spacing 24 to 36 inches

About 1070 plants per acre can be grown with a spacing of 3 feet between plants and 12 feet between rows. This practice is commonly used in Europe for machine harvesting.

Note: When determining the row width, you should measure the width of the mowing and hay making equipment to be certain it is suited to work in the row of that width when plants are mature.

For more than one acre mechanical harvesting is less costly than hand harvesting.

One should keep in mind that closer spacing of plants within the rows for machine harvesting will double the amount of fruit production for the first few years and more than make up for the higher cost of planting the plants more densely.

Hand Planting

This method can work if you plan to harvest small acreage by hand, or use a self-propelled harvester requiring less row width.

Row Spacing 10 ftPlant Spacing 4-6 ft

You should not plan on hand harvesting if you plant more than 1 acre. For more than one acre mechanical harvesting is more efficient and less costly than hand harvesting.

One form of hand harvesting is to let groups from organizations such as youth groups to harvest berries to raise money. Nonprofit groups can pick aronia berries on the farm to raise money for their worthy causes.

Purchase your pesticide free aronia and blueberries from (Blueberry Croft Farm and Nursery). We understand both the theory and practical applications of growing aronia and blueberries. The farm is a reputable source for quality aronia and blueberry plants. Over 30 varieties of blueberries are grown and sold. Viking aronia plants are available for sale. Purchase your plants and get more information from http://www.blueberrycroft.com/. Get free S/H on orders of $75+. © 2011 May be reproduced in entirety with live link

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Maintaining Your Mushroom Machinery

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The entire intricate process of growing mushrooms that are not only edible but of superior quality and growing a bulk of such mushrooms requires more than just constant care and attention- it requires the right kind of machinery, mushroom machinery, to nurture the growing mushrooms also.

Mushroom machinery can typically be of various types, and each of these types of machinery is in turn specially oriented to care for the growing mushroom at a certain stage in its growth process. As the art of mushroom growing gained popularity, the skills along with the equipment used to grow the machine were gradually revolutionized to produce the greatest amount of crop yield with the least effort possible. With industrialization taking over every aspect of agriculture, machinery was introduced into the mushroom growing business also, eventually giving rise to the idea of mushroom machinery.

Today, while there are many techniques whereby mushroom farming may be practiced, the shelving system, developed by the Dutch remains one of the most popular ways to cultivate a mushroom farm. Specialized mushroom machinery is used, and these range from head filling machines, to hoppers, to compost machinery -- mushroom machinery truly has them all, while the list of actions that modern day mushroom machinery is able to carry out is truly endless also.

However, while the machines and their functions may all be amazing in themselves, it becomes essential to ascertain that they are maintained in perfect order for them to function properly also. Here, it is the shelving that needs to be maintained most carefully.

The one main disadvantage with the shelving system is that there is grate likelihood of the spread of disease or pests in the shelves. Since water runs down a shelf to water the mushrooms growing at the next level also, it means that once the spread of pests or infection begins, it will be difficult to control it. To prevent such a disaster from occurring, workers must regularly check the shelves to ensure that there is no pest infiltration that needs to be dealt with.

Naturally, aside from care and constant vigilance in attending to the mushroom crop, it is only the right machinery which helps a mushroom farmer to grow a commercially successful crop. It depends on wisely choosing the right equipment to work that farm with and then eventually maintaining all that equipment in prime working order to succeed at mushroom cultivation.

Need more information on Mushroom Machinery? Feel free to visit our site for more expert suggestions!

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Agriculture: Know the Past and the Future

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Agriculture has been the most integral means of livelihood since the beginning of time. This involves not only the cultivation of plants and vegetation but also animal farming. Crops has been and still is the man's main food source. Its vast history can be traced back to thousand of years ago, surpassing various eras and numerous climate changes.

Primeval Origins and Middle Ages

Agriculture has long been depicted in ancient cave drawings and has appeared in countless manuscripts. The earliest of civilizations started near rivers because of the water it supplies and the nutrients it supplies the land. Egypt and India were believed to possess the most fertile of lands fit for sowing, no wonder it was named the Cradle of Civilization. By the 7000 BC, agriculture reached Egypt. This paved waves for ancient Sumerians to developed agricultural techniques such as irrigation and land cultivation in order to increase production. Even the Greeks have a figure for it, Demeter, as the great Olympian Goddess of grain and bread. It portrays man's source of sustenance. Such she is one of the most revered of all gods. Around the 1500s, colonists started their voyage and participated in the global exchange of crops such as potato, cocoa bean and tobacco. Spices from the New World were brought back to the Old. Soon this barter system improved to fabric, pottery and even jewelry.

Different Production Practices

Today, almost the same concept of agricultural techniques are being practiced with the slight difference of more advanced machinery and scientific processes. Pest control is one of the most practiced because of the abundance of destructive insects and diseases that affect the crops. Pesticides are one of the fastest ways of pest control yet are discouraged because of the chemicals that can cause fatal effects to humans when ingested. Plowing the soil is also both a form of pest control and nutrient enhancer. It prepares the land for planting. Other nutrient management techniques include the use of fertilizers and compost, crop rotation and proper irrigation.

Organic vs Inorganic

The demand for organic food has greatly increased over the years. People are more conscious about what they eat and in turn become more aware of how their food is grown. Organic foods are foods that are grown and maintained without any chemical pesticides or genetic modification. In grocery stores, Organic produce are usually labeled "All Natural" or "100% Organic". The demand for agriculture will no doubt increase still as the years progress. Until humans find another source of sustenance free of any agricultural content, this will forever stand as our means of living.

Maya Bustos is a Filipino freelance writer with a green thumb. She dreams that Filipino farmers would have a fair share of the pie for their work. If you want to know more about agriculture, please read her other articles at Parfund Philippines

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The Milky Bar Kids - A Memorable First

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Our Dairy was a Herring-bone style with cows standing alongside each other in a staggered fashion - 6 each side of a waist-deep pit where we worked with swing-across sets of milking cups. A strong steel bar across their bottoms and a thick concrete ledge behind their back feet stopped them from joining us down there...mostly.

This old dairy had been the first herring-bone style in the area - a breakthrough in its day - but this one already had 'whiskers on it' - as we would discover. There was a long feed trough with a walk space in front to enable hand-bucketing their ration of crushed grain into it. In the interest of speed and ease of handling, I had carefully lined up the spot where each cow's head would be, and deposited 6 bucketfuls in each trough. Sounded good to me.

On this first day, hubby and I both went on foot to bring the cows in. Their size was just a tad 'over the top' for this ex-secretary, and a little 'Dutch courage' needed bolstering. Lesson No. l - when cows have been herded in by a sheep farmer and his dogs - and are then treated to quiet but firm encouragement by humans 'on foot', they do NOT respond with gratitude and appreciation.

NO...the drippy dames all had to stop everything they were doing 'stare at us wide-eyed'; 'poop'; turn around and start following us (from a fast-diminishing distance...did I mention, cows are SO curious); 'poop' some more; finally start to move together - in the wrong direction; and just for good luck, 'poop' again.

On this day, it required one human in front, for them to follow - and one human at the back to encourage the forward impetus. I cannot tell you how much we have chuckled at the memory. We seriously had no idea! But at last they were in the concrete holding yard with the gate firmly chained behind them. With a press of a button, the milking machine sprung into action and it was 'all systems go'.

Except...the first cow let into the dairy stopped at the first pile of feed in the long trough and started eating. And everyone else started piling up behind her, pushing and shoving like a mob scene at the opening of a department store sale. Soon, there were cows in the engine room - and the milk room around the huge (and extremely valuable) refrigerated milk vat. A couple went down the steps into 'our' pit; two were wedged tight between the tail rail and the trough; and another tried to jump over the feed trough, and succeeded in straddling it instead.

Before this event, we were apprehensive, but quite sure bravado would beat anything we would face. Huh! Now our stomachs and our nervous systems most closely resembled the stuff that jellyfish are made of, as we tried to restore order to the incredible chaos that overwhelmed us. I remember we had to let them all out again into the dirt yard next to the concrete - and clean down the dairy (you can guess why!). Next, remove the offending feed from the troughs. Aha! You feed them after they have walked in and shuffled and arranged themselves (and 'pooped' again - where does it all come from?).

Believe me, its no job for the faint-hearted - all these 'poppy' eyes in huge heads, all staring at you. Some want to sniff and taste you with tongues as long as a snake (well, nearly), whilst others roll their eyes, lay back their ears and toss their heads all about. It's hard to decide which is worse. There was just one more happening before this lengthy day was done, but that's another story - coming soon - honestly!

It had taken us almost 4 hours from 'whoa to go' to milk 26 cows. We were quite proud to find we cut that back to 2-1/2 hours at the next one - the p.m. milking. On that day, we would not have believed the 'norm' we achieved much later - 65 cows in 2 hours!

But this was 'easy street', as my Mother-in-law would have told you. She grew up in Denmark, milking three cows by hand, three times a day - and was refused the opportunity to learn hairdressing -

"No future in hairdos, girl...milk cows...that's the thing to do!", declared her Father, most sternly.

Hmm-mm-m! (says Christine...the cowgirl?)

© 2012 Christine Larsen All Rights Reserved Worldwide

You can read more of our lessons in dairy farming in my other Ezine articles that begin with - The Milky Bar Kids. If you want reading entertainment, you won't be disappointed as you follow our bumbling and humbling steps along our journey to final success. And there are pictures on my 'journal' site of farm stories and thoughts -

Kids at a Milk Bar?

Enjoy!

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The Science Behind Aquaponics Food Production System

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Aquaponics is an innovative and growing industry in which plants and aquatic animals are grown by providing them the symbiotic environment in a recirculating system. It stimulates our real life eco system. The basic instruction and proper guideline must be followed to run the system. The plants and fish species should be selected according to the area climate. The existence of this unique food production system comes into being by the existence of two sub system. To understand Aquaponics' real meaning, we need to understand the following sub systems • Aquaculture • Hydroponics

Aquaculture

Aquatic animals like fish, prawns, crayfish, crustaceans and molluscs are grown in symbiotic environment by the hydroponics combination. Imagine! You can grow fish in your own home with few dollars and you can also produce vegetables without clay that is absolutely free with it. You think to cultivate fish in food production system and vegetables are also produced with it? It looks like a dream but with a little passion it is possible anywhere around the world. If un-experienced farmers decide to run this system, it is not a hard task for such farmers if they follow the instructions provided by experts of food production systems. But, if they do not do so, the whole system is at a risk.

Particular types of aquaculture are
• Shrimp farming
• Fish farming
• Ornamental fish cultivation
• Oyster farming
• Algaculture like seaweed farming

Hydroponics

A unique method of growing plants with out clay or soil, by using different minerals solutions. Terrestrial plants are usually grown by putting their roots in the solution or in inert medium like gravel, perlite, coconut husk or mineral wool.

There are some reasons of adopting hydroponics in food production system,
• It is very easy to harvest.
• No clay or soil is required for plant cultivation.
• Due to controlled system, the nutrition pollution is not released.
• The water always remains in the system and it can be re-used at any time.
• High and stable yields.
• Less nutrition cost because the level of nutrition is easy to control.

How an aquatic system works? Water uses the gravity as its transport and is drained in the gravel bed from the fish tank. Bacteria break down the ammonia which is present in fish waste and change it into nitrate and nitrate which is necessary or key nutrients for plants growth. Watercress is use often as a secondary way of water filtration. Water after filtration is pumped to growing beds from the gravel beds. The roots of Vegetables like tomato and other salad green receive this water. When plants absorb all essential nutrients (nitrate and nitrogen) from water, the water is cleansed and finally re-circulated back to fish tank. This cycle is repeated with small intervals.

For a success full aquatic system, monitoring for fish and plants health is necessary because both are the soul of the system and survival of both elements depends on each other. For example, the nitrate produced by fish waste is used by plants and fish uses the oxygenated water which is cleansed by plants within the system.

Jonathan Dylan is a food production expert. For more great tips on aquaponics information, visit http://aquaponicsculture.com/

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Pig Farming - The Rare Breeds

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There are five major breeds of pig used on commercial pig units around the world, with commercial cross breeds /hybrids of these five being the main types of pig that you'll find, either indoors or in the field. They are the Large White, Landrace, Hampshire, Duroc and Pietrain.

But what of the many other breeds around the world? Do they have a place in the modern pig industry? Are they "rare for a reason", as the more cynical among the farming community would have it? Let's look at a few of them and see why things are as they are.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century in Europe the pig was a widespread back-yard necessity - it ate all the kitchen, garden, market and crop waste and turned it into a good quality protein and energy source for the rapidly industrializing populations. Pig units started to spring up near growing conurbations, and there was a need to improve the reproductive side of things. Historically, pig breeds had been locaiised/ regional phenomena, and not very prolific. Enter highly prolific breeds from China (for example to Meishan pig), which were crossed onto the locals in order to produce more pigs per sow every year.

The one breed to have missed out on this 'improvement', and therefore regarded as the most 'primitive' is the Tamworth. A brown/orange coloured pig with a very long noseand pricked ears, she is also known as the 'Old English Forest Pig' - and is one of the oldest breeds in the UK. Tamworths are milky, docile, hardy sows, and their meat has a distinctive strong flavour. Only 17 boars survived in the mid '70's following a long decline in numbers. In recent years the breed has been strengthened in numbers and quality by Australian imports.

The Berkshire pig: the Japanese love them, slaughterhouses don't (extremely fat with coarse black hair)! They are black, with distinctive pink feet and a pink blaze on their noses. First recorded as early as the 17th Century, the breed almost died out after World War 2: a specialist product, known in the USA as 'Black Gold'. Some supermarkets sell the Berkshire as a high value speciality line.

The 'Orchard Pig' or Gloucester Old Spot has been around for two or three centuries. Tough, hardy and quiet, with lopped ears that act as 'blinkers', this large pig is pink with a few black spots. In the UK it is the most numerous of the 'rare breeds'. Good carcass quality though too fat for modern processors. She is suited to outdoor production and specialised marketing. Recent research has looked at crossing the Gloucester onto commercial hybrid sows with the aim of producing quick growing, large litters which have the benefits of the sire's distinctive 'old fashioned' flavour: early results are encouraging, with excellent feedback from butchers and producers alike.

The Welsh is 'pear shaped' when viewed from the side or top, having deep hams, a long back and widely spaced legs. She is pink, and not unlike a Landrace to look at. An excellent bacon pig - the third most important sire line in the UK, originally from the Shropshire and Manchester breeds. Maybe less 'rare', and of increasing commercial interest, she's included here to show you where these breeds came from - yes, there was a 'Manchester Pig'!

Other 'rare breeds' include the Middle White, the British Lop, the Large Black and the British Saddleback (itself a mix of the Essex and Wessex Saddleback breeds). Each of these breeds has its champions, and (usually) very localised markets for their distinctive flavours.

These breeds are rare because there's no call for their more expensive (fatty, often more strongly flavoured, less tender) produce (in comparison to meat from commercial types: leaner, more tender, but sometimes bland tasting). They tend to be fat and grow slowly (thus costing more to get to slaughter weight). But they need preserving (having found loyal local markets to live amongst) to keep their hardiness and flavour traits available to breeders, either as terminal sires of as components in hybrid breeding programmes.

Andrew is a qualified teacher of English as a foreign language (TEFL), a farmer with twenty years agricultural experience, and worked for fifteen years in the global automotive industry.

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