Hi there, I’m Robin and I’m the founder of The Mushroom Emporium. I run a small mushroom farm in the uk with big plans. I currently create a kit called The Fungi FarmBox which primarily sells online and at Artisan/Farmers/Food markets. I also make up commercial blocks for growers and producers. I’m currently a one-man-band but hopefully soon will be able to have a small team. I’ve been working full time for the last 5 years, learning everything as I go, mainly from YouTube videos and trial and error. My main skill is making up the spawn and blocks, having recently stopped growing for chefs and wholesalers to concentrate primarily on this due to restrictions in time. Looking forward to exploring this group, getting to know you all and learning all I can. Here is a pic of me, being silly, with some blues. Have a great day.

Contamination is the #1 reason growers quit. After answering thousands of questions from customers and community members, I've seen this pattern repeat over and over: persistent contamination kills motivation more than anything else. Here's something I don't see people talk about enough. My own contamination journey at Southwest Mushrooms: Year 1: 25-30% contamination rate (I nearly quit) Year 2: 12-15% (implemented systematic protocols) Year 3: 5-8% (refined processes, better spawn) Year 4+: 3-5% (current, stable, sustainable) Reality check: 0% contamination is impossible. Anyone claiming zero contamination either has very low production volume or isn't being honest. If you're running hundreds of blocks, 3-5% loss is the goal. The biggest insight that changed everything for me: contamination isn't random. It follows patterns. Once I mapped out WHERE in the process contamination was entering, I could fix it systematically. Here's the breakdown of where contamination actually comes from: Sterilization failures: 30-40% (the single biggest source) Inoculation mistakes: 25-35% (second biggest) Incubation environment: 10-20% Cooling phase contamination: 10-15% Substrate prep issues: 5-10% Most beginners blame their technique during inoculation, but the data says sterilization is actually the bigger problem. If your pressure cooker isn't holding 15 PSI for a full 2.5-3 hours, nothing downstream will save you. What's your contamination rate looking like? Drop your numbers. No judgment. We've all been there.

This one's for everyone growing in a closet, spare room, bathroom, garage, or apartment corner. Small space growing is how most of us started. Some of the most creative setups I've seen come from growers with limited space. I want to see: - Your grow area (closet, tent, shelf, tub) - - Your humidity solution - - Your lighting setup - - Any clever hacks you've figured out What works well in small spaces: - Martha tents (wire shelving + greenhouse cover) -- $40-60 - - Shotgun fruiting chambers for 1-5 blocks - - Automated misting with a timer and reptile fogger - - Grow tents repurposed for mushrooms Drop your photos and describe your setup.

— thank you for everything you've put into this community. You earned it. Everyone drop a congratulations below. Let's show him what this community is about. - Michael

This is the Ask Michael category. If you've got a question about growing mushrooms, running a farm, dialing in your process, or anything else, post it here. I read every single post and I'll get back to you. No question is too basic and no question is too advanced. I've probably run into it myself at some point. This community works best when people aren't afraid to ask. So ask.