BenJamin Harder

Blacksburg, VA, United States

Started log pro in 13 then straw. Used covid money to built a container fruiting chamber and lab. Now trying to master LC-> liquidity.

Mar 19 at 10:54 PM

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Where did you get the culture from/ want to sell some…?

Know anything about potency testing for Cordyceps or any medicinal!?

Posted

Mar 19 at 10:49 PM

I thought y'all might be interested in my pneumatic bagger review and slight improvements. I still totally wish I knew about Fenrir and Thor before I made this thing but if your doing this for a living and not automated your bagging your going to break your hand like me or worse. 

https://youtu.be/cf8N7BvsuwI?si=OLlr0FRX3eWmfKkO

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Posted

Mar 19 at 09:23 AM

Either the community or the mycowizards team. I was wondering if anyone has experience with Almond Agaricus? I’ve been trying over the years at this time with no real luck. I’m tried expanding spawn, I have LC (different culture) and no luck yet going to diff grains, I’ve tried low tech and high tech. I’m guessing it’s a substrate issue.  My old supplier FF said composted oyster straw bags but their spawn looked like wood plus I don’t have straw bags anymore. I’ve tried manure and straw but maybe it maybe wasn’t composted enough. I’m having my employee grab manure otw and going to try it straight. Idk why these bastards have given me such a pain.  As far as fruiting I’ve had great luck just breaking the blocks in half long ways and putting them under summer annuals mulched in compost/manure. Way easier and faster than making beds. 

Feb 26 at 12:26 PM

The water Seems hella wasteful. We just setup piping in HEPA air from our lab positive pressure lab to positive pressure trough. 

Feb 22 at 09:53 PM

I was curious if you grow a batch out, harvest it, plate it and make LC are you back to G1?

How does senescence and strain stability play into that. 

Before I heard y’all were making a video (that will smoke mine and expose all the shit I’m doing wrong) I started one because there was practically no info on YouTube about bag production. 

https://youtu.be/7tz_JeEvbMc?si=mZWOEG9qw3E1Yb5D

Posted

Feb 15 at 11:37 AM

I got one of these water flow controller for my pneumatic bagger and I've always wanted it to work better.  last week it broke, so I got a nicer flow meter valve for it, that turned out way worse and I ended up replacing the whole thing to get back to where I was but I'd love to know if there is a step up in quality.  I saw some shit that was like 1K but I'd prefer a couple hundred.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GSVHCQL?starsLeft=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_AJNNXGRT8PN0P3P23RX4

Feb 15 at 11:34 AM

That's some crazy involvement from insurance...  Why fire?  You can get water proof LED strip lighting that's cheap and would probably keep them happy.  You might see some shit about blue being the best for oyster.   I would recommend some of them and some 5-6500K bright to see better and for pictures.  They also make exterior T8 that are sealed up tight.  I have both reg and LED.  I'm pretty sure I have 10 different lights haha

Feb 10 at 09:41 PM

I hope we can get some strain that y’all have been testing as the culture of the month! I love the dank nerd power emanating from this thread. 

Posted

Feb 09 at 12:50 AM

It's not as alluring as cordyceps but stuff everyone needs...  I have two questions but I'll lump them together: 

1)Production bag labeling. 

I remember some Myers Video a few years ago with some code to translate letters into numbers of some shit using a pricing gun.  I also had a flashback of seeing SWmushrooms using thermal labels.  I found a bluetooth thermal label printer that does a variety of sizes for less than $80, seem like a winner?  Been sharpie-ing for years now and if I was still knocking everything myself I would have gotten this sooner!

2)Packaging retail mushrooms.

Once I had more then I could pint out, I realized people buy more at markets when it's not prepackaged. So, we sell everything in reuse-able (RPCs- I think) collapsible trays.  Pile it high, watch it fly!  Now that I'm hitting the cap with retail at market and slowly getting into more restaurants again since covid, I'm finding more retail opportunities that require packaging.  Curious what people like or dislike or what preforms well.  For the limited stuff I have been, it's been wrapping half pounds with plastic wrap in green produce cartons with a sticker and it's okay but...

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Feb 08 at 02:47 PM

I’ve bought two different enoki’s with no luck. Always look weak and contaminated. Mad props

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