Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Lignin Lightning: Potentially Doubling my first Soltree Shiitake Shroom harvest?!

So after a helpful chat with Field and Forest mushrooms - I discovered Shiitake DO GROW on Birch!! What a pleasant surprise. And after subsequent research, I learned Shiitake grow FASTER on Birch (makes sense as it's softer wood). The Shiitake shroom eats the Lignin

Lignin is an organic substance binding the cells, fibres and vessels which constitute wood and the lignified elements of plants, as in straw. After cellulose, it is the most abundant renewable carbon source on Earth. ... It is the sulphur bearing lignins which have to date been commercialized.
 So then I realized I need to order another 5.5 lb block of Shiitake sawdust spawn (mycelium). Since each one is for up to 25 tree logs - and I already inoculated some Birch but I have a lot more to do. Plus all the 25 new logs I cut that are just 3 inches (maybe 3 1/2 and one 4 inch diameter)...

So because the Shiitake grow faster on the Birch - and some of the Birch are smaller diameter - that even better ensures me a harvest this fall, as I hopefully will get - a "sample" harvest.

The idea is to keep building up harvests - so you can "rotate" your logs. But since I'm dealing with overall a small diameter tree then the harvest will only be a couple years at most - maybe three years. So I'm at a three year rotation of my total tree harvest.

So that's only just still a small harvest - let's say $7 a pound - just to be generous - wholesale price. Let's say 5 pounds per 25 logs. So then $35 x 3 = $105 - so just as I figured - it just covers gas money a bit. haha.

But with the Birch trees I cut - that potentially doubles my harvest, so up to now $200 a year in net profit. I think that's about what I figured. I am "selling" my trees to myself - as a supply. I am using the accrual accounting method. So my income is actually "anticipated revenue" over the total tree harvest that I valued at $1100.

So the total market value for the total 3 year harvest....is based on not the net profit but the gross revenue. I'm not in the mood to massage numbers. haha. Before I was working on a 5 year harvest rotation I think?

Anyway doubling the harvest to 50 logs a year is a good thing to be sure.




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