How Much Can You Make Growing Mushrooms?!
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
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How does someone with zero farming experience to starting a successful mushroom farm? Sundown Hazen did it with grit, lots of determination, and CZcams University.
Sundown is the founder of Chesed Farms, a mushroom farm in Washington State. He turned his passion for local food into a business bringing in $200K per year.
With humble beginnings in his garage, Sundown spent $5,000 to start his business and bootstrapped it from day one, even build shelves by hand with used lumber. Never spending a dime on marketing, his mushroom farm relies on the unmatched freshness of his product as well as strategic partnerships.
In this interview, Sundown shares his insights on avoiding burnout as an entrepreneur, the steps to start a mushroom farm from home, and the tools that helped him succeed despite his initial lack of experience. Sundown’s achievements have not gone unnoticed. He was awarded Washington’s Entrepreneur of the Year for 2022, a recognition that highlights his exceptional contributions to the local food industry.
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out The 7-Figure Exotic Fruit Farm Business: • Uncover The 7-Figure E...
Or another great resource, How to Start a Chicken Farm (and Make Millions): • How to Start a Chicken...
Resources:
www.upflip.com/academy - Jumpstart your business with resources from the experts
www.upflip.com/equipment-list - Tools behind our high-quality videos in our detailed equipment list
www.upflip.com/podcast - Serial Entrepreneur’s Guide to Build the Business of Your Dreams
www.chesedfarms.com/ - Sundonwn’s mushroom business
Timestamps:
00:00 - Start
02:24 - The farm
04:07 - Monthly overhead
05:07 - Incubation room
08:11 - Selling at a farmer’s market
10:33 - Revenue
11:15 - Fan blitz
13:20 - Wholesaling vs. Direct-to-consumer
14:51 - Restaurant menu
15:08 - Trying out a mushroom dish
15:40 - Startup challenges
16:41 - Mushroom types
19:33 - Branching out
20:22 - Advertising
21:15 - Local TV experience
23:00 - Biggest challenges
24:12 - Mushroom farming as a side hustle
26:04 - Setting up farm operations
27:37 - Learning from CZcams
29:30 - Starting with a partner
30:11 - Ways to avoid spoilage
32:25 - Favorite mushroom and recommended dish
33:18 - Successful farmer entrepreneur
34:14 - Doing things differently
35:23 - “Creatures”
36:33 - Systems
37:58 - Communication with customers
38:37 - Subscription program
40:22 - Outro
#mushrooms #mushroomfarming #mushroombusiness
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The presenter is consistently not listening to what he's being told. The grower said they'd spent time on small farms, but the presenter keeps hammering home that he had no experience at all in farming. This isn't true. Later, the grower is explaining that the fruiting bodies are the mushroom trying to continue the circle of life but that we then harvest it, breaking the cycle. The presenter responded by making a circular gesture with his hands and claiming that it was all part of the cycle; the exact opposite of what the grower had just said.
This is why this channel doesn’t do as well as I think it should. The dude is just not a good listener.
Agree he really sucks
Welcome to the internet
Yeah, I'm only watching this because the farmer is awesome. I will not be subscribing to this channel however. Because this presenter / interviewer is not worth the time.
And he routinely interrupts people.
It's so great that someone starts with "who is your customer" and "who is your competition" and "what do they not target". This is finally a solid foundation.
Absolutely! I think ethics have so much to play in business.
One thing to consider when building a mushroom grow setup is the cannabis industry has added countless products for growing that cross over into mushroom growing such as grow tents, climate control, etc
Food
Sounds like Marttha made the tent there buddy not snoop
2024. You can grow in a cabinet or under your bed lol!
Automated mushroom cultivation with climate controlled spaces came long before the cannabis growing industry we see today. If you look into this technology’s history, particularly in the Netherlands, it’s pretty wild how advanced this sector has been for decades. I think the technology that has advanced more recently is at the hobby scale.
Ah yess...I love the agricultural content...can't wait for the oyster farm episode, either!
The secret to a business like this to thrive and not only survive; they’ve found a way to provide Value outside of the product they sell. You buy a Shroom but you get Knowledge and practical advice along with it.
why do you capitalize words randomly
Who can say! I’m dyslexic so I often have the same issue. Sentences come out back to front and need a reshuffle and check for grammar. It can be very tiring, mistakes happen when it gets missed! Yes I rearranged this 😂
2024. Life is dope🎉 lol
@@7thwonderlaboratory lol someone's just popped some champagne huh
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Really cool how the mushroom business works. I just recently got into hunting and possibly growing my own mushrooms for personal use so this video came in clutch.
That's awesome to hear! Best of luck with your mushroom hunting and growing adventures! 🍄
Sundown story is a brilliant example of how passion paired with strategic market understanding can create a thriving agribusiness. His focus on direct relationships and quality product is a valuable lesson for any entrepreneur looking to cultivate a niche market successfully. 🍄
Appreciate the game
Sundown is the name of the company? How can I find them?
Sundown is a great promoter with a fantastic personality!!
I used to buy mushrooms from them right when they opened at the market in Walla. Great guys.
You definitely have my sub. This content is next level. For me Eledator was the turning point. Please keep doing what you do and keep being you, love it.
I've been waiting for this one!! 🍄✌️
Why was the mushroom invited to the pizza party?
He was such a a fungi
Sorry couldn't resist 😂
And he was cool. Then he got contamination.
get out!
SWEEEEEEET setup. Thanks for sharing
This is such a useful video with concrete info on research, setup and how to sell. Thank you so much!
You're very welcome! We're thrilled you found the video helpful 👊
Can wait to digest this one 😉
booooo. Just kidding. Good one!
You asked great questions. Thanks
I loved this video. made me feel like i can have a small mushroom grow easy.
Love, respect and hugs from Moscow, Russia.
UpFlip regulates the world 🌎
Love and greetings back! 🙏
This guy has a doppelganger that is a comedic actor. Like a mirror image. Thanks for the episode.
Yes! They sound the same, too! I had to look pretty hard to be convinced it wasn't the actor 😂
@marisapollock4703 Thank you. I was trying so hard to find his name, but I couldn't. At least someone else knows.
@@marisapollock4703 I found his name, Brian Husky.
The actor you are thinking of is named Brian Huskey. I, too, saw it immediately.
Same. I wonder if this guy is aware...
Great mushroom story. I live in a big city and have property. I've thought about trying something like this along with bok choy and Asian greens. Stuff that doesn't ship and commercialize very good
Way to go Sundown and team!
Love the support! We hope you enjoyed the video!
Thank you Ofer!
This was awesome information and motivation
Great video showcasing the journey of building a successful mushroom farm from humble beginnings in a garage. Sundown Hazen's determination and innovation shine through in this inspiring story. The insights shared on starting a farm, avoiding burnout, and building relationships with customers are truly valuable. Thanks for sharing this insightful and engaging content!
we so need a uk version of this show
Oyster mushrooms recipe: Slice the oyster mushrooms and some red onions (thinly), salt and pepper them, pour olive oil, fresh basil, slices of Pecorino Romano, toss again, knead with your fingers. Let this rest for a bit. Get a piece of Lavash, toss on this beautiful mix, bake in 425 oven until bread is brown and crispy. You might bring the oven heat down a bit after about 10 minutes. Depending on the size and shape of your Lavash the center may stay wet so give it some extra time. Yummy!
Yummy!
Thank you😊
I learned how to do this in mycology, at fourth year in college.
Great teachers.
Replicated this once again.
Marketing and timing is like with agriculture.
You're absolutely right!
I’m glad this dude found his calling. I was thinking of branching out with my own green chili.
Sounds awesome! Best of luck with your upcoming green chili venture! 👊
This is dope af
Glad you enjoyed it! 🔥
Great video , you guys are doing incredible work on your channel. I like your enthusiasm a lot
Bro giving out gold wtf i love him
Jaysus I went to school with sundown. My brothers went to school with his brother and sister, sky and dawn! Holy shit CONGRATULATIONS
I love all his mushroom dad yokes 😂
I've wanted to do this for over a year but I'm already running a start up, I even have some new ideas for growing non-cultivated varieties
What startup venture are you currently working on?
@@UpFlip making legal video games you can play to make real money. 99.99% of eSports players will never actually make any money and we are changing that forever
Nice. I love mushrooms!
I’m literally doing the same thing out here in Riverside California.
Hows business?
@@bobmalooga335 everything has been selling out. We’re just about to set up our website and our IG.
This was a 10 ❤
So glad you found it helpful! ✨
I have a set of those roll around metal shelves they're very good I would definitely suggest❤
So cool
“ Get to keep the chowder and my wife “ 😂😂😂
Dope!
I hear Walla Walla and I think New Zealand. You learn something new every day. lol
“Full of fungis!” This guy is amazing.
Awesome interview, great business and tons of tips in there for anyone :) Loads of shroom farms exploded under "Covid" and are thriving now. Congrats to Sundown and Chesed Farms on being another success story of such. Shrooms start from home (or anywhere) nature, lends that accessibility, making them a perfect choice for anyone, even just for personal or friends consumption for added healthy local nutrition, or to expand up to business level. Would love to see a follow up video on the Microgreens side of Sundowns operation and if he combined them at all, in terms of Mushroom CO2 pumped out to boost Microgreen production, as some farms in theory have done.
Mush Love from UK, I have a farm plan pending later this year but just hobby growing and experimenting for now. Namaste & Inlak'ech :)
P.S "The Bob Ross of Mushrooms" lol Mike of Southwest Mushrooms is a legend. Don't forget to check out "Padilla the Cordycep King" too. Perhaps Chesed Farms can expand into Cordyceps via his methods too, although I think they favour a colder clime, or controlled cold grow room and are again "slower growers for higher rents" lol!
Just ate 2 stems and 2 caps of Obi One Kenobi and ill be starting this video in approximately 20 minutes 😎
I am actually quite interested in this...
what kind of environment does Sundown utilize for his grow room? I usually see foggers, filters, environmental controllers ect. I didn't really see any of that in his room. So i am just getting into growing mushrooms. My brother and i have a 5x4x2 grow tent with a 4 level metal/coated rack set up with a fogger, and we are also using myco bags. Any advice would help. We inoculated our bags 4 days ago and are starting to see very small amounts of mycelial growth.
Psychedelics are just an amazing discovery. It's quite fascinating how effective they are for depression and stress..saved my life.
I'm feeling the same way too. I put so much on my plate and it definitelv affects mv stress and anxietv levels
I was having this constant and unbearable anxiety because of university stress. Not until I came across Ted Winston, a very intelligent mycologist, He saved my life honestly.
HE'S MOSTLY ON INSTAGRAMS, USING THE USERNAME
Ted_Winston21.... that's it
@Ted_Winston21
How is the substrate (media mix) sterilized? That step was mixed, from the baking, straight to the inoculated media in the grow room. I personally spend way too much time pressure cooking each bag, to sterilize the media. Great batching solution for the media by the way. Sundown, do you sterilize using a microwave, or pressure cooker, or ..??
He seems like a real fun guy.
Anyone?
fun guy= fungi= mushroom plant family?
looool u funny
wow and zamzam water
LOVE THIS!! we busy with a urban farming project , would love some help, we based in cape town , South Africa
this dude is soooo smart!
yeah man
Sundown? More like Robbie: Best test in the west.
I love Lions Mane. I cook it sometimes like lobster, sometimes like steak or other times like pulled pork.
That's awesome! Lions Mane is so versatile. 🙌
Who got a mushroom farmer, which could be their company, that sells at the Everett Washington Farmers market, and by far my favorite is the lion's mane. It's easy to work with, very thick, no stems, and Cooks great with garlic butter and or olive oil and any herbs. Finish off the mushroom with a red wine to add a nice flavor.
The mushroom I'm curious to see is the one that takes over insects and makes them climb up trees to release spores apparently the zombie mushroom is very delicious and now it is capable of being grown commercially.
Wow! Zombie mushroom sounds fascinating and delicious!
"full of fun guys" i see what you did there ;)
phenomenal , I really want to learn this only that I am afraid I may sell the poisonous one
When you have a colonized block, it is only one mushroom so the one that produces mushrooms is the sole mushroom species.
There are also no poisonous ones that you can grow on purpose or accident
Have you tried cultivating truffles. I was wondering how difficult that would be?
21:13 :D I waited for this joke to pop up :D
Mycelium is also used to substitute Styrofoam.
That's great info!
Which ones were good for "clam" chowder?
💯
We hope you enjoyed the video - thank you for watching! ☺️
What was that bagger? I dont think Ive seen one made of wood that does water mixing as well.
I use think about doing a mushroom farm too, but it takes too much work imo.. I went into the Herbs industry and nursery herbs. As that is a pretty higher demand all year round. It's great to harvest to sell to customers and also sell some nursery herb plants to those who wants to grow themselves a small one.
hat sounds like a smart move! Thanks for sharing your experience!
This might not be the right time or place to ask this question but... how do I KILL the mushrooms growing in my yard?
A different video might just answer your question! But remember, they usually indicate healthy soil, so it’s a sign you're doing something right! 🌱
@UpFlip OK. That's good to know. I was thinking there might be something wrong with my soil. The area they are growing in has a lot of organic matter. Maybe that's what promotes their growth.
Incredible this guy as already been mentioned,asks the right questions.
36:10 Profit margins 30-60%
This is amazing, but can you get rid of the use of plastic?
Anyone know what that hopper/mixer thing he has called is?
Any discussion in autoclaving?
“Jesse hand me that microsyscruim”
It's cool to see Brian Huskey doing something outside of acting.
Where do you get your bags?
Also check your Cottage Food Laws of your state, In Indiana, you can not sell to restaurants, or people out of state, or anyone other than the end consumer. We are also require you to grow them at your primary residence. And wild variety mushrooms have to be certified. Wish I lived in a state with little regulations over selling food and making a living from a home business. Sadly, because of the new law , more relaxed cottage food laws here (this isn't even funny) our local farmer's market is now closed for good because they said we can now sell online (but only to Indiana residents) so there is no need for a farmer's market. So much for keeping things local.
Dayum 17.5 for this bread with shrooms is insane, im from Slovakia here it would be 3 times cheaper
I'LL SEE YOU AT THE WALLA WALLA
Great job fellow Washingtonian! I’m curious about Paul? He does real estate on the side, but Paul after learning from everyone over the years on UPFLIP, what business would you be passionate about? Anything in the works?
Glad you asked! Besides real estate, Paul is working on UpFlip, he's one of the owners ;)
@@UpFlip Love it! U guys are the BEST! Tons of VALUE! 🙏
bro reminds me of the "if google was a guy" dude
Are we all here after watching Clarkson's farm episode w the shrooms??
Yeah it came up in my feed. I saw how well they did at Diddy Squat. Definitely interested for my own hobby farm as an income stream.
YES😂
21:50 where can i find that video?
Is it bro code to open the door and walk in first???? 🤣
the grower is explaining that the fruiting bodies are the mushroom trying to continue the circle of life but that we then harvest it, breaking the cycle.
You're right! Harvesting disrupt the cycle.
❤❤
15:01 "Wild mushroom bruschetta" - how are those mushrooms wild?
It’s marketing creativity. Chefs tend to use vocabulary that embellishes the dish.
He means that its wild n crazy
Lemme get a sk8r brah
Johor, malaysia weather ok to grow?
Brian Huskey is now a farmer????
Mushroom growing requires a huge amount of sterile plastic which is generally not re-usable due to contamination issues. I wonder what is done with the tonnes of waste plastic.
Every industry has tons of plastic waste. The carbon footprint on mushrooms is far lower than any other industry so you have to weigh the pros and cons. Nothing we do right now is perfect. However, mushrooms offer a path to a better future.
nice mushrooms bro
Glad you like them! 🍄
Noticed that he said that they only sell the first harvest commercially. Curious if they can't use subsequent harvests for a processed product or maybe even animal feed?
We do some second flushes. Commercially speaking, the space on the shelf is more valuable by not doing the second flush. If the same space can produce 4-5x the mushrooms in the same time it doesn’t pencil. Additionally, putting the block back in the fruiting room for a longer period increases the risk and spread of contamination like mold and fungus gnats.
@@chesedfarms Great operation! I LOVE mushrooms! i always thought about getting into the business (healthy food is medicine!). Love from Seattle. :)
love what u do. my only concern : growing mushroom in plastic bag is no sense. maybe they're special but otherwise it doesn't make sense
While it may seem unconventional, there are specific techniques and materials used in this process that ensure the mushrooms thrive.
Every industry has tons of plastic waste. The carbon footprint on mushrooms is far lower than any other industry so you have to weigh the pros and cons. Nothing we do right now is perfect. However, mushrooms offer a path to a better future.
15:00 'Wild' mushroom bruschetta? Er...
Yea, chefs use the term wild for marketing. Obviously not wild mushrooms from our farm.
@@chesedfarms
Thanks for the reply. Wasn't throwing shade at you obviously. Love the look of your mushrooms and props for being so open about your business. The chef may want to either change the menu wording then unless I've got something wrong. I'm from England so maybe the term 'wild' is used differently.
@@seriouslybadman all good!
Brian huskey started his mushroom company??
dude totally grew shrooms on the side and decided to go legal
How many plastic bags and boxes this businesses process?
In 2030 my son will be like ..
Dad, I graduated from "Upflip Business school" 🏫
You can say he learned from the best 😎
Boys, grow giant mushrooms in your basement!!!
18 dollars for a pound is wild.