This is the new mushroom fruiting chamber machine made by Mella. It is coming to the market soon. The Mella machine is designed to offer a superior mushroom growing environment. I, for one am very curious about this new technology.This is because my beginner no-tech attempt at fruiting left much to be desired.
My first no-tech attempt at growing Lions Mane mushroom. Only ADG photo.
THE STORY FROM NORTH SPORE
Here is what NorthSpore has to say about the Mella mushroom fruiting chamber.
“Awhile back, the team at FirstBuild reached out to us about the Mella Smart Mushroom Fruiting Chamber they were creating and asked if we would like to help advise the development team. And, of course, we jumped at the opportunity. This automated mushroom growing appliance has been designed to fit into small spaces (e.g. kitchen countertops) and to make the process of mushroom growing easier, cleaner, more practical for smaller-scale growers and hobbyists. (Think high-tech tiny version of a Martha tent.)
THE LOVE LIST
“We recently received two of their latest prototypes to test, and we just finished our first round of growing. Suffice it to say, we were delighted with Mella’s ease and simplicity, and after much debate, the following six features made it on to our collective “love” list.
Set It and Forget It Feature
1. Mella is fully automated
“There is definitely something nice about the “set it and forget it” simplicity of Mella. Once you’ve assembled the unit and selected the humidity and fan speeds, you can pretty much leave it to do its thing for several days. The water tank (which sits on the outside) lasts for 5-7 days, and the filter and unit only need to be cleaned between mushroom harvests. There are even built-in LED lamps that create the optimal lighting environment for your fungi (which can be turned on and off, if nighttime light isn’t your thing).
2. The unit is compact, yet roomy
“The Mella unit makes excellent use of vertical and horizontal space. We were able to comfortably fit 3 of our Grow Your Own Mushroom bag kits into the unit, leaving enough room for the filter and fan to do their magic. (We also tried 3 of our Spray & Grow Mushroom Kits, which also left ample room for air and circulation.) Of course, we would be lying if we said the unit is small—it isn’t. It’s definitely larger than a standard counter-top toaster oven. That said, it isn’t huge either and took up a lot less room on our kitchen counter than expected. Added bonus—it actually looked good! The Mella design is sleek and minimalist, so it didn’t overpower the space and fit nicely on the counter-top.
The Me;;a Mushroom Fruiting Chamber fits easily on a Kitchen Counter Top
3. The unit is whisper quiet
“Mella’s dual fan has two jobs – air and humidity circulation. And in all honesty, we were a little worried that the fan would create an obnoxious wind-tunnel sound in the background. But it was surprisingly quiet, even at full speed. You can definitely hear it, but it’s more of a soft ambient background noise. Think calming white noise machine, not screeching industrial fan. Two thumbs up!
The mechanism is whisper quiet.
4. Mella controlled smell and spores
“If you live with somebody that is sensitive to mushroom spores or doesn’t like the smell of mushrooms, the Mella is definitely for you. The unit is fully enclosed, and nothing gets in or out (except for highly-filtered air) thanks to the dual fan system. Added bonus – if you live in an area prone to fruit flies and gnats, this keeps them out!
This is how the Mella machine looks from the side.
5. The unit was easy to clean
“Mella has two clear acrylic side walls and a clear acrylic glass door. It also has a stainless-steel floor, roof, and back panel. And, while you do need to clean the unit between mushroom harvests, all inner and outer surfaces are easily wiped off with a damp cloth and soapy water or a water/alcohol mixture. The reusable humidity filter is also easy to clean. Simply run it through lukewarm water between harvests to remove any spore buildup.
6. Mella was easy to set up
“The Mella was packed with care using laser cut spongy foam pieces and only took about 5 minutes to unbox all of the components. After reading the instruction manual, it only took another 15 minutes to fully assemble, including filling the water tank. And, while we wouldn’t say it’s so easy a child could do it, it definitely wasn’t difficult. A quick read of the set-up instructions is all you need. (FirstBuild is also looking to add even easier controls in the next version of Mella.)
The machine with its easy to follow instructions.
CONCLUSION
“Want to get on Mella’s waitlist?
You can be one of the first in line for the upcoming Mella launch (the official date has yet to be announced.) Click here to sign up for their launch announcement and find links to their entertaining demo videos.
Mushroom cultivation on logs is an option for growing mushrooms. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, it is not suggested for beginners. But it is the topic of this blog post. Here is a quote from the Fungi Ally Newsletter about it.
“Mushroom cultivation on logs has a long history. It’s also a great way to grow mushrooms over periods of time because the logs can produce for years. Sawdust spawn and plug spawn are great for inoculating logs, and there are a variety of mushroom species that you can grow on logs and stumps. What mushrooms are you most interested in currently? We have lots of audience members who love growing lion’s mane.
“Popular species to grow on logs include shiitake and oysters. Regardless of your preference, we hope to help you get growing this late summer into fall! It’s also a good time to start growing mushrooms indoors as well. The easiest way of doing this is by using our mushrooms kits that come ready-to-fruit. Until next time, get down with some mycelium and stay tuned for the next newsletter.”
Mushroom cultivation on logs. Image from the Fungi Ally Newsletter.
Mushroom cultivation on logs is just one option for growing mushrooms at home. It is an outdoor technique and not one for the beginner.
As mentioned earlier, growing mushrooms indoors from a kit is ideal since it is simple and safe. Many companies, including Fungi Ally, carry excellent kits for beginners.
CONCLUSION
There are various ways to obtain mushrooms:
•purchase them retail in stores or online
•grown them from a kit
•cultivate them (more to come about cultivation techniques)
Cultivating mushrooms on logs is on one of these options. Others will be presented in this series of blog posts about cultivating mushrooms.
It is amazing how mushrooms mirror past professions. In other words, my past professions, my current passionate pursuits, my hobbies and possible future explorations, all mirror the world of mushrooms. This is illustrated by the diagram below.
My past professions mirror the qualities of mushrooms and their most important conclusion, consciousness.
FIRST PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: DECORATIVE ART & DESIGN
Their design is the first category where mushrooms mirror past professions. The intricacies of the designs of these fungi are unique while displaying a myriad of potential conversions into human structures. Enjoy this YouTube video showing the splendid morphology of mushroom. One wonders how much indigenous architecture is instinctively based on structure in the world of mushrooms.
This is a video clip from Fantastic Fungi directed by Louie Schwartzberg.
DESIGN
Their structural wonder is also clearly shown by the anatomy of a mushroom illustration below from the group, NY Mushroom Hunters.
An illustration of the anatomy of a mushroom
SECOND PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: FOOD | BEVERAGES | INDOOR FARMING
FOOD
The category that practically screams how mushrooms mirror past professions is next. This is because of my involvement with these qualities. We love to eat them. An art of cooking and eating them abounds in all its culinary splendor.
A Virtual Cookbook as part of Fantastic Fungi
INDOOR FARMING aka GROW AT HOME
There are numerous companies and a myriad of mushrooms to choose from to grow your own mushrooms at home. In fact, this is the safest and simplest way for beginners to grow their own mushrooms.
These mushrooms were grown with a kit from AwakenMyco.com. It includes spore impregnated growing medium tightly packed in plastic. Cut holes in it, water and watch them grow.
THIRD PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: FINANCE & SURVIVAL
In the movie, Fantastic Fungi, it is made clear that we could not exist, even that the earth could not exist without fungi. In fact, the processes of destruction and creation are intrinsic to the world of mushrooms and to our existence.
FOURTH PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: HEALTH & HEALING
Mushrooms that are safe to eat are filled with vitamin D3. It has been said that they are essential for vegetarians and vegans. Two mushrooms a day are said to be healthful. In addition, there is research documenting how certain mushroom can be healing physically and mentally. The above video goes into some detail about these qualities of mushrooms.
FIFTH PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: FUN & EDUCATION
As long as we stay open to the flow of intelligence available in the universe, we will learn, grow and enjoy the fruits of this labor.
SIXTH PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: DIGITAL WORLD
The digital world is a reflection of the network of mycelia that connect under the earth. Mycelia are like the roots that bear fruit. Mushrooms are that fruit that appear above ground. As nature, the universes brain creates connection, man’s brain has created the internet.
SEVENTH EXPLORATORY CATEGORY: CONSCIOUSNESS
One can not help wondering about the intelligence that flowed through my past professions as they mirrored the qualities of mushrooms. Was it a coincidence or the level of consciousness that flows through us as we connect with nature’s nature. Continued study and exploration will reveal more about how mushrooms mirror past professions as well as future explorations.
Therefore, it is geared more for the beginner rather than the experienced mushroom enthusiast. Because there is so much to learn, patience is vital. There is an especially crucial reason for proceeding with caution.
Why to Proceed with Caution
The reason for this expanded introduction with non-experiential facts is due to the fact that there are poisonous mushrooms. Therefore, spontaneous activity as an uneducated forager must be avoided. In other words, sufficient guidance, training, and information must be obtained first to proceed safely before experiencing the ‘fruit of the mycelium’.
Non-Experiential Facts
For this reason, this post and others provide non-experiential aspects of fantastic fungi facts. As a result, they will be filled with source material for safe passage. To begin, it helps to read Starting A New Project first.
But reading Starting A New Project is not necessary to benefit from the data in this post, Continuing My New Project. This is part of a safe passage on my journey into the world of fantastic fungi.
Fantastic Fungi: The Mushroom Movie Trailer
FANTASTIC FUNG RESOURCES: FACEBOOK GROUPS
Information and experiences that other mushroom lovers have are recorded on numerous mushroom facebook groups. Although many of them must not be taken as gospel, they are a good peer review place to explore. Six facebook groups follow.
NY Mushroom Hunters “Hello my fellow mushroom foragers! I created this group in order to keep each other posted on the status of the NY mushroom hunt. I’d love to see this group grow as new members join and contribute with updates on their own hunts. I hope to use this as a tool for us NY’ers to keep each other informed as to whether the mushrooms are up or not.
“We can lean on each other for support on those dry years and post pictures of our hauls on good days. Feel free to post ID requests on this page for any species but please DO NOT purposefully give someone a false ID as this can put someones life at risk. Doing so will result in a permanent ban. I ask everyone to be respectful. Other than that, have fun and welcome to the NY Mushroom Hunters Group!”
NY Mushroom Hunters Facebook Group
The Shroomery “We are here to help with any information regarding mycology, cultivation and identification. . . . This is an unofficial group run by fans and members of the Shroomery, for people interested in the cultivation or identification of mushrooms. Please visit www.shroomery.org to get the authentic experience.”
Mushroom Growing for Beginners and Experts “This group is for people who want to learn to grow mushrooms. From the hobbyist, to small scale and large scale cultivation and production. Feel free to also post anything else mushroom related such as: Cooking Recipes, Pictures of wild mushrooms and pretty much anything.
“It is ok to post for mushroom identification but please make sure to take many pictures top bottom , underneath and so on … also give as much info as possible such as your location where and what its growing on and anything else possible … Also keep in mind there are other groups specifically made for mushroom identification which will have more experts with a better chance of finding the correct identification .. Do not rely on this group (or any) for a 100% positive identification.”
Mushroom Growing For Beginners & Experts Facebook Group
Fantastic Fungi is an amazing Netflix documentary featuring Paul Stamets. In fact, it is the best documentary I’ve ever seen. I’ve watched it many times, already. As a result, it has become the start of my new project, mushrooms.
A picture of Paul Stamets holding an example of a fantastic fungus.
Paul Stamets is a former logger turned mycologist. He is perhaps one of the most knowledgeable people there is when it comes to fantastic fungi.
As much as I wanted to create a single facebook page about mushrooms, my new project, I decided to add this topic to several of my existing facebook pages, instead. That is because fantastic fungi do not fit into just one category. They fit into several. In fact, they dovetail with every single one of my past professional categories, continued passions and hobbies.
For example, there are many kinds of fantastic fungi that are used in cooking. Actually, their use here can have delicious consequences. Therefore fascinating fungi will be included in ‘Alison’s Exotic Healthy Food Kitchen‘.
Without fantastic fungi, the planet could not survive and neither could we. Of course, fantastic fungi will be included in ‘Survival Comes First‘.
Much to my delight, I realized I had an Indoor Gardening Facebook page that I could convert from Microgreens to Mushrooms, Mushroom Mama formerly Seed Mama. It will feature a variety of mushroom data.
The banner from the Facebook Mushroom Growers Group.
Even though I do not have a specific Facebook page where a crucial component of mushrooms fit, the worlds of science and consciousness, information will be included in some of the above mentioned Facebook pages.
WHERE TO BEGIN: RESEARCH
READ
In the past when I have begun a new project, much of my material has been inspired. From that initial spark, I will then research and study it in depth. But this project is unique. Because fantastic fungi can be poisonous, I have to start with research and guidance rather than experimentation at home.
Although I am not much of a reader, the purchase of a book or two might be a good idea. I have found two on Amazon that interest me.
Two books available on Amazon about mushrooms.
WATCH
VIDEO AND STREAMING TV
The introduction to Fascinating Fungi, the video.
This is the video that lured me into the world of fantastic fungi. I don’t know where my journey will lead me or how long this project will last. But in this case, it requires a specific path due the the potential danger of engagement and consumption.
A picture of a turkey tail mushroom from the Facebook group, Medicinal Mushrooms.
NETWORK IN PERSON
This step involves contacting people I know and talking about mushrooms with everyone I meet.
The header from the Facebook group, ‘Grow Mushrooms at Home’.
BUY A MUSHROOM GROWING KIT
Purchasing a kit is the safest And simplest way to begin growing mushrooms at home. Here are several to choose from. Just follow the directions to be on your way to growing mushrooms at home. Fungi Ally Northspore Midwest Grow Kits
A video from Fungi Ally about growing mushrooms at home from a mushroom growing kit.
THE END OF THE BEGINNING
Here are a few things you will need to start you on your way to growing mushrooms at home:
1. a growing kit with the growing medium with the spores injected into it for the mushroom you desire
2. a large plastic tote to house the kit in
3. a mister/water sprayer
4. videos to follow along
5. reading material to learn more
