Chapter Project Documentation » Chapter- Project Name [COMPLETED]

URI ESW has begun the process of growing oyster mushrooms in student-constructed setups from purchased grain spawn in our greenhouse space. We have done this with the goal of determining the efficacy of proposed growing strategies, identifying ideal environmental conditions, and spotlighting this unique crop to our community. We have selected mushroom cultivation as our focus due to its suitability for the geographical context of Rhode Island. As the smallest state, we rank second in population density, making the high space efficiency and low input requirements of mushroom cultivation a valuable trait. The project will showcase efficient mushroom cultivation in a controlled environment, utilizing minimal resources and space, making it easy to replicate at home. As a home crop, they’re also easy to maintain, as they thrive on waste material and require no light. At the time of harvesting, only the mushroom head and top of the stem are removed, allowing the mycelium to support future fruiting. The resilience, adaptability, and self-sustaining nature of mushrooms make them suitable for various applications and environments. This will provide foundational knowledge and experience for developing future sustainable growing strategies and allow us to contribute to local charitable resources such as the Rhody Outpost and the Free Farmers’ Market. We will track our progress by utilizing two methods of mushroom cultivation, as well as comparing the expected to the experimental yield of each. Producing and donating mushrooms will additionally develop foundational knowledge for further propagation projects and improve the diversity of food received by the donor recipients.